The U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 is home to several breweries

Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 that produce a wide variety of beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

.

History

The history of beer

History of beer

Beer is one of the world's oldest beverages, with the history of beer dating back to 6000 BC, and being recorded in the written history of Ancient Iraq. The earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer...

 in Vermont is similar to its history in the rest of the United States - no local breweries existed from Prohibition

Prohibition in the United States

Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...

 until the microbrewery explosion of the 1980s and 1990s. Since then a number of strong breweries have developed despite Vermont's small population.

Beer styles

Greg Noonan

Greg Noonan

Greg Noonan was an American brewing expert who authored several published books on brewing. Noonan was the owner and brewmaster of Vermont Pub and Brewery since 1988...

 is cited with creating the Black IPA (AKA Cascadian Dark Ale or India Black Ale) with his beer Blackwatch at The Vermont Pub & Brewery in the 1990s. Breweries in Vermont produce mostly traditional ale

Ale

Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...

s and lager

Lager

Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...

s, along with American interpretations of those older styles.

Beers

One of the most widely known beer from Vermont is #9 from Magic Hat Brewing Company

Magic Hat Brewing Company

Magic Hat Brewing Company is a microbrewery located in South Burlington, Vermont. It began production in 1994 in Burlington, Vermont, and moved to its current location in 1997. In 2010 it was acquired by North American Breweries of Rochester, NY. It currently brews 4 year-round beers and 4...

. It is an apricot

Apricot

The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...

-flavored fruit beer based on a traditional pale ale

Pale ale

Pale ale is a beer which uses a warm fermentation and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.The higher proportion of pale malts results in a lighter colour. The term "pale ale" was being applied around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with coke, which resulted in a...

. Heady Topper from The Alchemist is only sold in Vermont as of November, 2011 but is one of the highest rated beers on both BeerAdvocateand RateBeer.

National breweries

As of November 2011, no national or international brewing company, such as Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...

, Molson Coors

Molson Coors Brewing Company

Molson Coors Brewing Company is a company that was created by the merger of two of North America's largest breweries: Molson of Canada, and Coors of the United States, on February 9, 2005...

, or SABMiller

SABMiller

SABMiller plc is a global brewing and bottling company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second-largest brewing company measured by revenues and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands include Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell...

, operated breweries in Vermont.

Craft breweries

As of November 2011, there were 21 breweries operating in Vermont that could be described as craft breweries. Several produced too much beer to qualify as true microbreweries.

• The Alchemist - Waterbury, Vermont
  Waterbury, Vermont
  Waterbury is a town in Washington County in central Vermont, in the United States. It is also the name of a village within that town. The population was 4,915 at the 2000 census.-Economy:-Industry:...
  
  
• Fiddlehead Brewing - Shelburne, Vermont
  Shelburne, Vermont
  Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
  
  
• Harpoon Brewery - Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, largest plant in Windsor, Vermont
  Windsor, Vermont
  Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...
  
  
• Hill Farmstead Brewery - Greensboro Bend, Vermont
• Lawson's Finest Liquids - Warren, Vermont
  Warren, Vermont
  Warren is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,681 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Vermont is located in Warren. It is set between the two ranges of the Green Mountains, with approximately 25% of the town under Green Mountain National Forest...
  
  
• Long Trail Brewing Company - Bridgewater, Vermont
  Bridgewater, Vermont
  Bridgewater is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 980 at the 2000 census. Bridgewater contains the hamlets of Bridgewater Village, Bridgewater Corners, West Bridgewater, and Bridgewater Center...
  
  
• Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, Vermont
  South Burlington, Vermont
  -Economy:CommutAir, a regional airline, is headquartered in the city, by the airport. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the United States's larger craft breweries, is located here.One measure of economic activity is retail sales...
  
   - Owned by North American Breweries - Rochester, New York
  Rochester, New York
  Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
  
  
• Otter Creek Brewing - Middlebury, Vermont (also produces Wolaver's Certified Organic Ales brand and The Shed brand) - Bridgewater, Vermont
  Bridgewater, Vermont
  Bridgewater is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 980 at the 2000 census. Bridgewater contains the hamlets of Bridgewater Village, Bridgewater Corners, West Bridgewater, and Bridgewater Center...
  
  
• Rock Art Brewery - Morrisville, Vermont
  Morrisville, Vermont
  Morrisville is a village in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,009. Morrisville has 2 country clubs, a hospital, a school featuring Greek architecture and an airport. The hospital and one of the country clubs are named after...
  
  
• Switchback Brewery - Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
  
  
• Brewery at Trapp Family Lodge - Stowe, Vermont
  Stowe, Vermont
  Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
  
  
• Trout River Brewing - Lyndonville, Vermont
  Lyndonville, Vermont
  Lyndonville is a village in the town of Lyndon, in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Lyndonville's population was 1,227 at the 2000 census.-History:...
  
  
• Northshire Brewery - Bennington, Vermont

Brewpubs

• Bobcat Café & Brewery - Bristol, Vermont
  Bristol, Vermont
  Bristol is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The town was founded June 26, 1762. The population was 3,788 at the 2000 census. Main Street is home to most of the businesses of the town...
  
  
• Jasper Murdock's Ale House at The Norwich Inn - Norwich, Vermont
  Norwich, Vermont
  Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
  
  
• Madison Brewing Company Pub and Restaurant - Bennington, Vermont
• McNeill's Brewery - Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
  
  
• Thirsty Bull Brew Pub at Peavine Restaurant - Stockbridge, Vermont
  Stockbridge, Vermont
  Stockbridge is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 674 at the 2000 census.Stockbridge was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011.-Geography:...
  
  
• Three Needs Brewery and Taproom - Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
  
  
• Vermont Pub and Brewery - Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
  
  
• Zero Gravity Brewing at American Flatbread - Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
  
  

Defunct breweries and brewpubs

• [The Alchemist Pub & Brewery] - Waterbury, Vermont
  Waterbury, Vermont
  Waterbury is a town in Washington County in central Vermont, in the United States. It is also the name of a village within that town. The population was 4,915 at the 2000 census.-Economy:-Industry:...
  
  
• Bennington Brewers - Bennington, Vermont
• Black River Brewing Company - Cavendish, Vermont
  Cavendish, Vermont
  Cavendish is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The town was named after William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire. The population was 1,470 at the 2000 census...
  
  
• Catamount Brewing - White River Junction, Vermont
  White River Junction, Vermont
  White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
  
   (plant now owned by Harpoon Brewery)
• Franklin County Brewery - St. Albans, Vermont
  St. Albans (city), Vermont
  St. Albans is a city in and the shire town of Franklin County, Vermont, in the United States. At the 2000 census, the city population was 7,650. St Albans City is completely surrounded by St. Albans town, which is incorporated separately from the city of St. Albans...
  
  
• Golden Dome Brewing Company - Montpelier, Vermont
  Montpelier, Vermont
  Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
  
  
• Granite City Brewing - Barre, Vermont
  Barre, Vermont
  Barre, Vermont can refer to:*Barre , Vermont*Barre , Vermont...
  
  
• Hornpout Brewing - Lyndonville, Vermont
  Lyndonville, Vermont
  Lyndonville is a village in the town of Lyndon, in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Lyndonville's population was 1,227 at the 2000 census.-History:...
  
  
• Kingdom Brewers - Burke, Vermont
  Burke, Vermont
  Burke is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,571 at the 2000 census. The town contains the villages of East Burke, West Burke and Burke Hollow.-Geography:...
  
  
• Kross Brewing Company of Vermont - Morrisville, Vermont
  Morrisville, Vermont
  Morrisville is a village in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,009. Morrisville has 2 country clubs, a hospital, a school featuring Greek architecture and an airport. The hospital and one of the country clubs are named after...
  
  
• Latchis Grille and Windham Brewery - Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
  
  
• Maple Leaf Malt and Brewing - Wilmington, Vermont
  Wilmington, Vermont
  Wilmington is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,225 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was chartered in 1751 by Benning Wentworth, colonial governor of New Hampshire. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington...
  
  
• Tunbridge Quality Ales/Jigger Hill Brewery - Royalton, Vermont
  Royalton, Vermont
  Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton...
  
  
• The Shed Restaurant and Brewery - Stowe, Vermont
  Stowe, Vermont
  Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
  
  

Homebrew clubs

• The Green Mountain Mashers Homebrew Club of Vermont - Burlington and Montpelier areas

Beer festivals

• Brattleboro Brewers Festival - May in Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, Vermont
  Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
  
  
• Greg Noonan Memorial Homebrew Competition - May in South Burlington, Vermont
  South Burlington, Vermont
  -Economy:CommutAir, a regional airline, is headquartered in the city, by the airport. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the United States's larger craft breweries, is located here.One measure of economic activity is retail sales...
  
  
• Killington Brewfest - October in Killington, Vermont
  Killington, Vermont
  Killington is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 811 at the 2010 census. Killington Ski Resort is located here....
  
  
• Mount Snow Brewers Festival - September in West Dover, VT
• SIPtemberfest - September in Fayston, VT.
• Vermont Brewers Festival - July in Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington, Vermont
  Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
  
  

External links

• Vermont Brewers Association - state brewing industry association
• State directory from RateBeer.com
• State directory from BeerMe.com