August Trip: Lost Nation Anything But Lost

Lost Nation Brewing Company.

By Carl

So Hill Farmstead was done, yet the day, and the trip, was just getting started. We found ourselves back in the car earlier than expected, around 1:30 p.m., and were on our way to Lost Nation Brewing Company about 45 minutes away in Morristown, VT. 

More and more backroads, mainly surrounded by trees and rivers with an occasional house here and there, separated us from our next destination. We arrived in Morristown, yet Lost Nation began to live up to its name. 

Our GPS took us down some wrong road, and alas we were slightly LOST (see, get it?). Not to worry, however, as I thankfully had reception on my cell phone. I proceeded to type the address in and about 10 minutes later we located the brewery tucked away in a small corner of this town. 

With our next destination, Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, not opening until 4 p.m., we had some time to kill, and this seemed to be the perfect place to do it. With indoor and outdoor seating available, we opted to take in the crisp Vermont air in the beer garden area and it was time for our first flight of the trip. 

With six beers on tap and a flight of beer consisting of six samples, it was only natural for each of us to order each beer they had: Gose (which they are well known for), Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA, Lost Galaxy IPA and The Wind (a dry-hopped Gose made with Citra hops and grapefruit). I enjoyed The Wind more than the classic Gose, but my favorite had to be the Mosaic IPA. Considering Mosaic and Citra hops are my two favorites, these two brews tickled my fancy for sure. 

From left to right: Gose, Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA, Lost Galaxy IPA, The Wind.

Upon completing our flights and a couple sides of chips (don't get me wrong, we were hungry, but with Prohibition Pig up next, we didn't want to ruin our appetites), we took to the inside quickly to grab some stuff to go. All three of us opted to get 4-packs of the Mosaic, with Eric also snagging a piece of glassware. 

Another leg of the journey had come and gone in a flash once again, but it was back in the car for us at 3:30 for another half-hour trip to Waterbury. I had been waiting for this stop for quite some time, and it was finally about to become a reality as the famous Prohibition Pig was next up on the list for leg No. 4!

August Trip: The Hill Farmstead Experience

Hill Farmstead welcome sign.

By Carl

Since joining the beer scene, I have been to a number of different breweries and seen a lot of different ways these places set up shop, but by far the most intriguing experience I've had so far has to be that of Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, Vermont.

As the second leg of our early-August trip, Hill Farmstead immediately became one of the biggest highlights. With doors to the retail shop not scheduled to open until noon on Thursday, August 6, we naturally arrived promptly just after 10 a.m., but not before rolling down the over two-mile gravel road leading up to the brewery, which is an experience in itself.

Now Mark and I had already been to Hill Farmstead once before a couple months back, so we knew what we were getting into, but this was Eric's first time, and as we made our way up to the brewery sitting in the middle of this huge farm out in nowhere Vermont, I made sure to gauge his reactions. Needless to say, I can only imagine I was the same way as Eric's head continued to dart back and forth just checking out the vast landscape.

Where the magic happens.

Anyhow, as I said, we arrived shortly after 10 a.m., thinking we very well may have been the most eager people to get there so early. However, with Hill Farmstead's huge following, there were a few people already forming a line, begging the question of how early they actually got there! Much like when lines form outside other breweries, people awaited the opening of the doors accompanied with their coolers and growlers that would soon be filled with some of the best of what Vermont, and even the country, has to offer.

Thinking we were going to have to wait about two hours for opening, we were pleasantly surprised when a staff member opened the doors around 10:45 and welcomed us much earlier than expected. Now the experience was truly set to begin!

We were handed card Nos. 4-6 and were asked to place our orders on said cards. With a number of bottles (including their much-anticipated $40 bottle of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup) available paired with an allotment of brews on tap for growler fills, we filled out our cards (with Eric and Mark ordering much more than I did) and handed them in.

While the orders were being processed and filled, we meandered over to the brand new tasting room. This is where we officially started our tastings for the day. As we each were only allowed two glasses at $5.50 a glass, it was decided we would all get something different so we could try all five of the Farmhouse Ales they were offering that day.

Samples with a view.

With Clara, Nordic Saison, Brother Soigne (I think everyone's favorite), Florence and Dorothy available, we started sipping and enjoying the beautiful views of the green countryside of the farm. In about 20 minutes, we were called back into the retail shop to pick up our orders. We grabbed our boxes and dropped them off at the car before returning to our glasses.

With our orders officially being completed around 11:15, it was time to just sit back and enjoy ourselves a bit longer before heading out to our next leg of the trip.

Back in the tasting room, we continued with our samples when I saw one of the cooler things I saw all trip. Shaun Hill, the owner of the brewery, was behind the counter washing and drying the various glasses being used for the tastings.

I really don't know why, but this amazed me. This guy, who is responsible for helping create some of the best beer in the world, was just like everyone else on staff that day. He was assisting with everything when he could very well just stay behind the scenes and watch the money roll in. Good on you, Shaun!

As the final sips out of our glasses were consumed, it was time for us to bounce. At around 12:30, we hopped back in the car and it was on to the next destination approximately 40 minutes away. We were off to Morristown, home of Lost Nation Brewing!

August Trip: The Journey Begins

By Mark

After a long Wednesday night in Connecticut, which saw us trying some of the finest beers in my fridge, CJ, Eric and I awoke to a 4 a.m. alarm Thursday and started heading north to the craft beer kingdom: Vermont. Only two to three hours of sleep made the three-hour drive much more brutal and I had to do it all myself due to the fact that CJ and Eric succumbed to their weary eyes throughout most of the ride (yes they owe me big time!).

After all the driving, I get the last number among us!

Regardless, adrenaline kept me going and we arrived at the Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier, VT, at around 7:15 a.m. for the first leg of our marathon trip. We raced into the line that had already started forming. We received ticket numbers 46, 47 and 48 for their weekly release of Heady Topper, one of the most sought after brews in the game. This would be my first experience having some fresh Heady Topper, so I was more than excited!

By the time the Coop opened at 8 a.m., the line was nearing 150 people. We made our way through the store and got back in the car by 8:30. Our next stop was Hill Farmstead, but knowing that they did not officially open until noon, we decided to kill some time by grabbing breakfast at the Skinny Pancake just a block or two away from the Coop.

Crepes, eggs and frumple cakes (yes, frumple cakes) greeted us. What astounded me most of all was this small breakfast joint in the middle of the state's capitol also had Heady cans and Lawson's Super Session #2 on tap, which just blows my mind. You really can't find those beers anywhere, but you can find quality like that even in the smallest corners of the Green Mountain State.

With a long couple days still in front of us, we opted for some traditional water and OJ before departing around 9:15 and making our way to Greensboro Bend. Next stop: Hill Farmstead!

A Two-day Trip Worth Every Penny

We will have many more details on this trip soon, but for now I wanted to show everyone just how much we crushed New England and the beer scene this past week.

From Thursday to Friday, Eric, Mark and I spent a lot of time in the car, but in turn tracked down and tasted a lot of what New England, mainly Vermont and Massachusetts, has to offer. In the near future I would like to break down each stop we had in detail, but this will do for now. Stay tuned!

Wednesday

It started Wednesday night when Eric and I met up with Mark at his place in Connecticut. Despite getting there around 9 p.m. and needing to wake up at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, we had to help Mark clean his fridge packed to the gills with some ridiculous stuff or else his fiancee was going to throw that ring right back in his face! Let me just say I hate the collection of beer Mark has, simply because he started the game well after us, but we will leave it at that! Nonetheless, I enjoyed everything I drank.

After trying the likes of Julius, The Substance, Green, Apocalypse Cow, That's What She Said, Eureka, Wanderlust and Classic Gueuze (my first Cantillon ever), we finally got to bed around 1:30 a.m. and overslept by about 45 minutes. Not to worry as we got on the road around 4:30 a.m.

Thursday

Our first stop was Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier, VT. Thanks to Mark's slick driving skills (as well as mine and Eric's superior car-sleeping skills), we arrived in about two hours and 45 minutes. With cases of Heady Topper releasing at 8 a.m., we were Nos. 46-48 in line just after 7 a.m.

We scooped up a case each and were out of there. After grabbing a quick breakfast in Montpelier, it was time for Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, VT, about 45 minutes away.

While there, we picked up our various bottles and got to try a number of their Farmhouse Ales such as Clara, Nordic Saison, Brother Soigne, Forence and Dorothy, all in the new tasting room. This was the second time I have been to Hill Farmstead, and I have to say it is such a treat and an overall pleasant experience! Trust me, we will break this one down even more this week!

Running on fumes, which we were doing all day, we made our way to Lost Nation Brewing in Morristown, about a half hour away. They lived up to the name as it was quite difficult to find, but we arrived and each immediately ordered a flight ($5 for six samples, what a steal!), which included their famous Gose, Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA (I think all of our favorite), Lost Galaxy IPA and The Wind (a dry-hopped gose). We made sure to snag a 4-pack of Mosaic on the way out as well.

It was then another half hour trek to Waterbury, VT, and time for Prohibition Pig, which I had been wanting to hit up for months! We made it just in time as Mark's bladder was literally about to explode and my toes were numb (for reasons you don't want to know). Despite some fantastic brews on tap and canned at Pro Pig, which we certainly indulged in, I have to say this stop was just as much about the food.

While we were stuffing our faces, Mark called over to a couple places and tracked down my personal white whale, Focal Banger (from Alchemist, the makers of Heady Topper), at a nearby place called Cork Wine Bar and Market. Brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops, my favorite combo, this guy lived up to the hype and then some!

Another half hour drive and we were in Burlington, our final destination for the day. We checked into the hotel and were tempted by a nap, but sleep would have to wait. We ventured out to El Cortijo for a Grassroots Legitimacy.

We decided to move on as it was crowded, so over to Farmhouse Tap and Grill we went. And wouldn't you know it, they had Focal Banger out the wazoo! I downed a couple more of those and capped the night off with a Hill Farmstead Excursions #3.

The night was not over, however, as Mark was able to work his magic with the hotel bartender for two 4-packs of Focal to split amongst us. That was one hell of a way to finish day one off!

Friday

While this was not nearly as eventful of a day, Thursday had it's own kind of flair. Three hours from Burlington we found ourselves in Boston for a quick stop at Trillium. While the brewery still has a long way to go in terms of the brewery itself, the beer has become something to behold. We swiped some more bottles and were out of there within 10 minutes. 

We were back in civilization, so the 15-minute drive to Night Shift was plagued by traffic, but we eventually reached our destination. I did not anticipate Night Shift being bigger than Trillium, but it was and for sure as they had a pretty big shop set up. Another flight, mine featuring One Hop This Time: Ella, Whirlpool (my favorite), Santilli and The 97, and we were off to our final destination. 

It took about an hour longer than usual to get to Tree House in Monson, MA, but yet again we made it about 15 minutes before open at 5 p.m. While we were disappointed with the selection of cans they had, which was limited to just six Haze, it was another experience I enjoyed and a stop we had to make. It was a great way to cap off an incredible trip and I look forward to doing it again (we will most certainly do it again!). 

I apologize if it seemed like I wrapped this blog post up a little quickly, but it did run on a little longer than I had hoped. Check back this week as we will have a number of posts going even further into detail about a trip I encourage every beer-lover to take. 

Cheers! 

Best of the Week: July 27-August 2

Each Sunday we will take a look at the best beer each of the four bloggers has consumed throughout the week. Here are each of our favorite beers between July 27-August 2:

Carl: King Sue (Toppling Goliath): I had this once before and it was just as good, if not better, the second time around. TG makes some of the best IPAs I've ever had, with King Sue's little sister (brother?) PseudoSue holding its own and then some as well. I wish I could get this stuff on a regular basis. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Sunny Side Up (Pizza Boy), Eternal Sunshine (Pizza Boy), Solar Abyss (DC Brau), Pineapple Milkshake (Tired Hands).

Mark: Sip of Sunshine (Lawson's Finest Liquids): Plenty of great brews this week, but Lawson's Sip of Sunshine reigns supreme. Although this beer has become much more available through their partnership with Two Roads in Stratford, CT, it remains one of my favorites. This IPA has the perfect amount of citrus and is definitely an easy drinker. You'll see plenty more of this from me in the weeks and months to come. Rating: 4.75/5. Honorable Mention: Haze (Tree House), Shape of Hops to Come (Neshaminy Creek), Coriolis (New England Brewing), All Green Everything (Other Half), PseudoSue (Toppling Goliath), Epiphany (Foundation).

Eric: Pineapple Milkshake (Tired Hands): I wish there was more pineapple flavor, but all-in-all a solid edition in the milkshake series. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Watching Trees Decompose (Tired Hands), Such Passion (Tired Hands).

Cheers to another week of drinking!