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!