There are lots of reasons to head west this summer to Huron County, and Cowbell Brewing is at the top the list. Thanks to the brand-new VIP Cowbell Express offering, it’s now easier to get there from Toronto.

The idea is simple: a VIP coach bus picks the group up from a meeting spot downtown and then it’s off for a smooth, highway drive to the farm-based brewery in Blyth.

On a preview trip this spring, we got to see what the day-long tour involves. More below, but suffice it to say this is an activity-packed itinerary and the fun starts on the bus ride.

An out-of-town brewery trip promises beer, food and laidback scenery, but the architecture at Cowbell is an added bonus. The impressive building (perched on 120 acres of farmland) is constructed in the traditional timber-frame barn style with exacting attention to detail. The team there takes pride in pointing out that it is one of the only closed-loop breweries in the world, which means that all the water they use is drawn on-site and returned to the property.

The brewing equipment is front and centre and tour groups will get the chance to get up-close-and-personal with the hardware that makes all of Cowbell’s brewed creations.

Your tour ticket comes with a three-course lunch from Cowbell’s kitchen team that specializes in putting the bounty of Huron County to delicious use. That could mean local cheese for the ploughman’s platter or crafting a delicious hamburger from beef raised near the brewery.

Obviously, the experience also includes plenty of Cowbell’s award-winning beer. (Most recently, their Doc Perdue’s Bobcat West Coast Red Ale brought a silver trophy home from the Canadian Brewing Awards.) And the tasting comes with expert guidance from a member of the brewery’s team.

Throughout the day, interacting with Cowbell’s employees makes it obvious that they care about two things: 1) making the best beer they can and 2) having a positive impact on their community. The latter point comes through especially when we hear about the Greener Pastures Community Fund. Through it, Cowbell donates a nickel from every beer they sell to one of four Ontario children’s’ hospital foundations across the province.

June 6 is launch day for the Cowbell Express and it will run every Sunday through the summer. The tour is operated by VIP Ontario Tours and you can book your ticket through their website.