Burlington and Stowe give us the original and the new kids of NEIPAs
It's already a gorgeous place to visit, but between these two cities, you'll get some of the best examples of OG and New School NEIPAs around.
First stop back in the states after Canada - Vermont! Home to our favorite dude, Bernie Sanders, the birthplace of NEIPAs, and incredible hiking all over the place. What's not to love?!? Between Burlington and Stowe, we bounced back and forth to check out as much as we could find, and it just happened that we parked right by the first delicious location.
Burlington comes out swingin'
We didn't really have a game plan for places to go in Burlington when we got there. We knew we were going to go to Stowe at some point, but we didn't know what there was in Burlington.
We went for a quick walk around Lake Champlain and on the way back stumbled across a sign directing us to Foam Brewers. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't think of where and then we walked in and I saw their cans...that's where I knew them! They have rad cans with cool die-cut shapes...the beer can design nerd in me recognized them pretty much instantly. Once we were able to snag a few small pours and actually taste their beer, now we'll be shouting out their name from the rooftops. As the first NEIPAs we were having IN New England, each one was phenomenal. The smoothness in the body, without being overly sweet or chalky, just covered your tongue. The hops ran the gamut from pineapple and papaya to peach and apricot, with just the right amount of orange and grapefruit to add some pith and bitterness. The biggest stand out though was Pandion, a collab with Horus Aged Ales. Passionfruit and grapefruit come through in the flavor from the Citra and Riwaka, while the smoothness in the body fades from your tongue with a dryness that keeps it refreshing and makes you go back for more. We grabbed a 4 pack and tried to make it last as far as we could, so sad that beer ran out.
Bring on the original...
Of course, after the delightful Foam experience, we had to venture to the place we knew we were going to go to all along, The Alchemist! The originator of the NEIPA, Heady Topper, came from these grounds, so you better believe we were going to get some fresh from the source. It's a gorgeous facility (although a lot of it was closed off due to Covid) but their outdoor setup was awesome. we were able to drink a freshie, but also get a Focal Banger and a one-off, Kiss of Dank, while we were there. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've always liked Focal Banger better than Heady, but just the novelty of having them fresh made it hard for me to choose. Plus, we had a place to park the van overnight just around the corner, so that was a pretty huge bonus! From Vermont, we're on to Maine and we could only imagine what's in store there!
Where should we stay?
Stowe, VT (right by The Alchemist)
There's a park literally around the corner from The Alchemist that is on a bike/running path along the river. Get in a little after dark, leave a little before it gets too bright and you'll be all set. Check the map here to find it! #craftbeer #burlington #stowe #vermont #thealchemist #foambrewers #neipa #hazyipa #ipa
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