This Startup Lets You Crash in a Tent at Brewery Ommegang

After a night of drinking, the clichéd line goes "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Okay, but what if there was a tent? A company called Tentrr wants to make it possible for people to crash at breweries and wineries by installing its rentable tents in available outdoor space on the grounds of these boozy destinations. And the brand just announced its first partnership with Cooperstown, New York's Brewery Ommegang.

Founded in 2015, Tentrr's primary mission is to appeal to outdoorsy types, not lushes. Unhappy with the experiences at many typical campsites, founder and CEO Michael D'Agostino hatched a plan to install fully-equipped and serviced campsites in secluded areas by partnering with private landowners. The company now operates hundreds of such sites through the Northeast, all of which can be booked through the brand's app, guaranteeing that each site "is installed on 15 acres or more of secluded land that has gorgeous views, swimming holes, or hiking trails and just minutes away from outdoor activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and fishing."

But why not squeeze in some beer tasting while you're at it as well? In a newly announced partnership, Tentrr has installed a two-party campsite on the 136-acre farmstead of Brewery Ommegang, one of America's seminal Belgian-style brewers. Campers can tour the brewery or enjoy beer tasting during the day, dine at Café Ommegang at night, and then crash in their "canvas safari-style tents with wood stoves and beds, along with picnic tables, sun showers, and camp toilets," according to Tentrr.

As brilliant of a concept as camping out at a brewery may be, D'Agostino says it actually came together by happenstance. "One of Tentrr's CampKeepers (landowners who have a Tentrr campsite) works with Brewery Ommegang and referred them to Tentrr as a way to provide an additional brewery attraction and we jumped at the chance to partner with such a beloved brewery," he said via email.

And obviously, as an entrepreneur, D'Agostino knows a good opportunity when he sees one. He's hoping to further Tentrr's new boozy angle in the near future. "Going forward, Tentrr hopes to partner with more breweries and wineries as a way to help local agricultural based businesses earn extra income," he said of the company's plans, which also include expanding to the Pacific Northwest. "In the coming year, Tentrr will be marketing to Breweries Associations and Wine Councils as a way to form more partnerships going forward." Call it the best idea since the designated driver.