Take an Epic, Beer-Fueled Road Trip Around Vermont

Craft breweries are everywhere, but few places can compete with the top-notch choice in and around Burlington. We sent two beer-obsessives on a road trip to bring home the best ones, with plenty of snacks along the way.
Image may contain Shelf Food Meal Indoors and Room
Winnie Au

It's Road Trip Week at Bon Appétit! Which means every day, we'll be sharing stories about food on the long and lonely highway. Or not so lonely if you grew up traveling across the country in a minivan packed with six of your closest brothers, sisters, friends, and Poochie the carsick beagle. So buckle up, and don't make us turn this car around.

It’s hard to drink bad beer in Vermont. The number of small breweries doing incredible things with hops, malt, yeast, and water is staggering. And they’re producing more than just brash Heady Topper–style IPAs. More than 30 such spots have opened in the past decade, hidden in rural towns around the biggest city, Burlington, amid the Green Mountains’ stunning scenic overlooks. The catch is that most of these places don’t distribute nationwide; you have to go there to get their beers. That’s why we spent three days looping around the region, trading driving duties as we filled our car with a world-class take-home haul. Follow our lead, and check off these seven points on the brew trail.

1. Build a Vermont Six-Pack

Collect ’em all from the state’s top producers.

Taps at Burlington Beer Co.

Winnie Au

Burlington Beer Co., Williston
You wouldn’t expect to find such beautifully branded cans coming from a warehouse in an industrial park. Try the slightly odd varieties—including the rye IPA and dry-hopped table beer—then get some late-night picks for places nearby from the in-the-know staff.
Grab: Barista Coffee Porter

Fiddlehead Brewing Co., Shelburne
The perfect first stop for a beer road trip: Pours are small and free; growler fills are cheap; the brewery frequently releases new cans of its approachably hoppy ales; and the chatty folks behind the bar are exactly the crew you want to welcome you.
Grab: Second Fiddle Double IPA

Pizza with local maple syrup at Foley Brothers

Winnie Au

Foley Brothers Brewing, Brandon
Down a gravel road—don’t miss it—there’s an old cow farm pumping out Vermont-style bitter IPAs. Crush a few in the hay barn (a.k.a. tasting room) and snag a wood-fired goat cheese pizza cooked in the oven that’s out back.
Grab: Fair Maiden Imperial/Double IPA

Flight of beers at Lost Nation Brewing

Winnie Au

Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville
The focus here is on low-alcohol session brews, so you won’t feel overly blitzed after enjoying a whole pint of their sour German-style drafts. Preferably in the outdoor Biergarten, sharing a ridiculously juicy cheeseburger made on the grill.
Grab: Lost Nation Gose

Work up a thirst with the peanuts, then slake it with the beer

Winnie Au

Prohibition Pig, Waterbury
These guys offer one of the best guest-tap lists of any brewery in the country, and their cocktails and BBQ are pretty amazing too. But what you’ve really come for are their lightly colored ales and the Cajun-spiced boiled peanuts, perhaps the greatest bar snack in all the land.
Grab: Mosaic Blonde Ale

Filling up growlers at Farmstead Brewery

Winnie Au

Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro
The mecca of this trip—and all American craft beer—is down a winding dirt road, on a secluded property that was once a farm. Here, Shaun Hill and Co. have brewed every style beautifully. Carry out as many bottles as you can hold.
Grab: Arthur Saison


Winnie Au
2. Try New England’s Best…Tacos

The Mexican food at Mad Taco in Montpelier is impressively authentic, except for the kimchi available as a side. Order a family platter of al pastor and carnitas tacos, plus one of every side dish. It’s a heavy meal, but it will help soak up all the beer you’ve been drinking.


Zero Gravity’s Côte de Champlain Belgian Strong Ale.

Winnie Au
3. Spend an Afternoon in Burlington’s South End

The must-dos in this neighborhood are within walking distance, so enjoying a solid buzz—and the views of Lake Champlain—will relax you after all that driving.

1 p.m. Hit Zero Gravity Craft Brewery for a Belgian-style beer at a table outside.

2 p.m. Onward to Queen City Craft Brewery for its classic English-style ales.

3 p.m. Next up: Switchback Brewing Co. Try the namesake one, a local favorite.

4 p.m. You need a break from all the beer. Good thing Citizen Cider is up the road.


4. Track Down Some Non-Beer Souvenirs

One of the coolest things about our Burlington headquarters and lodging, besides the world-class hotel bar and beautifully designed rustic Scandinavian interiors, is the fact that Hotel Vermont partners with so many local artists and artisans. Here are a few brands to look for that allow you to bring a bit of the area back home:

Cheese
Twig Farm breeds and raises its own goats to produce grassy aged wheels using traditional farmhouse techniques.

Sausage
Vermont Salumi makes Tuscan-inspired fennel salami, red-wine-and-garlic links, and dried chorizo that pairs well with beer and cheese.

Textiles
Johnson Woolen Mills is the proper choice for buffalo-plaid hunting jackets and durable wool picnic blankets.

Ceramics
Jeremy Ayers Pottery throws nicely balanced mugs and boldly striped bowls and cake platters.


5. How to Drink and not Drive

The seven commandments of a safe behind-the-wheel beer pilgrimage:

1. Always pick a designated driver.
2. Rotate driving responsibilities.
3. Order flights of small pours.
4. Hydrate between stops.
5. Use Uber in cities (e.g., Burlington).
6. Start the day with a big meal.
7. Nap as necessary.


Shop for local brews on the shelves of Willey's

Winnie Au
6. Visit The Best Hardware Store Ever

At Willey’s True Value Hardware in Greensboro, walk past the hammers to the hidden back market. It’s one of few places you can buy Hill Farmstead’s bottles off the shelf, and the store also carries a range of award-winning Jasper Hill Farm cheeses. Go for the rich, dense Bayley Hazen Blue if it’s available.


Sample a scallop crudo at Misery Love Co. before getting out of dodge.

Winnie Au
7. A Meal for the Road

Finish off your trip with one of the best suppers in the state at Misery Loves Co. in Winooski. Chef-owners Aaron Josinsky and Nathaniel Wade serve sophisticated takes on regional game and produce—like a silky scallop crudo with buttermilk—alongside cocktails often made with locally distilled spirits. After, head to the Monkey House, a dive across the street, for one final farewell brew.

How to set up the perfect home bar: