One of the oldest drinks in human civilization, beer was originally used by early humans to celebrate auspicious events such as helping a friend move and the invention of beer. See how much the timeless tipple has evolved with today's Groupon: for $40, you get a brewery tour for two on the Denver Brews Cruise (a $74 value).

The Denver Brews Cruise takes beer nuts and newcomers through a circuit of local breweries to discover the process and passion behind beer making. The brew wagon picks up its drink disciples in front of the Pints Pub and immediately heads to the Breckenridge Brewery for an introductory course in how beer comes to be. There, curious quaffers will track the life cycle of a single beer from hops and malts to bottle of brown bliss while savoring samples of traditional microbrews. The expedition then follows a winding path highlighting Denver beer destinations before arriving at the Great Divide Brewing Company. As you and your fellow barley buffs learn about different types of beers, your taste buds and taste frenemies will be busy examining an eclectic selection of malted mixtures such as the Samurai Rice Ale or Chocolate Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. The path of pint glasses ends as it began at the Pints Pub, where you can quench your thirst for knowledge with cask-conditioned English ales served from hand-pumped draughts.

Brews Cruise guides use their Alexandrian library of lager learnin’ to answer bubbling questions such as "how many pounds of hops are necessary for an American IPA" and "why doesn’t the staff at DeBeers ever bring out complimentary peanuts." Designated drivers are encouraged to take part in the tour, since they’ll receive a special gift at the end to reward their commitment to maintaining secure streets and soberly enduring their friends’ loud, rambling declarations of love.

Reservations are required. Tours run Wednesday through Saturday. Each tour requires groups of at least four and no more than 12.

Reviews

TripAdvisors named Denver Brews Cruise the third-best thing to do in Denver. They also awarded it a perfect five stars:

• Although I'm not much of a beer drinker, we had a wonderful time and learned a lot about beers and brewing. Great guide! Would highly recommend this to everyone! – youngoba
• Whether you're into brewing and want to meet some cool brewers who love what they do, or you like drinking awesome local beer, Denver Brew's [sic] cruise is worth checking out. – breiner10