Cincy Brew Bus

What Cincy Brew Bus does

Cincy Brew Bus is a Cincinnati-headquartered experiential tour operator founded in 2013 by Mike Stokes, running guided brewery, winery, bourbon/distillery, and food tasting tours out of a multi-bus fleet (14-, 25-, and 36-passenger vehicles) across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Louisville, and Kentucky Bourbon Country. The company operates a portfolio of sub-brands — Cincy Brew Bus (flagship brewery tours), Cincy Wine Wagon (winery tours), Cincy Bourbon Bus (distillery tours), Louisville Brew Bus, Cincy BBQ Bus, and the Cincy Brewsletter content line — alongside specialty products such as the Butler County Donut Trail, Kentucky Bourbon Adventure, Streetcar Tasting Tour, Pub Crawl, concert shuttles, and Keeneland race charters. All bookings are processed through an embedded FareHarbor reservation widget on a WordPress site; branded merchandise is sold via a Shopify storefront; and analytics/feedback infrastructure relies on out-of-the-box tools (Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo, Google Analytics) with Complianz handling cookie consent.

The business serves three primary customer segments: (1) celebration groups — bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, weddings — the company's self-described '#1 tour in Cincinnati' for these use cases; (2) corporate and private-group outings booking custom 3–5 hour charters with VIP behind-the-scenes access; and (3) tourists and local craft beverage enthusiasts booking public Saturday brewery, wine, bourbon, and streetcar tours. Revenue is generated through per-ticket public tour sales (pricing $35–$100 per person, e.g., Cincy Original 4-Stop from $72), quote-based private charters and corporate events, the Cincy Brew Bucks digital gift card program, branded merchandise, and a $15 Uber ride promotion tied to gift card purchases. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company website, phone reservations (513-258-7909 / 844-233-7386), and an on-site pickup point at the Hard Rock/Jack Casino lobby in downtown Cincinnati.

The company is independently held and founder-led, with no disclosed parent company, external funding rounds, or institutional investors. It maintains 50+ brewery, winery, and distillery partnerships across the region — exceeding the ~38 breweries that existed pre-prohibition — and has earned regional recognition including Cincinnati Magazine's 'Best of the City 2018,' a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2023 badge, and features in USA Today and Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine. Tour guides are Certified Tourism Ambassadors, and the company is exclusive operator of the Butler County Donut Trail Experience in partnership with the Butler County Visitors Bureau.

Name

Cincy Brew Bus

Legal name

Cincy Brew Bus

Website

https://cincybrewbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cincy Brew Bus operates guided brewery, winery, bourbon, and food tasting bus tours across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Louisville, and Kentucky Bourbon Country, serving celebration groups, corporate outings, and tourists through a multi-brand portfolio with 50+ beverage partner relationships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brewery & Food Tour Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Cocktail Experiences (Mixology Classes, Cocktail Tours) (THAJAGAG)

Keywords

• Brewery tour services
• Guided tasting tours
• Charter bus services
• Culinary tour experiences
• Distillery tour operator

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Tour Ticket Sales: Per-person ticket sales for scheduled public brewery, winery, bourbon, and distillery tours. Pricing varies by tour: Cincy Original 4-Stop $72, 3-Stop Hop $65, Underground Tunnel $75, Wine Wagon $80, Bourbon/Distillery $100, Streetcar $35, Ohio Valley Winery $67.
2. Private Tour & Charter Bookings: Customized private group bookings, corporate outings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, weddings, and bus charter services for events. Pricing is quote-based, often with minimum group sizes and customized itineraries.
3. Cincy Brew Bucks Gift Cards: Digital gift cards in chosen dollar increments that recipients redeem against any tour; gift cards valid for two years and sold year-round with holiday push.
4. Branded Merchandise (Swag Shop): Sales of official Cincy Brew Bus branded apparel and gear through a Shopify storefront.
5. Kentucky Bourbon Adventure & Keeneland Charters: Multi-stop private bus charters to Kentucky Bourbon Country distilleries (Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses) and Keeneland horse racing, priced per group on 14- or 25-passenger buses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cincy Brew Bus operates guided, transportation-inclusive tasting tours of Cincinnati-area breweries, wineries, distilleries, and food destinations. The company runs public scheduled tours (brewery, wine, bourbon), private custom tours for celebrations and corporate outings, charter bus services for events and concerts, and sells branded merchandise and gift cards. Its portfolio spans Cincy Brew Bus (brewery tours), Cincy Wine Wagon (winery tours), Cincy Bourbon Bus (distillery tours), Louisville Brew Bus, and specialty food tours (BBQ, Donut Trail, Streetcar, Pub Crawl).

Product overview

Cincy Brew Bus operates a multi-brand experiential tour platform rather than a single unified product, anchored by its flagship Cincy Brew Bus brewery tasting tours and complemented by the Cincy Wine Wagon (winery), Cincy Bourbon Bus (bourbon/distillery), and Louisville Brew Bus sister brands. The portfolio spans core brewery tours (Cincy Original 4-Stop, Underground Tunnel Brewery District, Cincinnati Craft Brewery 3-Stop Hop), combo tours (Bourbon, Brews and a Winery Too!), bourbon and distillery tours (Bourbon and Distillery Tasting Tour, Kentucky Bourbon Adventure), winery tours (Cincy Wine Wagon urban and Ohio Valley variants), specialty and food tours (Keeneland Trip Charters, Donut Trail Experience, Cincinnati Barbecue Tour, Streetcar Brewery Tasting Tour, Pub Crawl), and charter services (Private Brew Bus Tours, Riverbend and USBank Concert Series Charter). All bookings are powered by a FareHarbor integration, with branded merchandise sold through a Shopify-hosted swag shop and gift certificates distributed via the Cincy Brew Bucks program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cincy Wine Wagon: Wine tasting tour line launched in 2015, visiting Cincinnati urban wineries such as Skeleton Root Winery, Revel OTR, and local wine bars.
• Cincy Bourbon Bus
• Louisville Brew Bus
• Cincy BBQ Bus
• Bourbon Bus

Products and services

• Cincy Original Craft Brewery Tasting Tour (4 Stops) Flagship four-stop Saturday afternoon brewery tasting tour; the most popular brewery tour in Cincinnati. Includes 64-75 oz of beer across four breweries (16-18 oz per stop), local history commentary, Servatii soft pretzel, and a souvenir taster glass. From $72 per person, Saturdays from the Hard Rock/Jack Casino pickup point.
• Underground Tunnel Brewery District And Craft Beer Tasting Limited-availability combined heritage and craft beer tour (4 to 4.5 hours). Combines a one-hour walk along the Brewing Heritage Trail and exploration of the historic Jackson Brewery's underground lagering cellars with visits to three local craft breweries (16-20 oz total). Includes a souvenir Cincy Brew Bus taster glass. $75 drinking adult / $50 non-drinker. Limited to 14 people per tour.
• Cincinnati Craft Brewery 3-Stop Hop! Three-brewery tasting tour (3.5-4 hours) offering three different beer styles at each location (5-8 oz each sample). Includes a giant pretzel, souvenir glass, and education on Cincinnati's brewing history dating back to 1812. $60 (Fri/Sat) and $65 per person.
• Bourbon, Brews and a Winery Too!

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ guests served in 2018
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship - flagship tour partner and frequent stop, flagship - featured across multiple tour products, core - key streetcar tour partner, core - discount partner on multiple tours, core - exclusive partnership for donut trail experience, core - mission-critical booking infrastructure, core - e-commerce platform for merchandise, flagship - tour start location, core - regular distillery tour stop, flagship - primary winery stop, core - regular winery tour stop, core - social and review channel, core - social channel, core - mapping and location, core - charter partnership, core - bbq tour partner, minor - donut tour partner, minor - pub crawl partner, core - kentucky bourbon adventure stop, core - 5-year anniversary partner, minor - pr/earned media co-marketing and minor - winery tour partner.

• Rhinegeist Breweryflagship - flagship tour partner and frequent stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhinegeist is consistently featured as a stop on Cincy Brew Bus's flagship Saturday tour (Cincy Original 4-Stop), the Streetcar Tasting Tour, and various private events. It is cited as one of the most prominent brewery partnerships in the region.
• Taft's Ale House / Taft's Brewing Companyflagship - featured across multiple tour productsStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaft's Ale House is a standard stop on flagship tours including the Streetcar Tasting Tour and Cincy Original Saturday tour. Featured in blog content (Italian Pilsner interview with Taft's Brewing Company).
• Moerlein Lager House / Christian Moerlein Brewingcore - key streetcar tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Streetcar Tasting Tour where guests receive a Pint at Moerlein while viewing the Roebling Bridge, Smale Park, and Ohio River. Moerlein Malt House also featured in Summer Beer Guide.
• Hyatt Regency Cincinnaticore - discount partner on multiple toursGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides 10% off hotel rooms for Cincy Brew Bus tour guests, redeemable via code provided after booking. Partnership promoted on flagship Saturday tour, 3-Stop Hop, and Bourbon/Distillery tour pages.
• Butler County Visitors Bureaucore - exclusive partnership for donut trail experienceStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproached Cincy Brew Bus to create the exclusive Butler County Donut Trail tasting experience. Tour visits Kelly's Baker in Hamilton, Jupiter Donuts and Coffee in Fairfield, Holtman's Donuts and Stan The Donut Man in West Chester every Friday and Sunday at 9am.
• FareHarborcore - mission-critical booking infrastructureTechnology or IntegrationFareHarbor provides the online booking and reservation platform that powers all tour reservations. Booking widget is embedded throughout the website. Powered-by attribution appears in the site footer. Server is located in Netherlands.
• Shopifycore - e-commerce platform for merchandiseTechnology or IntegrationPowers the Cincy Brew Bus branded swag shop at cincy-brew-bus.myshopify.com. Linked from the main website navigation for selling official Brew Bus gear.
• New Riff Distilleryflagship - tour start locationStrategic or Co-development PartnerTour start point for the Bourbon and Distillery Tasting Tour (Cincinnati and NKY). Provides distillery tour and tastings; featured in custom company outing itineraries.
• Second Sight Spiritscore - regular distillery tour stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Bourbon and Distillery Tasting Tour and Bourbon, Brews and a Winery Too! private tours. Provides distillery tours and tastings.
• Boone County Distillingcore - regular distillery tour stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Bourbon and Distillery Tasting Tour and Bourbon, Brews and a Winery Too! tours. Provides distillery tours and tastings.
• Skeleton Root Wineryflagship - primary winery stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a primary stop on the Cincy Wine Wagon tour providing 4-5 tastings; also part of the Ohio Valley Winery tour and Bourbon, Brews and a Winery Too! private events.
• Revel OTR Winerycore - regular winery tour stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Cincy Wine Wagon tour providing 4-5 tastings per visit.
• Facebook (Meta)core - social and review channelTechnology or IntegrationEmbedded Facebook content (likes, shares, reviews) on the website. Active Facebook page at facebook.com/cincybrewbus serves as a major customer review and engagement channel.
• Instagramcore - social channelTechnology or IntegrationInstagram content embedded in the website for social posts and shares; active @cincybrewbus Instagram account drives engagement.
• Google Mapscore - mapping and locationTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Maps API used on the website for location display of Cincinnati headquarters and tour pickup points.
• Keeneland Race Trackcore - charter partnershipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides charter bus service to Keeneland horse races in April and October annually. Offered to corporate groups as a unique outing destination with optional distillery stops along the way.
• Eli's BBQcore - bbq tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured BBQ stop on the Cincinnati Barbecue Food Tasting Tour providing pulled pork samples with home-style sides.
• Just Q'in BBQcore - bbq tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured BBQ stop on the Cincinnati Barbecue Food Tasting Tour providing brisket samples with home-style sides.
• Lucius Q BBQcore - bbq tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured BBQ stop on the Cincinnati Barbecue Food Tasting Tour providing ribs and smoked sausage samples with home-style sides.
• Kelly's Bakery (Hamilton)minor - donut tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned donut shop on the Butler County Donut Trail Experience; guests fill their own donut at this stop.
• Jupiter Donuts and Coffee (Fairfield)minor - donut tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Butler County Donut Trail Experience.
• Holtman's Donuts (West Chester)minor - donut tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop and tour meeting point on the Butler County Donut Trail Experience.
• Stan The Donut Man (West Chester)minor - donut tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured stop on the Butler County Donut Trail Experience.
• Taste of Belgium (Banks)minor - pub crawl partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the first monthly Pub Crawl focusing on Belgian, English Isles, and German beer styles. Offers three varieties of each country's primary beer styles.
• Mecklenburg Gardensminor - pub crawl partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the first monthly Pub Crawl focusing on Belgian, English Isles, and German beer styles. Offers three varieties of each country's primary beer styles.
• The Pub (Rookwood)minor - pub crawl partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the first monthly Pub Crawl focusing on Belgian, English Isles, and German beer styles. Offers three varieties of each country's primary beer styles.
• Buffalo Trace Distillerycore - kentucky bourbon adventure stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Kentucky distillery stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Adventure private tours (along with Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses).
• Wild Turkey Distillerycore - kentucky bourbon adventure stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Kentucky distillery stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Adventure private tours.
• Woodford Reserve Distillerycore - kentucky bourbon adventure stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Kentucky distillery stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Adventure private tours.
• Four Roses Distillerycore - kentucky bourbon adventure stopStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Kentucky distillery stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Adventure private tours.
• Brink Brewing Companycore - 5-year anniversary partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured brewery on Cincy Brew Bus tours; site of the company's 5th Year Anniversary celebration in 2018. Award-winning brewery (Moozie Milk Stout - Gold at GABF).
• Redfinminor - pr/earned media co-marketingGTM or Marketing PartnerCited as a local Cincinnati, OH expert on the Redfin blog article 'Is Cincinnati, OH a Good Place to Live? Pros and Cons of Living in Queen City' (December 2023) by Julia Weaver, with Mike Stokes (President) quoted.
• Valley Vineyardsminor - winery tour partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured winery on the Ohio Valley Winery Tasting Tour and as part of custom company outings (e.g., winery tour/tasting + Sonder Brewing + Second Sight Spirits itinerary).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Brew Bus: Pittsburgh-based brewery tour bus operator offering scheduled public tours, private charters, food tours, and a brewpub restaurant. Closely comparable single-metro brew bus operator with similar tour portfolio structure, multi-brand expansion, and charter services.
• City Brew Tours: National multi-city brewery tour bus operator running scheduled and private tours in Boston, Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia, DC, and other metros. Directly comparable as the largest US-based direct competitor using the same 'brewery tour bus' model with similar pricing, partnerships, and group/event capabilities.
• Brews Cruise: San Diego-based brewery and wine tour bus operator running public and private tours across multiple San Diego neighborhoods. Comparable regional brew tour bus operator with similar public/private tour split and food-and-drink portfolio.
• NOLA Brew Bus: New Orleans-based brewery and distillery tour bus operator offering scheduled and private tours. Comparable regional brew bus operator with overlapping brewery + distillery tour portfolio and group event focus.
• Liquid Tours: Charleston-based bar, brewery, and distillery tour bus operator running public and private tours in a single metro. Comparable single-metro alcohol-tour bus operator with similar pricing structure and group/private event business mix.
• Nashville Brew Bus: Nashville-based brewery tour bus offering public and private tours across Music City's craft brewery scene. Directly comparable single-metro brew bus operator with similar tour pricing, charter services, and bachelor/bachelorette party targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Viator: Largest global tours-and-experiences marketplace owned by Tripadvisor. Comparable as a distribution and demand-generation channel/competitor in the experiential tourism space where Cincy Brew Bus competes for tourist bookings and corporate events.
• Airbnb Experiences: Global online marketplace for host-led experiences including food, drink, and craft beverage tours. Broad incumbent in the experiential tourism space competing for the same tourist and group-event demand as Cincy Brew Bus.

Regional players

• American Legacy Tours: Cincinnati-based walking and bus tour operator offering historic tours including the Brewing Heritage Trail that intersects with Cincy Brew Bus's Underground Tunnel Brewery District tour. Comparable as a Cincinnati-based competitor in the same experiential/heritage tour category.
• Queen City Tour Company: Cincinnati-based sightseeing and food tour operator offering walking tours, food tours, and group experiences. Local Cincinnati competitor in the broader experiential tour category, with overlap on private group and corporate event offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cincybrewbus
• Facebookfacebook.com/cincybrewbus
• Instagraminstagram.com/cincybrewbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cincybrewbus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cincy Brew Bus