This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
It's a crisp Saturday morning and I and twelve others are waiting outside the Cheese Importers when suddenly the BrewHop Trolly strolls into the parking lot.
Although my mind wanders off about the potential of going to an early morning brewery tour, this was not where we were all going. We are all ready to go on the new Discover Longmont tour.
We each present our tickets to David Lewis, owner/operator of the BrewHop Trolley, get handed a goody-bag, and pick a seat. The trolley lurches forward as it hits 9:10 am.
"The Longmont food scene is growing rapidly and is home to some well established popular local restaurants, carts, and diners and I wanted a way to share what I love about Longmont with more people," says Jennifer Ferguson, founder of Discover Longmont.
"When you walk in the doors of a place, meet the owner or hear about their story, and try the food, you are so much more likely to go back and take friends/family." She continues by saying that the tour is meant to give attendees a fun, pressure free way of trying local places. All the food and drink is pre-arranged and included in the Discover Longmont tour throughout its three-hour duration.
Before we know it, we arrive at our first destination, Motherlode cafe. We all get off the trolley and enter the restaurant where several others are already having breakfast. Upon sitting at the bar, the barista welcomes us and talks about the history of the restaurant and of their homemade sauces. She gives us each a smaller version of their signature Vodka Bloody Mary and a sample of their pickles. Not a bad way to start the morning, I thought.
Fifteen minutes later, we all find ourselves inside Robin's Chocolates. Robin, the owner, introduces herself and takes us to the back of her shop. We all circle around eager to see what she'll do.
"Most of my chocolates take three to five days to make," says Robin, as she proceeds to coat a mold with chocolate. For the next 30 minutes, she continued to show us the process she uses to make her Lavender Chocolate as well as explaining and providing samples of the various types of chocolates she uses. She concluded by telling the group how she got into the chocolate-making business. I won't spoil her story here.
With our bodies full of antioxidants, we all get back on the trolley. The next hour-and-a-half goes by too quickly.
Our third stop was The Post, where we got various tasters of the beer they brew as well as a sample of their breakfast taco. The fourth stop was Smokin' Daves BBQ where we got to eat a pork slider and try their different BBQ sauces. The last and final stop was Cheese Importers, where we got to learn about the history of the business all while eating some delicious cheese.
"This is a fantastic way to get to know the community," says Sandy Fryar, as we explored the cheese fridge.
As the tour comes to a close, I asked Jennifer what she expects for Discover Longmont.
"I'd like to become the not-to-be-missed tour when people visit Longmont and that most locals have been on and always bring family and guests when they come to town. Our goal is to keep it affordable making it accessible to all," she says.
If you are interested in going on the Discover Longmont tour, tickets will be $15 for the month of July; the price will increase to $20 starting in August. Also available as an add-on are deeply discounted BrewHop tour tickets. Tickets are available currently on the Brew Hop Trolley web page.
If you are a small business interested in being part of a future tour route, please contact Jennifer Ferguson. Each stop must provide samples and a coupon. You can reach Jennifer directly at [email protected] or 303-525-3218.
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