The 12 Best Craft Breweries In Vermont
The New England states are not just known for cold winters and American history –they're also great to visit if you love a nice, hearty craft beer. Vermont is home to avid brewers who take their time mixing hops, malts, yeast, and other ingredients that create the flavorful concoction we all enjoy.
There's plenty of support for the Vermont beer scene. According to the Vermont Brewer's Association's most recent data, the state has 74 craft breweries, creating nearly 3,000 jobs. For beer lovers, it means that you have no shortage of options when you'd like to enjoy a nice India Pale Ale (IPA), Porter, Stout, or another type of beer in a frosty glass. When you're looking for the best beer, it pays to know which microbreweries are the cream of the crop in the Green Mountain State. Here are 12 of the best Vermont breweries you should check out, whether you're a resident or planning a visit.
1. Brocklebank Craft Brewing: Tunbridge
When you want a craft beer experience with an old-town community feel, Brocklebank Craft Brewing in the tiny town of Tunbridge is the place to go. It's been a craft beer mainstay in the area since 2015 and to top off the small-town feel, Brocklebank is located on the property of what used to be a dairy farm. This is a grail location for beer lovers in Vermont who want to say they've tasted hoppy nectar from a watering hole that not everyone knows about. True to the small-town vibe, Brocklebank Craft Brewing is a nanobrewery, featuring a modest 1.5-barrel operation.
Sample IPAs, pilsners, fruit beers, and a variety of other selections in the taproom on Fridays and Saturdays. A few of the microbrews include the Currant Affaire fruit beer made from raspberry and blackcurrant, Rooney stout, Road Crue session IPA, Stack O'Lee pilsner, and Potash Pivo Czech-style dark beer.
Spread a blanket out on the lawn and enjoy the fresh Vermont air while sipping on a brew. You can also fill up growlers to take home or purchase cans of the Rooney, Freedom & Unity IPA, and Schatzi German-style beers in four-packs of the same style (or you can mix and match them). Brocklebank's beers are also circulated in locations throughout central Vermont.
2. Four Quarters Brewing Co.: Winooski
In Winooski, Vermont, four quarters add up to delicious beers of all varieties. Four Quarters Brewing Co. was founded in 2014 and not only does it boast an extensive draft menu and plenty of food options, but it's also dog friendly. With 29 tap lines, the microbrewery specializes in sours, stouts, and flavorful, hoppy beers.
It distributes cans and bottles of beer all throughout the Winooski area, in addition to featuring a taproom that offers beers on draft and in cans. A few of the brews you can enjoy include the Dolla Dolla Pilz Pilsner, Phaze American IPA, Space Face Double IPA, 4 Quarterez sour ale, Morning Nightcap nitro dry stout, Red Rover red ale, Great Bear chocolate oatmeal brown ale, and Siren's Song porter.
There's no shortage of food options that you can enjoy when you take a trip to the Four Quarters taproom. It offers excellent finger food options like chips and dip, nachos, wings, and a basket of fries. Four Quarters also offers an extensive selection of specialty burgers and sandwich options, such as the Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lunar Smashburger, Vermont Philly, Fungus Amungus, and Bleu Buffalo.
The taproom is open seven days a week and you'll also find the brewery's craft brews in grocery stores and establishments in the area. The brewery has a die-hard following, with beer fans also appreciating its merchandise.
3. Green Empire Brewing: Colchester
When you're in the Colchester area, be sure to stop by Green Empire Brewing, a microbrewery that focuses on family and creativity, and is dedicated to the art and science of delicious craft beer. The company was founded in 2016 and offers an eclectic blend of ales and lagers that its customers enjoy on tap and in cans. Some interesting beer options include Red Eyes ale aged in Cabernet barrels, Easy Listening pilsner, Citra Friendly pale ale, Free Spirit DIPA, Chill Session hemp-infused ale, Eldest Brother barrel-aged Belgian, and the Leo IPA.
Fill up a growler to enjoy at home later, or grab a keg of one of Green Empire's beersfor your next party. Beer options aside, the brewery also provides coffee-infused cold beverages that offer a jolt of caffeine and unique flavors.
Customers can stop by to sample the brewery's latest experiments at the tap house on Fridays and Saturdays. You can also find the beers in grocery stores and farmer's markets throughout Vermont, and it can be shipped in-state as well.
4. Queen City Brewery: Burlington
Queen City Brewery is another business set in Chittendon County, which is a stone's throw from New York and just south of Canada. Here, you can enjoy beer from different regions, styles, and specialties. The brewery's slogan is "World-class beer without the jet lag," and you can take advantage of this in the form of 16 taps with a variety of rotating options.
Some of the beers in the Queen City Brewery tap room include South End Lager, Munich Dunkel, Schwarzbier German black lager, the Queen City Brewery Oktoberfest, Hefeweizen wheat ale, Argument IPA, Yorkshire porter, and Proper Jim's ale. The brewery also provides some limited edition and seasonal beers, such as the Black Knight Imperial Russian stout, Indigenous barrel-aged saison beer, and the Old Monty Barleywine-Style Ale.
This brewery opened in 2014 in a renovated and repurposed warehouse by two friends who love beer and have 30 years of brewing experience. You'll get to experience artfully crafted malts and hops prepared under the guidance of experts. Set in a historical area of town with bustling commerce, shops, and restaurants, the taste room features wide-open space that can be rented out for events and meetings. It's an elegantly designed environment, including a bar crafted from 50-year-old mahogany wood. Queen City Brewery doesn't feature a kitchen but suggests that customers enjoy a slice or two from a wood-fired pizza restaurant next door.
5. Lost Nation Brewing: Morrisville
You might wander the land for the perfect beer, but you won't be lost if you end up at this brewery. Lost Nation is a microbrewery in Morrisville featuring a taproom and restaurant for guests to try some delicious ales, lagers, and other craft beers. It's a 7,000 BBL operation that prides itself on producing honest beer.
The beer menu is extensive, featuring options like dry-hopped Wind Bretta, Orval Trappist ale, Yesterday's Tomorrow blood orange ale, Lost Galaxy IPA, Mosaic IPA, Pitch Black black ale, Lokal Resident Czech lager, and a ruby-colored rustic ale. You can enjoy beers from the tap or purchase selections to go in the form of cans or bottles. This establishment also features food items to enjoy with your ales, such as ground beef or black bean tacos, Cabot cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches, the Lost Nation Smash Burger, and a New York City-style hot dog.
You can sip on your beer and nosh your food indoors, or in the Biergarten, which opens in the spring. This is an excellent brewery to check out whether you're looking to drink something special from the tap or order something to go.
6. River Roost Brewery: Hartford
If you're spending time in the White River Junction area of Vermont, River Roost Brewing needs to be on your list of places to visit. This microbrewery was founded in 2016 and has an extensive selection of beers of all varieties. The brewery is open six days a week and features beers on tap and in cans, and allows customers to fill up outside growlers.
Some of the beer offerings you'll find at River Roost Brewery include the hoppy Mas Verde IPA, Mo'Rilla IPA, Happiness Hotel pale ale, Glimpse Double IPA, Gravel pilsner, Shattered Illusions of Love porter, and Wheatfield Soul lager. Customers rave about both the taste and affordable prices of these beers.
The taproom has an intimate vibe and there are four picnic tables where you can enjoy your beers in the Hartford sunshine or under the night sky. It's located in the heart of the downtown area, so there are plenty of sights and sounds to take in no matter what day of the week you decide to stop by.
7. Goodwater Brewery: Williston
Goodwater Brewery in Williston features a variety of brews, such as the Hoppy Side of Pale American Pale Ale, Inspired Irish red ale, OPA Oat Pale Ale, Tru Pils German pilsner, Hop Collusion IPA, and New Day IPA. The taproom is open Wednesday through Saturday, offering you plenty of opportunities to taste the rotating options the brewery provides.
Food is never in short supply, since Goodwater Brewery also features a kitchen serving up chili lime popcorn, chips and dip, and wings in a variety of flavors such as Buffalo, Cajun, Korean BBQ, parmesan garlic, mango habanero, maple BBQ, and Nashville hot. For something special to go along with your beer, order the fries with garlic and herb, loaded chili, and truffle and parmesan seasonings. You can sink your teeth into a fried chicken sandwich, classic smash burger, or falafel burger.
Goodwater is a community-oriented brewery with plenty to do throughout the week. The establishment offers trivia nights, participates in local beer festivals, and has a presence at golf tournaments in the area. You can enjoy your food and beer at the brewery or grab some packs to go.
8. Beer Naked Brewery: Marlboro
Beer Naked Brewery is in Marlboro at the top of Hogback Mountain. This small-town microbrewery boasts the claim of being the first brewery ever founded in the Mount Snow Valley Region of Vermont. Stop by to take in breathtaking scenic views while enjoying some of the finest food and beverages.
Some of the tasty offerings that you'll appreciate from Beer Naked Brewery include Summer Lovin' IPA, Ski Bunny American Pale Ale, a cream ale, Big Phat Funky Booty XX IPA Imperial IPA, Wit-Ness wild ale, Missing Mink saison, and Short & Stout oatmeal stout. The beers pack a punch, and customers appreciate the taste notes as much as they love the mountain views.
If you're in the mood for food, the brewery also specializes in wood-fired pizza with options such as the Potato Pie sweet potato pizza, Veggie Delight vegan pizza, The Cowboy, featuring Vermont maple BBQ sauce and bleu cheese, and the I'm a Fungi pizza for mushroom lovers.
You will also find no shortage of events at Beer Naked Brewery. Some that pack the calendar include musical performances, fall festivals, and mountaintop yoga. Experiencing this mixture of tasty beer, food, and culture with unspoiled nature views on a mountain truly makes a visit to Beer Naked Brewery a bucket list item for traveling beer lovers.
9. Outer Limits Brewing: Proctorsville
Outer Limits Brewing is located in a historic, two-story brick building in Proctorsville. It was founded in 2016 by a husband and wife that love beer. The family combined their knowledge and expertise in brewing, agriculture, and the restaurant business, added love, and birthed a brewery that has quickly become a favorite for craft beer lovers in the area.
The brewery operates on a 10 BBL brick kettle brewing system, of which only 200 have been installed around the world. Customers appreciate the time and effort, as Outer Limits has a tasty beer menu that features a variety of carefully crafted offerings, such as Immortal Beloved Vienna lager, I Can Smell the Colors cream ale, Atmosbeer dark mild, Just Give Me the Wheat wheat beer, High Frequency Hefeweizen, Proctorsville Porter, Big Boots English Style Double IPA, and Spaced Stout oatmeal stout.
You can also order Outer Limits beers to go. They're sold in 16-ounce four-packs, as well as 32- and 64-ounce growlers. The brewery rotates its to-go beer list, including selections like the Froot Boots English Style IPA and What's Next? Winter Warmer 11:19.
Food is plentiful at the brewery, which offers freshly baked sourdough pretzels with house-made beer cheese dipping sauce, and meat and cheese boards that feature cheeses native to Vermont. You can also dig into wood-fired pizza or wings with flavors like blackened Cajun, apricot glaze, buffalo, and maple sriracha. Food ingredients at Outer Limits Brewing are fresh and locally sourced whenever possible.
10. Alchemist Pub and Brewery: Waterbury
Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury opened its doors in 2003 as a 60-seat brewpub made by people who love beer, for people who love beer. It has since grown to a full-service microbrewery, and today, Alchemist beers are sold all over Vermont.
The business is 100% independent, family-owned, solar-powered, and provides retail sales and curbside pickups seven days a week. Alchemist's beer cafe serves brews fresh from the tap Thursday through Saturday. Some of the beers that you'll want to try include the Heady Topper American Double IPA, Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout, Beelzebub American Imperial Stout, Crusher American Double IPA, Rapture American IPA, Focal Banger American IPA, and Dark German lager.
Alchemist's mission statement centers around sustainability, inclusion, and community. It supports community initiatives, foundations, and art galleries, and regularly hosts events. Customers will soon be able to enjoy the company's inspired beers in a four-season awning space. Tours are offered every day for people wanting to learn the company's story and to further understand the beer cultivation process.
11. Switchback Brewing Co: Burlington
Switchback Brewing Company has a long-standing legacy built on an understanding of the finer points of beer. The company was founded in 2002 and has been a staple in Burlington and Vermont as a whole ever since. The very basis of the company's genesis was to create a beer that defies existing style guidelines. It was created by two business partners who stuck to this formula, and the proof is in the hops more than 20 years later.
Today, you can stop by Switchback Brewery to enjoy a combination of year-round staples and seasonal specialty beers. Some of the year-round beers you'll enjoy include the Switchback Ale, Zaboo Hazy IPA, and the Karsten Premium Lager. A few of the seasonal or specialty beers that customers appreciate include the Roasted Red Ale, El Dorado Cat Double IPA, Marzen Fest Bier, and the Switchback Slow Fermented Brown Ale. The taproom also offers exclusive experimental brews and limited releases that you can only get in person.
Switchback Brewing Company features a calendar full of events that you can add to your visit, including Music Fridays, cask nights, and homemade food events. The brewery also offers sip yoga and beer and cheese tastings.
12. Foam Brewers: Burlington
Foam Brewers is another Burlington microbrewery that was founded in 2016 by a group of entrepreneurs with different specialties. It's located perfectly on the beautiful Burlington waterfront, making it a prime location for people looking to enjoy stouts, IPAs, lagers, and all sorts of other beers while taking in the views.
Some of the draft beer offerings that you can try out at Foam Brewers includes Caribou Double IPA, Dead Wax IPA, Second Hand Coffins Oat Triple IPA, Faraway Skies pale ale, Plunge American Imperial Stout, and Say it Now rice lager. The brewery also offers a small menu of snack foods, like fresh baked bread, cheese, and meat charcuterie boards, wood-roasted onion dip, and a selection of mixed nuts.
You can also purchase beer by the can or the growler to take home with you. The brewery features several events, such as trivia and live music.