Booze cruise that doubles as a workout? Brew boat begins tours on the Sacramento River
Are you ready to pedal the Sacramento River?
On Monday, Sac Brew Bike’s creators plan to roll out the Sac Brew Boat for five tours per day along the river, co-owner Chris Ferren-Cirino said.
Here’s how it’ll work: up to 15 people will churn away on pedals under their seats, powering a paddle wheel in the 30-foot boat’s aft. When groups get tired or aren’t moving quick enough to stay within their 90-minute window, they’ll be pushed along by a 10 horsepower motor charged via rooftop solar panels.
Each tour takes customers from a site near downtown Sacramento to the American River confluence before reversing course. The boat is BYOB and limited to beer, wine and cider, with booming speakers and a healthy supply of red plastic cups stashed near a central bar.
Tickets start at $35 per person, slightly more than a seat on the beer bikes but without the additional costs associated with visiting three bars on the tour. Sac Brew Boat will run five tours a day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sac Brew Boat is awaiting word from the Coast Guard on whether customers will be able to jump off the purple-and-yellow Cascade Cycleboats vessel and swim in the river’s calm stretches, Ferren-Cirino said. Even without a quick dip, it’ll still be a rare opportunity to get out of the city and onto the water during the summer heat.
“We think (the river) is an under-utilized option here in Sac,” Ferren-Cirino said. “Everyone is really proud of the river and that we’re the river city, but we don’t really have a ton of access to it.”
To order Sac Brew Boat tickets, call (916) 952-7973 or sacbrewboat.com.
The Bee’s Benjy Egel is launching a new effort to cover Sacramento’s dining and beer scene. Please send tips and story ideas by email at begel@sacbee.com, on Twitter @BenjyEgel or by phone at (916) 321-1052.
This story was originally published June 7, 2018 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Booze cruise that doubles as a workout? Brew boat begins tours on the Sacramento River."