Craft beer in Burlington
Birthplace of the New England IPA
Burlington and the surrounding Champlain Valley are the geographic origin of the New England IPA. Conor and Brennen Casey (Heady Topper) and Shaun Hill (Hill Farmstead, 30 miles east) defined the style in the late 2000s — a hazy, juicy, low-bitterness IPA that's now the dominant craft beer style in America.
Breweries Tracked
2
Specialty
Hazy IPAs (NEIPAs), session IPAs, farmhouse ales
Hub Neighborhood
Downtown, Pine Street corridor
How Burlington shaped American craft beer
The Alchemist Pub opened in Waterbury (25 miles east) in 2003 brewing Heady Topper — the canned-only DIPA that essentially invented the New England IPA style. Heady was so sought-after that lines formed at limited release weekly distributions. Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend (60 miles east) opened 2010 and built the most respected mixed-fermentation farmhouse program in America. Within Burlington proper: Foam Brewers (2016) on the waterfront and Burlington Beer Company (2014) in South Burlington carry the hazy IPA torch with consistently sought-after weekly releases.
Where to visit in Burlington
Tasting Room HighlightsFoam Brewers on Burlington's Lake Champlain waterfront for hazy IPAs with the best brewery view in the Northeast. Burlington Beer Co. in South Burlington (15 minutes from downtown) for weekly hazy releases. The Alchemist's Stowe brewery (45 mins east) for Heady Topper. Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend (90 mins east) for the pilgrimage. Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier (40 mins south) is one of the country's best beer bars.
Common date code formats from Burlington breweries
MM/DD/YY
2 breweries