Disclosure & Transparency

The Ultimate American Brewery Tour Guide, created and maintained by Michael Thompson (Certified Cicerone® Level 2), is committed to providing honest, independent, and expert-driven content about American craft beer tourism. This disclosure statement explains how we operate, generate revenue, and maintain complete editorial integrity.

1. Editorial Independence & No Paid Placements

Every brewery featured on this site—from major operations like Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada to smaller craft breweries across Pennsylvania, California, and beyond—has been personally visited and independently evaluated by Michael Thompson based on:

• Quality and educational value of the brewery tour
• Visitor experience, hospitality, and staff knowledge
• Beer quality and brewing craftsmanship
• Facility cleanliness, safety, and atmosphere
• Accessibility features and family-friendliness
• Historical significance or unique characteristics

No brewery has ever paid to be featured, recommended, or ranked higher in our guides. Our commitment to transparency ensures you receive honest, unbiased recommendations you can trust.

2. Affiliate Links & Commissions

What Are Affiliate Links?

This website may contain affiliate links to third-party services such as hotels, booking platforms, travel insurance providers, and Amazon products. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Services That May Include Affiliate Links:

• Booking.com – Hotel and accommodation bookings
• Airbnb – Vacation rentals and experiences
• Viator / GetYourGuide – Tours and activities
• Amazon Associates – Beer books, glassware, and travel gear
• RentalCars.com – Vehicle rentals for brewery road trips

How Affiliate Commissions Support This Site:

Affiliate commissions help cover operating costs including:

• Web hosting and domain maintenance
• Research trips to visit and evaluate new breweries
• Photography, content creation, and site improvements
• Maintaining free planning guides and educational resources

3. Display Advertising (Google AdSense)

This site participates in the Google AdSense program to display contextual advertisements. These ads are automatically selected by Google based on the page content and your browsing interests. We do not manually select, control, or endorse the specific ads that appear.

How Google AdSense Works:

• Google places advertisements on our pages using cookies and behavioral data
• Ad revenue is based on impressions (views) and clicks
• We have no control over which specific brands or products are advertised
• Advertisers cannot influence our editorial content or brewery recommendations

Ad revenue helps fund the site's operation and allows us to continue providing free travel guides, educational blog content, and comprehensive brewery recommendations without charging subscription fees.

Your Privacy & Ad Personalization:

You can learn more about how Google uses cookies and manages ad personalization in our Privacy Policy. You may also opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ad Settings.

4. Brewery Relationships & Free Tours

In the course of researching this guide, Michael Thompson has occasionally received complimentary brewery tours or tasting samples when visiting breweries in a media or educational capacity. This is standard practice in beer journalism and tourism writing.

Our Policy on Free Tours & Samples:

• Disclosure: When a brewery provides a free tour or tasting for media purposes, it does not influence our evaluation or guarantee coverage
• Independence: We maintain complete editorial freedom to write honest reviews, including critical feedback when appropriate
• No Obligations: Accepting a complimentary tour does not create any obligation to feature the brewery positively or at all
• Majority Self-Funded: The vast majority of brewery visits (over 90%) are self-funded personal trips where standard admission fees are paid

Our goal is to provide accurate, honest guidance whether we've paid for a tour ourselves or received media access. The quality of our recommendations depends on integrity, not payment status.

5. Accuracy, Updates & Corrections

While we strive for the highest accuracy in all brewery information—including hours, tour availability, pricing, and accessibility features—the craft beer industry changes rapidly. Breweries may:

• Change operating hours or tour schedules
• Modify ticket prices or tour formats
• Temporarily close for renovations or private events
• Update their beer selection or menu offerings
• Change ownership or cease operations

Our Update Process:

We regularly revisit featured breweries and update information based on:

1. Personal return visits by Michael Thompson
2. Direct communication with brewery staff
3. Reader feedback and corrections
4. Official brewery website updates

Report Outdated Information:

If you notice incorrect or outdated information, please help us maintain accuracy by contacting us. We appreciate your feedback and will update the content promptly.

6. Personal Opinions vs. Objective Facts

This website contains a mix of objective factual information (brewery locations, historical details, tour formats) and subjective opinions (beer quality assessments, atmosphere descriptions, personal recommendations).

Objective Information Includes:

• Brewery addresses, contact information, and founding dates
• Tour schedules, pricing, and booking requirements
• Accessibility features and facility amenities
• Historical facts and production capacity data

Subjective Opinions Include:

• Beer flavor profiles and quality assessments
• Visitor experience ratings and atmosphere descriptions
• Recommendations for specific traveler types (families, beer enthusiasts, etc.)
• Comparative rankings and "best of" lists

While Michael Thompson's opinions are informed by 15+ years of professional experience and Certified Cicerone® Level 2 training, they remain personal viewpoints. Your own brewery experience may vary based on timing, staff, seasonal offerings, and personal taste preferences.

7. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Compliance

This website complies with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines regarding endorsements, testimonials, and disclosure of material connections between publishers and advertisers.

Key FTC Compliance Measures:

• Affiliate Link Disclosure: We clearly disclose when links may generate commissions
• Advertising Identification: Sponsored content (if any) is clearly labeled as "Sponsored," "Advertisement," or "Paid Partnership"
• Honest Reviews: All reviews reflect genuine experiences and opinions
• Material Connection Disclosure: Any material relationships with breweries, brands, or services are disclosed

For more information about FTC guidelines, visit the FTC's official guidance for online publishers.

8. Questions About This Disclosure?

We believe in complete transparency. If you have questions about our disclosure policies, affiliate relationships, or how this site operates, please don't hesitate to reach out.