Tour de Brewery
Houston Brewery Tour
We’d like to introduce Tour de Brewery, Houston’s premiere bicycling brewery tour company. Houston is a rad city, and there’s no better way to explore it than by going on a guided bike tour. Whether you are a Houston resident, traveling for work, or in town on a vacation, you’ll have a blast while you experience Houston’s amazing landmarks and craft beers. To learn more about Tour de Brewery, check out our article with the company’s owner, Brian Kondrach.
Brian, what is your background?
I grew up in Dallas and moved to Houston in 2007. Before that, I studied Theater at the University of North Texas. Since 2007, I have worked in a pharmacy, food service, retail, as a custom clothier, and as a delivery driver but was never able to find something that I truly loved. During that time, I started adventure running and riding both mountain and road bikes. Through my running club, I got involved with the Karbach Brewing Co cycling team and found there are few things in life that are better than enjoying a craft beer after, and in moderation, during a bike ride. I have ridden the MS150 with The Karbach team 6+ times, as well as the Hotter N’ Hell and other local rides. Over the last 5 years, I have shifted my career focus to my original passion, entertainment, with a focus on improv, sketch, and comedy. With a growth in the number of breweries, it was easy to combine all of my hobbies and create a unique business endeavor.
Why should a person choose Tour de Brewery for a guided tour?
Tour de Brewery is a unique experience and we believe it is the only one of this type in Houston. We provide the rider with everything they need to have a good time. There are drinking based entertainment options such as the Pedal Party, but there is no tour or sharing information about our great city and it’s neighborhoods. Also, it’s nothing like riding a bike! The other brewery based tour companies utilize a bus or golf cart to get from brewery to brewery. And again, they do not include information about Houston or the neighborhoods. With Tour de Brewery, you get a little bit of exercise and an incredibly in-depth look at what makes Houston great.
What was it that made you want to start this business?
I love riding bikes and drinking beer so much that I would plan epic, day-long, bike rides to hit as many breweries as possible in one day. They were a blast but a lot of work and so we decided to pare it down to make smaller individual tour segments.
What do you like most about running your business?
I make my own hours. I am passionate about the work and I get to be in charge. Get to meet new people and know that I get out what I put in. The flexibility also allows me to continue my other entertainment pursuits.
How do you see your business expanding?
Hopefully, we are back in pre-COVID tours in a year if not sooner. Once things calm down, even more, we expect to grow exponentially in the next 5 and 10 years. Eventually, we would like to have franchised tour businesses running in multiple markets.
What is your mission statement?
Tour de Brewery hopes to provide visitors and residents a unique look into the neighborhoods of Houston by biking to and sampling the best breweries the city has to offer all while providing interesting information and insight.
What are some issues that you face while running this business?
Having enough tour guides, bike maintenance, and last-minute scheduling.
How is your team structured?
We have two full-time employees. Me and my business partner, Jason Buhlman. He handles the bikes and finances and I handle scheduling, route planning, and marketing. We also bring in part-time/contract tour guides as needed.
