Scenic Desert Wine Distillery Brewery Route 66 Tour

Arizona’s desert wine country is the surprise here. On this small-group Route 66 day trip, you move from a museum and old highway stories to grapevines, rum barrels, craft beer, and lunch in downtown Kingman. It is a good way to see the countryside beyond the main road without planning several separate visits.

I like the warm, personal stops, especially Little Old Wine Drinkers Winery and Desert Diamond Distillery. I also like the guides, who add local stories, plant advice, and history instead of simply driving between drinks. The main drawback is the driving time and the fact that the distillery is not open Tuesdays or Wednesdays, when the plan may change.

Key points to know before booking

• Up to seven wine tastings: Sample wines at Cella Winery or Little Old Wine Drinkers Winery, depending on the day’s arrangements.
• Arizona rum and whiskey: Desert Diamond Distillery makes and bottles its spirits on-site, including its award-winning barrel reserve rum.
• Route 66 with local context: The Arizona Route 66 Museum and Powerhouse Visitor Center add useful background before the tasting stops.
• Lunch is included: The lunch venue can change, and gratuity is not included.
• Small groups matter: The tour requires at least two people and accepts no more than 13.
• Kingman, not Las Vegas: Pickup is offered, but this experience is not available from Las Vegas.

A desert day built around Route 66 and local drinks

The tour begins around 8:00 a.m. and lasts about five to six hours. You ride in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water, a driver, and a guide. The small size keeps the day more personal, and guides such as Mike, Sue, Bob, and Brandon have been praised for sharing stories about Kingman, the desert, local plants, and the old highway.

The day is not just a tasting crawl. The Route 66 portion gives the drinks some context. At the Arizona Route 66 Museum and Powerhouse Visitor Center, you can get a sense of how this road shaped Kingman and the wider region. It is a useful first stop because the rest of the day takes you away from the usual highway view and into the local businesses that give the town its character.

The driving is part of the experience, but it is also the chief tradeoff. You cover countryside around Kingman, so you should expect stretches in the vehicle between stops. That works well for people who enjoy seeing the open desert and listening to local stories. It will feel long if you want a tightly packed, walkable tasting day.

Little Old Wine Drinkers Winery: vines beside the desert

Little Old Wine Drinkers Winery sits on six acres along Winery Row, just off historic Route 66. More than 4,000 vines grow here, making the setting a pleasant surprise in such a dry part of Arizona. You get about 45 minutes at the winery, with time for tastings and conversation.

The winery’s appeal is its earth to bottle character. You can see how a family operation turns a patch of desert ground into wine, rather than visiting a polished industrial tasting room. The owners are known for entertaining stories and a relaxed welcome, so this stop feels personal rather than formal.

The wine list includes Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo, Rosé of Zinfandel, red blends, and the playful Pink Bikini, a grape and strawberry blend. You may sample several wines here as part of the tour’s total of up to seven tastings. The outdoor seating area gives you mountain views and a chance to slow down before the next stop.

I would keep your expectations flexible. This is a small family winery, not a large estate with a long formal tour. That is exactly why many people enjoy it, but if you prefer highly structured wine education or a broad commercial selection, this may feel modest.

Desert Diamond Distillery: Arizona rum with a serious barrel program

Desert Diamond Distillery, often called D3, operates at Kingman Airport off Route 66. It has been family-owned since 2008 and is described as Arizona’s oldest craft distillery. The one-hour visit includes a production-room and barrel-room tour lasting about 20 to 30 minutes, followed by samples.

Everything is fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled on-site using a German still. The distillery’s Gold Miner range includes white rum, dark rum, and agave rum sweetened with agave nectar. You can also try corn whiskey moonshine, aged wheat whiskey, and a Rum and Rye collaboration.

The barrel reserve rum is the headline item. Its 11-year version received a near-perfect score of 99 at the 2023 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, placing it first in the rum category. You do not need to be a spirits expert to enjoy this stop, but anyone interested in production will appreciate seeing the rooms where the work takes place.

The vintage bar is another nice touch. It was rescued from the old Las Vegas Strip and is associated with the Rat Pack era. That gives the tasting room a bit of character without turning the stop into a museum piece.

Check the day of your visit carefully. Desert Diamond Distillery is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When it is unavailable, the experience can use a brewery substitute, so the exact mix of drinks may change. If rum is the main reason you want to book, avoid those two days.

Black Bridge Brewery: local beer and a relaxed patio

Black Bridge Brewery, known locally as B3, opened in 2013 on Beale Street along Route 66. It was named for a railroad bridge that had served as a local gathering spot since the 1960s. The setting combines a small indoor bar with a larger backyard patio and a redwood stage used for live music on many weekends.

You can find more than 20 beers on tap, including regular pours such as Evil Red IPA, Wicked Poison, Locomotive Stout, and Scorched Earth. The last is a ghost pepper beer with a reputation as a local oddity. Seasonal choices may include Prickly Pear Pale Ale.

This is a good stop for people who want choice. You can try a bold IPA, a stout, a fruit-influenced seasonal beer, or something more unusual. Non-drinkers are not left out, since handcrafted ginger beer and cold-brew coffee are available.

Food is not normally prepared at the brewery, although nearby restaurants can deliver to your table. The lunch portion of the tour may be handled at another venue, so do not assume that your meal will be served at Black Bridge. The brewery is best treated as the beer and atmosphere stop, not as a full restaurant.

Sirens Cafe: the lunch stop with a family touch

Sirens Cafe and Custom Catering is a family-run restaurant in historic downtown Kingman. Mother and daughter Carmella Hynes and Denise McMillan run the cafe, which has a home-like dining room with mermaid decor and a patio beside the brewery.

The food centers on artisan sandwiches and Euro-style paninis made with fresh-baked Italian bread. Homemade ricotta, artichoke spreads, and locally sliced meats give the menu more personality than a standard roadside lunch. The Curry Tito combines curry chicken salad with green apple, dried cranberries, and cashews. The La Rocco panini is another signature choice.

Carmella studied cooking in Florence, Italy, and prepares daily specials based on available ingredients. Homemade soups are another strong point. The cafe has also been named number 85 on Yelp’s 2024 list of the top 100 places to eat in the United States.

Lunch is included in the tour price, though the location can vary by day to provide the best available meal. You should also plan to pay a customary gratuity for good service. Sirens is open Monday through Friday, so the food portion may change on other days.

What the $159 price really covers

At $159 per person, this is not the cheapest way to taste Arizona wine or beer. The price makes more sense when you count what is bundled into the day: transportation, a driver, bottled water, lunch, wine and distillery samples, brewery substitution when needed, museum time, and taxes.

You are also paying for the guide and the convenience of linking several places that are spread around Kingman. Planning the same day yourself would mean driving, arranging tastings, keeping track of opening days, and finding lunch. The tour removes that work, and nobody in the group has to serve as the designated driver.

The value is strongest for couples, friends, and families with adults who want a mix of drinks and local history. It is less compelling if you only want a short winery visit or if you already have your own car and prefer to choose each tasting room independently.

A group discount is available, which can improve the cost for a larger party. The maximum group size is 13, so this is not an enormous bus outing. Still, one past comment noted that the vehicle felt small, so people who need extra space should ask about the vehicle when booking.

Guides who shape the pace of the day

The guide can make a real difference here because the stops are informal and the drive is part of the program. Mike has been praised for his background on Kingman and the surrounding countryside. Sue is known for a relaxed pace, practical advice about desert plants, and letting people enjoy each stop without being rushed.

Bob brings local lore and historical stories, while Brandon has been recognized for sharing plenty of area history. These details matter because the tour is not built around long formal lectures. The guide fills in the gaps between the museum, vineyards, distillery, brewery, and cafe.

The tone appears to be easygoing rather than rigid. If you like a tour leader who keeps the group moving minute by minute, this may feel loose. If you prefer time to talk, taste, and look around, the pace should suit you.

Who will enjoy this Kingman day trip

I would recommend this experience to you if you:

• Want a drink-focused day without driving afterward.
• Enjoy meeting small business owners and hearing their stories.
• Like combining Route 66 history with wine, rum, beer, and lunch.
• Are happy to spend part of the day on the road.
• Prefer a group capped at 13 rather than a large coach.
• Want to see a less obvious side of Arizona beyond the main tourist centers.

It is not the best fit if your priority is a single, in-depth winery tour. It may also disappoint you if you expect generous pours at every tasting, since sample sizes are set by each business. The tour operator cannot control how much each winery serves, so speak up politely at the stop if you need clarification about what is included.

The experience also suits adults who do not drink, but the main theme is still beverages. Ginger beer and cold-brew coffee provide alternatives at Black Bridge Brewery, yet the day is not designed as a non-drinking sightseeing tour.

Practical details that can affect your day

Pickup is offered, but you must provide your pickup location when booking. The tour is based in Kingman and is not available from Las Vegas. Some older experiences connected with this company involved long drives from Las Vegas, so do not assume that option applies to this current Kingman departure.

Confirmation is provided when you book, and the operator confirms the tour one to two days before departure. The tour needs at least two people to run. Most people can take part, and service animals are allowed.

The experience requires suitable weather. If poor conditions cancel the day, you can choose another date or receive a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted.

Should you book the Scenic Desert Wine Distillery Brewery Route 66 Tour?

Book it if you want a full half-day of local flavor rather than a single polished tasting room. The combination of Route 66 history, a family vineyard, Arizona spirits, a downtown brewery, and a made-from-scratch lunch gives the day useful variety.

I would especially choose it for a small group that values good conversation and a patient guide. Mike, Sue, Bob, and Brandon each appear to bring a personal touch, and that matters during the longer drives.

Before you pay, confirm the pickup point, the operating day, and whether Desert Diamond Distillery is open. If you want rum, avoid Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are comfortable with a relaxed schedule, changing lunch venue, and the possibility of a brewery substitute, the $159 price is reasonable for the transportation, tastings, meal, and local connection built into the day.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in the Kingman area at about 8:00 a.m. You must provide your pickup location when booking. Pickup is not available from Las Vegas.

How long does the experience last?

Plan on approximately five to six hours, including transportation, the Route 66 museum visit, tastings, lunch, and time at the local businesses.

How many people can join the tour?

The tour requires at least two participants and allows a maximum of 13 people.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is included, but the location may vary depending on the day. Gratuity is not included, so plan to tip for good service.

What happens if the distillery is closed?

Desert Diamond Distillery is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When it is unavailable, the tour may substitute a brewery visit, so the exact tasting plan can vary.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Poor weather or failure to meet the minimum number of participants may also lead to a rescheduled tour or full refund.