Visiting Vermont in the Fall...

Mastermind release on halloween

 

I'd consider getting to Hunger Mt a little earlier. Not sure how crowds are this time of year, but I was there in mid-August, got to Hunger Mtn at 7 am and was 30th in line, line grew quickly after that and was closer to 100 by 7:30. I was in/out by 8:15 am being at my spot in line. I visited Lost Nation and Rock Art and enjoyed both, less than 5 minutes from each other. Have a great trip!

 

Thanks for the tip, one question for the group, does Heady ever last overnight at retail locations? Basically is there any chance that I could roll through Waterbury on Thursday and find some at either of the two drops there?

 

hitting hf fri am. where in stowe or waterbury do I have decent odds to get just a quick 4 pack or 2 of heady early tomorrow afternoon? staying by pro pig.

 

Craft Beer Cellar had 4 packs into Saturday a few weeks ago. A few places on 100 get it on Friday too.

 

We booked our trip for Sept of 2016. Three nights in Stowe, in the middle of the week. As it gets closer I'll likely start a similar thread to get some advice on 'must hit' breweries and bottle shops. A day trip to HF is already on the list!

 

Rob, I did a trip last year around this time and I think your time frame is reasonable. It will be nowhere near as busy as in August. Foliage is past peak and ski season hasn't started so it's the perfect time to go.

We went for the last Mastermind release so we started at HMC, then went to Bev warehouse in Winooski and got two more cases of Heady. Down to Fiddlehead for a case of Mastermind each and then across to Hill Farmstead. We did not stop at Lost Nation but it is directly on the way and definitely worth a stop.

If you are coming from MA you might be able to get out of HF in time to make to to Treehouse before they close. It would be close though

 

Thanks for the tips!

Just for a recap (we got started a little late):
Arrived at Hunger Mountain at 9:15a picked up a case of Heady - no wait
Arrived at the Warren store just after 10a, case of Sip of Sunshine (and a delicious bacon, egg and cheese) - no wait
Up the road to East Warren Community Market, two 4-packs of Sip, 2 Lawson's/Carrier Collabs, 4-pack of Heady - no wait
Back to Montpeiler for lunch at Three Penny
Arrived at HF around 2:30/3p and if we didn't split CD 13 & 15, could have been in and out of there in 20 minutes.
Over to Pro Pig for dinner and back in Worcester at 12:30a.

It is my fourth time making a trip up there and I have to commend everyone at each stop for being incredibly friendly and helpful. I can't wait for the next one! Cheers!

 

Why not just check it? Given the weight of a couple of cases of beer, have to believe that it would be your cheapest option.

 

One option is fly SW to Boston, get great beers there too, rent car and drive to VT (I'm assuming you'd have rental car if flew direct to VT too so not an added expense). Rates are very reasonable and you each get 2 free checked bags you could use for beer (put a lot of clothes in carry on). Got 67 beers back from CHI this way. Have also shipped some back from VT to GA using well known shipping companies with locations in Burlington or Stowe, reasonable rates for 2 cases. Enjoy your trip!

 

I checked two bags with around a case in each bag. That be your best bet IMO.

 

If anyone is interested in a quick IP trade, I'll be visiting Burlington this coming Saturday, don't mind bringing stuff with me for someone

 

Just back from another Boston/Vermont trip, able to get 64 brews in my 2 checked bags (1 750 ml bottle, rest 16.9 oz cans). Was at 99.5 pounds between the 2 bags. Also shipped another 2 boxes (appr 40+ beers). Used all bubble wrap and bubble wrap sealable bags.

 

Southwest also flys into Manchester Nh

 

I'll be in Burlington for a wedding this weekend, specifically Saturday.
I'm not leaving until Sunday evening, and in addition to beer related spots to go, I am a die-hard Vikings fan, and I'm looking for a suitable bar / sports bar that has NFL package and will be able to play the Vikings vs Titans game.
So far I've been told Pour House in South Burlington, and Ake's Place, which is closer to where I'll be staying.
Any other suggestions, or votes of either of the two mentioned? I obviously did some research on my own, and I wasn't able to find a place that advertised themselves as a sports bar (with nfl package), and a good beer bar. I did kinda find this surprising, but hoping some locals can point me in the right direction.

Cheers!

 

There's a Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington. It's probably not the best place for top of the line craft beer, but if you're just in need of a beer and some food to watch the game i'm sure they will be more than accommodating.

 

Just returned from a long weekend trip for a wedding in Stowe. Even though we were a few weeks early for the leaves, the other activities didn't disappoint. From ziplining from the top of Mt. Mansfield to some nice hikes with some great brew finds in the middle. New Alchemist facility is nice and an easy way to get heady/crusher/focal without chasing trucks. Once 30 or so minute wait netted all three. Stopped by Fiddlehead while the ladies were sampling wine across the street and stumbled upon some fresh mastermind. I didn't see any release announcement so was a great surprise Didn't have time to make it to the hill but found five brews on tap at Prohibition Pig, including Abner. Downtown Burlington included a stop at Foam for great views and brews. An excellent addition to the area.

Seems like the Stowe area is really trying to embrace the craft movement, now with the Alchemist anchoring better tap options = Doc Ponds (good taps), Idletime (good mosaic IPA), and the public house in the center of Stowe. Oh, the wedding at Trapps was great as well. They said the new brew facility should open any day. Hopefully they keep the old patio around as well.