Tag: vermont

Vermont Again

On By Chris ElliottIn Brewery, Restaurants, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

I’ve been to Vermont several times now. Stowe, Vermont to be exact. It’s a small little town straight out of a Hallmark movie. Stowe is home to the Trapp Family lodge. The Sound of Music family for those trying to place that name.

The last time I was up there was 2018. A lot has changed for me since then and while some things have changed in Stowe, a lot is the same. The beer quality continues to be high. I visited several that I had been to last time including Von Trapp, Idletyme, Alchemist, Stowe Cider, and Lost Nation. The new place I visited this time was Ten Bends Beer. This little brewery was going through some licensing issues so I was only able to get tastings but I was still really pleased. Their Mexican lager, Scintilla, was the best beer there but I also really liked their IPAs.

Ten Bends

However, the best beer of the whole trip was Society & Solitude #6 which was on draft at a restaurant in Town called Doc Ponds. This beer was astounding. A really well done Double IPA. It was so drinkable for being a Double IPA. Top beer of the week award winner.

Beyond the beer, Stowe is such a great little town where everything shuts down by 8:30 every night. The weather this time of year is perfect. The hiking around there is really something and the food and beer are worth the trip. I’ll be back again of course.

Vermont and the Search for the Holy Grail

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

I know I should have written this sooner. Whatever, I have a life (I don’t have a life, I am just lazy). So here is my recap of the beer I drank in Vermont.

How could I not talk about Heady Topper. The Holy Grail (one of them at least) for beer nerds. It was good but that beer was destined to not live up to the hype same as In’N’Out doesn’t live up to the hype. Yeah California, your burger is not that good. You talk about something so much that you think it’s literally birthed from God’s nuts and then it cannot possibly meet that expectation. Nothing against the Alchemist. Their Stowe location was great and I still bought $100 worth of beer. It’s just not the Jesus juice it was talked up to be.

Now, the beer & cider in Vermont is good. Lots to choose from for such a small state. Stowe Cider has some awesome selections and interesting takes on Cider. Same with Woodchuck Cider. The Raspberry Hard Cider was my favorite of the ciders. So drinkable.

I went to several other breweries as well. Ottercreek, Trapp Family, Idletyme, Vermont Brewery, Zero Gravity, Foam, and Lost Nation. Plus, I grabbed other local beers while eating out throughout the week. I drank a lot for 7 days. 2000 vertical climbs though justify this consumption. Each of these places had some great beers. I think though Zero Gravity and Lost Nation were my favorite of these bunch. The Wind (Sour) at Lost Nation was a great beer. Highly recommend that one.

Overall, it was a great trip and I drank some really good beer. Thanks VT. Cheers!IMG_4595

Escape to the Mountains

On By Chris ElliottIn Fitness, Random Thoughts, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

Life gets really busy sometimes. It gets cluttered and confusing. We get pulled in a million directions. Some we want to do, some we have to do and some we feel we should. Sometimes we just need a break. Vermont to me is a great place to get away. Particularly, the mountains in Vermont. I spent the last week in Stowe, VT doing not much else but hiking, drinking beer and sitting in the hot tub. While I did have some great beer, even tried out the famous Heady Topper from the Alchemist (I’ll detail all the beer in another post), the mountains are my favorite part of being up there.

In the mountains, cell phones barely work, if at all. Modern civilization is not around you. It’s quiet. The only thing to listen to is your own mind. I hiked on average about 22,000 steps and over 150 flights of stairs per day. Don’t worry I drank and ate all those calories burned. It can be quite a climb sometimes. The views are worth it though.

View from the Summit of Mount Hunger

I hiked Mountains like Mount Hunger, saw three different waterfalls, and countless other trails such as the Stowe Pinnacle. Each view more gorgeous than the last.

Reaching your destination after a grueling climb, dripping in sweat is a self accomplishment you can take satisfaction in. From up there, you realize how small you are but how much you can accomplish. Getting away sometimes is exactly what you need to think clearly, to understand your next step. Or just realize you want to chase waterfalls.

Bingham Falls