PBBC's Autumn in Beermont

When your group is called the PubScout Beers and Bikers Club, and you visit Vermont in the Fall, you can bet the beautiful roads of the Green Mountain State will likely lead to some fine riding--and some fine breweries.

Certainly, five days are insufficient to cover visits to all of Vermont's burgeoning number of breweries and brewpubs. Back in 2010, Vermont already had the highest number of breweries per capita (21), and that was almost a decade ago. Lots more have been added since, and in 2014 there were already forty-one. Who knows how many there are now--or how many there will be tomorrow?

Of course, being on two wheels requires more restraint than might be needed with some of the services provided by the Trail Tour folks at this page, and we didn't get to visit any of the rising stars like The Alchemist and Hill Farmstead, but we took advantage of what good beer there was on our pre-planned route.

We also chose places for lunch and dinner stops that offered quality Vermont beer like that of Switchback and Fiddleheads. The owner of the Southside Steakhouse (above) in Rutland told me that Switchback is now the largest-selling craft brand in Vermont. After tasting the Switchback IPA from his tap, It wasn't hard to see why. And the Vermont Taphouse in Rutland, for example, offered twenty-eight beers on tap--including FOUR on nitro.

But there were others that slaked our thirsts and provided ample time for refreshment and relaxation.

Like Harpoon, where our ride leader, Paul, was enamored of the bourbon-barrel aged Oktoberfest, while the rest of us (except for Natalie) were enamored with Patti (R.). She poured my Leviathan, which was excellent.

Next day, our route took us to Foley's Brewing in Brandon, and what a delightful surprise that was. A comparatively small operation that produces some excellent beer (like Pieces of Eight IPA) in a rural, rustic setting which happens to be adjacent to a golf course. Try any recommended to you by Alyssa, and you won't go wrong. Oh, and be sure to make friends with Riley; she'll definitely make friends with you.

Otter Creek and Drop In were our next stops. I had an affinity for Otter Creek, because I had done a review of it in 2001 when it was privately owned and before it was bought by Wolaver's. Lawrence Miller owned it then, and he was an excellent subject for an interview.

But we were not there to talk on this day. The brewery now runs three lines: Otter Creek, Wolaver's Organic Ales and the Shed Brewing line. Big John and I found our Baltic Porters to be wonderful, and Paul, Lou and Steve had kind words for their selections as well. The scenery (below) is quite nice on a warm Fall afternoon on the outdoor patio, too.

A stop at Steve Parkes' Drop In allowed us to sample a few more, like his excellent ESB, and then we were off for Rutland down a darkened Route 7.

As mentioned earlier, some of the places we stopped to eat had excellent beer offerings, as well. One of the most interesting places was McGrath's Irish Pub near Killington. To call this place "quirky" is an understatement, what with huge boulders "growing" through the walls of the place. But it was a comfortable kind of quirky-- quaint, rustic, totally charming and with a friendly staff and a very good Shepherd's Pie. McGrath's had some fine beers available, including a classic Half and Half.

Another must-visit place in the PubScout's book is the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury. I had done a story about this in 2001 as well, calling it Bob Newhart's Pub. Used as the setting for Newhart's show when he ran the Straford Inn, it's a B&B that is topnotch in service, accommodations and food. Even better, there's a pub connected to it that I once described as being the quintessential pub. We had excellent food and beer there, including one of Drop In's Sunshine Hoppiness beers.

We did hit one lunch stop in Brattleboro which did not serve beer. The food at The Top of the Hill Grill, however, was excellent, an it went quite nicely indeed with a Vanilla Cream Soda.

Back in Rutland the next day, and facing the first precipitation of the trip, Steve, Lou and I decided to mosey on down to the Hop 'N' Moose for lunch. There, pretty Julienne served us some excellent beers with our wood-fired pizza, and we even got to chat with the Brewmistress, Colleen Landon. The story Colleen tells about how she landed her job should be titled, "From the Basement to the Brewhouse," and if she's there when you visit, she'll be happy to share it. The young lady (below) makes some damned nice beers.

We spent our last evening enjoying the succulent steaks--with the Switchback IPA-- at the Southside Steakhouse, and geared up for departure the next morning. The trip would see us cover 1100+ miles, several tons of food per person (including the unique "Frisbee Eggs" at the motel), multiple tankfuls of gas-- and untold ounces of beer. And the nice thing is that Vermont--or "Beermont" as the title says--isn't that far away.

To paraphrase Arnold Schwarzbier, "We'll be Bock!"

Even though some road signs may read: "Moose--next 4.5 Miles, "

Cheers!

The PubScout