Vermont anyone????

[brewsbrothers]

Hey I am going to be taking a trip up to vermont this spring to visit some breweries and take in som sights. I wonder if anyone is from the area and can give me some advice on what to see, where to go where to eat and most important where to get some good beer. We will be going to try and visit Long Trail, Magic Hat, Harpoon and maybe more. Any advice from any locals or people who have visited those places would be greatly greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[the_bird]

McNeill's, if you find yourself in Brattleboro. Might even convince Glibbidy to give you a little tour.

I'm personally a big fan of Vt Pub and Brewery (Greg Noonan's old place). Haven't been up there in a while, though.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

I hate to knock any brewery down, but in the last 2-3 years that I've been to Burlington, I've found VT Pub + Brewery to be a disappointment (beer-wise). I can say the same about Three Needs too.

I still love American Flatbread. Amazing beers and great pizzas!

M_C

 

[stevo155]

Wow...you're all over the state there. Look up Rock Art in Morrisville and Hill Farmstead in Greensboro. Haven't been there personally, but hear a lot of good things about them. On your way back to Burlington, you can stop at the Alchemist in Waterbury ( after a brief stop at Ben & Jerry's of course ).

VT Pub and Brewery is always my favorite in Burlington, but it has been 2 years since I've been there and I don't know how Greg's passing has affected quality. It's a shame...I spent 4 years at UVM and only drank the cheap draft stuff.

Also, here's a good site about the VT Brewery Passport program:

http://brewersvt.com/passport

 

[dukerutledge]

I live in Burlington and here is my list of Dos:

Burlington
Magic Hat: You just have to, nothing impressive, but they have one of the best merch/tasting setups I've seen.

Flat Bread: Go for dinner, but get there early because there will be a wait. They always have good beer on tap, as well as their house brew zero gravity.

FarmHouse: The farmhouse doesn't brew anything, but they have the best selection of taps in town. Always something interesting and always worth it.

Das Beir Haus: This place is a bit pricey however they have the freshest pour of Aventinus I've ever had. I don't know how they get it, but it is generally fresh even verging on green.

Brattleboro
Mcneils: Solid brews of the english american hybrid. I haven't made it to the bar myself and I've heard rumors of dirty taps, but the beer is delicious.

Middlebury Area
Lawson's Liquids: This is a nano and you'll have to get a hold of the guy if you wanna stop by. His beer is generally in high demand and very good, chances are you won't be able to get a hold of any of it.

Waterbury/Stowe
Trapp Family Lodge: Yes...the sound of music. Vermont is where the family settled and opened a lodge/inn. They have recently (last two years?) started brewing authentic German beers. If you like things German they are delicious.

Alchemist: These guys have a very nice selection of house brews. All very solid and tasty. I'm partial to the holy cow.

Black Back:This is my new favorite bar. It is right across the street from the Alchemist and you could very well miss it. It is about an 8 seat bar, probably 12 person capacity for the room, however there is always a stellar selection on tap. He will always have something interesting from Hill Farmstead too (a new VT rockstar brewer).

Greensborough Bend
Hill Farmstead: If you really want to make a pilgrimage there is hill farmstead, which is in the middle of nowhere. This guy just opened his doors this summer and is brewing some very good beers. He started with IPAs, but has recently been doing a series of barrel aged sours, spontaneous fermentation, saisons and others. He also makes an amazing porter called twilight of idles.


There are many other selections and opinion, but this is what I'd do if I moved away and was coming back for a visit.

 

[the_bird]

I should say, it's been probably two years since we hit Vt Pub & Brewery. It wasn't too long from the time than Noonan passed, although I can't remember now if it was before or after. I thought the beer was pretty damn good, but as we were there for lunch we only had a couple pints. Could have gotten lucky.

Magic Hat is interesting, but most of the beers are meh. I'm a fan of Roxy Rolles if they still have it, though, that's one of the better American Red/American Amber ales I've had.

 

[dukerutledge]

I should say, it's been probably two years since we hit Vt Pub & Brewery. It wasn't too long from the time than Noonan passed, although I can't remember now if it was before or after. I thought the beer was pretty damn good, but as we were there for lunch we only had a couple pints. Could have gotten lucky.

Magic Hat is interesting, but most of the beers are meh. I'm a fan of Roxy Rolles if they still have it, though, that's one of the better American Red/American Amber ales I've had.

VPB is hit or miss. Obviously they have a new brewer and he is good, but it really depends which beer you get. I'm a fan of the Burly Irish, a greg original. Also I think they just retired Roxy Rolls, which sadly magic hat does to all their good beers.

 

[stevo155]

I really want to be a fan of Magic Hat since they are local ( New England ) but I really don't care for a lot of their beer. #9 is about the only one I'll drink.

Cool site though. I will probably take a tour of their brewery someday. But then I would tour AB's brewery in St. Louis too...I just wouldn't drink the beer.

 

[KayaBrew]

The Alchemist in Waterbury is a must. Go to Three Needs in B-town, skip the Pub. Up north, you can check out Trout River in Lyndonville. Love their beers.

 

[SpamDog]

You can also hit Otter Creek, right off Rt 7 about an hour or so south of Burlington, last time I stopped I got a personal tour and then talked beer over a few samples with one of the brewers.

 

[matthewgardner]

I lived in Burlington for several years and took my wife in September of 2010 for a weekend getaway. We went to VT Brewpub (one of my favorites while living there) and thought it was great. I enjoyed several Burly Irish Ales. My wife really enjoyed the meal, although we waited for quite a while. Switchback is a decent local beer. As for Magic Hat the only one I enjoy is their Blind Faith.

 

[manwithatail]

The best beer in Vermont is in Waterbury at The Alchemist. The food is top shelf as well.

 

[SourHopHead]

The best beer in Vermont is in Waterbury at The Alchemist. The food is top shelf as well.

+1 Spent a week in Waterbury and stopped by every day after work.

Sent from my iPhone using HB Talk

 

[YukonLT]

No mention of The Shed brewery and restaurant in Stowe? Their Mountain Ale is delicious!

 

[vtchuck]

Alchemist and American Flatbread should certainly be on your list.

My favorite is Long Trail Brewery in Bridgewater. If its a nice day you can sit on the deck overlooking the river. The pub has excellent fare.... The beer-battered onion rings are the best and there's always a Brewmaster special or two on tap along with the regular line-up. Open for lunch till about 5.

I've heard great things about the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, and there is Harpoon in Windsor.

Just across the river in West Lebanon, NH is Seven Barrel Brewery.... which has a Greg Noonan connection and a former Catamount brewmaster Tony Lubold at the helm.

And if you happen to be in Vermont in July, there is The Vermont Brewers Festival on the lakefront in Burlington.