10 Best Breweries in Vermont with 30 Beers Worth Trying
Vermont’s brewery scene rewards a little variety. Famous hop beers are part of the trip, but farmhouse ales, traditional lagers, naturally conditioned amber beer and coffee porters make a much more interesting statewide flight.
These ten HBA editorial picks balance distinctive beer, style variety and regional coverage. Brewery numbers organize the guide; the thirty beer-card numbers are reading order, not a separate statewide beer ranking.
Beer portfolios and brewery menus were reviewed in October 2026. Rotating and seasonal beers may be between releases; check the current venue, taps and package stock before visiting. Food pairings are suggestions for your own tasting.
Vermont brewery picks at a glance
| Brewery | City | First beer to try | Flight focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hill Farmstead Brewery | Greensboro Bend | Edward | Farmstead ales and expressive pale beer |
| 2. The Alchemist | Stowe | Heady Topper | A focused IPA comparison |
| 3. Lawson’s Finest Liquids | Waitsfield | Sip of Sunshine | Sunshine hops and a Czech-style lager |
| 4. Fiddlehead Brewing Company | Shelburne | Fiddlehead IPA | Flagship hops with a wheat-beer contrast |
| 5. Zero Gravity Craft Brewery | Burlington | Green State Lager | Pilsner clarity and two IPA strengths |
| 6. Burlington Beer Company | Burlington | Elaborate Metaphor | Hazy pale ale, double IPA and coffee porter |
| 7. Foam Brewers | Burlington | Built to Spill | Waterfront hops and a rotating porter |
| 8. von Trapp Brewing | Stowe | Helles | Three traditional lager directions |
| 9. Switchback Brewing Company | Burlington | Switchback Ale | Unfiltered amber balance and limited pale ale |
| 10. Bent Hill Brewery | Braintree | Blood Orange Double IPA | A rural flight with lager, hops and cacao stout |
1. Hill Farmstead Brewery
Hill Farmstead earns the first stop for a flight that moves from hop aroma to farmhouse fermentation and dark malt. Edward, Arthur and Everett show three different sides of the brewery without relying on a rare barrel release.
Greensboro Bend deserves its own Northeast Kingdom outing. Check the separate taproom and retail arrangements before driving; a beer in the portfolio is not a promise of a same-day pour.
Edward
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Citrus and pine over a restrained malt base.
BAR NOTES
Edward makes a useful starting point before stronger Vermont IPAs. Its American hop blend brings the pale-ale side of the flight into focus without the alcohol weight of a double IPA.
Try it with grilled chicken or a sharp cheddar sandwich. Our American pale ale recipe explains how a supportive malt bill leaves room for hop aroma.
Arthur
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Farmhouse fermentation and natural carbonation.
BAR NOTES
Arthur shifts attention from hops to fermentation. The brewery’s farmhouse yeast and foudre conditioning make this a different tasting exercise from simply ordering another hazy IPA.
Pour into a tulip and let the aroma develop. A cheese plate or roast chicken gives you a gentle food pairing; save very spicy dishes for a less delicate part of the flight.
Everett
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Chocolate and coffee impressions from roasted malt.
BAR NOTES
Everett is the dark-malt counterpoint to Edward and Arthur. Chocolate and coffee impressions belong to its roasted-malt profile; do not confuse those tasting descriptors with an added-coffee recipe.
Give it a few minutes out of the refrigerator before sipping. Compare it with the coffee porters below, or explore our dark beer guide for other roast-led options.
2. The Alchemist
The Alchemist belongs near the top for a deliberately hop-centered flight. Heady Topper and Focal Banger are dependable reference points; Crusher gives the third slot a stronger, release-dependent alternative.
Use the Stowe beer café and retail location as the visiting anchor. Check Crusher’s release status rather than assuming all three beers have the same everyday availability.
Heady Topper
Brewed by The Alchemist
A full-strength Vermont hop benchmark.
BAR NOTES
Start with a modest pour if you want to compare all three Alchemist beers. Heady Topper’s double-IPA strength makes aroma, bitterness and alcohol balance more useful questions than how quickly a pint disappears.
Taste it fresh and keep takeaway cans cold. Our IPA roundup offers a broader set of hop profiles for comparison.
Focal Banger
Brewed by The Alchemist
Mosaic and Citra with a firm mineral backbone.
BAR NOTES
Focal Banger uses Mosaic and Citra, with a firmer mineral impression beneath its hop aroma. The lower strength than Heady Topper makes it an especially useful side-by-side comparison.
Try Focal Banger first, then Heady Topper, rather than judging the lighter beer after the strongest pour. Tacos or grilled vegetables can work well alongside the hop bitterness.
Crusher
Brewed by The Alchemist
Another double-IPA angle when released.
BAR NOTES
Crusher extends the flight within the same broad style family. That is intentional here: this brewery’s appeal is the difference between individual hop-forward beers, rather than a checklist of unrelated styles.
Ask about the current batch and release before making it your must-have order. A small pour beside Heady Topper can reveal differences that are harder to notice across separate visits.
3. Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Lawson’s makes an inviting Waitsfield stop because its famous IPAs can share a flight with a crisp lager. Sip of Sunshine is brewed in Stratford, Connecticut; the brewery’s Vermont identity does not mean every featured beer is brewed within the state.
Visit the Waitsfield taproom for the home-base experience. Little Sip is brewed in both Waitsfield and Stratford, while Scrag Mountain Pils adds a distinctly different order to the table.
Sip of Sunshine
Brewed by Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Tropical fruit and floral hop character.
BAR NOTES
Sip of Sunshine is the big hop pour in this trio. Its tropical and floral profile makes it a good choice for readers who want the brewery’s best-known beer before branching into other styles.
The Connecticut production location matters for an accurate Vermont guide, but does not prevent it from being a Lawson’s pick. Pair a small serving with grilled shrimp or citrus-dressed vegetables.
Little Sip
Brewed by Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Grapefruit and pineapple at a lower strength.
BAR NOTES
Little Sip gives the flight a less alcoholic IPA comparison. The producer describes grapefruit and pineapple impressions, making it useful for separating hop flavor from the extra weight of Sip of Sunshine.
Order Little Sip before its stronger sibling. Keep food simple for the comparison: a pretzel or plain grilled chicken leaves more room to notice the differences.
Scrag Mountain Pils
Brewed by Lawson’s Finest Liquids
A crisp lager alternative to the Sunshine IPAs.
BAR NOTES
Scrag Mountain Pils changes the conversation from tropical hops to lager balance. It is the right third pick for someone who wants to visit Lawson’s without making an entire flight out of IPAs.
Try it with a sausage sandwich or potato pancakes. Our pilsner guide gives you other Czech- and German-inspired beers to compare.
4. Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Fiddlehead’s Shelburne lineup has more range than its IPA reputation might suggest. The flagship and Second Fiddle show different hop strengths, while Fiddlehead White gives the third glass a yeast-and-spice direction.
Use the current Shelburne tap list when planning a flight. The White selection is a taproom-menu pick, so do not assume the same distribution or package availability as the flagship IPA.
Fiddlehead IPA
Brewed by Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Balanced hops with a dry finish.
BAR NOTES
Fiddlehead IPA is the sensible first order here. The brewery describes mellow bitterness and a dry finish, giving you a baseline before moving to the bigger double IPA.
Try it with a slice of pizza or a grilled portobello sandwich. Revisit a sip after Second Fiddle to see whether the flagship’s balance is the part you prefer.
Second Fiddle
Brewed by Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Citrus, tropical fruit and pine.
BAR NOTES
Second Fiddle increases both the alcohol and the intensity of the hop comparison. Its extensive dry hopping puts citrus, tropical and pine impressions at the center of the glass.
A small pour is enough to complete this side of the flight. Strong cheddar can stand beside it, but save subtle cheeses for the wheat beer.
Fiddlehead White
Brewed by Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Orange peel and coriander in a lighter wheat pour.
BAR NOTES
Fiddlehead White uses orange peel and coriander, giving the flight a recognizable spice-and-citrus change of pace. It is worth looking beyond the IPA names on the tap board.
Try it before the double IPA if tasting all three together. A salad with citrus dressing or lightly seasoned fish makes a gentler pairing.
5. Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
Zero Gravity is a useful Burlington anchor for readers who want crisp lager as well as Vermont hops. Green State Lager, Conehead and Madonna make a clear progression from everyday refreshment to a stronger IPA.
The Pine Street beerhall is the visiting focus. Read the exact beer name on the menu: Conehead, Conehead Haze and alcohol-free variants are different products.
Green State Lager
Brewed by Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
A crisp, clean opening pour.
BAR NOTES
Green State Lager gives this guide another reason to look beyond hazy IPAs. Start the Zero Gravity flight here, where lighter malt and a crisp finish are easier to notice on a fresh palate.
Pair it with fries, a roast vegetable sandwich or grilled fish. It is also a useful benchmark when you compare the lager-focused von Trapp flight.
Conehead
Brewed by Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
A moderate-strength hop-focused middle glass.
BAR NOTES
Choose the original Conehead for this card’s 5.7% specification. Similarly named beers in the brewery’s range should not be treated as interchangeable versions of the same label.
Put it between Green State and Madonna in your flight. That order helps separate the move into hop-forward ale from the later move into double-IPA strength.
Madonna
Brewed by Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
The stronger IPA finish to the trio.
BAR NOTES
Madonna fills the full-strength IPA slot after Conehead. Compare the weight and finish rather than assuming a higher ABV automatically makes it the better beer.
Order a tasting portion and take your time. A burger or robust cheese is a reasonable pairing, while Green State remains the cleaner choice for delicate food.
6. Burlington Beer Company
Burlington Beer Company’s Flynn Avenue location lets you move beyond a single hop style. A flagship pale ale, a stronger Wizard and a seasonal coffee porter give this flight a useful range.
Check the seasonal schedule before targeting Barista. The brewery lists that porter for September through March, while the two hop picks come from its year-round range.
Elaborate Metaphor
Brewed by Burlington Beer Company
Citra and Amarillo with citrus and melon impressions.
BAR NOTES
Elaborate Metaphor brings a pale-ale strength to a hazy format. Citra and Amarillo sit over a grain bill that includes oats and wheat, rather than relying on double-IPA alcohol for presence.
Try it with a vegetable wrap or grilled chicken. It is a good opening glass before the stronger Wizard, especially if you want to compare haze without comparing two equally big beers.
It’s Complicated Being a Wizard
Brewed by Burlington Beer Company
A stronger flagship hop pour.
BAR NOTES
The double IPA gives BBCO’s flight its heavier hop slot. Its place beside Elaborate Metaphor is about comparing pale-ale and double-IPA proportions, not treating every hazy beer as the same style.
Start with the smaller beer and finish this one in a tasting portion. If you prefer a shorter visit, choose between the two hop beers and keep Barista as the contrasting order.
Barista
Brewed by Burlington Beer Company
Coffee with chocolate, caramel and dark-fruit impressions.
BAR NOTES
Barista is aged on coffee from Abracadabra Coffee Company in Woodstock. Unlike Everett’s malt-driven coffee impression, this porter includes actual coffee in its production.
Let the glass warm slightly and try it with chocolate cake or toasted nuts. Notice whether coffee aroma or malt sweetness leads each sip.
7. Foam Brewers
Foam is a Burlington waterfront stop for a release-led flight. Built to Spill is the first target, followed by another hop beer and a coffee porter when the rotating lineup allows.
Lake Street menus and takeaway inventory change. These are named portfolio picks, not a guarantee that all three will be pouring together; ask for the closest style alternative if a release has sold through.
Built to Spill
Brewed by Foam Brewers
Citra and Galaxy with tropical citrus character.
BAR NOTES
Built to Spill uses Citra and Galaxy in a soft-bodied double IPA. It is a useful Foam starting point for someone who wants a recognizable beer rather than choosing only from unfamiliar release names.
Keep the first pour small so there is room for a comparison. Grilled chicken with a citrus glaze can echo the hop direction without demanding a sweeter beer.
Dead Flowers
Brewed by Foam Brewers
A lower-strength IPA comparison.
BAR NOTES
Dead Flowers offers a single-IPA contrast to Built to Spill. Focus on the difference in body and finish rather than assuming the shared brewery makes their hop profiles identical.
Taste this one first if both are available together. Buy only as much as you can keep cold and enjoy fresh; a sold-out online listing does not establish permanent discontinuation.
Lovers Rock
Brewed by Foam Brewers
Caramel, toffee and chocolate impressions.
BAR NOTES
Lovers Rock shifts the flight toward coffee porter, with the producer emphasizing caramel, toffee and chocolate impressions. It makes a useful counterpoint after two hop-driven beers.
A few sips with chocolate dessert can turn this into the finishing glass. Do not plan a trip around an archived can page alone; verify the current release.
8. von Trapp Brewing
von Trapp earns its place by giving the state guide a full lager flight. Helles, Vienna and Dunkel differ in malt expression while avoiding the assumption that Vermont’s best beer must be an IPA.
The Stowe bierhall is a natural pairing with an Alchemist visit. Use the current menu for food and pours, and compare the three lagers in light-to-dark order.
Helles
Brewed by von Trapp Brewing
Soft bread notes and gentle floral hops.
BAR NOTES
Helles is the pale opening glass, with a soft pilsner-malt base and restrained hop character. Its subtlety is easier to appreciate before a double IPA than after one.
Try it with a pretzel or lightly seasoned chicken. Noti