Not Popular Vermont Beers

Also as of today (sunday 12/2) Prohibition Pig in Waterbury had Heady Topper on tap!! Well worth the drive and while you are there check out Three Penny Tap room. Our first trip up here, but well worth both stops

 

whatca doing in FL?

If you need a bottle of Mamouche let me know, hint hint

 

Agreed Farmhouse is a great addition to the Burlington Beer scene...

 

How un-BA-like of you. Just kidding, sort of. Lots of great beer to be had in VT either way.

Oh, and I know people knock Rock Art, but I honestly think they're pretty darn good.

 

From where you are at I would probably do the following:

Bobcat in Bristol is only 15 minutes from Middlebury and just as great as OP have said.
Two Brothers in Middlebury, decent local tap list, very good food.
Folino's Pizza/ Fiddlehead, 30 minutes north on Rte 7, gt a growler to BYOB at the awesome flatbread in the same bldg.

 

I think it's permanently on tap at Pro Pig.

 

it's usually on there, not 100% of the time.

 

I saw on FB that the Rez is tapping a keg of HT soon. Maybe even today?

 

Just got back from Waterbury, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I do it again I'll be there on a Wed for Lawsons/ Thurs for HF and HT. I went on a Monday because it fit my scheduled stop to Ft Drum, and Alchemist. Prohibition Pig and Black Back are superb, Stagecoach Inn is the place to stay. Thanks to Frank for his efforts to help out a brother BA on a quest. But damn it's remote.

 

Just to add to the chorus, Zero Gravity at American Flatbread is one of my favorite breweries in the state--the beer, pizza and vibe are all great, and the location in downtown Burlington can't be beat. While I prefer Zero Gravity, the Vermont Pub & Brewery is the granddaddy of Vermont breweries (as the name implies) and has a charming, laid-back, circa 1991-ish vibe. The beer doesn't tend to be of the hoppy variety that Vermont has become known for, and seems to follow a bit more of the older English-style that used to (and to a certain extent) be predominant throughout New England. It's literally the next block over from Zero Gravity, so it's certainly worth a visit.

Fiddlehead has a nice IPA, and they were doing a really wonderful Kristalweizen when I visited this past spring. It was a style I really enjoyed during a semester in Berlin and hadn't seen since. They have a nice tasting room in a beautiful building a good ways south of Burlington (not sure I'd drive all the way down there if you're short on time, but I'd stop if it's on the way anywhere), but at the time (and I believe still) they only had two beers on. It was fairly easy to find the IPA on-tap at bars in Burlington and Waterbury.

I haven't been to Bobcat yet, but I've heard only good things. And having had their beer at few fests, I have only good things to say, myself.

Trapp is worth a visit if you're passing through the Stowe area, both for the crisp lagers and the scenery. But the tasting flights are a bit on the expensive side (it is Stowe) and I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to visit. The same is true (minus the expensive flight) of Rock Art, which is on the road between Stowe/Waterbury and Hill Farmstead.

And personally, I have a soft spot for McNeill's. It's in the far southeastern corner of the state and well out-of-the-way from the clusters of breweries up north, so I wouldn't visit it unless you happen to be in the south, but I enjoy the place. The beers tend to be pretty good, with some that I really enjoy, but they definitely skew more English-style than the crisp, hoppy beers from up north. And the decidedly dingy barroom certainly isn't to everyone's liking, but I love it.

 

Things are decidedly better at McNeil's these days. Cleaned up, brighter lighting, clean tap lines, tasty beers, and Ray in the house on occasion with his gf tending the bar. Definite improvements in the last 9 months, IMO. (Can't speak to the bottles, though.)

 

Agreed, but it still has that charming, laid-back, small beer hall vibe. A bit of a "dive" in the absolute best sense of the word, which I mean as a compliment.

 

Ditto on McNeill's. Not worth going way out of the way for, but you won't be dissapointed if you stop by.

 

It use to be, when I told people about Bobcat I would use the Alchemist (brew pub) as a reference. The beer was better than the food at Alchemist and Bobcat's food was better than their beer. Because Bobcat's taps change over a lot, sometimes you can go and their taps aren't the best of their offerings, but they generally make good beer. Either way you'll have a good meal. Bobcat really doesn't get the respect it deserves, but it is a great neighborhood restaurant.

Honestly, I think Rock Art should be skipped unless you want to get your passport stamped. They have really gone down hill (imo) since they moved to the new facility.

 

in fact I high recommend at stop there.