Vermont is teeming with awesome breweries. Combine that with an incredible artisan food scene and It’s easy to eat and drink very well in the Green Mountain State. I’ve featured many Vermont breweries here, including Von Trapp, Idletyme, and Harpoon. Although the Alchemist’s beers have been included in many articles, I’ve yet to include a dedicated article about the Alchemist Brewery.
A True Discovery
Admittedly, I’m not an Alchemist OG. This means, I never went when it was a brewpub located in Waterbury, Vermont, that Hurricane Irene had its way with. In 2012 I discovered it. This was just before the Heady Topper boom. I was staying at the Town and Country Motel in Stowe with friends. Needing another activity before dinner, the three of us took out a tourist map where we saw the word “cannery.”
We ventured to the cannery, which turned out to be the Alchemist. It was located in a residential section of Waterbury not far from the Ben and Jerry’s factory. Strolling right in, we were the only people inside. Heady Topper was the only beer available (and the only one they canned at this time). Samples were poured for us. I enjoyed it quite a bit, love at first taste, where Jackie and our friend Gosia both made a stereotypical “bitter beer face.” I picked up a few cans to go and gave one to my dad as a thank-you for taking care of the dog. A few weeks later when I saw him again, he mentioned that Heady Topper is now the most talked about beer on the planet.
In the present
Of course, most craft beer drinkers know the Heady Topper story. Folks chasing the delivery truck, it being illegally resold on eBay for an exorbitant price, tracking the delivery schedule. Those days have come and gone, although finding this beer out of Vermont still causes quite a stir. Inside the state, it can be found in the most ubiquitous places: gas stations, general stores, and grocery stores.
To the brewery
I was over the moon when The Alchemist opened their state-of-the-art brewery and visitor’s center. Prior to this, I had to scour area stores for it during my trips up north. Now I could get it easily, even though the line to purchase it was quite long. When Covid hit, they locked down for a very long time, only offering curbside service. Curbside was pretty easy–just pop the trunk and pick it up. Then they opened up a beer garden offering cans on site along with cornhole and picnic tables.
My Latest Visit
During my latest visit, the brewery offered the ability to imbibe inside for the very first time. This is where I had the best beer I’ve ever tasted, Heady Topper on cask. It was creamy like a Guinness, had a mouth feel more reminiscent of a juicy IPA but had that unmistakable Heady taste. The beer garden was also open. With a wide array of beers available, even non-hop heads can enjoy the fruits of the Alchemist, including Kolsch style, Saison, and Stout, to name a few. They all join hoppy favorites such as Heady, Focal Banger, Rapture, Crusher, and Skadoosh, and one of my faves which is beer garden only, A Kiss of Dank.
The Alchemist is a certified B company, so you can be pleased that they are not only environmentally conscious but also champion the well-being of their staff. On top of that, most four-packs will run you $13, a mere steal in today’s craft beer world of $24 four-packs.
The Alchemist Brewery and Visitor’s Center is located on Cottage Club Road in Stowe. This comes full circle for me since as a kid, we stayed during our first time in the town at the Mountainside Resort at Stowe. And just like everyone else, I am itching to try the new Heady Topper 20th Anniversary beer which will be available at times throughout this upcoming year.
