It’s too common for me to walk into some small town and have no expectations as I’ve seen plenty of them with no character. Just packed full of chains and bars serving your typical macro pours, while no one really seems to mind. Some folks may accept this, but not quite the case for me as I’ll still take the time to do a little reading before traveling, just in case there’s something special out there. Burlington isn’t just some small town and the city’s dining and beer culture was quite a surprise, with a big emphasis on the farm to table style and diners who love supporting the local guys.
Wandering the town in search of dinner led my cohorts and I to the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. At the time, this gastropub had only been open less than two weeks, but the crowds sure made it look like it’s already part of the neighborhood.
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
160 Bank St.
Burlington, VT
http://farmhousetg.com/
Unfortunately I also forgot my camera, so I’m limited to a few photos from my cell phone. Regardless, it’s a worthy destination for beer fans, and it happens to have some pretty good food too. The charcuterie and cheeses are made in-house, the ingredients are locally sourced, and the intelligently chosen beer menu has tremendous depth. I definitely found myself grinning ear to ear upon seeing what this place had to offer.
I put more emphasis on beer sampling as the dining service was still in it’s infancy, plus spotting one particular beer made me feel like I’d struck gold. The bar has 23 taps, which rotate extremely frequently considering at least a quarter of them were crossed out on the chalkboard during my visit. They also have a bottled beer menu in a small leaflet that includes local brews, rare varieties, and drafts from across the world.
Here’s a shot of the first round from my side of the table. Over to the left was Stone Cali-Belgique, a Belgian-style IPA. This beer had a lot going on, and kept it all balanced. The Belgian yeast is apparent without being dominant, while there is an underlying hop flavor that is mellowed by some tartness of apples, and the caramelly mouthfeel is neutralized by spice. To the right was the Big Hapi IBA from the elusive Lawson’s Finest Liquids. The very small number of ratings are enough evidence to show why elusive is the most appropriate description for Mr. Lawson’s innovative creations. How’s this for a curveball: IBA stands for Indian Black Ale. In other words, this is an IPA that blends hops and roasted flavor to knock you over, and then kicks you with a little bit of zest while you’re down. Honestly, this beer is very difficult to classify since it is so unique. The closest beer that comes to mind was Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous, except the flavor was much stronger all around with a creamier, smoother mouthfeel. I heard Mr. Lawson actually showed up the day after I was there. Would have loved to meet him but I had already made some other plans.
I had to put in an order for a second round while my group was still working on their first, just to be sure I didn’t leave them waiting for too long. Here came a finely poured pint of Victory Donnybrook Stout. I have never been to Dublin, but something leads me to believe that this is how “real” Guiness would be. The two beers are pretty much the same, except this one is much more drinkable, smoother, and the 3.7% ABV makes this quite a session beer. I’d love a chance to try the Donnybrook side by side against Guiness.
Next up was a little trip to Waterbury, because I lost of count of how many BA’s insisted that The Alchemist is a must-stop for a beer fan in the area.
The Alchemist Pub and Brewery
23 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05677
http://www.alchemistbeer.com/
Despite a small selection, choosing how to start was difficult because every beer sounded like it was crafted with impeccable care. I really wanted to capitalize such an experience and as much as I hate to use a catchphrase, in true kevinEats fashion, I ordered a sample of every beer on the lineup.
The bartender obliged, pouring me sets of three tasters going downwards, starting from the first column on the menu. And for maximum enjoyment, I’d pace myself accordingly. From left to right, we have the Light Weight, a crisp, 4.33% ABV German pilsner and Shut the Hell Up! a sessionable American Pale Ale with huge flavor. All the way to the right was one of my favorites, the Menage a Trois. This beer is quite innovative as it combines elements of trippel, Belgian strong, and saison, without having any of them overwhelm the others.
The achievements of this brewpub are a major part of the draw. Light Weight won Bronze in World Beer Cup 2006. During the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, the Celia Framboise and Celia IPA respectively took home Gold and Bronze medals. The Celia Saison was awarded a Gold medal in World Beer Cup 2010.
The Holy Cow IPA speaks for itself as I had a hard time believing this was not a double/imperial IPA due to the tremendous hop profile. For whomever is wondering, I believe the stats are 85 IBU with 5.1% ABV, and it is astonishing how much flavor was pulled out of a beer with such a low alcohol content. Brecky is an Breakfast-style oatmeal stout, and Honky, a light and slightly spicy witbier.
Of course I’m going to eat while all this is going down, so got things started with a bread and cheese plate. The bread comes fresh daily from the nearby Red Hen bakery, and I don’t recall the source for the cheese, but I’m confident it’s local considering the area.
Capped things off with two red ales: the Donovan’s Red, and I had to skip over to the Hellbrook because unfortunately, they had run out of both the Pappy’s Porter and the Celia Saison. Both have strong malt flavors, while the Hellbrook followed up with a hop bite, finishing with bitterness flowing down the throat.
Finished things off with a very generous mound of steamed PEI mussels. The bartender also mentioned the broth’s preparation changes daily. The dinner rush was starting up by this point and I didn’t get a chance to ask about more specific details.
I felt like one of the locals while having a pint at the Farmhouse and the Alchemist. Both pay tremendous attention to detail to the selections while focusing on supporting local growers and producers, with menus that look to satisfy a variety of tastes. Definitely seek these out if you are in the area. And many thanks to the folks at Beeradvocate and Chowhound for the recommendations.
I didn’t even know that I had a catchphrase!
Haha, I was wondering if anyone would catch that. Thanks for the comment and keep up the great work on your blog. Found it very useful whenever I’m in LA.