Foley Brothers Brewing

I have snow tires, but still won't drive to Hill Farmstead on snowy days or those immediately following even a modest storm.

 

16 year old kids drive all over Vermont during the winter (not happy to include my kids, but I do). It is a good idea to avoid the 5 or 6 blizzard or ice storm days though.

 

If you're judging things as being safe or smart to do based on the actions of 16 year olds, you and I are in different worlds.

 

You don't want them driving, but it's just the reality up here.

 

You can drive in Vermont all winter unless it is during a storm or just after. Road clearing is pretty good. How quickly Foley Bros. clears the "driveway" up to the tasting area is another question entirely.

If you come to Brandon via Rt 73 from Rt 100 as I do, then certainly you'd want to avoid that road during any storm. But if you come up 7 from Rutland, there is nothing particularly steep or treacherous on the way there, even if it is snowing. Certainly no different than driving in most of MA.

 

Are you guys serious, Foley Brothers Taproom is a 200-300' from a paved road and it's less that a mile off Rt 7. Come on people, it's Vermont not Northern Siberia.

 

Sounds like I need a Hummer to navigate those roads at a bare minimum?!!

 

The state of Vermont snow removal is overrated. In my area they don't plow overnight, I've had to go thru 4 inches of powder at 3 AM without a plow in sight on a (the) major road Rt. 9 which is the old connection between Albany and Boston. That being said, besides being a long ride for some, Hill Farmstead is not in the middle of nowhere. I am farther off the main road (and so is half of VT) then HF is. The periodic ice storms (January 1998 and December 8 a few years back, etc.) are much worse then almost any blizzard could ever be.

 

Folely Bros. just announced that Fair Maiden is back in the tasting room. @twizzard thought you might want to know.

 

I've got a driver on his way back with Mastermind & Fair Maiden as I type!

 

Fair Maiden is the only thing I've had that I like from Foley Brothers, and it is really good- the rest of their line-up is the who's who of who cares. I would rather pay $3.50 for a sixteen ounce can of Heady Topper then $9 for a sixteen Oz bottle of Fair Maiden. Some of these breweries should walk before they run. Semi local brewer, Stoneman, over in Colrain, Mass has some interesting stuff and I am rooting for him. Problem is they charge $7.99 for a bomber. Kind of off putting to have to pay that much for a brewery with little or no rep that has been in business for a less then a year or two.

 

Well Fair Maiden is $8 for 22 oz at the brewery. Still not the best deal, but on par with Stone and others' bomber prices. I think the Maple Brown is very good for the style (which I like). Ginger Wheat is a very nice summer wheat beer, better than most and is unique. Forgotten Ale is among the sours I've most enjoyed (as style I don't like). Not a fan of Native IPA though. I think these small breweries that bottle (and in Vermont, you have to for the most part, outside of Burlington) have higher costs than larger breweries.

 

Saw Fair Maiden for $9 for a sixteen oz in Bennington, Vt today, very good beer, but over priced at that price. Never tried Maple Brown, Ginger Wheat put me to sleep, never tried Forgotten, but have never seen it, Native IPA and everything else by them I thought was real ho hum. Had high hopes for Cintrennial and did not think much of it.

 

i have a honda accord and need to respond 9 miles to fire calls in the worst weather conditions VT can throw at us and have never missed a call due to weather. The only time i've ever been stuck in a parking lot was Valentine's day '07 storm and that was because it had snowed over thirty inches since i arrived in the morning. Decent tires, ability to deal with a slide, keeping a small shovel in the car and having half a brain helps...
As for Foley Broths, agree 100% with Flashy. Wish I could say something great about them, but have been pretty much unimpressed although have never tried Fair Maiden (because of the price tag). Forgotten was unfortunately not forgotten 24hrs later. Feel like they're just riding the wave of success of others...[/jebidiah atkinson impersonation]

 

Stone IPA bombers are like $5. But I'm happy to pay a little more for a small up and coming brewery regardless.

 

I don't know why the Vermonters need to prove they're big tough guy drivers. I grew up in upstate NY and know how to drive in snow. I also know that it's not worth driving in a snowstorm for beer. Only takes one drive from Waterbury to Montpelier on a closed (we later found out) I-89 during whiteout conditions to convince you it's not worth it. But have fun with yor shovel and growler of Edward.

 

Definitely don't try to drive in VT before next June unless you live here. You'll get stuck and freeze to death.

 

They filled my 2-litre growler with Fair Maiden last Spring for something like $15-16, if I recall. That's the way to go, imo...

Prosit!!1

 

Regular Stone IPA isn't in the same class. Enjoy By runs $7.99 I think and their collaboration IPAs are $10. Fair Maiden is better than any of them.