Wine & Mead Tasting, Distillery and Brewery Tour with Lunch

Kingman gives this outing its character. You leave the casino corridor of Laughlin and spend the day with small, family-run producers making mead, wine, rum, vodka, and beer along historic Route 66. The distillery visit is the most distinctive stop, while Hive Five Meadery offers a rare chance to try honey wine in flavors such as mango and black cherry vanilla.

I like the small group of no more than 12 and the fact that lunch, water, tastings, and transport are included. I also like the guides, especially Michael and Wil, who add local background and keep the long ride from feeling like dead time. The main consideration is that the exact lunch venue and the balance of tastings can vary by day, and one stop may appeal to you more than another.

Key points to know before booking

• Ancient mead with modern flavors: Hive Five pours honey wine alongside local Cella wines and cider.
• A real working distillery: Desert Diamond includes a behind-the-scenes look at how rum and vodka are made.
• Lunch is part of the deal: Depending on the day, you may eat at Sirins Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery.
• A compact group: The vehicle carries up to 12 people, making conversation and questions easier.
• A full day from Laughlin: Expect about seven hours, including roughly two hours of driving.
• A good break from casino time: This is built for curious drinkers who want a local day trip, not a quick tasting room visit.

From Laughlin to Kingman along Route 66

The tour begins at 9 a.m. in Laughlin, with pickup at the meeting point or at the New Pioneer Hotel and Casino or Regency Casino. The listed destination is Las Vegas, but the actual pickup information places the start and finish in Laughlin, so check your confirmation carefully if you are staying elsewhere.

You spend about two hours in total on transportation. That matters here. Kingman is not around the corner, and this is best viewed as a day trip into Arizona rather than a short local tasting. The air-conditioned vehicle and supplied bottled water make the ride easier, particularly if you plan to sample at every stop.

The group limit of 12 is useful. You are not being moved through a large bus operation, and the guide can answer questions as the day unfolds. Michael, Wil, and Kevin are named as guides associated with different outings, so you cannot count on one particular person unless the operator confirms it. Still, the guide plays a large role in the experience. Michael is praised for his organization and easy conversation, while Wil is known for area details and for making thoughtful adjustments, such as calling ahead to find postcards and plants for guests on one occasion.

That kind of personal attention is part of the appeal. It also means the mood may depend on your guide and the mix of people in the van. This is a social day, not a private tasting.

Hive Five Meadery and Cella wine

The first stop is Hive Five Meadery, located on Route 66. It has the distinction of being Mohave County’s first and only meadery, giving you a drink that is still unfamiliar to many people. Mead is wine made from honey, and Hive Five gives it a modern treatment with flavors including mango, black cherry vanilla, and chocolate-covered strawberry.

I like this opening stop because it offers something you cannot get from a standard wine tour. The sweet, fruit-led styles may surprise you, and the tasting helps show how mead can range from familiar wine-like notes to something closer to a dessert pour. If you normally reach for dry wine or beer, do not assume every mead will suit you. The flavored versions can be distinctly sweet.

Hive Five also pours up to four wines made by Cella Winery and Vineyard. Cella grows seven grape varieties on more than four acres in Kingman, and the wines are made locally in oak barrels. That gives the stop a useful local focus: you are not simply tasting products shipped in from a famous wine region.

You may also find cider available here. Specific pours can change, so I would treat the advertised selection as a guide rather than a promise of every flavor on every visit. Samples are included, and bottles or other products may be available to buy if something catches your attention.

The only weak point is personal taste. One account described the mead and wine portion as less impressive than the distillery, so I would not book this solely because you already know you love conventional wine. Go for the unusual mead, the local connection, and the chance to compare several styles.

Desert Diamond Distillery, Kingman’s working spirits stop

Desert Diamond Distillery is the most substantial stop on the schedule. It is described as Arizona’s oldest craft distillery and is located near Kingman Airport, in a setting that may not look like a polished tourist attraction at first glance. That is part of its charm. You are visiting an operating small business rather than a large branded exhibit.

The tour includes a look at the distilling process and the barrels used for aging. The focus is on hand-crafted rum and vodka, with tastings of award-winning spirits. Agave rum receives special praise, so it is worth asking about that pour if it is available during your visit.

This stop rewards questions. You can learn how the spirits are made, see the equipment, and get a sense of the work behind a bottle. The family-run feel comes through in the friendly welcome and the willingness to explain the operation. It is a good place to ask about barrel aging, production choices, and the differences between rum and vodka without feeling that you are interrupting a formal presentation.

Desert Diamond also offers flavored olive oils and vinegars. These are a welcome change of pace between alcoholic samples, and they give you something useful to take home. The distillery supplies small shot glasses as souvenirs, and purchases can be wrapped in bubble wrap for a flight. Those details matter if you are buying bottles or food products and still have more travel ahead.

Pacing is the main concern. A tasting day can add up quickly, especially when wine, mead, spirits, and beer all appear on the same schedule. Eat the included lunch, use the water in the van, and take each sample at your own pace. The experience is about learning and comparing, not racing to finish every pour.

Lunch at Sirins Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery

Lunch is included, but the venue depends on the day. You may eat at Sirins Cafe, a highly regarded local restaurant, or at Arizona’s Grand Canyon Brewery. The schedule allows about an hour and a half for the lunch portion, which gives you more breathing room than a rushed sandwich stop.

At Sirins Cafe, the meal can include fresh sandwiches and salads. A lemon pasta salad has been especially well received, and the menu offers enough choice for a simple lunch after the tastings. The cafe sits next to Black Bridge Brewery, making it a practical pairing with the final beer stop.

If the schedule takes you to Grand Canyon Brewery instead, you still receive lunch as part of the package. The key point is that you do not need to budget separately for the meal, though the exact restaurant and menu are not fixed.

I appreciate the uncertainty here, but you should understand it before booking. If you are choosing the tour mainly for a particular restaurant, this may disappoint. If your priority is a meal included in a well-paced day, the arrangement works.

Black Bridge Brewery and the final tasting

Black Bridge Micro Brewery closes the day with beer. Its approach is less about basic lager and more about recipes with unusual ingredients and bolder combinations. You can sample the range, and a flight of six beers may be available, depending on the visit.

This is a useful final stop because beer gives your palate a different direction after honey wine, grape wine, rum, and vodka. It also lets you compare how a small producer expresses local character through recipes rather than through a single traditional style.

The brewery may be the least consistent part of the outing for your personal taste. One person found it less appealing, while another enjoyed the six-beer flight and the friendly setting. That is a fair warning: craft beer is highly individual. If you prefer familiar light beer, some of the more creative pours may not be your thing.

The location beside Sirins Cafe makes the stop convenient, and the hour allocated here avoids the feeling of a quick sample at the door. Still, the day has several tasting points, so you may prefer to sample selectively rather than try everything offered.

What the $230 price really covers

At $230 per person, this is not a cheap transfer to Kingman. The value comes from the bundle: hotel pickup in Laughlin, an air-conditioned vehicle, about seven hours of touring, bottled water, alcoholic tastings, a distillery tour, lunch, and a small group capped at 12 people.

If you arranged the same day independently, you would need to drive, assign one person as the designated driver, organize several appointments, pay for meals, and keep track of opening times. Here, the guide handles the route and timing, and everyone can sample without worrying about the return drive.

The price makes the most sense for couples and small groups who want a ready-made day outside Laughlin. It is less compelling if you do not drink alcohol, dislike long rides, or would rather spend the day hiking or visiting major sights. This is a producer-focused outing, not a broad tour of Kingman.

The inclusion of lunch improves the value. So does the small group. A private tour would cost more, while a large coach tour would likely feel less personal. At this price, the experience needs to deliver both tastings and local explanation, and the guide is central to that equation.

Who will enjoy this Kingman day trip

I would recommend it most strongly to people who enjoy trying unfamiliar drinks and asking how they are made. Mead is the main differentiator, while the distillery adds the best behind-the-scenes element and the brewery gives the day variety.

It also suits anyone staying in Laughlin who wants a break from casinos. You see a different side of the area through small businesses, local vines, craft production, and Route 66 connections. The day has enough structure that you do not need to plan each stop yourself.

It may not suit you if:

• You want a serious wine tour with long vineyard visits.
• You do not enjoy sweet or flavored drinks.
• You prefer a private vehicle and a flexible schedule.
• You are looking for major historic attractions rather than tastings.
• You have a very limited tolerance for alcohol or a long day in a van.

Most people can participate, but the operator does require a minimum number of bookings to run the tour. If that minimum is not reached, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Booking details that matter

The tour begins at 9 a.m. and returns to the same meeting point in Laughlin. Pickup is offered at the New Pioneer Hotel and Casino and Regency Casino, with the booking confirmation providing the exact arrangement.

It is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Confirmation is sent when you book, and the tour is often reserved well ahead, with the average booking made about 59 days before the departure date. If your visit falls during a busy period, booking early is sensible.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made inside that 24-hour window are not refunded or accepted. Cutoff times use the local time in the tour area.

Should you book the Wine and Mead Tasting Tour?

Book it if you want an easy, social day from Laughlin built around small producers and a wide range of drinks. The strongest reasons are the unusual Hive Five mead tasting, the working distillery visit, the included meal, and guides such as Michael or Wil who add useful local context.

Go in with realistic expectations. The wine stop may appeal less if you prefer dry, classic wines, and the brewery will depend on your taste. The exact lunch venue can change, and two hours of driving is part of the bargain.

For curious drinkers, couples, and anyone ready to trade casino noise for Route 66, $230 is a fair all-in price. For a non-drinker or someone seeking a major sightseeing day, choose another excursion.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins in Laughlin, Nevada, at 9 a.m. The meeting point is in Laughlin, with additional pickup locations at New Pioneer Hotel and Casino and Regency Casino.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately seven hours, including about two hours allocated to transportation.

How many people can join the tour?

The tour has a maximum of 12 travelers.

What drinks are included?

Alcoholic beverages are included. Tastings may include mead, wine, cider, rum, vodka, and craft beer, depending on the stop and available selections.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is included. Depending on the day, you may eat at Sirins Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery.

Is transportation provided?

Yes. Pickup is offered, and transportation is provided in an air-conditioned vehicle. Bottled water is also included.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.