Courtesy Killington Resort
Festival goers sample beer in the on-snow event, the Vermont Brewers Festival.
Saturday, March 23, 12 p.m.—KILLINGTON— Over 3,500 attendees will enjoy the Vermont Brewers Festival at Killington on March 23. The festival is organized by the Vermont Brewers Association (VBA), who since 1991 have organized a widely successful Vermont Brewers Festival on the Burlington Waterfront each summer. The Killington festival is focused on collaboration brews, 25 of them made exclusively for this event.
Curious to know a few of the unique beers one can only find at this event? Ménage à Trees is a sour black lager made with three trees – birch, juniper and spicebush. This collaboration beer was created by 14th Star Brewing Co. out of St. Albans, Hermit Thrush Brewery in Brattleboro, and Zero Gravity out of Burlington. Attendees will also find a glitter Double IPA brewed by Hermit Thrush Brewery and Prohibition Pig out of Waterbury; as well as M.C. Amalgamation, a hazy, hop forward IPA, co-fermented on Amalgamation Brett created by Big Spruce Brewing of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Warren.
Ticket holders can choose from 130 beers including the 25 collaboration beers from Vermont brewers. This is the only festival hosted by the brewers themselves. Thirty three Vermont brewers will be in attendance plus two guest brewers from Canada: Big Spruce Brewing from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and A’ La Fut from Québec.
This all-outdoor, winter-themed event will take place adjacent to K-1 lodge at Killington Resort. In addition to sampling beers and meeting the brewers, attendees will enjoy food trucks, music, and fire pits.
Tickets in advance are $44, but are selling fast. There may be sales at the door for $47. Tasting sessions are from 12-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Gates open 30 minutes before each session. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vtbrewfest.com.
All proceeds from the Vermont Brewers Festival support the Vermont Brewers Association. The Vermont Brewers Association was founded in 1995 to promote and strengthen the culture of craft brewing in Vermont through marketing, education, and advocacy for Vermont made beer. Vermont has more breweries per capita than any other state and produces 292,479 barrels per year. The Vermont craft beer industry supports 2,304 jobs and has an overall economic impact of nearly $326 million. For more information, visit vermontbrewers.com.