Pictured: Tour guide Steve McAllister entertains guests on the Sunset Cabaret Tour. Photo Courtesy of Discover Sarasota Tours

On May 4th, Discover Sarasota Tours will kick off its new Sunset Cabaret Trolley Tour. This is the sixteenth tour that the company will run alongside its other popular experiences. The Sunset Cabaret, like many of the other tours, works as a collaboration between Discover Sarasota Tours and local businesses. Tammy Hauser, the founder and CEO of the company, says that the cabaret came about as a response to Sun King Brewery’s interest in her popular dine-along tour.

Sun King, based out of Indiana, opened its Sarasota branch last year, featuring a distillery and tasting room for its craft beers. “We had been wanting to do something with the craft brewing industry, but not a traditional bar crawl,” says Hauser. “That’s not what we do. All of our tours involve history or the natural landscape and usually one trolley stop, which is a different model from a drinking tour.”  Together with Steve McAllister, a tour guide and native Sarasota who’s been leading tours for Hauser for the past four years, she created a tour that blended the educational elements for which her brand is known with the vibe of a classic beer crawl.

The pair partnered with Sun King Brewery, located in the Limelight District, one of two stops on the tour. “We wanted to give a shoutout to this area that is an interesting pocket of Sarasota history,” she adds. During the trolley ride, McAllister delights guests with songs, jokes and local trivia that helps connect them to the city. When visitors arrive at Sun King, they’ll have the opportunity to sample a variety of different beers and go on a mini distillery tour. The trolley will also stop at Lido Beach, giving guests a chance to marvel at Sarasota’s stunning sunsets. “Visitors will get to see a beautiful view and enjoy a romantic moment,” says Hauser, confident that the cabaret is a great tour option for couples.

“We’re constantly creating new tours, and whenever we can tie in a local business as a partner that's a win for us,” she adds, “because giving people a truly local experience is what we’re about.”

The Sunset Cabaret Tour begins May 4 and runs throughout the year every other Thursday night from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $52.99 and include pre-tour wine/beer and free parking. Discover Sarasota Tours, 826 4th St., Sarasota, discoversarasotatours.com.

Pictured: Tour guide Steve McAllister entertains guests on the Sunset Cabaret Tour. Photo Courtesy of Discover Sarasota Tours