Heady Topper, Second Fiddle, and Lost Galaxy Walk into a Bar…

IMG_1761My how time flies. A fluff piece I started back in sunnier times as a way to have a little fun with some two-week-old, hopped-up beers finally comes to roost in the dreary, wet weeks of fall.  The dust’s been blow off, the final keyboard keys have been pecked, and this experiment in blind public opinion is done.

So, just what will the general public think of some of Vermont’s finest when they don’t know they’re drinking it? Read on to find out.

Continue reading “Heady Topper, Second Fiddle, and Lost Galaxy Walk into a Bar…”

Vermont Beer Travelogue – The Highlights

main-blog - vermont
Image from Curran Photography

As we all know, Vermont is a series of mountain ranges, rivers, and fields all held together by maple syrup and its primary export is nothing, because locals first and locals only seems to be the name of their game. The same can be said for the beer. This means you’ll either need to smash its borders and steal it away like a wallet emptying thief ($75 a case!) or find a brave soul willing to ship it out, knowing they will be shunned from the community should their traitorous ways be discovered.

Vermont Triple PlayWhile it might not be quite that Orwellian, there is a sense of local pride and farm-to-table that pervades their restaurants, breweries and primary past time, lawn maintenance. But when your state produces some of the most coveted (or overrated if you’re of that mindset) beers desired the world over, it’s a trip worth making.

That’s why I decided to take the drive up from PA, stick around for 3 days, and taste/buy as much as my liver and bank account would allow.  I’m no Vermont expert and 3 full days in Vermont isn’t anywhere near enough to really experience everything the maple drenched state has to offer, but I did get a good idea of how to pull off a pretty great beer run.

For those that want the full breakdown of my three days in beer-adise, including the best beer route into/out of Vermont, where we stayed along with what to hit before and after your inevitable Hill Farmstead pilgrimage, and a plan of action for coming back with cases of Heady, Sip and Second Fiddle, click the links below. For those just looking for the highlights, read on.

Continue reading “Vermont Beer Travelogue – The Highlights”

Vermont Beers for You – Now with 100% More for You-ness!

Vermont Triple PlayThe smoke has cleared, existing deals have been figured out and I now have a final count. It’s time to set my stockpile of yellow, silver and green cans to work as a commodity and trade them wantonly.

3 bundles are available consisting of 1 Heady Topper, 1 Sip of Sunshine, and 1 Second Fiddle with a potential for a 4th bundle from my personal supply should this prove popular and I get the right offer. If you are interested in a single can trade, I might be able to do that as well, so feel free to inquire.

So what do you need to do? Essentially, I’m interested in four things:

  1. 1:1 trade ratio (I give you 3 different beers, you give me 3 different beers)
  2. I’ve never had any of the three beers before (check my Untapp’d – drewsbrewsreviews)
  3. You think the beers you’re trading are good.
  4. If it’s an IPA, it’s fresh (the Vermont beers are a week old)

That’s pretty much it. You can either get in contact with me via Facebook or contact me directly via email: drewsbrewsreviews@gmail.com. Include the 3 beers you are offering and a picture of a puppy (just for heart warms). If I get more than a couple offers, I’ll choose randomly to make it as fair as possible. I’ll probably cut this off around June 23rd and get in contact with the traders to set up the details. Yeah, beer!