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Page 1 of 6 Running on Hops:
A Whirlwind Tour of Vermont Breweries
Courtesy of Ethan Erlich
Remember to celebrate responsibly. Don't drink and drive. Designate a driver.
OBSESSED
Last September, I was obsessed with beer. More specifically, I was obsessed with beer brewed in Vermont. For four days, I rode my BMW 1150 GS motorcycle around Vermont's hills and farms, over covered bridges and on dirt roads, with a single mission: to visit every brewery in the state.
THE CHALLENGE
For the past several years, I have scheduled a week-long New England ride into my vacation calendar. I usually take this vacation in early autumn, after schools are back in session and before the really cold weather arrives. This annual trip is a highlight of my year, but this year I wanted to give myself a little more focus. I read about the Vermont Brewery Challenge on the Vermont Brewer's Association website (www.vermontbrewers.com). The terms of the Challenge are simple: visit as many Vermont breweries as possible. Each visit is documented by getting a “passport” stamped at the brewery. Each brewery has a rubber stamp with the VBA symbol. The passport card is available on the VBA website and also at most of the member breweries. Prizes are awarded when the passport is mailed in to the VBA. Visit four breweries, get a bottle opener. Ten brewery visits entitles you to a VBA t-shirt. If you visit all of the breweries, you claim the mother lode: a “collector's set of Vermont beer gear.”
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