Brewing With Potential
With so many award-winning wineries, breweries and distilleries speckled throughout Queensland, it’s no wonder many soon-to-be newlyweds are choosing tours to these prestigious places for their pre-nuptial celebrations. Bhria Vellnagel delves into what you can expect from this unique excursion.
While high tea bridal showers and raunchy bucks nights will always remain a mainstay in wedding culture, many modern brides- and grooms-to-be are venturing near and far to experience the exceptional opportunities that Queensland has to offer. Whether you choose to visit a few of Brisbane’s local breweries, or take a tour of the state’s famous wineries, this style of celebration will allow you and your closest friends and family to spend some quality time together, while toasting to your upcoming nuptials.
Instead of enlisting your maid of honour or best man with the difficult and time-consuming task of organising an all-day winery-jumping extravaganza, it’s a lot easier – and often more economical – to recruit a professional for the job. With such a wide variety in Queensland, there is an array of options to choose from including bus tours, exclusive tastings, special activities, and much more. As they can vary drastically in price and inclusions, your celebratory outing can incorporate a cocktail of activities, orchestrated to suit your style.
A GRAND TOUR
Providing access to a vast variety of locales, bus tours are a great way to ensure your friends and family have a safe mode of transport available when getting from winery A to brewery B. By choosing a company that caters to hens and bucks trips, you can rest assured you’ll be getting your money’s worth, as most of these companies will have partnership deals with the venues they visit.
Typically costing less than $100 per person, this style of excursion is a fantastic yet affordable way to celebrate your upcoming wedding. While many tours will only provide a standard price per head, others are happy to provide deals for larger bookings. Be sure to shop around and ask about package options when booking to ensure you get the best deal possible.
THE NIGHT LIFE
If you’re not interested in being stuck on a bus for hours on end, then it may be best to stick close to the city for your event. For these short trips, a luxurious outing won’t cost as much as you’d think! Many limousine services offer tours to local sites for your convenience. Tic Tac Tours offers coach, van and stretch limousine options in its winery packages, so you and your guests can sample the state’s wines in comfort and style.
If your nearest and dearest have busy schedules, you can opt for a night tour of the local breweries and distilleries. Typically less costly than a full-day trip, night outings can include dinner at some of the best restaurants from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast. With an abundance of breweries and distilleries staying open late, you’ll be spoilt for choice with a city-based tour.
TAKE A CLASS
If hopping about the countryside or running around the city isn’t your style, you can instead opt to take a more educational and hands-on celebration. Look out for tours with classes or workshops, where you and your guests can learn how to brew your own beer or become masters at mixing cocktails.
Some wineries also provide more than a simple wine tasting, with many historic sites on offer for you to discover. For instance, Ballandean Estate Wines has the oldest working barrels in Queensland which are more than 150 years old. With so much history to explore across the state, many of these unique trips will ensure a wonderful pre-wedding experience.
ALL WEEKEND LONG
Turn your tour into a weekend-long event by choosing an option that includes accommodation; this is the perfect way to create the ultimate girls or guys weekend! Many tour companies offer this combination, and you can choose from city-based or rural outings. In the city, you could discover a local distillery and set sail on a whale or dolphin viewing tour before heading into your inner-city suite. Alternatively, a country retreat could allow you to stay at a delightful vineyard and take in the breathtaking views as the sun sets.
If this style of pre-wedding celebration appeals to you, then it’s certainly an experience worth pursuing; you won’t be disappointed by the memories you’ll create during this unique escapade.
THE PERFECT COMBINATION
If you or your crew aren’t particularly big drinkers, it may be best to pair your winery, brewery, distillery or cidery visit with a complementary excursion. For a well-rounded experience, be sure to ask your chosen tour company if you can team your cider or wine tasting with some strawberry picking and an excursion to a local chocolaterie, or a cheese-making class.
Many tour companies tend to combine a visit to local producers of cheese and chocolate for both tastings or hands-on experiences. If you’re health conscious, why not head out to the Granite Belt to experience a wine and yoga retreat that will be ideal in calming everyone’s nerves before the big day.
Celebrating with your friends and family is a wedding prerequisite. By choosing one of the many tours that encompass the amazing wineries, breweries and distilleries throughout Queensland in lieu of a traditional hens or bucks party, you can rest assured you and your guests will be certain to distil some fond memories together.
