2 day VT trip

Where are you staying Tuesday night? How early is early evening on Wednesday.

Hill Farmstead isn’t open on Tuesdays so you’ll have to go Wednesday. Hill Farmstead is about 2 hours from Burlington so depending on how early your flight back is you probably won’t have much time for anything else on Wednesday.

 

Smart move. On a random Tuesday I wouldn’t be too worried about Alchemist running out of anything, so I would suggest spending some time in Burlington Tuesday morning/midday (tons of breweries and beer bars), then going to Stowe for Alchemist and then ending in Waterbury like you said.

 

I would agree with this. Tuesday in June sounds very unlikely you’d need to get to Alchemist anywhere near opening time.

Your Wednesday is likely going to be Hill and Hill only if you have a flight to catch so I’d maximize Burlington area Tuesday, hit Alchemist (Idletyme and Trapp if time) and then settle into Waterbury for the night.

 

There's a lot of good spots to hit around that area. For food, Prohibition Pig is a must in waterbury they also have their own brewery out back of pro pig that has their own beer plus others on tap plus usually heady cans for onsite consumption and also other food options (primarily tacos etc.). Blackback pub is another great option for beers in Waterbury and they will often have HF on tap. There's a great beer store across from Pro Pig called Craft Beer Cellar that has a great selection and I've picked up Heady (more exp then at alchemist but an option if you want more than the limit at the brewery) and Sip of Sunshine before but availability will vary depending on their delivery days. I haven't been up there in the summer but my experiences when I've been to alchemist are that you don't need to rush there at first open, also they post their availability and can limits on their website each day so check it out... https://alchemistbeer.com/.

Foam is an awesome brewery I'd highly recommend in Burlington if you wanted to spend some time in Burlington. They do some can releases as well as growler fills. Farmhouse tap and grill in Burlington is a good spot for food and usually an awesome taplist (theres a basement bar area as well if you take the door to your right after you walk in).

I hope you plan on checking some suitcases and bringing some beer home otherwise as mentioned places like BlackBack Pub or even Farmhouse Tap and Grill in Burlington will often have HF on tap and will save you 3 hours of driving to HF given your tight timetables. As others mentioned HF is closed Tuesday and is about an hour and 15 min from Waterbury and about 1 hr 45 min from Burlington, so if you go I'd get there right as they open at noon, grab some stuff to go (they have bottles for sale and often 6ers) do some tasters there and leave with enough time to get back for your flight (hopefully its late enough where you're not rushing like crazy). FYI cell service can get spotty around HF so if you want to go its not a bad idea to print or screenshot some directions in case you lose waze/google maps for part of the trip.

 

Three words... duck fat fries. At the pro pig. And everything roll tide said.

 

If you're headed to HF, with a flight to catch after, don't do what the visiting Danish film crew did in the same scenario. Do not rely on rental car GPS to find the brewery. Write or print out the directions from their website. There is little-to-no cell service up there, and GPS is rarely updated due to remoteness. If it seems like you're on a logging road - you are!! Turn around, back out, but don't just keep going thinking the GPS must be right.

 

This is good advice. I’d also suggest downloading the whole area in Google Maps. Don’t count on usable cell service outside of Burlington.

 

Make Hill Farmstead a must, trust me.

 

[QUOTE="outdoor7or24, post: 6047453, member: 481182"
We will plan on being early (safe side) to Hill Farmstead, so that would make us leaving Waterbury at 10:30am...[/QUOTE]
I guess somehow I haven't been to HF yet this year but, in summers past, they've sort of quietly opened the doors and started filling growlers around 11:00. Offhand, does anybody know if this is still the case?

 

Have a great trip! Done the VT beer-cation a couple times now, some excellent advice above. You will enjoy Waterbury....Pro Pig, Blackback Pub, Reservoir, and Craft Beer Cellar all within hundred yards or so of each other. Tap lists there are usually killer!

 

Lost Nation is a worthy stop on the road from Alchemist to HF.

 

Stowe Beverage, next to The Alchemist, is worthy as well! Heady arrives Monday and Sip of Sunshine arrives Tuesday.

 

Just got back from a weekend in vermont and found heady topper, focal banger, sip of sunshine available by the case at many local stores and groceries. They just aren't in demand any more. In Burlington, stop at Foam(nice spot on the lake) and BBC (out of town in not a great location). BBC is making some great beers most of them only about $14/four pack at the brewery. Then go to HF

 

it kills me that I don't live up there...the quality of the beer. Plus the pricing on Heady and focal banger is so reaonable for the quality. I forget it exactly but isn;t it like $12.50 a 4 pack of pints? I go to Kane Brewing here in NJ often (who I would put up against many regions best) and their regular IPA is $14, IIPA is $16 and "special" or one off releases $20. People say I'm crazy for slightly complaining about my local pricing but Alchamist is not only churning out some of the country's best beer but I'd argue also is such a great value compared to what is now common for charging for crowler or pint cans at most places these days.

 

Alchemist is easily among the most underpriced beer in New England. Bissell and Trillium routinely get $16-22 per four pack depending on the beer. I think they are actually inline with what the market will bear. Thank your lucky stars that Alchemist hasn't raised prices since forever. To be sure, they could easily charge $20 a four-pack and people would pay.

 

So piggy backing off this thread. I've done much of the stuff suggested in this thread. I will probably be staying in Waterbury. My question is what are some of the under the radar stops, both with regards to beer or food (doesn't necessarily have to be beer centric food stop) that I should check out? Trying to find some new experiences, since I know the familiar ones I want to re-experience.