OT: Burlington Breweries

[8893]

@Chin Diesel , if you are in Burlington for two weeks definitely take a quick drive over to Winooski (literally two miles up the road) for some other great food and drink choices. There's like a two-block area with a bunch of great spots, including Our House (great, creative comfort food), Misery Loves Co. (same), Mule Bar (gastropub), Tiny Thai and Sneakers (great brunch, live jazz).

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

dont waste your time at magic hat

 

[Willy Gee]

I live in the New North End of Burlington, where there is a small brewery called Simple Roots. I like the beer at that place. Others have touched on the other breweries. I do NOT like the beer at the Vermont Pub & Brewery.
As for places to eat, Pho Hong has the best Vietnamese food I have ever had. Penny Cluse is great for breakfast/lunch, but good luck getting in there. Always packed.
Ate at Drifters last week for the first time. Very impressed. I should point out, though, that I am a vegetarian.

 

[Willy Gee]

Oh and if you like pub food. Ruben James is great. And if dive bars are your thing, don't miss the Other Place.

 

[Hoophound]

With all the Waterbury mentions, I’ll add the Resevoir Tavern. Very high quality pub food, great beer list. The best Mac and cheese I’ve had anywhere (has a hint of garlic that makes it). They have a nice appetizer size that my wife and I get as a small lunch with a beer or two sometimes. . Small bar in back with free popcorn. Makes a good stop for a single traveler. Bluestone Pizza is pretty good too.

I always meet people in Stowe that ended up there after driving aimlessly from Burlington.They are usually visiting colleges or there on business. If that happens, try Doc Ponds for beer and an eclectic snack.

Idyletime is great, especially if the weather allows you to enjoy the outdoor area. Awesome.

I’d say to pass on the Trapp Bierhall. Food is meh, atmosphere is a little dry and their beers are lousy in my book. I don’t really like Austrian/German beers and food though.

Decent beer choice and great pizza, try Piecasso.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was at Lawsons two weekends ago and while the building is fine the beer isn’t close to the best in the state to me. But Lawson’s will sell you all manner of merchandise from hats to bike jerseys and skirts.

Hill Farmstead is better. But other than that, nobody is. Foam is better for IPAs but that’s it. But it’s the nicest brewery experience in my opinion. Really love what they’ve done. Alchemist on the other hand is a pointless brewery experience. Foley Brothers is fun in warm weather but the quality has declined.

 

[HuskyHawk]

dont waste your time at magic hat

but Fiddlehead is just a little further south on 7 and has a good pizza place next door.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

but Fiddlehead is just a little further south on 7 and has a good pizza place next door.

Magic Hat’s only purpose on a VT beercation is to appease the wives.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Magic Hat’s only purpose on a VT beercation is to appease the wives.

My wife is more into IPAs than I am. So not in my case. I thought it was a fun spot 15 years ago.

 

[MattMang23]

Mine just unequivocally told me “I have no interest in Magic Hat.” So we aren’t going. I’m good with that. I didn’t have any desire in visiting Vermont’s version of Hooker Brewery.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Magic Hat’s only purpose on a VT beercation is to appease the wives.

Magic Hat's purpose is to keep wives from becoming moms.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Magic Hat's purpose is to keep wives from becoming moms.

honestly it’s purpose is to get UVM kids laid.

 

[Dove]

In the mid 90s I was a big Sam Adams Cherry Wheat drinker. I decided I was going to delve in the craft beer scene even more. Anchor Steam and Sierra Nevada were on CT sheves and seemed okay. Then I tried a Magic Hat #9 and the bitterness was such a punch to the face I was set back decades from diving into craft again.

 

[Hoophound]

In the mid 90s I was a big Sam Adams Cherry Wheat drinker. I decided I was going to delve in the craft beer scene even more. Anchor Steam and Sierra Nevada were on CT sheves and seemed okay. Then I tried a Magic Hat #9 and the bitterness was such a punch to the face I was set back decades from diving into craft again.

Tough crowd. I still grab a 12 pack of Sierra Nevada or Magic Hat once or twice per year. I like to mix it up sometimes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

In the mid 90s I was a big Sam Adams Cherry Wheat drinker. I decided I was going to delve in the craft beer scene even more. Anchor Steam and Sierra Nevada were on CT sheves and seemed okay. Then I tried a Magic Hat #9 and the bitterness was such a punch to the face I was set back decades from diving into craft again.

Magic Hat #9 was bitter? I used to drink it often in the summer, in part because it was less bitter than Sam, Sierra or Harpoon IPA. That apricot made it almost sweet. Loved Red Hook ESB back then too.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Tough crowd. I still grab a 12 pack of Sierra Nevada or Magic Hat once or twice per year. I like to mix it up sometimes.

Sierra Nevada is definitely top notch in the large/national craft market. Magic Hat is just not a must see for a beer enthusiast going to VT.

 

[Waquoit]

Mine just unequivocally told me “I have no interest in Magic Hat.” So we aren’t going. I’m good with that. I didn’t have any desire in visiting Vermont’s version of Hooker Brewery.

That's a smear of Hooker. I'm thinking Two Roads is a better comp.

 

[8893]

That's a smear of Hooker. I'm thinking Two Roads is a better comp.

That’s a smear of Two Roads.

I think Saranac is a better comp.

 

[MattMang23]

That's a smear of Hooker. I'm thinking Two Roads is a better comp.

It was meant to be a smear of Hooker, but I’m just as happy smearing Two Roads (or Stony Creek)- just not Area 2.

Hooker has improved with the introduction of #NoFilter, #DoubleNoFilter and the one whose label looks like the Double Dare logo, I’ll give them that.

 

[8893]

Re Magic Hat, #9 was one of three beers we had on tap at our wedding in 1996. It was my wife's call and it was very popular at the time, and it tasted great compared with most of what was available here then. I mean, Pete's Wicked Ale was all the rage and I can't even remember the last time I saw that swill. I'm guessing it's long gone.

I believe one of the others we had was a brown ale from Farmington Valley--was there a Farmington Valley brewery back then? I think that was it.

I am trying to remember the third tap. I think it was from Saranac, maybe their IPA.

Funny that that was considered a pretty impressive lineup in terms of what you could get on tap in the Northeast back then.

 

[Hoophound]

I still appreciate Magic Hat #9.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That’s a smear of Two Roads.

I think Saranac is a better comp.

Bingo. Two Roads is vastly better than Magic Hat. Saranac is one of the brands I'm amazed is still around.

 

[Fishy]

Bingo. Two Roads is vastly better than Magic Hat. Saranac is one of the brands I'm amazed is still around.

Why?

They’ve been in business since the 1800’s.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Re Magic Hat, #9 was one of three beers we had on tap at our wedding in 1996. It was my wife's call and it was very popular at the time, and it tasted great compared with most of what was available here then. I mean, Pete's Wicked Ale was all the rage and I can't even remember the last time I saw that swill. I'm guessing it's long gone.

I believe one of the others we had was a brown ale from Farmington Valley--was there a Farmington Valley brewery back then? I think that was it.

I am trying to remember the third tap. I think it was from Saranac, maybe their IPA.

Funny that that was considered a pretty impressive lineup in terms of what you could get on tap in the Northeast back then.

Pete's Wicked went out of business long ago. It was actually a solid beer, but when your flagship is a brown ale, you aren't going to survive the IPA revolution. Pete's Wicked Winter was superb. It's one thing that hurt Red Hook, their flagship beer was an ESB. I think Harpoon has lasted and grown in part because their best beer was an IPA (even if a traditional English style IPA).

I'll be in Burlington next weekend. The Farmhouse Tap and Grill has the best burger I've ever had. Have not visited Zero Gravity yet, may check it out. Will definitely try to hit Foam.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why?

They’ve been in business since the 1800’s.

The beers are truly awful. Badly made. I'm not crapping on the Sam Adams tier of craft beer, of which Sam makes quality beers, and so does Harpoon. Saranac just doesn't.