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Vermont, Boston, and Copenhagen

Having just returned from the United States for a brief 10 day sojourn, I must admit that I am amazed by the transition that beer culture is undergoing.  My local bar, Parker Pie (yes, local, as in a 10 minute drive on pavement TO and a 20 minute drive on dirt FROM), might now possibly be the best watering hole in VT (based upon selection and pricing). The stores are beginning to carry a staggering selection of 22oz and 750ml bottles at affordable prices… all within the stream of my few months abroad.  BeerAdvocate shelf tags at Stowe Liquor store? Stone IRS on draft at several locations. Nice. Good work.  Then there was Boston… Dieu Du Ciel’s Aphrodisiaque and Saint Lamvinus on draft at Daniel Lanigan’s “The Other Side.” Pliny the Elder and Ithaca Brute on draft at Deep Ellum.  Witnessing the new beers from Dann Paquette (Pretty Things) selling at a staggering pace while I was visiting Julio’s Liquors.  The time is right, I reckon… The time is right… I hope that Vermont will someday see such novelty in draft selection.  Better yet, I hope that Vermont will be responsible for creating such novel products… The Craft Brewer’s Conference was a social event, indeed.  Conference? Maybe. Social hour(s), moreso.  The highlights for me were the evenings spent at Deep Ellum with Anders, Greg Koch’s keynote speech, and the barrel aging seminar with Tomme Arthur (even though Bourbon barrel aging is not my intended direction or foremost desire…).  Miraculously, I…

May 4, 2009|

Having just returned from the United States for a brief 10 day sojourn, I must admit that I am amazed by the transition that beer culture is undergoing.  My local bar, Parker Pie (yes, local, as in a 10 minute drive on pavement TO and a 20 minute drive on dirt FROM), might now possibly be the best watering hole in VT (based upon selection and pricing). The stores are beginning to carry a staggering selection of 22oz and 750ml bottles at affordable prices… all within the stream of my few months abroad.  BeerAdvocate shelf tags at Stowe Liquor store? Stone IRS on draft at several locations. Nice. Good work.  Then there was Boston…

Dieu Du Ciel’s Aphrodisiaque and Saint Lamvinus on draft at Daniel Lanigan’s “The Other Side.” Pliny the Elder and Ithaca Brute on draft at Deep Ellum.  Witnessing the new beers from Dann Paquette (Pretty Things) selling at a staggering pace while I was visiting Julio’s Liquors.  The time is right, I reckon… The time is right… I hope that Vermont will someday see such novelty in draft selection.  Better yet, I hope that Vermont will be responsible for creating such novel products…
The Craft Brewer’s Conference was a social event, indeed.  Conference? Maybe. Social hour(s), moreso.  The highlights for me were the evenings spent at Deep Ellum with Anders, Greg Koch’s keynote speech, and the barrel aging seminar with Tomme Arthur (even though Bourbon barrel aging is not my intended direction or foremost desire…).  Miraculously, I found my bed (a couch), most evenings, no later than 11:30pm and rose in the morning before 8am. Responsible in 29th year? Almost.  My greatest sense of satisfaction seemed to come from morning or early afternoon conversations with fellow brewers that were, seemingly, still intoxicated and beginning their hangover. Oh, Boston, I remember that feeling from too many BeerAdvocate festivals…
Most notably, while back in Vermont I spent nearly all of my time doing something brewery related (surprised?).  Darren and I hung some insulation and, by the end of the weekend, my entire family was participating in the activity… So, with funds committed by investors (all friends) and the still steady momentum of tomorrow… We continue to move toward opening day.  Indeed, I think we will finally open the 3 Liter bottle of 2003 Double Bastard at the Brewdown.  Who’s coming?

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