The Alchemist
One of the brewpubs that Tom and I loved the most up in Vermont - out of many excellent ones - is the Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury, VT. We went there for the first time during our elopement/honeymoon and made special trips to be there for special occasions, such as the chef's sister (a friend of ours) visiting, or their 5 year anniversary. For that event in 2008 we actually booked a B&B that was stumbling distance.
They were proud to brew all sorts of beers - they had a great wild fermentation selection - I remember their Bacchus, O Positive, and Petit Mutant very fondly. Other favorites included (this is by no means a complete list, because everything there, frankly, was fantastic) Menage a Trois, Sterk Wit, Nightstalker, Farmers Daughter, El Jefe, Revitalization Rye, Shut the Hell Up (oh how I loved to order that!)Panty Dropper, Beelzubub, Uncle Daddy, Heady Topper, Pappy's Parter... the list goes on and on.
They also brewed a gluten free beer series, the Celia series, in response to one of the co-owners becoming unable to process gluten. The Celia Saison won a Gold Medal for Gluten Free Beer category in the Brewer's Association World Beer Cup Competition in 2010. They expanded the Celia line as well, for other gluten free styles, such as a Pale Ale, an IPA (which placed Bronze in the Great American Beer Festival) and a Framboise, which placed Gold in the GABF. (Both in 2009)
During this past weekend's storm, the entire brewery (although not their canning facility, which was located separately on higher ground) was flooded- their brewing equipment and business office was in the basement and the floodwaters reached waist high on the first floor- the restaurant/pub space.
Due to their incredible craftmanship and artistry, and the space they created that paired their beers perfectly with great food and ambiance, the fact that they've been flooded out so severely is really a significant loss to the brewing community.
According to the Boston Globe, the rebuilding will be long and painful- the property was completely destroyed by the floodwaters of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.
I hope like hell they can rebuild and reopen. They are a brewing treasure- one of the small operations that dot the country making great beer and a great place to drink it in, for the love of beer.
If there's anyone out there in a position to help, I urge you to contact them.
They were proud to brew all sorts of beers - they had a great wild fermentation selection - I remember their Bacchus, O Positive, and Petit Mutant very fondly. Other favorites included (this is by no means a complete list, because everything there, frankly, was fantastic) Menage a Trois, Sterk Wit, Nightstalker, Farmers Daughter, El Jefe, Revitalization Rye, Shut the Hell Up (oh how I loved to order that!)Panty Dropper, Beelzubub, Uncle Daddy, Heady Topper, Pappy's Parter... the list goes on and on.
They also brewed a gluten free beer series, the Celia series, in response to one of the co-owners becoming unable to process gluten. The Celia Saison won a Gold Medal for Gluten Free Beer category in the Brewer's Association World Beer Cup Competition in 2010. They expanded the Celia line as well, for other gluten free styles, such as a Pale Ale, an IPA (which placed Bronze in the Great American Beer Festival) and a Framboise, which placed Gold in the GABF. (Both in 2009)
During this past weekend's storm, the entire brewery (although not their canning facility, which was located separately on higher ground) was flooded- their brewing equipment and business office was in the basement and the floodwaters reached waist high on the first floor- the restaurant/pub space.
Due to their incredible craftmanship and artistry, and the space they created that paired their beers perfectly with great food and ambiance, the fact that they've been flooded out so severely is really a significant loss to the brewing community.
According to the Boston Globe, the rebuilding will be long and painful- the property was completely destroyed by the floodwaters of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.
I hope like hell they can rebuild and reopen. They are a brewing treasure- one of the small operations that dot the country making great beer and a great place to drink it in, for the love of beer.
If there's anyone out there in a position to help, I urge you to contact them.
That is horribly sad, Jamie and I make a special trip up every year to do breweries and cheese in the Stowe area and this is always a stop for us. We have our trip booked in October. :(
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