Welcome to another installment of the Oregon Brewery Running Series Podcast; Inspiring Oregonians to Get Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries.
Today on the podcast we’re talking with Ashley Rose Salvitti, owner, founder and craft beer lover at Brewvana Brewery Tours. In this episode, Ashley and I will unpack the three words she uses to describe Brewvana (passion, collaboration, amazing-experience). We’ll also talk about how they’re trying to go beyond simple brewery tours to spreading craft beer awareness and appreciation globally through educational and fun beer tasting experiences. She’ll also share some insider tips from her years working with so many great brewery partners here in Oregon. We’re partnering with Brewvana for our August 18 run in Astoria at Fort George! Register here for this one of a kind VIP brewery tour and 5k fun run experience!
We also share a promo code that will get you and a friend free entry to the Fort George run, so listen to the whole episode then join us!
A Brief History of Brewvana Brewery Tours
In 2006, Ashley moved to Portland from North Carolina. When friends and family would visit, she’d play the role of tour guide, packing their itineraries full of the best of the best places in Portland. Before Brewvana, she worked as a server at Laurelwood and then later Hopworks. During her time at Hopworks, she saw firsthand how another beer tour bus company operated. She thought that the company did some great things, but also saw room for improvement.
On a family trip to Puerto Rico, she went on a tour of the Bacardi Rum Facility and had her mind blown at how well it was done. That’s when the light bulbs started going off for her about what she needed to do in Portland. It didn’t take long for Ashley to begin putting her plan in motion. Without any real business training (she later completed a business course through Mercy Crops), she made a business plan. Armed with only her wits, an overly encouraging mother, and a customer-focused mentality, Ashley was ready to make this thing happen. It would be a few more years before she quit her “real” job to focus exclusively on Brewvana.
Today, Brewvana is going strong. Ashley just hired a new tour manager, Thom, and employees about ten tour guides with unique skill sets which allow them to entertain and educate guests while driving a bus, and making sure the logistics are in order, so nobody gets left behind.
Ashley is also a runner, which is (probably) why she has been so great about partnering with us. In fact, she shared a story with me about how she met her husband, which is either the premise of a romantic comedy or a slasher film. Listen for yourself and then decide what you think.
Brewvana’s mission is to help educate everyone about the intricacies of craft beer, as well and treat you to a good old time! Here are a few of their current tours:
See their complete tour listing here!
Episode Resources:
About Us
The Oregon Brewery Running Series is about inspiring Oregonians to Get Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries. Register for our next run here! Use promo code ‘Brewvana,’ and you’ll save $5 off your entry. Our theme music, the Oregon Song, is written and performed by James Hoffman.
