Vermont

Vermont is a beautiful state full of great beers and great views

Vermont Tips:

  • Don’t miss Hill Farmstead Brewery: This spot is about an hour from the Waterbury & Stowe areas but absolutely worth the detour. They make some of the top beers in the country in a relaxed, simple atmosphere. Located in Greensboro Bend, VT.

  • Waterbury > Stowe. Stowe gets the hype but Waterbury is much cuter, walkable, and quaint.

  • On a New England road trip? Check out my New Hampshire recommendations here!

Waterbury Recommendations

  • Freak Folk Bier: A top-tier brewery located in Waterbury. It is a cute little space with a front patio and superb beers.

  • Blackback Pub: A restaurant with a great tap list in Waterbury. The nachos sound crazy with maple syrup on them but they absolutely slap.

  • Vermont Beer Collective: A beer bar and bottle shop in Waterbury with a great tap list. They have 8 beers on draft and 3 on Lukr. The folks here are nice and their selection is legit.

  • Prohibition Pig: ProPig is a restaurant in the front and a brewery in the back. They have a barbecue focused food menu and solid beers. They are also known for their margaritas.

  • Ben and Jerry’s: The factory location is home to the Flavor Graveyard, factory tours, and more. Expect a line for the ice cream itself.

  • Cold Hollow Cider Mill: A popular attraction with cider, donuts, and a slew of other things in their market. The also have breakfast, lunch, hard cider, and a few local beers in their restaurant space across from the market.

  • Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea: A coffee roastery that has a café along with tours and classes.

Stowe Pinnacle

Stowe recommendations

  • The Alchemist: This brewery created Heady Topper, a famed IPA which they have on hand pull at the taproom. They have a neat space and a large outdoor area in Stowe. There is a rotating seasonal food truck onsite.

  • Woodland Baking and Coffee: A nice little spot for breakfast and coffee with baked goods as well.

  • Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road: This road is 4.5 miles long and takes you to the near top of Mount Mansfield at 4,395ft of elevation. It is open from 9:30-4:30 daily. It’s pretty pricey at $35 per car and driver, $13 per additional passenger. Once at the top hike to The Chin—

    • The Nose to The Chin via Long Trail: This trail is 3.5 miles long with 1,053ft of elevation gain. It takes just over 1.5 hours to complete and brings you to the highest point in Vermont. The views are great throughout the entire trail from the Nose to the Upper Lip to the Chin. Though this trail is rated moderate it is not difficult and very nice. The bugs can be pretty awful in the summer months. To climb The Chin from the base instead of from the toll road you can follow this steeper trail.

  • Doc Pond’s: A solid restaurant with a fun vibe and g0od beer list.

  • von Trapp Brewing: A Lager focused brewery with a full food menu and restaurant style vibes. They have decent views and are connected to the von Trapp Lodge.

  • Lawson’s Finest Liquids: An OG New England brewery located in Waitsfield. They have a small food menu and their taproom connects to the Heart of the Valley Trail.

  • Stowe Pinnacle Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 1,561ft of elevation gain that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. It is located in CC Putnam State Forest right outside of Stowe. I would recommend going early to avoid crowds, but in general it was very quiet. The trail is rated hard and is steep at points but is quite nice overall with beautiful sweeping views at the summit.

Foam Brewers

Burlington Recommendations

It’s just about a half an hour from the Stowe/Waterbury area to Burlington! This is a cool, artsy city on the water.

  • Foam Brewers: A great spot with great beers. They have a nice patio space where you can juuuust see Lake Champlain across from Waterfront Park. The tap list is IPA heavy, but their mixed culture spot House of Fermentology occasionally has beers available as well. They also have a small food menu.

  • Burlington Beer Company: A good brewery with a food menu, massive tap list, and nice space. The tap list is IPA-heavy and their flights are preset.

  • Waterfront Park: A gorgeous park on Lake Champlain with the mountains in the background. It is a great spot to watch the sunset.

  • Zero Gravity Brewery: A lovely space with delicious food, but the beer is pretty average.

  • Four Quarters Brewing: A solid brewery located in the Winooski neighborhood. They have a food menu, cocktails and wine along with their beers. Heads up you’ll need to pay to park here.

  • Don’t stay at the Hampton Inn Colchester: I had a pretty terrible experience here and would never recommend it.