Beer in the United States and Canada enjoys a rich heritage that is reflective of the European culture from which it was developed. This heritage is preserved by the many brewmasters who create beer, based on traditional style and old world methods.

These styles endure constant refinement with changing tastes and technology, and it becomes a challenge for the creators of beer to blend such enhancements, while still preserving the background from which it was developed. This constant tug-of-war between tradition and progress creates an exciting theatre for those who are passionate about beer. And exciting theatre, filled with passion, is what we all crave!

Enter: Oliver Dawson and The Beer Lovers’ Tour Company.

Allow your imagination to wander, for a moment, to a time when inspiration meets passion. Fascinated by the history, architecture, and community that emerged out of the complex development of beer, Oliver Dawson had gained a broad education in the history of beer while working for one of the first micro-breweries in Ontario, the Upper Canada Brewing Company. Dawson was their multi-lingual Director of Marketing, with a love for travel, and a natural affinity for the stage.

With all this electrical chemistry swirling about, it was no surprise that the first Beer Lovers’ Tour became a custom-design by Dawson, as a catalyst to drive the customer loyalty program. This was a European tour, through areas that made significant contributions to the development of beer – Amsterdam, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Bavaria, the Rhineland and Germany.

The travelers were immersed in the culture of Europe. They visited the world-renowned Luitpold Brewery in Kaltenberg Castle; the Belgium Beer Museum in Brussels, with its exhibit of tradition mixed with state-of-the-art science; the ceremonious daily “tapping of the keg” at the Old Schneider Weizinbier Brewery in Munich; historic brewpubs and breweries, barrel makers and beer fests.

Success begets action, and so it followed that the colossal, memory-making tour set the stage for a grand opening: The Beer Lovers’ Tour Company!

Toronto is one of the most active brewing centers in North America, the perfect backdrop for Dawson’s Olde Toronto Beer Tour. From Easter until September, Dawson conducts spectacular one-day tours of an area rich in heritage. You become immersed in Old Dominion artifacts, historic “Corktown,” and the Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Center in the scenic Don River Valley. You taste the flavor of the Victorian British Empire against the backdrop of the Mill Street Brewery, located within the 19th century Gooderham and Worts Distillery District – cobblestoned streets, ghost stories, and samples of legendary, hand-crafted brews. Your memories are sealed with a spectacular four-course beer dinner, complete with cask-conditioned ales.

Scheduled for September 2005 is the Ale and Single Malt Lovers’ Tour of Scotland, a 10-day tour in which you can sample the “juice of the barley,” while becoming a part of the grand symphony of spectacular landscape and the culture that spawned an enduring style in scotch ales.

The Beer Lovers’ Tour Company offers an array of beer tours for every taste and style – Beer and Chocolate Lovers’ Tour of Belgium, Oktoberfest and Bohemian Adventure, Beer Lover’s Tour of the Pacific Northwest, and Real Ale and Audio Lovers’ Tour of England. In addition, Oliver Dawson is available to conduct an array of custom-designed events - tutored tasting evenings, private beer and dinner tours, and speaking engagements at beer events.

The Beer Lovers’ Tour Company can be found at www.beerloverstour.com