Steve Koenemann

Made in Vermont – Burlington Region

As I have said before, Vermont is Beer Country! Back in 2009 the Brewers Association declared Vermont as having the highest per capita concentration of breweries of any state in the land (Breweries Per Capita). This awesome designation was awarded based on the 2008 Vermont census and the presence of, at the time, 19 craft beer breweries within the state’s borders. That’s 19 breweries for Vermont’s 621,270 citizens or about one brewery for every 32,698 Vermonters. Breweries have come and gone since that time and, as a result, Vermont has added a net of 2 new breweries, for a current total of 21. With approximately the same population as in 2008, this means that there is now about 1 brewery for every 29,584 Vermonters. I think that it is very unlikely that any state has surpassed this outstanding people/brewery ratio since these figures were last published.

Some of my fellow HopPress writers have presented a tour of the breweries in their own states, so I thought that it would be only right that I do the same for Vermont. With there being 21 of them, I will not spend the time in this article attempting to cover all of them; that would end up being quite long and pretty boring. Instead I will talk, first, about the 7 breweies located in only one region of the state… the greater northwestern portion of the state, which I will call the “Burlington” region, named after our largest city (pop. 38,647 in 2009).

Three Needs – Located on College Street in the heart of downtown Burlington, this bar/brewpub is (how do you say this) a bit “scruffy” around the edges. The times that I have been there I have always been able to find a beer to my liking (the “Impaler” DIPA the last time was awesome), but some of the reviews you see on-line for this place describe it as a bit of a “dive”… and they might be right. Not much more than a room the size of a decent house living room, with a bar in one corner and a pool table in the other, you sort of expect to see “Norm” peeking out from behind one of the substancial dust bunnies or piles of “stuff” you can see at this place. Each time I go, I wonder why this place survives either financially or because the Health Dept has not shut it down yet… but survive it does and, apparently, quite well. The regulars here (in the bar and on-line) are quite vocal and supportive of “their” bar and the way that they like it. If you are looking for some decent beer and a more than laid back place to enjoy it, you may have found your spot. As long as the beer is good, I’ll keep going back!

Switchback – This brewery is located near the waterfront just south of downtown Burlington. Founded in 2002 by the brewer and a close friend, the brewery has intentionally produced a limited number of beers (4 to date) that focus on high quality. Due to its “shoestring funding”, Switchback has relied primarily on word of mouth to spread the word about its beers, which are now also available in New Hampshire and New York as well as many bars and restaurants across Vermont. Their beer I find to be good and quite “sessionable”; very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Magic Hat – Founded in 1978 by craft beer pioneers Bob Johnson and Alan Newman, Magic Hat was one of the first to the Vermont beer scene and has been one of its standard bearers ever sense. One of my favorite things about this company is its social conscience. Magic Hat has contributed 10′s of thousands of dollars to the community that it does business in through direct donations and support of many fund raising events over those years. Once known for its eclectic, zany beers and names, Magic Hat has become more mainstream in its offerings. Merging with Pyramid Brewing a few years ago, it recently was snapped up by an out-of-state beer comglomerate. The main Magic Hat brewery remains in South Burlington and one hopes that they will continue to produce some of my favorite Vermont beers for years to come.

Vermont Pub & Brewery – Back in 1988, this brewpub (Vermont’s very first) was founded by the legendary Greg Noonan. Prior to Greg’s lobbying work with the Vermont Legislature, brewpubs were not allowed. Greg Noonan, of course, is known for his contributions across the brewing industry. Greg Noonan lost his battle with cancer a while back and is sorely missed by all that knew him or of his great work. Since its founding, the Vermont Pub & Brewery, which is located near the center of downtown Burlington, has produced dozens of different types and styles of beers and has been an “incubator” that has trained many brewers who have gone onto greatness in their own right. This place is still one of my favorite downtown Burlington destinations; whether it is for some of their great food or just a quick beer before a UVM hockey game.

Zero Gravity – Located just a few doors down from Vermont Pub & Brewery, the Zero Gravity is located in American Flatbread’s Burlington Hearth restaurant. The brewpub forms the basis for one of the first true taprooms in Vermont, which offers a large selection of draft and bottled beers with your dinner or just at the bar. This is a very popular place and you will have trouble squeezing in most any night, but go early and you might get lucky. The flatbreads here are amazing!

Otter Creek Brewing – Located just off of Route 7 and quite south of Burlington, just outside of Middlebury, this brewer has seen some change over the last several years. The original Otter Creek company was purchased by Wolaver’s, a nationally distributed organic line of beer, to help provide a realiable production facility. Wolaver’s elected to maintain the Otter Creek lines of beers after the puchase. Just within the last year or so, Wolaver’s/Otter Creek was purchased by the Long Trail Brewing company, which is also another Vermont brewery. While the continuance of any of the beers of this large collective brewery will likely be based on sound business decisions, I hope that they will choose to hang on to the many favorites that I have among their three major lines of beer.

Bobcat Cafe – Even though it is a bit off of the beaten path, the Bobcat Cafe is one of my favorites on this list. Located in downtown Bristol, a quite small and very quaint town in the western/central part of Vermont, the Bobcat offers some of the finest food of any on this list (it is not expensive either). Brewer Mark Magiera offers some of the best beer in this region and my wife and I visit here every chance that we get. The staff is courteous and efficient and the bartenders are very knowledgeable about the beer. I can hardly wait to go back!

Well there you have it. The first in a series of articles that tour Vermont’s excellent beer scene. As I am sure that you can begin to see, Vermonters love their beer and we are really fortunate to have so many great options to choose from. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this series (coming soon), where we will tour the breweries and brewpubs that make up the central portion of this small beer-drinking state.

Courtesy of Vermont Brewers Association

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