Drinking beer is good for your brain (disclaimer: we're fantasists, not scientists). How do we know this? Because we took a beer tour and now our noggin's full of useful information. If you want a piece of the action, try one of these booze-centric tours…
Cognac tours, Charente, France
Victor Hugo described cognac as "the liquor of the gods" – how could we disagree with someone who penned something as cheery as Les Miserables. Anyway, the vineyards within the official Cognac area lie in the pretty region of Charente, western France, and this September the Hennessy cognac house will be reopening with a new tasting tour to celebrate its 250th anniversary. Finally, one anniversary we won't forget. cognacetapes.com
Heineken experience VIP tour, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Pretend to be way more important than you actually are with the Heineken VIP brewery tour. You'll wander around the brewery (with a guide, not aimlessly) learning about the history of the company and the four natural ingredients involved in the lager-making process. It's followed up with an hour-long tasting session of five different beers, served with Dutch cheese and bitterballen – meat-based snacks disguised as Scotch Eggs. heinekenexperience.com
Surely the most sophisticated boozing strip in the world, the Vila Nova de Gaia is a street of porthouses in Porto, Portugal
Virtual tour of the Douro Valley, Porto, Portugal
Surely the most sophisticated boozing strip in the world, the Vila Nova de Gaia is a street of porthouses in Porto, Portugal. The Cálem cellars are some of the best, and it's here that you can take a (virtual) tour of the Douro Valley, tasting all of the different grape varieties in the region. The tour culminates with a glass or two of a port from your birth year, or another year of significance. If that's not enough for you then Kopke, the oldest port wine house in the world, is a short stumble away. calem.pt
