My fiance and I had tickets to Ales on Rails sometime in March. I only mention the month because there is zero sunshine at 6:00 at night in March. No sunshine = no fun sightseeing outside the train. Despite the darkness that surrounded the train we still had a blast. The entire staff is humorous and made it a fun experience. I was shocked to find out every single soul working on the train was a volunteer. The volunteers worked with passion and you could tell they loved working for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
I suggest you buy 4 tickets and pick people you like. The seating is a lot like riding on that smelly school bus. The train doesn't smell, but your neighbor might. It's a tight squeeze and your legs will tangle with the person staring right at you. After a few heavy samples you won't mind a bit. There's a bathroom on the train if you decided to break the seal. The bathroom experience is a lot like a plane bathroom experience. You can't help but wonder where it's all going.
Some of the beer you sample is local, but a lot of it comes from that strange beer section. If you like IPA you'll enjoy Ales on Rails, but if your a Natty Light type of fella I'd wait until Santa is selling train tickets. If you wait for Santa just remember December = no fun sightseeing outside the train. I imagined the beer tasting experience would be similar to a tea party with water. Boy was I wrong! The snacks were little, but delicious. I'd totally do it again!