JamaicaMan
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Anybody hearing what’s happening?
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What's up with Maple Valley?
- Thread starter Ski Diva
- Start date
sull1102
Member
Sounds like skiing is done for good here unless this new guy is secret best friends with The Alchemist team up north. Not sure there are many breweries out there doing so well they can support even a small bunny hill, nevermind snowmaking and such. At least the base lodge can hopefully stick around for this new operation, which will be successful if run properly. These brewery/restaurant places have been popping all over and seem to do very well as long as the management has a clue.
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drjeff
Well-known member
Also seems like with the intent to use some of the land to grow corn/hops and possibly apples and who knows what else on site for the brewery/distillery that they'll be able to acquire what is often tax favorable farm status as well.....
slatham
Well-known member
Well I hope it works out whatever they decide. If you think of the pub as the money maker, maybe you offer tubing, back country touring, and mountain biking to attract more people who at the end of the day will be thirsty!
But I have to laugh at this: “The infrastructure for the mountain hasn’t been kept up.” Wow , that's an understatement.
But I have to laugh at this: “The infrastructure for the mountain hasn’t been kept up.” Wow , that's an understatement.
Smellytele
Well-known member
Do people actually pass by this place to go any where? Local population won't keep a pub/brewery in business.
The VT brewery scene is booming right now. Hard to know if it has already reached the point of saturation, but there are a few breweries already in VT in places that could get less natural traffic.
https://www.vermontbrewers.com/breweries/
Smellytele
Well-known member
drjeff
Well-known member
Being on route 30, the location does get a fair amount of traffic passing right by it's front door year round. In the summer, the natural swimming hole on the West River just up the road from Maple Valley is often jammed, with cars parking down to the base lodge location on 30 and in the old Maple Valley parking lots, plus there's a restaurant/pub, the Williamsville Eatery, that's maybe 2 miles from the Maple Valley lodge, in even a more remote location, that does well on a year round basis.
If they can put out a good product, the people will find it
Route 30 is pretty busy year round. They'll certainly have eyeballs on the place. Being close to Bratt helps as well.
I'm glad they're moving forward with things. I'd love to see skiing return there, but maybe down the road.
I could certainly see tubing or snowshoeing or some other non skiing winter events being offered there in the near term.
Hopefully, things will go smoothly with getting permits and everything up and running. Maybe we'll start seeing some activity there sooner than later.
I'm glad they're moving forward with things. I'd love to see skiing return there, but maybe down the road.
I could certainly see tubing or snowshoeing or some other non skiing winter events being offered there in the near term.
Hopefully, things will go smoothly with getting permits and everything up and running. Maybe we'll start seeing some activity there sooner than later.
mister moose
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Whetstone Station, in Brattleboro on the river, is doing extremely well. They are a brewpub with an upstairs deck with live music, a decent menu done well, and they have the pull to bring in great beers. (Farthest south you can get Hill Farmstead) Their own beers are very good, menu a touch pricey. They have a peanut butter burger! (Not recommended) Stopping there on a Friday night on the way to VT is always jamming. Other days were busy as well.
Maple Valley is 15 min or more off 91, and they would need to have a great brewmaster, so it won't be easy, but it also isn't impossible. Many of the best beers in VT are in farther out places than this: Greensboro, Waitsfield, Brandon. I can see where most of the beer greats struck out on their own, can you really buy a great VT brewmaster?
AdironRider
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Waitsfield is right on 89 and a bedroom community for Burlington, let alone a prominent ski town.
I do have a theory though that all these breweries are mostly operating on cheap credit and dreams. There are the players, like Alchemist and Long Trail (through longevity), but I just don't see every little town supporting these places ultimately.
I do have a theory though that all these breweries are mostly operating on cheap credit and dreams. There are the players, like Alchemist and Long Trail (through longevity), but I just don't see every little town supporting these places ultimately.
Waitsfield is not "right on 89". Are you talking about Waterbury?
You're absolutely right that Waitsfield is certainly not "right on 89". It is a good 20 minutes or so from the closest point to 89. There's also no real places that I would consider a brewpub or even a brewery open to the public at the moment in Waitsfield. Sure Lawson's is building a brewery that will finally allow you to visit in person, but that's not here yet.
I think that AR meant Waterbury, which has Alchemist, and has had a pretty significant upgrade/revival in the last decade or so. It used to be considered the "town" you drove through to get to the MRV or Stowe. Now, with real estate prices high again, and land not really available, Waterbury has become more upscale and desirable. And Waterbury is a base for folks who work in Chittenden County or Montpelier.
Could be...although Alchemist's brewery in Waterbury isn't open to the public either. Their public location is in Stowe.
Waterbury does have other places like Prohibition Pig though which could be considered a good example of a successful brewpub.
But if the goal was to point out successful out of the way locations with good beer, to me Waterbury doesn't fit the bill as "out of the way". (I think it was mister moose that first used Waitsfield as an example of an out of the way place with good beer and AR then either thought MM meant Waterbury or confused Waitsfield and Waterbury and tried to point out that it wasn't out of the way).
So in conclusion:
Waitsfield is a bit out of the way, but really doesn't have any current successful brewpubs or breweries open to the public (but will have Lawson's soon as a public brewery).
Waterbury has successful places, but isn't really out of the way.
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VTKilarney
Well-known member
There are some very successful Vermont breweries that are in the middle of nowhere.
Yea, I think the key is putting out a good product. I don't think location is as much of a factor as the quality of the product. If you have something people want, they will come to you (Hill Farmstead being a great example that comes to my mind).
So I could certainly see Maple Valley having a successful brewery. Will they generate enough money to be able to re-open the ski area? That would be a much bigger challenge.
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