Another year, another guy’s trip to Stowe and Burlington (Vermont) for another epic craft beer weekend! After stopping in Stowe, it was on to Burlington for a walkable (or ride-share-able) excursion in the city. With breweries, bakeries, and BBQ on the itinerary, it’s time to pack our bags and head up north to Vermont.
The Alchemist
If I am within an hour’s radius of Stowe, I simply MUST make the pilgrimage to the Alchemist. It’s the purveyor of my favorite beer, and it’s worth the detour to enjoy it right from the source. Our destination was Burlington, but we made a pit stop at the Alchemist on a simply gorgeous summer day. I played it safe, as I was the driver. I sipped an incredible hand-pulled Heady Topper for my first. After that, my buddy Mike and I split three other cans at the beer garden. These were not half-and-half splitsies; I sampled one-third, and he two-thirds, bringing my beer consumption to two full beers. This way I was able to enjoy a range of Alchemist libations without issue. In addition to the Heady, Rapture, Crusher, and Broken Spoke were on the menu. All delicious; hard to figure out which is better than the other.
On To Burlington
Champlain College is located in downtown Burlington, but high atop a hill near the University of Vermont. The campus has stunning views of Lake Champlain. It’s a small school with impressive facilities. During last year’s visit, I stayed in Butler Hall, a modern dormitory located in Finney Quad. This building campaign took place in the 2010s. It was closer to Perry Hall, where most of the weekend’s events took place. Perry is a mid-1800s Italianate mansion that was renovated and modernized to be transformed into the admissions center.
This year, my digs were different. Prior to the Finney building campaign, most dormitory life at Champlain was centered around old Victorians on South Willard Avenue. This is where my temporary residence would be. I stayed at Rowell Hall and Mike at Cushing. From the outside, the lineup of residences on Willard is impressive. Inside was quite a juxtaposition. The buildings had been retrofitted from residences into dormitories, so instead of grand rooms, the interior looked similar to a traditional dorm, albeit with a fancy facade. Even the back of Cushing Hall looks like non-descript student housing, but from the front, it is majestic. It’s cool what Champlain has been able to do with historic buildings in the area.
Bluebird BBQ
Enough about the architecture for a bit; I’m getting hungry! After the convocation ceremony at Perry Hall, with apps and Switchback, we headed to Bluebird BBQ. It’s a bit of a walk, so we decided to hop into an Uber. Bluebird never disappoints. It’s a cool spot located near the Winooski town line. They always have a stellar drink menu. When in Vermont, though, I had to choose the Hill Farmstead as my beverage. The BBQ, from burnt ends to wings to pulled pork, was always excellent. Unfortunately, though, this would be my last time to eat at Bluebird as it closed Halloween weekend, 2026.
Back Into Town
We met back up with the Champlain group at Archives Bar. Since we were in Vermont, the beer menu was also excellent. Another Hill Farmstead for me and loads of retro video games to play: Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam–this was retro heaven to me! After leaving Archives, we took a stroll on pedestrian-only Church Street. Somehow still hungry, we grabbed a giant slice of New York-style pizza at Ken’s Pizza. Chewing on our large slices, we headed back up the hill to our dormitories. Wow, did it feel like college again!
August First Bakery
After a few pilsners the night before, heading into town for pastries and coffee seemed like a good idea. A tried-and-true favorite is August First. Just walking by and smelling the freshly baked bread is a thing of beauty. I chose a few pastries to munch on, along with an iced latte. Morning perfection!
Although for this year’s trip, our group downsized from three to two, our second Vermont epic craft beer weekend did not disappoint! From lounging outside at the Alchemist to indulging in some excellent BBQ and playing retro video games, this college trip was a 4.0!
