Vemont = beer. Vermont also = cheese, ice cream, maple syrup, apple cider; practically anything that is delicious. The state has been a favorite vacation destination of mine since I was young. Now that I’m an adult, the Stowe and the Woodstock regions are so familiar they feel like home. Some years, my family and I will be up there five or six times. When the pandemic phasing restrictions allowed for outdoor dining, my wife and I even took the almost four-hour journey (one way) to von Trapp brewery in Stowe just to go for lunch and return home later that day. (Yes, von Trapp is one of my favorite Vermont breweries).
The products made in the state, be they cheese, beer, or ice cream, are so good, so fresh, it is easy to simply eat your way through your trip. Also, Vermont is home to heavyweights of the craft beer scene, such as Hill Farmstead, the Alchemist, and Foam Brewers. Although these three are located toward the northern end of the state, wherever you turn in Vermont you are bound to find some fantastic beer. From Hermit Thrush in the south to Lost Nation in the north, the Green Mountain State should be called the Beer Mountain State.
The following list includes eleven of my favorite Vermont breweries. Each makes the list for a different reason. Some are the brewery experience, others the beer itself. *Author’s note- I have not been to every single Vermont brewery so this is not meant to be a definitive list. It’s just eleven breweries that I enjoy visiting, listed in no particular order.
The Alchemist Brewery: The King of Vermont – Stowe
It’s a known fact how much I enjoy this brewery. I even spent a good deal of time talking about it on the first Backyard Road Trips podcast. Heady Topper started the Vermont, and in turn, the New England craft beer craze. There were huge lines for the beer, people selling it illegally online, and even a website dedicated to following the Alchemist beer truck. This small brew pub, which originated in Waterbury, only to be washed out in Superstorm Sandy, would eventually begin to can the state beer of Vermont, Heady Topper. It’s so hoppy, so robust, but still so drinkable. Their other beers, including Focal Banger, Crusher, Rapture, Kenny’s Kolsch, and the Farmer’s Daughter Belgian Saison, are all delicious too. If you stop by the brewery, make sure to pick up a few of the other styles since Heady can now be found quite easily throughout the state. Kudos to them for only charging $13.45 a four-pack too when many breweries are in the $20 range.
At the brewery, the public is allowed to try a few samples, visit the store, and buy some beer. It is full of outrageous artwork from artists including Dan Blakeslee, who designed the Heady Topper, Focal Banger, and Rapture cans. Ever the environmentalists, they produce so much solar energy that they even help to power the local senior center with the excess that they produce. Of course, The Alchemist is one of my favorite Vermont breweries.
Foam Brewers: Big Hype, Great Taste – Burlington
The latest of the “it” Vermont beers, Foam is located in a beautiful old brick building on the Burlington waterfront. With many beers referencing indie rock such as “The Fruit that Ate Itself” in reference to a Modest Mouse album, they are known for their smooth IPAs and tangy sours. Visiting on a below-freezing morning in November, I arrived fifteen minutes after they opened. I had to dodge my way to the bar and take my beverages outside since the interior was already at capacity. That’s how hyped this place is! With good reason though, their beer is simply awesome.
Hermit Thrush Brewery: The Sour King – Brattleboro
Many beer drinkers turn their noses up at the thought of sour beers. For the percentage of the population that enjoys a pucker with their sips, sour beer is divine. At the top of the game is Hermit Thrush, located in an industrial space in downtown Brattleboro. I recently tried the kettle-soured Party Guy. At only 3.0% ABV it wasn’t going to make my head spin but it was an assault on the taste buds! Both my wife and my father are sour connoisseurs and Hermit Thrush is a fave. The flavor: plum, passion fruit, blueberry–whatever it may be really comes through. They do nothing but sours, so don’t go looking for IPAs or stouts.
Whetstone Station: The Best View – Brattleboro
Just down the street from Hermit Thrush is the Whetstone Station brew pub. The restaurant is so cool, with three floors of dining inside and out. There is even a line where Vermont and New Hampshire meet; technically you enter the brewery in Vermont and can enjoy a pint in New Hampshire. The food is super; try the tacos. Dining and drinking on the upstairs Bier Garten has certainly the best view in the state. On almost all sides is the Connecticut River; it is as if the patio steps right out on top of the river. The beers are good too–try a flight to sample their offerings with great selections of IPAs, a red ale, and a hefeweizen.
Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse: The Classic Brewpub – Norwich
Located inside the Norwich Inn, Jasper Murdock’s is a classic brewpub. It is a cozy spot, with only a few tables and bar seating. Winter is the perfect time to visit and grab a pint of my favorite, the Whistling Pig Red Ale, and a hearty entree like a burger or fish and chips. The pub is small but there is also a dining room and patio seating in warmer weather. It’s the opposite of the hyped Vermont breweries but still so satisfying.
Idletyme Brewing Company: Best Pub Grub- Stowe
Another brewpub, this location was made famous as the Shed Restaurant and Brewpub. A Stowe stalwart since the 1960s and a brewery since the 90s, the food and beer were fantastic. The Shed is no more, but the beer from the Shed is now brewed (and bottled) by Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury. In its place is Idletyme. They brew a nice selection of beer, from a grapefruit pale ale and sours to double IPAs and lagers. The interior is lovely, but grabbing dinner and a beer on the patio on a summer evening is my fave. Call me old fashioned but their pub burger and mac and cheese can’t be beat. They are also located on the Stowe Rec Path, a trail that follows the West Branch River and Mountain Road, with picturesque vistas and wooden footbridges that criss-cross the river.
von Trapp Brewing: Outdoor Dining and Delicious Food- Stowe
Is this the Alps or the Green Mountains? The view from the von Trapp Bierhall is a force to be reckoned with. There’s nothing quite like a flight from this lager based brewery based on traditional European recipes and a stick to your ribs sausage plate or pretzels and beer cheese. The beer is so crisp, this past summer’s Radler was absolutely amazing. All their beer is great though and, combined with the view, is made even better. During the cooler months, their bierhall is welcoming, large with a friendly atmosphere. My younger son couldn’t get enough of spotting all of the stuffed animals on display on our last visit.
Long Trail Brewing: The Grandaddy – Bridgewater Corners
Craft beer began with Long Trail for me. The brewery has been around since 1989 and has been able to build on their legacy with beers that also meet the needs of today’s craft connoisseur. This means the Blackbeary Wheat, a light summer ale with a hint of blackberry, tastes as good today as it did years ago. Added to their repertoire are beers such as the VT IPA, a hazy IPA, and the Cranberry Gose, both of which are stellar takes on popular beer styles.
The brew pub is extremely welcoming. With fires on the stove in the winter and outdoor dining overlooking the Ottauquechee River in the summer, Long Trail makes the best use of their space. The menu is family-friendly and inviting for children. Adults will be happy with their new or old favorite Long Trail beer.
River Roost: Most Underrated – White River Junction
River Roost is located in an industrial building in the up and coming railroad town of White River Junction. They don’t have seating; just sample a few beers and buy. What they lack in that department, they make up for in utter deliciousness. The beers that I have tried have typically erred on the IPA side, with one saison waiting to be opened in the fridge. Their flagship, the Mas Verde, is a perfect IPA. It’s got the haze and the unfiltered quality of the beer but so much taste. And taste that does not get flooded out by the juiciness. The Glimpse double is just as good. Quite honestly, almost everything I’ve had from these guys has been something to write home, or at least on this blog, about. Given White River Junction’s location where I 91 meets I 89, I have to pass through town to go basically anywhere in the state from where I live. This means I MUST pick up at least a few cans. River Roost is definitely one of my favorite Vermont breweries.
Harpoon Brewing Company: Tried and True – Windsor
Along with Long Trail, and now that Magic Hat is only brewed in New York, Harpoon is the last of its kind. Even though Harpoon itself is originally based out of Boston, and this location in Windsor is at the former Catamount Brewing Company brewery, Harpoon still represents Vermont. The brewery has great food; think pretzels, poutine, sandwiches. I like to go here and get a flight of Harpoon and Clown Shoes (which Harpoon bought) beers that I have never had. It’s a cozy spot in the winter with hearth a blazin’ and a Christmastime vibe about it. With great food and beer, this spot is another of my favorite Vermont breweries.
Lost Nation Brewing: Home of the Gose- Morrisville
Lost Nation’s Gose is one of the top five beers from the state. It spearheaded the sour/gose revolution. With a light taste and pleasing flavor, it’s subtly amazing. It tastes like you’re drinking the water from the river on the can. It’s the opposite of the big, bold IPAs which much of the state is known for. An incredible beer. Granted others, such as their VT Pilsner and Mosaic IPA, are really good too. The brewery has a down to earth, laid back atmosphere, making it one of my favorite Vermont breweries.
So many of my favorite Vermont breweries to choose from
Clearly Vermont has some amazing breweries. This didn’t even touch on Hill Farmstead, Zero Gravity, or Frost (few or zero pictures from my visits) or Lawson’s (curbside pick up only when I went) or ones I have not been to yet such as Upper Pass, Foley Brothers, or Burlington Beer Company.
No matter where you go in the state, great beer awaits. Of course, even the local gas station or general store’s selection would make any other state blush. When I went to buy milk for the kids at a rickety old gas station the other day in Stowe, I found the shelves full of Burlington Beer, Foley Brothers, Upper Pass, Frost, the Alchemist, Lawson’s, the list goes on.
Hopefully, this brewery guide will give you an idea or two for the perfect pint whether you’re on the shores of Lake Champlain, in the Upper Valley, or in southern Vermont. There are just so many favorite Vermont breweries to choose from, cheers!
