What's your beer choice at resorts?

ScottySkis · Dec 20, 2012

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I am a cheap so I generally just bring liquor with me and don't spend it at the bar, but when I had my K pass several years ago the bar was open with no bar tenders at the summit, so I might pour my self a few drinks. :beer:

jaywbigred · Dec 20, 2012

Another vote for Lawson's if you can get it. I know his dad too!

Otherwise I have been out of love with VT brews for a long time. There is quality out there but I haven't been wowed in a while as I have been elsewhere (PA, NY, NJ)

BenedictGomez · Dec 20, 2012

I'll go with Switchback too. Frankly, it's overrated now, but that's not because it's not good, it is good, it's just that they hype has become ridiculous.

As far as places go, while not near a mountain, I'm a big Vermont Pub and Brewery fan. One of the things I miss about Burlington, and I make sure to hit that place at least 2 or 3 times/year when I'm up there.

kickstand · Dec 21, 2012

ski_resort_observer said:
Lawson's. Heady Topper and the newer guys on the block Hill Farmstead are all in the top 15 of Beer Advocate Magazines's top 100 best beers in America. Here in the MRV Lawson is on a tap at American Flatbread, Mad Taco and at least one other place. The Warren Store carries the Lawson bombers, arrives on Thursday, out usually by Sunday. They get 15-25 cases.

Heady is fairly widley distributed but until the new expansion of their brewery/cannery opens up, maybe next month, it's out in a couple of days as well.

Switchback started rolling out bottles a couple of months ago but the demand is way outstripping production. It has a much friendler price point than the 3 mentioned above.

Heady is either 3 or 4 on the BA best ranked beers. That list fluctuates week to week. If you look at the top New England beers, Heady is #1. Then something like 18 of the next 25 are Hill Farmstead, and the others are Lawson's. Of course, the list is extremely subjective, but that tells you something about the quality of the beers being produced up there.

Lawson's is also on tap I believe at the Common Man, Prohibition Pig in Waterbury and some new burger joint (The Worthy Burger) that's somewhere along I-89 back towards the NH border. There are a few more places, but I can't remember them all at the moment.

There are a couple of places in the Mt Washington Valley that have Switchback on tap. If I see it, I'll get it over any of the NH brews I usually drink.

HD333 · Dec 21, 2012

My hill, Gunstock, had Switchback on draft last year. Hopefully it will still be there this season, if not Tuckerman Pale Ale will be my go to.

C-Rex · Dec 21, 2012

Big Game said:
It's hard to separate the beer from the experience.

I recall my first time at Jay. Late March. Dump the night before. Lots of bumps. Lost of trees. Amazing smoked trout for dinner with two Tram ales. Went straight to my head. Perfect.

Everything worked together. I don't think a beer will ever taste that good again.

But I'll keep trying.

Those rare days are what keep us all coming back like a heroin addict chasing that first high. I had one last year on vacation at Breckenridge. We spent most of the morning in various glades and then headed to the Windows once the snow had softened up to find some of the best snow we had been on all week. We lapped it for the rest of the afternoon. We ended up at Breckenridge Brewery where I had an amazing steak and a couple of their own Vanilla Porter. Amazing stuff. Recently I've been finding it in my local packies too.

Funny how that's all I really need to be endlessly happy. Good riding, a tasty meal, and a few choice brews.

Drew Chainz · Dec 21, 2012

Switchback, Tuckerman's, Longtrail (I like the ipa the best)

Mpdsnowman · Dec 21, 2012

I dont drink beer but I know a lot of people who do and from what I have seen out west they like things like "fat tire" and in Vermont they like the Long Trail and Magic Hat Brews. The styles vary. IPA's tend to not be so popular but the ones that like it love it. Magic Hat makes a good one called #9. Lagers are always good for most. The fruity ones tend to be hit or miss. I think you can find good or bad in any micro but certainly they seem to be more fun to drink then say your standard "Hey look they made another left turn" Bud product...Lol but then again that product is probably more popular than any micro could be lol..What do i know....:-D

steamboat1 · Dec 22, 2012

Long Trail Brewery is just down the road a piece from K.

They offer a few tasty options.

Krikaya · Dec 22, 2012

After skiing Stowe last year, I bellied up to the bar at the Den and prepared for the assault on my wallet. I was pleasantly surprised that a local beer: Otter Creek black IPA on tap was on special. I inhaled 3 and this beer became my new favorite. the bottled version we get down here in Taxachusetts is ok. The keg that day in the Den Pub at Stowe was perfect.

I still fantasize and dream about Otter Creek Black IPA on tap.

steamboat1 · Dec 22, 2012

Krikaya said:
After skiing Stowe last year, I bellied up to the bar at the Den and prepared for the assault on my wallet. I was pleasantly surprised that a local beer: Otter Creek black IPA on tap was on special. I inhaled 3 and this beer became my new favorite. the bottled version we get down here in Taxachusetts is ok. The keg that day in the Den Pub at Stowe was perfect.

I still fantasize and dream about Otter Creek Black IPA on tap.

The Otter Creek Brewery is located in Middlebury. You could always stop by & pick up a few growlers.

Krikaya · Dec 22, 2012

Middlebury is west of the Green Mts. if I remember right. I think I'll combine a midweek trip to Sugarbush and MRG and a pilgrimage to the Otter Creek brewery sometime this winter. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

I've been skiing NH a lot past several years. Time to rediscover ME and VT.

steamboat1 · Dec 22, 2012

Krikaya said:
Middlebury is west of the Green Mts. if I remember right. I think I'll combine a midweek trip to Sugarbush and MRG and a pilgrimage to the Otter Creek brewery sometime this winter. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

The brewery is a little hard to find because it's off the main drag of the town. I'd recommend getting the address & using gps if you have it. Yes it is on the west side of the Greens. They used to offer free samples of all their beers at the brewery. It's been a few years since I've been there so I don't know if they still do. Personally I'm not a big fan of their brews but I did pick up a nice Otter Creek sweat shirt from their gift shop. The front reads "BEER IS GOOD" & the back has the outline of an otter holding a mug of beer.

Krikaya · Dec 22, 2012

Are you sure that t-shirt didn't say "Beer is God"

or

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy

or (my favorite)

The liver is evil and must be punished

Chinalfr · Dec 23, 2012

I'm BYOB. Yeungling from PA is my fav light beer.

Relaxed on my private beach while sipping a frozen margarita.

kickstand · Dec 23, 2012

Krikaya said:
Middlebury is west of the Green Mts. if I remember right. I think I'll combine a midweek trip to Sugarbush and MRG and a pilgrimage to the Otter Creek brewery sometime this winter. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

I've been skiing NH a lot past several years. Time to rediscover ME and VT.

Otter Creek black IPA is a solid brew, but if you're going to be spending any significant time in the Mad River Valley, you can do better than OC, believe it or not. You'll probably find it on tap somewhere, but be sure to try some Lawson's (Big Hapi is their black IPA), Switchback, Hill Farmstead, Rock Art....also Alchemist Heady Topper and The Shed Mountain Ale.

VT brews are very hot now. Be sure to try the stuff you can really only get in VT. Even though you want OC black IPA on tap, don't overlook the local stuff. You can still buy OC in bottles out of state. The others you can't.

Terry · Dec 24, 2012

Moose Pond Ale at Shawnee Peak is mighty tasty. I think it is brewed by grittys but not sure. It tastes a lot like Ole Thumper.

Wally Brown · Dec 25, 2012

Already a lot of great choices; My Northeast favorites (1) Pigs Ear, Woodstock/Loon or Cannon, NH (2) Magic Hat #9, Burlington/Stowe or Smugglers Notch, Vt (3) Tuckerman Pale Ale, Conway/Wildcat or Attitash, NH (4) Long Trail Hibernator, Bridgewater/Killington

Further West; Wasatch Polygamy Porter, located in Park City/ Deer Valley, Snowbird, Alta... the resorts nearby are endless.

Blast from my past; Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany / Alpspitze and Zugspitze Mountains, ~35 years ago I drank whatever the local guesthouse served and never had a beer I didn't like.

What's your beer choice at resorts?

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