Long Trail Brewing Co. The first batch of Long Trail Ale® rolled off the line in 1989. Back then the brewery—known as the Mountain Brewers—was a modest brew house tucked into the basement of the Old Woolen Mill in Bridgewater Corners, with the goal to brew an affordable, American-made alternative to the pricey German and English exports that filled the shelves. At the time, the craft brewing industry in America was on the rise and Vermont was better known for maple syrup than beer. In 1989, Long Trail Ale® hit the taps at local watering holes; blazing the trail for Vermont's craft brewing industry.
We single handedly reinvented the U.S. hard cider category in 1991 through our flagship Woodchuck Amber. In the 20 plus years that followed, we have pushed the boundaries of the cider category while our passion to innovate has mirrored our insistence on handcrafted quality. We are firmly rooted in Vermont and our cider is made in a cidery, not alongside mass market beer. We follow our own independent spirit when crafting our ciders. At a time when most were focused on the craft beer segment we passionately stayed our course to innovate and educate consumers on a traditional American beverage. In fact, cider is now the fastest growing segment in the US. Staying true to our roots, Woodchuck is Real Cider from a Real Place™.
Golden Rule Mead exists because of the human drive for creative expression. We want to make something we love, and we love making that which surprises and delights those around us. The Golden Rule necessitates that we constantly practice our trade with respect - for our home and all that lives on it. We will constantly seek to refine our practices to do our part in reducing and balancing out what damage has already been done, and to share that knowledge and vision with our peers. We hope that our work gives people another good reason to come together, to respect and inspire each other and themselves.
We brew our mead at the Artesano Meadery in Groton, Vermont. Each of our meads starts with 100% Vermont-origin raw honey, and we do everything we can to source fruits, herbs, spices, and vegetables from farms around the state.
Brandon,VT Breweries
Fiddlehead Brewing Company is a brewer owned business. Crafting approachable, multidimensional beers, while growing responsibly with a focus on the arts and positively impacting those in our communities – one pint at a time. Fiddlehead Brewing Company is located just outside of Burlington, VT in the scenic town of Shelburne. Our owner and Brewmaster Matt “Matty O” Cohen opened the doors on New Year’s Eve of 2011 and since then we have gained worldwide acclaim with our lineup of approachable, multidimensional beers. When we first opened in 2011, we did so with a completely manual 15 barrel system and just 30 barrels of capacity. Within the first month Fiddlehead IPA, the flagship ale, was on tap with at over 50 bars and restaurants in Vermont. With the immediate success, we quickly outgrew the 3,000 sq foot space that was split between retail and production. After the last fermenter was added in 2015, we knew we needed a bigger boat.
The Switchback Brewing Company was founded in 2002 with one goal in mind – to brew unexpected, relatable, great tasting beer. Business partners Bill Cherry and Jeff Neiblum combined Bill’s expertise in brewing and science with Jeff’s experience as a business entrepreneur. The very first pint of Switchback ever served was at Ake’s Place in Burlington, VT on October 22, 2002. The idea that became Switchback Ale was developed in Bill’s imagination, with no test brewing. He envisioned maximizing complexity, flavor, and delivering beer the way a brewmaster experiences it. To do this, the beer is left unfiltered and is carbonated 100% naturally in a special process using the yeast. The result is a beer that defies easy description, because it is brewed to a flavor idea and not based on any existing style guidelines. All Switchback beers are brewed this way.
Today, the Switchback lineup has grown to include over 20 beers as year-round offerings, rotating specials and limited releases and we haven’t stopped reimagining flavor.
The Alchemist is a family run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPA. John and Jen Kimmich originally opened The Alchemist as a 60 seat brew pub in the village of Waterbury in 2003. After eight years of success and growing popularity, they decided to open a small production brewery. Today The Alchemist currently operates two breweries in Vermont and distributes Heady Topper and Focal Banger throughout the state. In early 2011 we built the Alchemist Cannery, a 15 barrel brewery and canning line, for the production of our flagship IPA Heady Topper. The first cans of Heady Topper rolled off the line just two days after Tropical Storm Irene demolished The Alchemist Pub and Brewery. Today, we move all of our beer weekly in a concerted effort to provide the freshest, hoppiest packaged IPA on the market. Heady Topper is brewed only in Waterbury, Vermont and is distributed throughout the state. Our Waterbury brewery is not open to the public. However, we distribute a portion of Heady Topper to our Stowe brewery and Visitor’s Center for retail sales and tasting. Opened in July 2016, this state of the art facility was designed to be as low impact as possible while providing us with enough space to serve our community and the growing number of beer tourists to Vermont. Our second year round beer, Focal Banger, is brewed in Stowe as well as seasonal beers that rotate throughout the year. The Alchemist Brewery and Visitor’s Center in Stowe provides samples of beer for tasting, retail beer sales, merchandise and a fun, educational experience.
Brent Hill Brewery - A great place to stop by if you are going to Jay Peak.
Our brewery is located on our 16 acre farm in the Braintree mountain range of central Vermont. We aim to produce an array of unique and artistic beers using as many ingredients as we can from our own land. We are currently growing some of our own hops, as well as blackberries, blueberries, currants, and cherries. We look forward to sharing our story with you over one of our refreshing brews