Brewfest took place July 20th and 21st in Burlington! I have been working on my Vermont Brewery Passport for over a year, and in preparation this year, I visited four breweries in one day. I'm still two short of having a full passport, but it. will. happen. (Grits teeth, life is such a trial). Below is my Long Trail sampler. My favorite Long Trail beer so far is the Pollinator, a seasonal beer, although I did try and enjoy the Double White, which is one of their specialty beers.
I also visited the Perfect Pear (Vermont Beer Co.), The Norwich Inn, and Harpoon Brewery in the same day. I loved Harpoon's bar and beer garden, they have a great fireplace inside. This is all a lead in to the grand event: Brewfest!
Brewers from all over Vermont, New England, and the Northeast, including a respectable contingent from Canada, converge on the scenic Lake Champlain waterfront so that I can sample as many beer varieties as humanly possible. Or to share brewing knowledge, delicious brews, and get great publicity. And my "humanly possible" amount of beer is a relatively small amount that some other participants found lacking.
It's one of the few places you can get Lawson's Liquids, a popular Vermont brewery, and Northshire Brewery pours. One non-Vermont brewery that I have enjoyed both years is Beau's All Natural Brewing Company. They have great beers and a good designer working for them- sometimes, it's all about the bumper sticker.
This past week has been filled with picture perfect summer activities. I went to a baseball game, visited the farmer's market, and did yoga on the waterfront. Right now, a summer storm is brewing, promising a break in the heat and the perfect end to the week. The cherry on top is that my sister is here visiting Vermont!
