Learning how great beer is made can be an educational and enjoyable experience. Visitors have the opportunity to view the fascinating process on-site at a number of working breweries in the historic New England region. The following five breweries offer tours to witness this centuries-old technique, along with a chance to sample a selection of the finest beer each company produces.

Established in 1984, Samuel Adams Brewery is a popular Boston, MA destination among both tourists and locals, and is famous for its Boston lager. Named after the American patriot, this craft brewery, at 30 Germania Street, is recognized worldwide, and has won many awards for its lagers, ales, stouts, and bock beer. Tour hours are Tues-Thurs 10:00am-3:00pm;Fri 10:00am-5:30pm; and Sat 10:00am-3:00pm; free sampling of beer is offered for those 21 and older. The Samuel Adams store also carries a wide variety of beers and gift items.

Redhook Brewery, gold medalist in the Great American Beer Festival, produces the renowned Redhook ESB, an amber ale in the tradition of English Extra Special Bitters. The brewery, at 35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, NH, is open for tours on Mon-Tues 2:00pm; Wed, Thurs and Fri 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm; Sat noon-4:00pm; and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm. The guided tour is $1 per person and includes several samples of beer. After the tour, visitors can stop in Redhook’s Cataqua Public House for a pub-style meal and evening entertainment.

Named best beer and pub by a reader’s poll in Taste of the Seacoast Magazine, Portsmouth Brewery is open 7 days a week and offers tours Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Located at 56 Market Street in Portsmouth, NH, the brewery has been in business since 1991, and each year brews about 1,000 barrels. The restaurant serves sandwiches, fish dishes, homemade soups, and deserts. Popular standards include pale and golden ale, black stout, and lagers such as Maibock and Oktoberfest.

D. L. Geary Brewing Company, of Portland, Maine, was established in 1983, and produces Geary Pale Ale, a year-round beer influenced by the pale ales of Britain. The brewery produces eight ales, and its London Porter was rated the No. 1 porter in a New York Times taste test. D.L. Geary is located at 38 Evergreen Drive; tours are given Mon-Fri at 2:30pm. There is also a gift shop on the premises, selling merchandise and a variety of its beers.

Each year, Harpoon Brewery of Windsor, VT produces 55,000 barrels of beer, ranging from a variety of ales to their Munich Dark. The signature beer is Harpoon India Pale Ale, whose crisp taste comes from a combination of hops and malts. Tours and tastings are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 3:00pm at the 336 Ruth Carney Drive location. A beer garden and store are also open for customers.

New England Breweries continue a tradition that goes back thousands of years in civilization, and their tours provide an entertaining way to appreciate the beer-making process. While in the region, visitors also have the opportunity to explore historic cities, and the beautiful New England countryside.