Vermont Trip

Alchemist doesn't have a brewpub, but you can get a few 2 oz samples. Downtown Waterbury is where you want to drink.

Prohibiton Pig drafts
Heady, Lawson's, Hill Harmstead

Blackback Pub drafts
Hill Farmstead, Lawsons.

The Reservoir drafts
Hill Farmstead, Lawsons

You should drive to Hill Farmstead brewery- Wed through Saturday. It's about an hour or so from Waterbury.
Warren store is about 20-25 minutes from Waterbury for Lawson's. You might get lucky and be around when Lawson's sells at a farmers market in the area.

Stagecoach Inn is ideal for a pubcrawl in Waterbury. It's right downtown - no car needed.
http://www.oldstagecoach.com/

 

Harpoon in VT is a good time. OK food, they'll sometimes have something rare-ish on cask. Its not as unique of an experience as your Hill farmstead or Alchemist though.

 

Celfan pretty much has it covered. I'd skip Magic Hat in favor of more time in Waterbury and/or a trip to Hill Farmstead. Note that HF is open Wednesday through Saturday and is cash only.

 

You shouldn't have any problem getting HT. You can get cases of it in Winooski if you had to, just going to pay more. The last time I visited Warren Store was a Friday morning right around when they opened. Plenty of Lawson's available, 4 bottle limit. Grab some Coffee, sit on the deck, and enjoy the Mad River.

 

In Warren - on Main St.

 

No Heady in Rutland... you can't get it further south than Montpelier. The Warren Store is in ... Warren, right on the main street; about a 25 minute drive from Waterbury. You can also occasionally get Lawson's at the Hunger Mtn. Co-op in Montpelier (not to mention Heady) but definitely call ahead.

 

Winooski Beverage Warehouse often has all three (with bottle limits) but you may have to ask if there is any HFB in the house - doesn't always make it onto the shelf. For Lawson's popular/expensive releases (Double Sunshine, Maple Tripple, Farmhouse Rye, etc.) you have to go to the Farmers Market - which in November will be back in Montpelier indoors (as opposed to Waitsfield outdoors.)

Book a room at the Stagecoach Inn, 1 block walking from all the beer action in Waterbury. Call to check first - November is often break-time for local inns after foliage - some close for a vacation periiod.

 

the bottle shop in Winooski, about 10 mins north of Burlington is well stocked and well worth a visit...finding all three is just gonna be a roll of the dice....in Burlington, be sure to visit Amer. Flatbread. Great pizza/flat bread and beer selections

 

Just to be clear for the OP - American Flatbread/Zero Gravity Brewing in Burlington is a brewpub, and serves 10-14 of their own house brews only. (All of them stop-worthy, IMO.)

 

City Market - is the local Burlington food co-op and is open to all. Lots of good foods, but beer selection is just OK. Try Pearl St. Beverage over on...Pearl St.!

 

Make a point to have dinner at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill in downtown Burlington. Fantastic draft selection, including regularly available Lawsons and Hill Farmstead (and often a couple varieties of each), and excellent food (the onion rings are like candy).

 

Winooski Beverage gets a shipment of Lawson's Bottles every Friday. I usually hit the store about 1PM and have never missed a shipment. Last time, (2 weeks ago), they had Chinooker'd IPA and I believe it is a two bottle limit.

Ive only been to Winooski once when they had HF Everett Bottles. Never seen anything else from them, but as others mentioned, they do have a good selection and Mix-A-Six. I also would skip Magic Hat as they never usually have anything other than their usuals on tap but if you are doing that, also head a bit further south to Shelburn, (on the same road maybe 10 minutes from Magic Hat), to Fiddlehead Brewing for a growler of their IPA and Brown Ale. The pizza place next door is awesome as well and is BYOB so bring your Fiddlehead next door to eat.

Also, I know everyone wants to seek out the BIG THREE, (HF, Lawson's, Alchemist) but don't negelct the other breweries such as Trapp which is a nice ride and very senic with a great drinking area, Switchback, etc...

 

Nice Info, my son is being stationed in Ft Drum 9-27, so a trip to VT is only a few hours and a night away hitting the local pubs.

 

I second Trapp absolutely. beautiful spot and great beer. would add a very VTy element to a trip especially on a nice quickly approaching fall day.

 

good call on Burlington's Farmhouse Grill, just watch out for the CROWDS here and at American FB. Both are great places, but on week end nights you will be waiting forever....a place we reall enjoyed was TINY THAI on main st. in Winooski...its (at least as of last summer) BYOB, so you can pick up a few bottles at the Bev. store and enjoy them with the pretty good Thai food offered here

 

I'm going to Bondville in mid-october. Looks to be about 2-2.5 hours to the Alchemist. Anything in the area anyone can recommend? I am 100% going to make the drive though.