Vermont breweries are on the rise

The craft beer industry is thriving in Vermont.

The number of Vermont craft breweries is increasing at a rapid pace with more than 60 breweries now operating in the state. The craft beer scene in Vermont has been growing steadily. Vermont has the second-highest number of microbreweries per capita. Vermont is a state that has a long-standing tradition of brewing beer.

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In this article, we will be looking at some of Vermont’s well-known breweries and what makes them special

There are many breweries in Vermont that make their own beer from barley malt liquors such as ale, porter, stout and more. One of these breweries is Otter Creek Brewery which was first found in 1979 by siblings Tim and Beth Heath who first brewed their beer on their family dairy farm on Otter Creek Road in Middlebury, Vermont. The brewery Tim started is continuing operation today, with his daughter Beth as the head brewer.

There are few things that Vermonters love as much as spending time outdoors, so it’s no surprise that so many breweries are located along Vermont’s scenic back roads where hikers and bikers alike can stop after a long day on the trails to enjoy fresh beers on-site or take growlers home for later enjoyment.

Vermont breweries and beer are known for quality

Vermont’s craft beers have an international reputation as the brewers pride themselves on their tradition of making delicious, high-quality brews.

Vermonters enjoy a wide variety of beer styles that are brewed locally. From the standards like IPAs, cream ales, oatmeal stouts to the more creative like blueberry wheat ale, and even coffee stout.

Vermont is known for its “drink local” campaign, which encourages all Vermonters to drink locally produced beverages like wine or beer. This campaign makes it easy for consumers to support Vermont businesses and Vermont jobs by buying their drinks at local establishments rather than at big-box stores or other retailers outside of Vermont.

Vermont is a well-known for its small locally produced food and beverage companies. It truly seems that a new brewery is opening every few months throughout the state. That presents visitors to the state an excellent opportunity to experience the culture of Vermont.

According to this article in VermontBiz, Vermont has the most breweries per capita of any state in the country

“Vermont Farm to Plate The State of Vermont, with the most breweries per capita of any state in the country, has a huge opportunity to increase its production of local hops. Currently 300,000 pounds of hops are being used by Vermont breweries each year, yet less then 20,000 pounds of hops were grown locally as of 2019. Vermont’s short and challenging growing season has historically stunted the growth of the state’s hops industry. Additionally, the high costs involved with growing hops on a commercial scale, and a statewide brewery business model that was built to rely on the importation of hops with unique characteristics and flavor profiles, have also been significant barriers to increasing the production and use of local hops.” VermontBiz

The first brewery in Vermont was established in Burlington by the Catamount Brewing Company back in 1984.

Though many more breweries and micro-breweries have since opened up all throughout the state, it remains one of the most popular destinations for craft beer enthusiasts.

Many Vermont breweries are located within 10 miles of Burlington on Route 7A

This makes it even easier to explore different types of craft beers on tap at different locations during a single day trip.

As of 2021, the top craft breweries in Vermont include:

Please note that since original publication in 2021, some of these breweries below may have changed, etc.

14th Star Brewing
133 N Main St Ste 7
Saint Albans, VT 05478-1735
Phone: (802) 528-5988
Type: Micro
www.14thstarbrewing.com

Alchemist Cannery
35 Crossroad
Waterbury, VT 05676-9003
Phone: (802) 244-7744
Type: Regional
www.alchemistbeer.com

Backacre Beermakers
124 Parker Ln
Weston, VT 05161-4002
Phone: (303) 550-6024
Type: Micro
www.backacrebeermakers.com

Beer Naked Brewery
7678 VT-RTE 9
Marlboro, VT 05344
Phone: (802) 464-7702
Type: Brewpub
www.beernakedbrewery.com

Brewster River Pub & Brewery
4087 Vt Route 108 S
Jeffersonville, VT 05464-9509
Phone: (802) 644-6366
Type: Brewpub
www.brewsterriverpubnbrewery.com

Brocklebank Craft Brewing
357 Dickerman Hill Rd
Chelsea, VT 05038-9098
Phone: (802) 685-4838
Type: Micro
www.brocklebankvt.com

Burlington Beer Company
25 Omega Dr Ste 150
Williston, VT 05495-7334
Phone: (802) 863-2337
Type: Micro
www.burlingtonbeercompany.com

Cousins Brewing
9 Route 17
Waitsfield, VT 05673-7309
Phone: (802) 496-5623
Type: Micro
www.localfolkvt.com

Fiddlehead Brewing
6305 Shelburne Rd
Shelburne, VT 05482-4437
Phone: (802) 399-2994
Type: Regional
www.fiddleheadbrewing.com

Foam Brewers
112 Lake St
Burlington, VT 05401-5284
Phone: (802) 399-2511
Type: Micro
www.foambrewers.com

Four Quarters Brewing Co
150 W Canal St
Winooski, VT 05404-2171
Phone: (802) 324-3327
Type: Micro
www.4qbc.com

Frost Beer Works
171 Commerce St
Hinesburg, VT 05461-4482
Phone: (949) 945-4064
Type: Micro
www.frostbeerworks.com

Good Measure Brewing Co
17 East St
Northfield, VT 05663-6719
Type: Micro
www.goodmeasurebrewing.com

GoodWater Brewery
740 Marshall Ave
Williston, VT 05495-8978
Phone: (802) 999-7396
Type: Micro
www.goodwaterbreweryvt.com

Halyard Brewing Company
80 Ethan Allen Dr Ste 2
South Burlington, VT 05403-5971
Phone: (904) 874-2734
Type: Micro
www.halyardbrewing.us

Harpoon Brewery – Vermont
336 Ruth Carney Dr
Windsor, VT 05089-9419
Phone: (802) 674-5491
Type: Regional
www.harpoonbrewery.com

Hermit Thrush Brewery, LLC
29 High St Ste 101C
Brattleboro, VT 05301-3041
Phone: (802) 257-2337
Type: Micro
www.hermitthrushbrewery.com

Hill Farmstead Brewery
403 Hill Rd
Greensboro Bend, VT 05842-8813
Phone: (802) 533-7450
Type: Micro
www.hillfarmstead.com

Hired Hand Brewing Co
35 Green St
Vergennes, VT 05491
Phone: (802) 870-7191
Type: Brewpub
www.hiredhandbrewing.com

Hogback Mountain Brewery
51 North St
Bristol, VT 05443-1026
Phone: (802) 349-2602
Type: Micro
hogbackbrew.com

House of Fermentology
777 Pine St
Burlington, VT 05401 | Map
Type: Micro
www.houseoffermentology.com

Idletyme Brewing Company
1859 Mountain Rd
Stowe, VT 05672-4890
Phone: (802) 253-4765
Type: Brewpub
www.idletymebrewing.com

Kingdom Brewing
1876 Vt Route 105
Newport, VT 05855-9915
Phone: (802) 334-7096
Type: Micro
www.kingdombrewingvt.com

Lawson’s Finest Liquids
155 Carroll Rd
Waitsfield, VT 05673
Phone: (802) 496-4677
Type: Micro
www.lawsonsfinest.com

Long Trail Brewing Co
5520 US Route 4 Jct. Route 4 & 100A
Bridgewater Corners, VT 05035
Phone: (802) 672-5011
Type: Regional
www.longtrail.com

Lost Nation Brewing
87 Old Creamery Rd
Morrisville, VT 05661-6152
Type: Brewpub
www.lostnationbrewing.com

Madison Brewing Co, Pub and Restaurant
428 Main St
Bennington, VT 05201-2109
Phone: (802) 442-7397
Type: Brewpub
www.madisonbrewingco.com

Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse
10 Beauregard Dr
Saint Albans City, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 582-4182
Type: Brewpub
www.millriverbrewing.com

Next Trick Brewing LLC
2370 US Route 5
West Burke, VT 05871
Phone: (802) 328-1364
Type: Brewpub
www.nexttrickbrewing.com

Northshire Brewery, Inc
108 County St
Bennington, VT 05201-1807
Phone: (802) 681-0201
Type: Micro
www.northshirebrewery.com

Otter Creek Brewing Co
793 Exchange St
Middlebury, VT 05753-1193
Phone: (802) 388-0727
Type: Regional
www.ottercreekbrewing.com

Prohibition Pig
23 S Main St Ste 1
Waterbury, VT 05676-1863
Phone: (802) 244-4120
Type: Brewpub
www.prohibitionpig.com

Queen City Brewery, LLC
703 Pine St
Burlington, VT 05401-4921
Phone: (802) 540-0280
Type: Micro
www.queencitybrewery.com

Red Barn Brewing
2170 Oneida Rd
Danville, VT 05828
Phone: (802) 684-2291
Type: Micro
www.redbarnbrewingvt.com

River Roost Brewery
230 S Main St
White River Junction, VT 05001-7204
Type: Micro
www.riverroostbrewery.com

Rock Art Brewery
632 Laporte Rd
Morrisville, VT 05661-8322
Phone: (802) 888-9400
Type: Micro
www.rockartbrewery.com

Stone Corral Brewery
83 Huntington Rd Unit 1
Richmond, VT 05477-9839
Phone: (802) 434-5787
Type: Brewpub
stonecorral.com

Switchback Brewing Co
160 Flynn Ave
Burlington, VT 05401-5400
Phone: (802) 651-4114
Type: Regional
www.switchbackvt.com

Ten Bends Beer
590 E Main St
Hyde Park, VT 05655-9267
Phone: (802) 521-7139
Type: Micro
www.tenbendsbeer.com

The Alchemist – Stowe
100 Cottage Club Rd
Stowe, VT 05672
Phone: (802) 882-8165
Type: Micro
Greater than 25% ownership by Alchemist Cannery, which is a craft brewer.

The Norwich Inn – Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse
325 Main St
Norwich, VT 05055-9453
Phone: (802) 649-1143
Type: Brewpub
www.norwichinn.com

Upper Pass Beer Co
Tunbridge, VT
Phone: (973) 222-8076
Type: Micro
www.upperpassbeer.com

Vermont Pub and Brewery
144 College St
Burlington, VT 05401-8416
Phone: (802) 865-0500
Type: Brewpub
www.vermontbrewery.com

Von Trapp Brewing
1333 Luce Hill Rd
Stowe, VT 05672
Phone: (802) 253-5750
Type: Micro
www.trappfamily.com

Whetstone Craft Beers @ Whetstone Station
36 Bridge St
Brattleboro, VT 05301-3301
Phone: (802) 490-2354
Type: Brewpub
www.whetstonestation.com

Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
716 Pine St
Burlington, VT 05401-4922
Phone: (802) 497-0054
Type: Brewpub
www.zerogravitybeer.com