This is the first part of Backyard Road Trips archives from the former site: www.backyardroadtrips.wordpress.com
My mind has been so clouded with phrases such as unfiltered, New England style, sour and imperial that when a bottle adorned with the silhouette of a bear arrived in my fridge, I almost shed a tear. Oh how I have missed you. The beer and the bear is Long Trail’s winter seasonal, Hibernator. This bear harkens back to a simpler time. Apartment living, Wii bowling and a Long Trail mixed pack. Once upon a time, before the current proliferation of fantastic craft beer, my go to brands included Stone, Victory, Sam Adams and Long Trail. A sampler pack of any of these was certain to delight.
Long Trail’s Hibernator
These days I feel that I am always looking for the next best thing. What is this new hazy IPA, will it hold up to Julius? Is Heady Topper still the most highly coveted beer out of Vermont? Altogether it’s as if I can no longer be satisfied. Constantly peering to figure out what is around the corner of the craft beer store. My eyes and taste buds are already thinking about what to try next. In contrast, drinking this Hibernator kept me rooted in the moment while reflecting on the past .
A few years ago, Long Trail re-branded and did away with their iconic bears. Their seasonal beers featured cartoon bears trying to sneak a bite of pie, rolling a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins or in the case of Hibernator, reading by a roaring fire in a room adorned with human hunters’ heads mounted on the wall. Long Trail introduced new, 21st century beers such as Space Juice, Green Blaze and Limbo IPAs. Not only were the seasonal selections changed, but so were the cute cartoons.
Last year I noticed, sneaking back onto the shelves after a few years’ hibernation, the Blackberry Wheat and then this winter, the Hibernator. Although the cutesy cartoons were not as explicitly displayed on the labels, traces of bear remain as silhouettes compliment the rest of the design.
Long Trail was one of the first breweries I felt a strong connection to. It was one of the first breweries that I visited, enjoyed their product immensely and was attracted to the branding. Two of my closest friends even held their wedding reception there! The Hibernator’s taste is strong on the malt, but with a slight bitterness and is best described , although it’s an oxymoron, as quietly robust. It has winter seasonal overtones, but is not loaded with spice as some Winter Ales are. My experience was a soul satisfying walk down memory lane, still a beer I would reach back into the refrigerator for time and time again.
