One of the most exciting things about the Portland revolves around the amazing craft beer community. With over 70 breweries to date, Portland is becoming the craft beer hub of the country, bringing tourists far and wide to visit and taste what the Northwest has to offer! However, there are only 24 hours in a day, and trying to find a way to hit all of the breweries you want during your stay can be a bit overwhelming if it’s your first time visiting the area.Luckily, Ashley Rose has the solution. Ashley is the founder of Brewvana, a brewery touring company that brings people on trips all around the Portland area. Today, Ashley and I talk about how her company got started, the kind of breweries they visit, and what you can expect when you join Ashley for one of her amazing beer tours. Let’s get started!IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:How Ashley got into the beer touring business! She started Brewvana 6 years ago, and her interest in the idea came from working with beer when she turned 21. After serving, Ashley started to learn about the culture and community that comes with beer. It’s different in Portland—people really care about it, it’s special, and beer is of a higher quality in this area. The whole notion got her excited, and since Ashley already played tour guide for her friends and family, the idea to do so for everyone else just seemed natural!From her basement bedroom to her living room, and now to an office space, Ashley explains how Brewvana evolved into what it is today. Based in Northwest Portland, Brewvana currently owns 3 short buses for their tours, as well as a 44 passenger bus that Ashley keeps at her house for private parties and events! Additionally, Ashley tells us that the tours will pick people up, and drop them off, at Growler Guys, giving them time to explore the city even more after the tour is over.Ashley tells us the types of tours they offer, explaining that there are multiple options so everyone involved can have the best experience! There’s both walking tours and bus tours available—the walking tours give people a chance to get outside, get to know the different neighborhoods in the Portland area, and it also gives the guests time to talk about their experiences during the downtime! On the other end, the bus tours give people an opportunity to see different parts of the city, the bus rides are extremely fun and engaging, and you can drink your wares on the bus as well!Ashley runs through what you can expect if you join Brewvana for a bus tour! The earliest tour starts at noon, with pick up being at 11:40 to get you to the first brewery on time. Each tour is between 3 to 4 hours, with the group spending 45 minutes at each brewery along the way. You’re, of course, tasting at every stop, with the first two stops focusing a lot on the brewing process. You’ll talk about the ingredients in beer, as well as getting a behind the scenes tour on how the brewing process is done! At the third stop, you can expect to stop and eat, and the last stop has you enjoying yourself while you engage in fun beer trivia games to win cool Brewvana themed prizes!Ashley talks about the engagement they have with their customers! Each location they visit offers samples of what they offer, and Ashley likes to mix up what they taste to see what piques their interests! Exclusives to certain breweries and seasonal items are great for trying new things and engaging in buying the product as well. Additionally, they can customize private tours to make sure everyone can enjoy themselves! Cider houses are also included, for those who prefer something sweeter (and those with gluten allergies), giving everyone a chance to have fun, even if they don’t like beer.Lastly, Ashley tells us how they choose the breweries they include on the tour. When she started, there were only 35 breweries in the area, but now with a growing population of over 70, it’s harder to choose and keep up. Overall,