A group of about 50 people joined the Carroll Chamber of Commerce Thursday evening for a trial run of their new “Alcohology” tour of Carroll County. The tour began at 5 p.m. and included visits and taste testing at Templeton Rye, Iowa Legendary Rye, Santa Maria Winery and Carroll Brewing Company. Chamber staff have been working on the Alcohology concept for nearly 18 months and were excited to put it to the test. Executive Director, Shannon Landauer, says their end goal is to establish Carroll County as a potential tourist destination.
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While the tour includes samplings of the high-quality wines, beer and spirits produced locally, the focus is really on each establishment’s origin story and how Carroll County became a hub for alcohol production. Chamber President, Ted Garringer, says Alcohology is much more than just having a drink with friends.
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Garringer adds even people who have lived in the area their whole lives will likely learn something new. Shirley Phillips, executive director of the Western Iowa Tourism Region, was also a part of the inaugural tour. She says the Chamber has keyed in on a wonderful opportunity.
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Alcohology’s itinerary can be adapted to a variety of different group sizes or time constraints. The Chamber intends to begin scheduling official tour dates for 2020 in the near future.