BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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House of Fermentology
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Citizen Cider
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Lawson’s Finest Liquids
THREE SIPS TO ENLIGHTENMENT. BY PAM HUNT
FROM FRUIT TO FRUITION: FILLING A “PRESSING” NEED . BY PAM HUNT
A PHENOMENON ROLLS INTO A NEW ERA. BY MARY GOW
contents 6
Brew Views
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Brew Finds
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BrewView To Go . . .
COOL STUFF FROM COMMON DEER.
LOCAL TASTINGS AND HOW TO FIND THEM.
A COMPREHENSIVE MAP AND KEY OF WHERE TO FIND LOCAL BREWERIES, DISTILLERIES, WINERIES, AND CIDERIES. BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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BY PAM HUNT
house of
Fermentology T h r e e S i p s to E n l i g h t e n m e n t
I
n a state where most breweries feature a hop-heavy IPA, it can be refreshing to find a completely different flavor. And completely different is what House of Fermentology offers.
Several years ago, founders Todd Haire and Bill Mares collaborated to update Mares’s book, Making Beer. It was during their research for this third edition that they found themselves in Oregon, where they visited several brewers making sour beers. The idea clicked, and they decided to give it a go themselves.
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BREWVIEW FALL 2018
flavors in there!’ And then the third sip is, ‘Where can I get more?’” Using the two strains of yeast results in wild fermentation, which can cause slight flavor differences between batches. “We’re not making McDonald’s hamburgers or Budweiser,” Bill explains. “They’re all going to be roughly predictable. People will remember a specific dot, and when it comes up again, they will remember the flavor, and I think they’re going to be tolerant of small variations. We’re giving customers a variety of beers, each of which is first rate. But we’re asking you to experiment, to try
A QUEST FOR TART “Todd has brewed all his life,” Bill says. “He’d done every kind of beer there is except sour beer. He could never do them commercially because you can’t put Brettanomyces yeast in a regular brewery—it’s just the devil on other beers.” In their quest to focus on producing these tart brews, they created House of Fermentology and secured a space in the Noyes Tire building on Pine Street. In the meantime, Todd, who has brewed at Magic Hat and Switchback, joined Foam Brewers, a move that benefited the House of Fermentology. “We brew our wort there, and then put it in our barrels,” Bill says. “Then, when we’re ready to sell it, we put it in kegs or bottles and take it back to Foam. It’s been a really good synergy between the two breweries. It just makes for more
something new.” Local beer lovers have taken to the extraordinary tastes of House of Fermentology’s beers. On a typical evening at Foam, one can see glasses of the vividly colored beverages throughout the bar, and bottle releases sell out quickly. Noting that the pair recently bought additional space to increase production, Bill says, “It’s a good problem to have.”
variety and more drinking pleasure, we hope.” The brewers use Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria as well as diverse flavoring agents to create their blends, which are then aged in oak barrels. The resulting brews are each named for a colored dot that graces their labels, such as Orange Dot, which features honey and roasted Cara Cara oranges, and Purple Dot, with blackberries and black currants.
A VARIETY OF FIRST-RATE BEERS And what about the flavor? Bill offers an apt analogy: “We like to say it’s three sips to enlight-
HOUSE OF FERMENTOLOGY
777 Pine Street Burlington, VT (802) 999-3020 www.houseoffermentology.com
enment: The first sip is, ‘Wow, that’s tart!’ The second sip is, ‘Ahh, it’s like a Rubik’s cube of
BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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BREW
VIEWS
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BREWVIEW FALL 2018
BY PAM HUNT
CITIZEN CIDER BRANCHES OUT
F R O M F R U I T TO F R U I T I O N : F I L L I N G A “ P R E S S I N G ” N E E D
“If somebody is growing cherries and wants to juice them, we’ll be able to do it.”
S
ince its founding in 2010, Citizen Cider has proven that the market for hard ciders is solid—and not only in Vermont. The cidery ships its colorful cans throughout New England and to New Jersey, the metro Philadelphia area, North and South Carolina, Illinois, and parts of New York.
The cider company has pressed all its locally grown apples at Stan
and Mary Pratt’s Happy Valley Orchard in Middlebury since 2011. Every week, two or three tanker trailers, each labeled like a giant horizontal can of Unified Press, make their way north up Route 7 to the Citizen Cider production facility on Pine Street in Burlington. However, the need for greater production capacity and the Pratts’ desire to retire from this part of the business has brought a multiyear plan to fruition: Citizen Cider is opening its own pressing facility in Burlington’s South End.
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BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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When you visit a beer brewery, it’s just bags of malt, bags of hops. In our production area, you’ll see the apples getting crushed and pressed.� And after all these years, Citizen Cider isn’t parting ways with Stan Pratt. “He’s still going to maintain the actual orchard,� Cheray says.
“He’ll still be involved with the business, for sure . . . bringing the apples. He was even up here the other day showing the guys what to Although the tasting room will stay put on Pine Street, Citizen Cider’s marketing director,
do with the press!�
Cheray MacFarland, says the cidery team has big plans for the new building. In addition to the new fruit presses, the facility will bring the company’s warehouse space to Burlington. With the powerful new press, the company is potentially looking to expand beyond apples. “We’re hoping to attract other fruit processors to the new facility,� Cheray says. “If somebody is growing cherries and wants to juice them, we’ll be able to do it. Right now, there are only two fruit-processing places in the state, so for us to be able to help other businesses would be awesome.� The new pressing plant won’t be open to the general public except by request—after all, it is first and foremost a processing factory. However, Cheray says that group tours are likely in the future. “It’s so cool to see all the apples and how the press actually works.
CITIZEN CIDER
319 Pine Street, Suite 114 Burlington, VT Offices: (802) 448-3278 Tasting Room: (802) 497-1987 www.citizencider.com
BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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BREW
FINDS
Who, what , where . . . we know why!
NAME CITY OPEN
OUT PETS DOORS
SERVES FOOD
LIVE MUSIC
WHETSTONE STATION whetstonestation.com
Brattleboro
7 Days
Y
N
Y
Check Website
BROCKLEBANK CRAFT BREWING brocklebankvt.com
Tunbridge
Fri, Sat
Y
Y
N
Check Website
SWITCHBACK BREWERY switchbackvt.com
Burlington
7 Days
Y
Y
Snacks
Check Website
PROHIBITION PIG prohibitionpig.com
Waterbury
7 Days
Y
Y
Events Only
MILL RIVER BREWING millriverbrewing.com
St. Albans
Wed–Sat
Y
N
Y
Check Website
THE VERMONT PUB & BREWERY Burlington 7 Days Y vermontbrewery.com
Patio Only
Y
Check Website
OTTER CREEK BREWERY Middlebury 7 Days Y ottercreekbrewing.com
Outdoor Areas
Y
Check Website
HARPOON BREWERY RIVERBEND Windsor 7 Days Y harpoonbrewery.com/breweries/windsor
Common Areas
Y
Check Website
DROP-IN BREWING COMPANY dropinbrewing.com
Middlebury
7 Days
N
Y
BYO
Events Only
SAXTONS RIVER DISTILLERY saxtonsriverdistillery.com
Brattleboro
7 Days
Y
N
Tours by Appt
Y
N
OLD ROUTE TWO SPIRITS Barre oldroutetwo.com
Check Website
BOYDEN VALLERY WINERY AND SPIRITS Cambridge 7 Days Y boydenvalley.com
Outdoor Areas
N
Check Website
SHELBURNE VINEYARD Shelburne 7 Days Y shelburnevineyard.com
Outdoor Areas
N
Check Website
STOWE CIDER
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BREWVIEW FALL 2018
Stowe
BY MARY GOW
A P H E N O M E N O N R O L L S I N TO A N E W E R A
LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS
W
hen Karen and I launched this business in 2008,
to a 7-bbl capacity, housed in a small sugarhouse style outbuild-
we had big dreams of what might happen, but
ing at the Lawson’s home. That year, their Triple Play IPA won the
we never had any idea that it would turn into
National IPA Championship.
a phenomenon. It has gained a life of its own,”
says Sean Lawson standing with his family and Governor Phil
a variety of styles. Sip of Sunshine IPA and Super Session ales,
Scott last autumn, shovels at the ready, preparing to break
Lawson’s Finest’s flagship brews, are accompanied by dozens of
ground on the new Lawson’s Finest Liquids brewery, taproom,
small-batch beers including maple stouts, wheat ale, red spruce
and retail store in Waitsfield. The new home of Lawson’s Finest
bitter, and more. Watch the website for updates on special beers
opens this fall.
and distribution dates. Devotees arrive early, many driving long
The story of Lawson’s Finest is legendary. From Sean’s college and post-college brewing hobby, he and Karen made the leap to Lawson’s Finest Liquids as a small-batch brewery in 2008. At first
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A versatile brewmaster, Sean has created defining flavors in
distances, for new brews and older favorites including Double Sunshine and—just once a year—Maple Tripple.
their home nanobrewery had a tiny capacity, just one 1 bbl. In beer
EXCITING CHANGES ON THE WAY
parlance, 1 bbl, short for barrel, equals 31 gallons; a keg is half a
In 2014, Lawson’s Finest added an alternating proprietorship
barrel. Sean packed a lot of flavor into those tiny batches. Awards
arrangement with Two Roads Brewing in Connecticut. Sip of Sun-
came fast and fans even faster. In 2011, Lawson’s Finest expanded
shine and the Super Session Series are brewed there and are now
BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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available in cans and on draft in six Northeastern states. Sip of Sunshine IPA is likened to a
“tropical vacation in a glass,� lupulin-laden and with hints of fruit and floral aromas. Super Session #2 and #8 are refreshing lower-alcohol beers, abv 4.8%, each featuring a single hop variety, #2 brewed with Amarillo hops and #8 with Mosaic hops.
“We always knew we wanted to grow with a public taproom and brewery,� explains Karen, noting that their priority has always been their family and raising their two daughters. Now, the girls are older, Lawson’s Finest has had a spectacular decade, and the handsome timber-framed taproom and brewery is on its way.
LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS ROLLS INTO A NEW ERA
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LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS
With its 30-bbl capacity, favorite Warren brewery recipes will be scaled up for production there. Family friendly in addition to being a tasting room, its taproom will feature artisanal local foods. Lawson’s Finest brews will be available in the retail store. Beer drinkers will get to see their favorite beverages in production and meet the brewer. And fans everywhere can
284 Main Street Warren, VT Â (802) 496-4677 www.lawsonsfinest.com
pay a virtual visit to Lawson’s at www.lawsonsfinest.com.
BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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BREW
KEY
BREWERIES
1. Kingdom Brewing, Newport 2. Next Trick Brewing, West Burke 3. Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro 4. Ten Bends Beer, Hyde Park 5. Brewster River Pub and Brewery, Jeffersonville 6. J’Ville Brewery, Jeffersonville 7. 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans 8. Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse, St. Albans 9. Kickback Brewery, Westford 10. Red Barn Brewing, Danville 11. Foam Brewers, Burlington 12. House of Fermentology, Burlington 13. Magic Hat Brewing, Burlington 14. Queen City Brewery, Burlington 15. Simple Roots Brewing, Burlington 16. Switchback Brewing, Burlington 17. Vermont Pub and Brewery, Burlington 18. Zero Gravity Craft Brewery, Burlington 19. Farnham Ale & Lager, South Burlington 20. Good Water Brewery, Williston 21. Burlington Beer, Williston 22. Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski 23. 1st Republic Brewing, Essex Junction 24. Stone Corral Brewery, Richmond 25. Frost Beer Works, Hinesburg 26. Fiddlehead Brewing, Shelburne 27. Rock Art Brewery, Morristown 28. Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville 29. Alchemist Brewery, Stowe 30. Idletyme Brewing, Stowe 31. von Trapp Brewery, Stowe 32. Saint J Brewery, St. Johnsbury 33. Prohibition Pig, Waterbury 34. Bent Hill Brewery, Braintree 35. Brocklebank Craft Brewing, Chelsea 36. Foley Brothers Brewing, Brandon 37. Cousins Brewing, Waitsfield 38. Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield 39. Good Measure Brewing, Northfield 40. Norwich Inn, Norwich 41. River Roost Brewery, White River Junction 42. Bobcat Brewery and Café, Bristol 43. Hogback Mountain Brewing, Bristol 44. Drop-In Brewing, Middlebury 45. Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury 46. Long Trail Brewing, Bridgewater Corners 47. Rutland Beer Works (Hop’n Moose), Rutland 48. Harpoon Brewery, Windsor 49. Trout River Brewing, Springfield 50. Backacre Beermakers, Weston 51. Madison Brewing, Bennington 52. Northshire Brewery, Bennington 53. Beer Naked Brewery, Marlboro 54. Hermit Thrush Brewery, Brattleboro 55. McNeill’s Pub and Brewery, Brattleboro 56. Whetstone Station, Brattleboro
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DISTILLERIES
1. Elm Brook Farm, East Fairfield 2. Smuggler’s Notch Distillery, Jeffersonville 3. Green Mountain Distillery, Morristown 4. Caledonia Spirits, Hardwick 5. St. Johnsbury Distillery, St. Johnsbury 6. Wild Heart Distillery, Shelburne 7. Old Route Two Distillery, Barre 8. Hooker Mountain Farm and Distillery, Marshfield 9. Vermont Spirits Distillery, White River Junction 10. Applachian Gap Distillery, Middlebury 11. Stonecutter Spirits, Middlebury 12. WhistlePig Farm, Shoreham 13. Silo Distillery, Windsor 14. Spirits of Old Bennington Distillery, North Bennington 15. Vermont Distillers, Marlboro 16. Saxton’s River Distillery, Brattleboro
WINERIES
1. Boyden Valley Winery, Cambridge 2. Snow Farm Vineyard & Winery, South Hero 3. Hillis’ Sugarbush Farm & Vineyard, Colchester 4. Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne 5. Charlotte Village Winery, Charlotte 6. North Branch Vineyards, Montpelier 7. Montpelier Vineyards, Montpelier 8. Neddo Family Vineyards, Barre 9. Fresh Tracks Winery, Berlin 10. La Garagista Winery, Bethel 11. Neshobe River Winery, Brandon 12. Lincoln Peak Vineyard, New Haven 13. Whaleback Winery, Poultney 14. Putney Mountain Winery, Putney 15. Honora Winery & Vineyard, Jacksonville
CIDERIES
1. Eden Specialty Ciders, Newport 2. Stowe Cider, Stowe 3. Hall Home Place, Isle La Motte 4. Citizen Cider, Burlington 5. Groennfell Meadery, Colchester 6. Chapin Orchard, Essex Junction 7. Boyer’s Orchard and Cider Mill, Monkton 8. Shacksbury Cider, Vergennes 9. Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Warren 10. Flag Hill Farm, Vershire 11. Champlain Orchards, Shoreham 12. Vermont Hard Cider, Middlebury 13. Woodchuck Cider, Middlebury 14. Windfall Orchard, Cornwall 15. Mountain Cider Company, North Chittenden 16. Wood’s Cider Mill, Springfield 17. Whetstone Ciderworks, Marlboro
BREWVIEW TO GO . . .
Everywhere you want to be at a glance Newport 3
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St. Albans
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15
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20
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89
2
18
21
22
6
3
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27
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Burlington 6
26
14
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Montpelier 7
37 42 43 12
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32
93
8
58 7
9
38 39
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Middlebury
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St. Johnsbury
2 6
8
12
3
28
2
91
33
7
7
3
2 29 30
25
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Stowe
24
89 4
45
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100
1
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2
1
1
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91
35
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44 10 11
100
89
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15 10
8
36
57
40 46
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Rutland 13
Woodstock
4
31
47
41
13
7
48
91 Springfield
50
16
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White River Jct.
Breweries Wineries
49
Cideries Manchester
Distilleries
7
14
100
30
14 51
52
9
Bennington
9
15
53 17
15
54 55 56
Brattleboro 16
BREWVIEW FALL 2018
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