Input on our NE beer road trip?

Are you planning on other activities in Freeport? Maine Beer Co isn't really the kind of place you'd hunker down for hours. If you don't care about anything else in Freeport, I'd recommend another day in Portland. TONS to do there. You could hang at Maine Beer Co for an hour and then head back to Portland.

I don't think there are many great lodging options in Montpelier. I'd choose Burlington if you are sticking to those two options. Plenty to do in Burlington, and you could still stop at Three Penny for a meal.

While in Stowe, be sure to check out the Waterbury bars. You could even spend a night there instead of Burlington if you want to be within walking distance to the Waterbury bars.

I wouldn't stay in Canton. Either sample there and head back to Boston or just buy a variety of Trillium stuff at the Fort Point location (you can buy single cans) and hang out in the city. I like Portsmouth, too, but if I had to choose one night in either Boston or Portsmouth, Boston would win.

 

Yep, you can buy a bunch of bottles at Maine Beer Co.

Portsmouth is a fun town. Earth Eagle and Portsmouth Brewery are right downtown, and there are other options nearby, as well. Not far from Portsmouth is Smuttynose, which has a restaurant and great facility, and Throwback.

I would highly recommend hitting Barreled Souls in Saco, ME on your way in or out of Portland if the timing works out.

If you have time on your way back out of VT, Worthy Burger in Royalton is a fun spot for lunch.

 

Portsmouth is a pretty awesome little city and there are several good breweries and beer bars in the walkable downtown. If you have a spare day, certainly worth it.

 

I would do a night in Waterbury and a night in Burlington if it was me hit the Three Penny on you way to Waterbury for lunch then you can hit the the big three in in Waterbury that night once you are settled in to where you are staying . I stayed at the Best western in Waterbury when i stayed there this spring and we walked to downtown its a decent walk but doable the last 200 feet are almost straight uphill though . In Burlington we hit the Farmhouse tap and grill it was great downstairs in the bar .

 

Aside from the heavy-hitters in Portland, if you're willing to expand from the hop forward stuff I'd recommend checking out the Oxbow taproom in Portland. It's within walking distance from Old Port and will bring you within walking distance of Bunker and Rising Tide. In addition to Allagash and Foundation, Austin St. is a must if you're planning to head out to Industrial Way.

Edit: There are some excellent, pretty recent threads within this forum which provide some great food/bar recommendations for Portland too.

 

Plan on spending some time at hill, its an amazing place to hang out for awhile and have a few pours. Alchemist is in and out anyway. If i had to choose, waterbury over montpelier. Three penny is great, but there are 3 great bars right next to eachother in waterbury, and the food at pro pig is amazing, their in house beers are also fantastic, wait times for tables can be long on busy nights. In burlington make sure to check out foam brewers. Hit up beverage warehouse in winooski and snag some foley brothers and frost beer works stuff. I would also spend time in portland, and maybe even skip freeport. Bissel brothers, austin street and foundation are great spots, just make sure to check their hours before going. If you stay in portland check out novare res. Finally, if you are a big IPA fan, try to fit treehouse in, you won't regret it. Maybe do trillium-treehouse- armbsy abbey in worchester and hunker down around there for the night.

 

Not sure where your travels take you when you first land in Boston, but why not drive out to Tree House as your first stop. Might entail a long day of driving depending on where you want to end up first day, but definitely worth the trip. You'll be hit or miss with cans on a Saturday, but there will be growler options and they open at 11 am.

Definitely Stowe or Waterbury and Burlington over Montpelier.

 

First, I would like to say that the people on these message boards are the best source of information. I fully endorse everything that has already been said. However, how epic do you want your road trip to be?

Having done a few beer themed road trips myself (stopped at 125 unique breweries or primary brewpubs from August of last year to July of this year), I thought I would throw this out there for your consideration. I have a pretty massive spreadsheet / database with hours, addresses, etc. so I’ve dropped in more stops than you could ever possibly make. Just pick your “must stops” and if you’re looking for a pit stop along the way, you’ll have some ideas especially based on recommendations.

With this agenda, you would hit all of the Top 100 stops in New England (except Clown Shoes which can’t be done) PLUS some of the best places in Quebec (Dunham, Dieu du Ciel, and Vices & Versa are amazing)! This could very realistically be done and you would still have time to enjoy each of these amazing places. Obviously, if you do stay in any of these places, I’m sure the true locals will be able to give you all of the tips you need. This is quite possibly the best time of the year to do a New England Road Trip so I hope you guys have a blast. Here's my suggestion:

9/24 (SAT) – Boston > Smuttynose > Portsmouth > Allagash > MBC > Portland
9/25 (SUN) – Portland > Ebenezer’s (IMO Best Beer Bar in the World) > Dunham > Montreal
9/26 (MON) – Montreal > Burlington
9/27 (TUE) – Burlington > Stowe > Waterbury
9/28 (WED) – Waterbury > Alchemist > Hill Farmstead > Montpelier
9/29 (THU) – Montpelier > Tree House > Worcester
9/30 (FRI) – Worcester > Jack’s Abby > Trillium > Cambridge
10/1 (SAT) – Cambridge > Sam Adams Tour > Cape Cod

Saturday, September 24, 2016
BOSTON
*Smuttynose Brewing Company, 105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton, NH 03842
Throwback Brewery, 7 Hobbs Road, North Hampton, NH 03862
Earth Eagle Brewings, 165 High Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Portsmouth Brewery, 56 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tributary Brewing Company, 10 Shapleigh Road, Kittery, ME 03904
Some Brewing Company LLC, 1 York Street Unit 3, York, ME 03909
Banded Horn Brewing Company, 13-W, 32 Main Street, Biddeford, ME 04005
Barreled Souls Brewing, 743 Portland Road, Saco, ME 04072
*Allagash Brewing Company, 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Foundation Brewing Company, 1 Industrial Way #5, Portland, ME 04103
Austin Street Brewery, 1 Industrial Way #8, Portland, ME 04103
*Maine Beer Company, 525 U.S. 1, Freeport, ME 04032
Oxbow Blending & Bottling, 49 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Bissell Brothers Brewing Company, 4 Thompsons Point #108, Portland, ME 04102
PORTLAND

Sunday, September 25, 2016
PORTLAND
Ebenezer's Restaurant & Pub, 44 Allen Road, Lovell, ME 04051
Brasserie Dunham, 3809 Rue Principale, Dunham, QC J0E 1M0, Canada
Farnham Ale & Lager, 401 Rue de Normandie Nord, Farnham, QC J2N 1W5, Canada
Fourquet Fourchette, 1887 Avenue Bourgogne, Chambly, QC J3L 1Y8, Canada
Le Cheval Blanc, 809 Ontario Rue E, Montréal, QC H2L 1P1, Canada
Brasserie Artisanale L'Amère A Boire Inc, 2049 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3K8, Canada
Le Saint Bock, 1749 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3K4, Canada
BENELUX, 245 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC H2X 1X7, Canada
Dieu du Ciel!, 29 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Montréal, QC H2T 2N2, Canada
Vices & Versa, 6631 St-Laurent Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3C5, Canada
MONTREAL

Monday, September 26, 2016
MONTREAL
Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires, 3755 Boulevard Matte, Local C, Brossard, QC J4Y 2P4, Canada
Magic Hat Brewing Co, 5 Bartlett Bay Road, South Burlington, VT 05403
Switchback Brewing Co, 160 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, VT 05406
Fiddlehead Brewing Company, 6305 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT 05482
Hen of the Wood - Burlington, 55 Cherry Street, Burlington, VT 05401
Foam Brewers, 112 Lake Street, Burlington, VT 05401
Zero Gravity Brewpub at American Flatbread, 115 Saint Paul Street, Burlington, VT 05401
The Vermont Pub & Brewery, 144 College Street, Burlington, VT 05401
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, 160 Bank Street, Burlington, VT 05401
BURLINGTON

Tuesday, September 27, 2016
BURLINGTON
Penny Cluse Café, 169 Cherry Street, Burlington, VT 05401
Trapp Family Lodge, 700 Trapp Hill Road, Stowe, VT 05672
Idletyme Brewing Company, 1859 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 05672
The Reservoir - Restaurant and Tap Room, 1 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676
Blackback Pub, 1 Stowe Street #2, Waterbury, VT 05676
Prohibition Pig, 23 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676
STOWE / WATERBURY

Wednesday, September 28, 2016
STOWE / WATERBURY
*The Alchemist Brewery, 100 Cottage Club Road, Stowe, VT 05672
Rock Art Brewery, 632 Laporte Road, Morrisville, VT 05661
Lost Nation Brewing, B, 87 Old Creamery Road, Morristown, VT 05661
*Hill Farmstead Brewery, 403 Hill Road, Greensboro Bend, VT 05842
Three Penny Taproom, 108 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
MONTPELIER

Thursday, September 29, 2016
MONTPELIER
Otter Creek Brewing Company, 793 Exchange Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
Drop-In Brewing Company, south, 610 U.S. 7, Middlebury, VT 05743
Foley Brothers Brewing, 79 Stone Mill Dam Rd, Brandon, VT 05733
Hermit Thrush Brewery, 29 High Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery, 36 Bridge Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
*Tree House Brewing Company, 160 East Hill Road, Monson, MA 01057
Wormtown Brewery, 72 Shrewsbury Street #4, Worcester, MA 01604
Armsby Abbey, 144 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608
WORCESTER

Friday, September 30, 2016
WORCESTER
*Jack's Abby Brewing, 100 Clinton Street, Framingham, MA 01702
*Trillium Brewing, 110 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021
Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
Mystic Brewery, 174 Williams Street, Chelsea, MA 02150
Night Shift Brewing, 87 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler Street, Somerville, MA 02143
Somerville Brewing Company - Slumbrew, 15 Ward Street, Somerville, MA 02143
Lord Hobo, 92 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Cambridge Brewing Company, 1, 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
CAMBRIDGE

Saturday, October 01, 2016
CAMBRIDGE
Boston Beer Company, 30 Germania Street #1, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Castle Island Brewing Co., 31 Astor Avenue, Norwood, MA 02062
Cape Cod Fairgrounds, 1220 Nathan Ellis Highway, East Falmouth, MA 02536
CAPE COD

 

My Vermont recommendation is now always to be based in Waterbury. There's enough to do in Waterbury, and it's a 30 minute drive to Burlington and a 15-20 minute drive to Stowe.

In addition to the Alchemist Brewery, Stowe has Doc Ponds,The Bench, and numerous restaurants. Rock Art in Morrisville opens at 9AM and is a good change of pace from all the IPAs you will be drinking (although they do have a couple good IPAs). Lost Nation is also in Morrisville and is a good lunch stop. Maxi's in Waterbury for breakfast, Rock Art at 9, Alchemist for cans, Hill Farmstead, then back to Lost Nation for lunch is not a bad start to a day. There is also a new brewery in Hyde Park called Ten Bends that sounds interesting.

Burlington-wise, Penny Cluse or Swingin' Pinwheel for breakfast/brunch, Foam Brewers for beer, Fiddlehead if they have cans available, Zero Gravity for beer/lunch, and maybe Farm House for beer.

But honestly, you could never leave Waterbury and still get your fill of beer. After many years of beecations, my top recommendation is to minimize travel and stop and enjoy yourself. You don't have to hit every single place and the last thing you have to worry about is missing out.

 

If you're going to Maine BC / Portland - I'd hit up Bissell Bros too

 

Lots of good info above but I don't think I saw these mentioned yet:

New von Trapp Bierhall restaurant opened about a week ago. I have not been, but will check it out when I can. The old taproom was a great place to grab a beer with an amazing view and setting.

If you are driving through White River Junction, which seems likely, stop and grab a tasting and growlers from River Roost. Great hoppy brews.

In the same parking lot as River Roost is Big Fatty's BBQ, good food, great tap list, and a small bottle shop and crowler station attached. Taplist at restaurant almost always has Hill Farmstead options.

Someone mentioned Worthy Burger, Worthy Kitchen in Woodstock is great. Next door is Woodstock Hops & Barley, a nice bottle shop and growler station.

 

I completely agree that Waterbury is a great base for operations! Three days and nights in the Burlington / Stowe / Waterbury / Montpelier area would give them the best Vermont has to offer. One of the reasons my suggestion led them all over New England was because she said that she wanted to combine a “New England” road trip with a “Beer” road trip. My agenda gives them a little more “New England” with a lot of “Beer”. They’d get to hit some of the greatest cities and scenic roads in New England while hitting all of the best breweries we have to offer. I threw in the Quebec leg of the trip because it's a great change of pace with plenty to see and incredible beer. They would not regret stopping at Ebenezer's, Brasserie Dunham, Vices & Versa, or Dieu du Ciel!

Of the places mentioned in the link she posted, they’d get to check out Portsmouth & Portland (Saturday), White Mountains (Sunday), Burlington (Monday), and Route 100 (don’t forget von Trapp) before setting up camp in the Waterbury area (Tuesday). Alchemist, Rock Art, Lost Nation, Hill Farmstead, and Three Penny would make for an above average Wednesday. Then, they could continue down Route 100 on Thursday through Waitsfield / Warren on the way over to Route 7 (a definite fall foliage road if you like that type of thing). Cutting back on Route 4 would allow them to check out Long Trail Brewing (quintessential Vermont), Worthy Kitchen, Queechee Gorge, and / or River Roost (I've never been there but love the suggestion). From there, it’s a super easy ride down 91 through Brattleboro into Mass en route to Tree House. If nothing else, they would have plenty to talk about while waiting on line! And they would still have all day Friday to hit Jack's Abby, Trillium, Night Shift and all of the great Boston places.

I really hope you guys make it even a fraction of these great places… I’m super jealous just thinking about it!

 

Awesome info in here!

Waterbury lodging recommendations?

 

I would check Airbnb first. Best Western and Fairfield Inn are about a mile walk to Reservoir / Blackback / Pro Pig.

 

Personally, I would try Old Stagecoach first. It is not everyone's cup of tea (I don't know why) given it's old, but John the owner is super accommodating, the breakfast is awesome and included, the location CANNOT be beat (less than a NY City block to any of Blackback, Blue Stone, Pro Pig, Reservoir) and many rooms have fridges ... that said ... some rooms are shared bath so you do need to book early.

If not Old Stagecoach the Fairfield Inn is brand new but further than Best Western. Honestly, neither is a walk I'd want to make after drinking (and I'm athletic and not old ... just not a fan of crossing state highways in the dark). They are up a pretty serious hill, too ... so not a simple mile walk.

 

Old Stagecoach is definitely best for proximity to the Waterbury bars. The walk to/from Best Western is really not bad (follow Stowe St basically the whole way). The hill to the hotel is steep, but not too bad if it's not icy. Fairfield is a little more dangerous of a walk at night w/o sidewalks the whole way.

 

If you are going to pass through RI the night before the Cape Cod fest, that would be a Friday and you would not regret back to back visits of Tilted Barn open 5-8 and Proclamation open 3:30-8. 15 minutes apart. Whatever hoppy stuff they each have on tap will be nice. From there you could stay in the Newport area and bar hop between Pour Judgement, Norey's, Malt and Midtown Oyster Bar.

Not as "whale-y" as the other locales but maybe a good change of pace.