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The Barrel Run

The Barrel Run

The Barrel Run
5
Beer Tastings & ToursPrivate ToursBus Tours
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
About
The Barrel Run provides public and private tours and full charter services. Taste and tour Chicago’s best breweries, wineries, and distilleries, or take an entertaining and educating gangster tour to learn about mobsters of the Prohibition era.
Chicago, Illinois

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024

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Tours and Tickets by The Barrel Run
Travelers talk about

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles286 reviews
Excellent
266
Very good
13
Average
1
Poor
4
Terrible
2

Paul_Mc-hdhdurjdbdbd
Windsor, Canada1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
If you like beer, particularly craft beer, this is an experience you must try!

Barrel Run offered a unique evening in a creative and custom built vehicle in the shape of a wooden beer barrel. The vehicle itself was comfortable and allowed us to Bluetooth cast of own custom music selection to set our own mood. Our event had us visit three great breweries, all with a unique local line up of craft beers.
Food was made available at 2 of the 3 stops to pad the many beers consumed. The owner/driver was very knowledgeable and friendly, giving us a narrated tour once we initially boarded the bus, and at each stop along the way.

Overall, it was an excellent social event for our company and created an evening we'll remember for a long time.

Only suggestion is to make sure water is available on the bus to promote hydration with all the beer consumption, and to make sure there is enough time to spend at each stop, our last stop felt short as the brewery was closing just as we got there.
Written November 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Paul, it was an absolute pleasure hosting your company outing! We are glad to hear that your group enjoyed the 3 locations that we developed, along with the 2 dinners. The last stop issued a "final call" 30 minutes before closing due to how busy it was - normally this would have been 15 minutes. We visited this stop for the scheduled 45 minutes and departed when they closed. I understand the "final call" may have made it seem as if they were closing, and I do apologize about that. I ensured to get all of your beverages in place. Also thank you for your feedback on the water. We allow private groups to bring their own beverages onto the bus including water. We did work with your group to establish a stock of local craft beer, and we should have included water in the recommendation. We hope to see you again during your next convention visit!
Written December 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FlavorReddyFoods
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
After 2 years of not being able to enjoy time with our employees and customers we decided it would be a great idea to do something fun and different. The Barrel Run did not disappoint. Most of us are from the Chicago suburbs but it is rare that we will tour the City of Chicago in any way. We not visited breweries but also learned a lot of history. The only thing I would change it a bit more time at each brewery. Addison and Ted were amazing and did a great job keeping us engaged on the Barrel.
Written November 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katelyn M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
The Barrel Run exceeds all expectations! It is a brand new and unique way to get family + friends together, eat some delicious food & drinks, and see the city in a whole new way. Ted + David are easy to work with + make the day a breeze. Whether you are from out of town and wanting to see the city from the comfort of a barrel bus, or are a Chicagoan, you are bound to learn things you haven’t before.
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jb9003
Chicago, IL1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
I booked them for my bachelorette party actually and it was so fun! All my guests raved about how great the driver was (which was David the CEO!) and loved learning about the breweries and chicago along the way. The bus is so fun, music was easy to play, and the breweries we stopped at were great. Highly recommend for any occasion
Written May 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bjatwork
Rapid City, SD1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The driver of the bus was super friendly and fun, and the bus itself is of course very entertaining. But there were no tours. The first place we stopped, we just picked a pint off the menu and sat in the outdoor seating. The second place we went to, our flights were sitting on tables when we arrived and we weren't told anything about the beers and didn't speak to anyone from the brewery. The last place we actually did get to meet the distiller and she spoke to us briefly to describe what we were sampling, but it was pretty cursory. At none of the three locations did we get to see how anything was made or how it was made. Based on other brewery and distillery tours I've been on, I was expecting something beyond just being handed samples of drinks.
Written July 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Your group experienced a Private Corporate Outing. We worked with your team to develop the custom itinerary, and our Coordinator explained the itinerary in detail during development. We indicated in your contract that the event only included tastings. Most of our Corporate Outings request to have the event setup this way to allow for mingling between team members or clients as the top priority. We absolutely could have provided more in depth production tours if we would have known your group desired this. We strive to develop custom itineraries that fit exactly what our Corporate clients need.
Written July 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

AMac4457
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
The team at the Barrel run is top notch. From initial inquiry and booking, to working out the route details with Danielle, to the actual tour itself, the process could not have been smoother. We did it with a group of 20 to celebrate a birthday and will certainly be back to do it again. Do yourself a favor and reach out to these folks today to schedule your next event.
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Austin! It was a pleasure hosting you and getting to meet your group. We are so happy that the process was smooth for you, and we look forward to working with you again in the future for another outing.
Written July 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

nas2062023
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023
The Barrel Run was a very unique experience, our team had so much fun with David. We had lunch at Forbidden Root and sampled some delicious beer. We had a prohibition style tour that was incredibly informative, we learned so much about Chicago's mobster history. We ended the tour at Green Door Tavern, a fun speakeasy. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to host a fun night/day out for corporate or personal outings! David and Danielle made the experience so easy and were very accommodating.
Written November 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rickmidwest
Chicago, IL1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
We moved 56 mostly out of town people from a downtown Hotel to Wrigley Field during a corporate off site last week by taking The Barrel Run instead of a generic bus. Great moment when "the bus to Wrigley" showed up looking like a keg. An actual LOL moment. With all the seats facing each other, bluetooth music of your choice and a few cold beers along the way, it really worked well to get people engaged with each other in a way that a regular bus just doesn't do. This carried over to our day at Wrigley and into the rest of our time in Chicago. Highly recommended. On time to the minute, clean, very cool. Hands down one of the better decisions I have made.
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for choosing The Barrel Run to transport your group of 56 up to Wrigley Field! It was our pleasure to provide a unique experience that allowed you and your guests to engage with each other along the way. We look forward to offering our services for your groups in the future! Thank you.
Written August 18, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mjdillon_11
Northbrook, IL3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023
We worked with the Barrel Run again with stellar results. Our clients loved the experience of touring classic Chicago breweries in epic fashion. Danielle and David made the planning and execution simple. And the breweries seemed to embrace our tour which made us feel like VIP’s! We absolutely would use the Barrel Run services again! Cheers!!!
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

553anonymous
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
We rented the barrel for a private birthday party for my fiance's 30th. We were pleasantly surprised with how big the barrel was - we got the 22-person and had about 17 onboard. Very spacious and the seats were comfy. Our driver Ted was wonderful and picked us up at our designated location with ease. We stopped at a couple breweries and 1 distillery - places we wouldn't typically go. It was a great experience and everyone had a fun time!
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

The Barrel Run - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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