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 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.

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.

The Best US Cities for Beer Vacations:

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond has a ton of breweries and some that are truly fantastic. Scott’s Addition itself is jam packed with breweries but the rest of RVA has some great beers to offer as well. Highlights here include Triple Crossing, The Veil, The Answer and Tabol for breweries and Mekong for a great beer bar. Check out my Richmond beer and travel guide here.

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville has long been deemed one of the best beer cities in the country, so it is no surprise that I would agree. This picturesque city is home to some huge breweries like Sierra Nevada, Highland, and New Belgium, but also more localized spots like Burial, Dssolvr, Zillicoah, and New Origin. Don’t miss The Whale for a great beer bar! Check out my Asheville beer and travel guide here.

Denver, Colorado

Of course Denver is on the list. With superb breweries like Cerebral, Bierstadt, Our Mutual Friend, and TRVE it’s hard to beat the brew scene here. Pair that with everything else the city has to offer and the surrounding scenery and you’re absolutely in for a good time. Check out my Colorado beer and travel guide here.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

As a Michigander this addition should be no surprise, but it’s not just me and my home state biases—Grand Rapids is constantly in the running for any “beer city” competition. Don’t miss Speciation Artisan Ales, Arvon, and City Built for breweries and for Seven Monks for a beer bar. The city is exploding with breweries to explore. Check out my Grand Rapids beer and travel guide here.

New York City, New York

I’m sure most “normal people” wouldn’t think of New York as a hub for craft beer, but the city that never sleeps is indeed a great spot for craft beer lovers. The beer bar scene here tends to shine brightest with spots like Torst, Beer Street, and Proletariat, while breweries such as Other Half, Fifth Hammer, and Evil Twin absolutely crush it. Check out my NYC beer and travel guide here.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has a wide array of breweries throughout their many neighborhoods and suburbs. Heavy hitters include Maplewood, More, Mikerphone and Revolution, plus don’t miss Phase Three in the northern suburb of Lake Zurich. Check out my Chicago beer and travel guide here.

The Twin Cities, Minnesota

The Twin Cities are exploding with breweries! Highlights include BlackStack, Barrel Theory, Fair State, Modist, and Falling Knife. The beer scene here tends to be somewhat IPA heavy, but the beers are superb and there are plenty of spots to explore. Check out my Minneapolis and St. Paul beer and travel guide here.

Portland, Maine

We all know New England is chock full of great breweries and particularly Hazy IPAs, but Portland’s beer scene is unmatched. With OG spots like Allagash, Maine Beer Company, and Oxbow alongside newer (and hazier) breweries like Mast Landing, Belleflower, and Bissell Brothers, you can find an absolutely superb beer of any style. Don’t miss the killer beer bar Novare Res Bier Cafe as well! Check out my Portland beer and travel guide here.

Los Angeles, California

LA might not seem like a great beer city at first glance but this sprawling metro is home to some of the country’s best breweries. LA’s southern neighbor San Diego gets all of the praise for craft beer, but LA’s scene is far superior. Monkish, Bottle Logic, Green Cheek, Homage, and Highland Park all call LA home, along with a ton of other great spots. Windsor Home Brew is a fantastic beer bar and bottle shop that is not to be missed either. Check out my LA beer and travel guide here.

Portland, Oregon

Portland’s beer scene has been exploding for decades. The city is overflowing with breweries and it seems a new one opens almost weekly at this point. There are some solid spots in PDX, and topping the list are Great Notion, Cascade, Ruse, and Wayfinder. Check out my Portland beer and travel guide here.

Charlotte, NC

I wouldn’t live in Charlotte if I didn’t think the beer scene here was superb! There are a ton of breweries in the city, but Resident Culture, Burial, HopFly, and Fonta Flora top the list. CLT is also home to some fantastic beer bars—Salud and Pop The Top should not be missed. Check out my Charlotte guide here.

Tampa, Florida

Tampa absolutely crushes the dark beer game. There are a lot of breweries that make great other styles of beer, but if your a Stout person Tampa is for you! Brewery highlights include Angry Chair, BarrieHaus, Woven Water, and Magnanimous. Check out my Tampa beer and travel guide here. Neighboring St. Pete is also full of great spots!

Notable Mentions:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—Check out my Philly beer and travel guide here! I am excited to be back in May 2024!

Burlington, Vermont—This is the one beer city that I believe will be stupendous that I have not yet visited, but I do think it is probably one of the best cities for a beer vacation. My plans to visit have been foiled numerous times now, but I will finally be there in June 2024!

The Best Cities Abroad for Beer Vacations:

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a gorgeous city with a booming beer scene, especially for Oceania. Stomping Ground, Fixation, Mood Dog, and Mountain Goat are the best of the best here, but there are a ton of spots to visit. Check out my Melbourne beer and travel guide here.

Munich, Germany

Is it possible to think of “beer cities” and not think of Germany? Munich is home to some classic gems like Augustiner Keller, Lowenbrau, Hofbrauhaus, and Paulaner. Pair a cold mug from any of their breweries with a pretzel or sausage and it’s impossible to have a bad time. Check out my Munich beer and travel guide here.

Brussels, Belgium

Another classic beer city! Personally I think the not-so-classic Belgian beers here outperform the dubbels and tripels. Cantillon is obviously the top choice here, but Moeder Lambic and Delirium should not be missed either! Check out my Belgium beer and travel guide here.

Wellington, New Zealand

My beer expectations for New Zealand were low, but the country as a whole is making some killer beers. Wellington in particular has a stand out beer scene. It is home to Garage Project, the country’s best brewery hands down, but Parrotdog is also a must-visit. Check out my North Island beer and travel guide here.