Burlington, VT local breweries
Brent recently worked with a client in Vermont and was able to check out a few of the local breweries.
Magic Hat Brewing Company is located in southern Burlington. Magic Hat started in 1994 and moved to the current location in 1997. Magic Hat brews four year round beers: #9 “Not Quite Pale Ale”, Dream Machine, Circus Boy and Single Chair. It also produces up to four seasonal beers, seasonal variety packs and several limited release products. Magic Hat has an old, rusty metal feel to the exterior, sort of an industrial vibe. However, inside the Artifactory, you’ll find nothing but fluorescent, bright colors and the feel of an Alice in Wonderland theme. This theme spills over into the beer names and is everywhere you look. The tour of the facility felt like a carnival. The bottling machine bottles 400 bottles a minute and the labeler labels up to 600 bottles a minute. They are in 39 states, some foreign countries and produce around a million bottles a year.
Switchback Brewery is also located in southern Burlington. They started in 2002 with their popular Switchback Ale and now also have seven rotating unique beers: Roasted Red Ale, Dooley’s Belated Porter, Slow-Fermented Brown Ale, Extra Pale Ale, Marzen Fest Bier, Citra-Pils Keller Bier and SwitchBOCK. They distribute to four states in addition to Vermont, including New Hampshire, Maine, Upstate New York and parts of Massachusetts. The Brewery has a small tasting room called The Tap Room. They showcase experimental brews and limited release batches you usually can’t find anywhere else. The Tap Room also hosts beer themed events including Stretch & Sip Yoga, Cheese and Beer Pairings and various educational classes. Brent was able to check out the Tap Room and liked the Switchback Ale.
