New England Style IPAs

SUPER BEER

All great super heroes have an origin story: Superman came from Krypton, Bruce Wayne's parents are brutally murdered in front of him, Spider-Man is bitten by a radioactive spider (well, technically, Peter Parker is, but you get the idea). In much the same way, the India Pale Ale (IPA) style of beer (the superman of beers in my humble opinion) also has an origin story which, by now, any self-respecting beer geek is familiar with: basically the style was developed in England (not India) as a beer that would survive the long boat trip to India from Britain without getting skunked, so that the British officers stationed there could enjoy good beer. The regular soldiers could have the skunky beer - after all, rank has its privileges, and the privileged don't have to have the rank (beer, that is). The beer was a bit higher in alcohol and considerably hoppier, both of which helped to preserve the beer. 

Fast-forward to modern times and the Great Craft Beer Revolution which began in the US. As brewers experimented with various beer styles, IPAs came back into vogue to become one of the more popular styles of craft beer. Craft brewers are nothing if not experimenters and they have continued to tweak and play with IPAs. As a result, we have not only the venerable West Coast IPA, but such variations as Black IPAs, Red IPAs, White IPAs, Belgian IPAs, Pineapple IPAs, Blood Orange IPAs, Double IPAs, Imperial IPAs as well as IPLs (India Pale Lagers). A growing style of IPA is the one we look at this month: New England IPAs (or Northeast IPA). 

So what is the difference between a West Coast IPA (sort of the American classic IPA, if you will) and a New England IPA? Both are hop-forward beers, after all. The truth is there is not really a clear distinction, but in general the New England IPA is usually unfiltered, utilizes hops that are more floral and citrusy and has a mild malt profile while the West Coast version has a bit more malt and relies on hops with piney and resinous notes. Often New England IPAs are a somewhat less bitter than their West Coast cousin. in fact many iterations have very low IBUs.

Having said that, the distinctions are becoming more and more blurred. Sometimes it's merely a geographical thing. The classic New England style was popularized by Heady Topper, a legendary Vermont beer so prized that stores often have to limit the number of 4-packs a customer can purchase. We have reviewed Heady Topper  in the past (you can read it here)so we did not review it this month. But we did find a number of great beers claiming to be New England Style. Our humble opinions follow. 

NEW ENGLAND PALE

EASTWOOD BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWER: Eastwood Brewing Company, Syracuse, NY; ABV: 5.0%

COLOR: Very unfiltered apricot, almost orange

POUR: Somewhat decent head, not overpowering

AROMA: Big citrus aroma

BODY: Medium bodied

TASTE: Kind of sweet citrus up front with hoppy bitterness to follow. Big tropical fruit taste with hints of mango and papaya.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Tropical fruit - tastes like a dollop of honey in there; Sweet on the front; Real nice summer lawn mower beer; Like the best pale ale you've ever had; Nice hops presence; Doesn't give up the bitterness, although sweet up front; Tastes better than it looks; I'm guessing this is a high fiber beer, high pulp; Really has a wonderful taste, real summery vibe to it; With that orange color, this should be the official beer of the Syracuse Orange."

ONE HOP THIS TIME

NIGHT SHIFT BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Northeast Style IPA; BREWER: Night Shift Brewing, Everett, MA; ABV: 6.0%; HOPS: Aztecca only

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "One Hop This Time is a series of IPAs using a single hop each time."

COLOR: Wheat, lemongrass

POUR: Decent, long-lasting head

AROMA: Not a strong aroma but some pine and tropical fruit

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Smooth, piney, dank

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I Could Drink This!

COMMENTS: "Light tasting; Would go well with pizza; Would go well with another one; Good summer beer; Boat beer; Kind of reminds me of a shandy"

CLARITY IN THE FLX
NAKED DOVE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWER: Naked Dove Brewing, Canandagua, NY; ABV: 6.2%; MALT: Oats; HOPS: Pekko and Azacca.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This is our first attempt at a New England Style IPA. Brewed with oats and Pekko and Azacca hops."

COLOR: Clover honey -  not really unfiltered though

POUR: Near Guinness class head with lots of lacing

AROMA: Bread, grassy, piney, bit of grapefruit

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Grapefruit, grassy, herbal, with a backend bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Really nice taste; Long lasting taste - really lingers; Perfectly carbonated; Delicious; Finishes clean and dry; Kind of a West Coast taste without the bitterness; Bright; It's not as cloudy or unfiltered as the classic New England IPAs; I'm a fan, it's got a really different taste here kind of hard to put my finger on, but I like it."

DOWNTOWN IPA

MADISON BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England IPA; BREWER: Madison Brewing Company, Bennington, VT; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 70.0; MALT: Pale, Flaked Wheat, Flaked Barley, Oats; HOPS: Mosaic, Citra, dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra Lupulin Pellets."

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "DownTown IPA is a true Vermont IPA with a juicy hop saturation and little to no bitterness."

COLOR: Clover honey, butterscotch, hazy

POUR:  Decent Head

AROMA: Hoppy citrus aroma

BODY: Bit more than Medium

TASTE: Citrus, Grapefruit, juicy with just a little bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Juicy IPA; Absolutely delicious; Perfect date beer; Could drink and drink; If we could get this locally I would have this in my fridge all the time; Nice juicy IPA."

NEW ENGLAND IPA SINGLE BATCH 10

MIDDLE AGES BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWER: Middle Ages Brewing Company, Syracuse, NY; ABV; 7.0%; MALT: Oats and Malted Wheat.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This version of our New England IPA features a grain bill of over 20% oats and 15% malted wheat. The hops are primarily a blend of new age fruity hops with a relatively small amount of dank and piney hops (over 3 LBS per bbl of dry hops alone). Fermented with a proprietary mixed culture of brewers yeast sourced from a brewery famous for their hazy IPA's. Nothing has been done to stabilize or clarify this beer in any way, it is very volitile. Please drink as soon as possible."

COLOR: Grapefruit juice, very hazy

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Piney

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Citrus, lemon bit of alcohol taste

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Complex; Damn - that Middle Ages makes some good beers; Very drinkable - not over-the-top, but soooo good; Definitely has that juicy taste you expect from a New England with a bit of the alcohol taste underneath; Nice beer; Middle Ages is able to stay true to their brand while expanding into varying styles, their British roots pair well with this American IPA."

NEW ENGLAND IPA SINGLE BATCH 11

MIDDLE AGES BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England IPA; BREWER: Middle Ages Brewing, Syracuse, NY; ABV: 7%; HOPS: Azacca, El Dorado, Mosaic, Colombus.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This iteration of New England IPA is dry hopped with Azacca, El Dorado, Mosaic and a touch of Colombus. Fermented with an English Ale yeast that has become one of the most popular for this style."

COLOR: Grapefruit juice

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Minty/sweet/piney

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Pine, tropical fruit, hint of clove

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Even better than Single Batch 10 - a little better mouthfeel or something; New England IPAs are more complex than others, more difficult to brew; Tropics on the tongue; Nice full-flavored beer; Wonder if this will make it into bottles in some form or another the way Late Knight did eventually."

FRICKEN' WICKED

FULL BOAR BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWER: Full Boar Brewing, North Syracuse, NY, ABV: 7.2%

COLOR: Golden and filtered

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: A little bready, yeast

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Sweet up front, toffee/caramel, not as fruity as the others

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Certainly not the juice bomb you expect from a New England; Dangerously tasty though;  Frickin' good; No bitterness throughout; Nice bit of hoppiness at the end; Kind of a Pilsner taste; Lingering after-taste; Very pleasant."

BOOM SAUCE

LORD HOBO BREWING 

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWER: Lord Hobo Brewing Company;
ABV: 8%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Beer for the discerning drinker that appreciates quality and recognizes value."

COLOR: Cloudy orange-ish

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Pine, citrus

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Follows the nose: pine, citrus, grapefruit, hint of lemon and a subtle maltiness

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "I really like this beer; Big hop taste, nice pine and citrus flavors in there; Pretty easy-drinking for an 8%er; Little bit of malt gives it a bit more complexity than some of the others; Yeah, it's fairly balanced; Terrific beer, I've been keeping it as one of my regulars."

BREWERY BECKER

When we travel, my wife and I make a point of researching breweries and brew pubs near to our destination. At the very least we'll narrow down restaurants we wish to frequent based on their selection of craft beers. This despite the fact that my wife has no interest in craft beer. What a trooper! On a recent trip to Michigan, in the beautiful village of Brighton, I stumbled upon a place called Brewery Becker.

I wandered in one afternoon to check out their brews. As you can see by the beer menu at the right, this might not appear to be a hop-head's dream brewery. With styles such as Kolsch, Dusseldorier Altbier, Pilsner, Dunkelweizen, and Hefeweizen, it was easy to see that the brewery specialized in German-style lagers - not that there's anything wrong with that. Those just aren't the kinds of beers I'm most drawn to. Trust me, I am aware that there is a world of difference between an American mega-brew lager and a true German lager, it's just that my tastes run to hoppy ales. However there were a few names on that menu that intrigued me. Top of the list was a beer called Vargdricka. The brewery description of the beer says it is "A Scandinavian Farmhouse Ale. Based on the daily drink of the Vikings. A gruit ale, it is bittered with Juniper and Bog Myrtle. A Brewery Becker favorite." If you are wondering what a "gruit" ale is, it is basically any ale that does not use hops, but relies on other herbs for flavor and bittering.

Curious, I stopped in at Brewery Becker and ordered a Vargdricka. Right off I was impressed with the place by the generous pour.The beer was a kind of cloudy copper color. It is lightly carbonated with a pleasant aroma, though not one I could quickly identify so I assume it is the Juniper. The taste is initially sweet but rounds off into an interesting spiciness. It is absolutely a unique tasting beer, without being so far out there that it doesn't taste like beer. It really is quite a pleasant and very drinkable beer.
I asked if they had any IPAs and learned that normally they have one on tap but they were out. The interesting thing I learned about Brewery Becker is that they are dedicated to brewing beers based on traditional recipes - like the Vargdricka. Because the Vikings did not have hops they substituted various herbs to flavor their beers. I was then given a few (generous) samples of some of their other unique brews. Entire Butt, for example, is a beer from the Colonial era that is the precursor of Porters and Stouts. It was not uncommon in England for drinkers to combine beers. A typical combination might consist of  ale, which at the time was somewhat sweet, heavy and brewed with little or no hops, beer, which was much hoppier and therefore much more bitter, and Twopenny, a stronger ale. Thus the somewhat intriguing name Entire Butt, meaning the whole barrel. Brewed before the development of black malt, the beer is a dark brown and contains the nice coffee/malty characteristics you expect from a Porter or Stout. It is brewed strictly according to recipes of the time, using only ingredients available then. And it is delicious.
So, if you happen to be in the Brighton neighborhood, stop in at Brewery Becker. If you're a beer nerd like me, you'll find a fun and tasty experience.

Next month: Seasonal Ales

Slante,
The BOTB Guys

Growlers

Nothin' But Growlers

What exactly is a growler? I'm sure most of you reading this blog are familiar with the term and no doubt, like me, have several empty ones hanging around the house ready to be filled. However, for the sake of clarification, a growler is a jug, usually made of glass though occasionally ceramic, used to transport beer. The typical growler, as seen to the right, is 64 ounces, however they do come in 32 ounce size as well as 128 ounces. Generally growlers of beer are not sold in retail stores the way six packs or 22 oz. bombers are. Growlers are filled on-site either at a brewery or brew pub or a bar, restaurant or other establishment that has beer on tap. Growlers are usually either brown or clear glass. When properly sealed and stored, a growler can keep beer fresh for quite a long period of time. I have had growlers I've stored in my cellar fridge for a month and the beer was excellent when opened. The key is to make sure the growler is completely clean before filling. Most places will run your growler through a quick and thorough wash before filling. If it's a clear growler, keep it out of the light.

Early growlers

Why are they called growlers? The name dates back to the 19th century. The typical method of
transporting beer from a local tavern to one's home was to fill a lidded pail. In transport the beer would be splashed around inside the pail and the CO2 escaping from the lid apparently sounded like a growl. Thus the term "growler." When Charlie and Ernie Otto of Otto Brothers Brewing Company (now Grand Teton Brewing Company) of Idaho developed the large glass jug for transporting beer in the 1980's, the name stuck. (Thanks Wikipedia). For the most part you'll only find growlers in the U.S., Canada and Australia - in other words the non-English-speaking English-speaking countries.
.

With the growth of craft beers, growlers have become much more prevalent. This despite the fact that you pay about the same for 64 ounces as you would for the same beer in a six pack totaling 72 ounces. So why the rise in popularity? It's probably equal parts caché, perceived freshness and lack of 6-pack availability of some beers. Just as there is a certain je ne sais quoi to extracting a cork from a wine bottle as opposed to

An alternate style of growler with a porcelain
hinged top. There's a rubber gasket to keep
it airtight. 

 twisting off a cap or getting it from a box, there is that same "I don't know what" to opening up a growler that has been filled directly from a keg. Is the beer any better than it would be from a six-pack of bottles or cans? Might make for an interesting BOTB experiment down the road. But often, as was the case with several of the beers we tried this month, the brewery just doesn't bottle, so the only way to take it with you is with a growler.

Late last year we had a BOTB meeting where we brought our favorite beers to taste, review and rate. On July 31st (making the July deadline by the skin of our teeth) we had a similar meeting where we were to bring a favorite, or one we thought The Guys would enjoy, in a growler. The difference this time was that we didn't rate them against each other, but merely reviewed them. As has become our custom, we started with the lowest alcohol content and proceeded to the highest. That way we feel we can taste and appreciate each on its own merits and not be overpowered by a bigger beer.

AMERICAN PALE ALE

EASTWOOD BREWING COMPANY, EASTWOOD, NY
(Previously Double Barrel Brewing Company)

BOTB Note: Owner-brewer Pete Kirkgasser recently announced a name change. Firestone Walker Brewing Company brews a beer called Double Barrel Ale. The name is trademarked and Kirkgasseer was sent a cease-and-desist letter from Firestone Walker's lawyer. Thus the change of name to Eastwood Brewing Company.

Brewery Note: Eastwood Brewing is a nano-brewery, making most batches in a 1 barrel (31.5 gallon) brew kettle. They offer their beers as draft only - filling growlers. Eastwood has been open since early November 2013. Here's what we found:

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American Pale Ale; ABV: 6.0%

Color: Wheat to clover honey color

Pour: Decent head with good retention and some nice lacing

Aroma: hoppy / piney

Body: Medium

Taste: Balanced with  notes of pine

Overall Impression: Well on its way to "Can't Get Enough."

Comments: "This smells like a walk in the forest; It's a really nice blend, not too over-the-top with either hops or malt; It's a really good pale ale; This rivals a lot of IPAs; It could turn into a comfort beer; For the "New Kid on the Block" he's (Pete Kirkgasser - owner) doing all right; It just feels right - you can sip it or gulp it."

REBEL IPA

BOSTON BREWING COMPANY, BOSTON, MASS

The Beer Facts: STYLE: West Coast IPA; ABV: 6.5%; IBU: 45; MALT: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60; HOPS: American Caacade, Simcoe, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo; SRM: 11

What the Brewer Says: "Rebel IPA, the first West Coast style IPA from the same brewers that started a craft beer revolution in 1984."

Color: Copper

Pour: A very nice head, with decent retention and good lacing

Aroma: Toward the hoppy with a little more malt. There is a clean, piney nose.

Body: Medium

Taste: Initially a bit of a sweet taste, but bitter on the back end. There are notes of pine and a little hint of grapefruit.

Overall Impression: Midway between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough."

Comments: "There are usually some of these in my fridge; I'm glad Sam Adams is brewing a West Coast IPA, a good effort; One good thing is that you can always find it in the grocery store; It goes really well with pizza; It's a decent session type IPA; Nice finish; It's very drinkable."

INDUSTRIAL IPA

CORTLAND BEER COMPANY, CORTLAND, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 6.8%; IBUs: 79.9; SRM: 14.9

What the Brewer Says: "Typical of India Pale Ale, this ale is bold, assertive, and full of hop flavor. It has a medium to dry finish and a fantastic citrus overtone."

Color: Unfiltered buckwheat honey

Pour: Better than decent head, with good lacing

Aroma: Grassy hops

Body: A touch more than Medium

Taste: bitter, especially on the aftertaste, it fills the mouth and is heavy. There are notes of toffee.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough.

Comments: "this has a complex taste; There is a little more alcohol presence - it announces itself, but not overly; The aftertaste is almost like 'give me another taste'; This is a good local beer that rivals the national beers; It compares with the West Coast IPAs."

ARROGANT BASTARD

STONE BREWING COMPANY, ESONDIDO, CALIFORNIA

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American Strong Ale; ABV: 7.2%; IBUs: NA; HOPS AND MALT: Classified

What the Brewer Says: If you haven't done so already, just read the back of a bottle. It is the very essence of what craft beer is all about.

Color: Dark amber / brown

Pour: A high, creamy head that lasts

Aroma: Tends toward the malty with hints of citrus

Body: Between medium and full, more toward full

Taste: Leans to the malty, with notes of malt, toffee and caramel. Nice bitter hop bite with a nutty, malty fullness. Bit of a nice alcohol burn to it.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough

Comments: "An absolutely delicious beer; It really is tough to beat this beer, it's big and bold, but you can have a few as well; If you like craft beer, you're an Arrogant Bastard fan; See the bottle...; the balance of maltiness and hop resins is rewarding."

PINE TAR IMPERIAL IPA

MILL HOUSE BREWERY, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Imperial IPA; ABV: 9.0%; IBUs: 95

Color: Amber / orange

Pour: Very large white foamy head with not a lot of lacing

Aroma: piney / grassy hops

Body: Full

Taste: Initially sweet with notes of butterscotch

Overall Impression: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough."

Comments: "This has a GOOD flavor; It really snaps your neck back; It is nice and bitter at the end; It has a big burst of flavor; There is a good alcohol flavor at the back; It's a really nice beer; I could drink this; It is a 'kick-your-ass beer': It is soooooo good."

SMELLS LIKE A SAFETY MEETING

DARK HORSE BREWERY, MARSHALL, MI

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Imperial IPA; ABV: 8.5%

What the Brewer Says: "Take a wiff!"

Color: Amber / copper

Pour: Generous fluffy, creamy head

Aroma: Grassy / malty

Body: Full

Taste: Sweet with notes of caramel

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "It's a sweety; Tastes like a Breckenridge; It's a complex beer; Quite an interesting beer; It's real tasty - a good beer; I'm gonna sign up for a safety meeting; This is the most peculiar name for a beer that I've seen; A fine beer; It has a lingering piney taste."

MIDDLE AGES X

MIDDLE AGES BREWING, SYRACUSE, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Double IPA; ABV: 10.0%; IBUs: 90

What the Brewer Says: "Brewed in the style of an American Double IPA in celebration of our 10th anniversary. this beer is golden in color, had medium to full body, intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Ten additions of American hops are made throughout the brewing process."

Color: Unfiltered golden to light amber

Pour: Decent off white head

Aroma: Banana and clove

Body: Full

Taste: Hop bitterness right on the front with notes of banana, clove and butterscotch.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough

Comments: "This is a big one; You shouldn't operate machinery while drinking this beer;It has lots of alcohol, for sure, but it is balanced so it hides the alcohol; It just sits on my tongue; It tastes like a Middle Ages beer; It is English Ale-ish; I really like it; the bittering lasts through the swallowing; I like it a lot, but I couldn't drink a lot of it; It is very strong; It tastes like a 'hunting club' beer; I like this because that banana/clove taste is in the background and doesn't dominate - it compliments."

Miscellaneous Musings

Friend of the blog, Dave Grant, sent along one of his home brews for us to try and once again I was struck by how far home-brewing has come. I remember the first home brew I ever had years ago. In a word: awful. But Dave's beer, and those brewed by our own Mike Watkins as well as some others I have tasted are really terrific beers. Dave called his Hoppy Toady. It was a red IPA with a nice toffee malt flavor backed by a solid hop kick. Good beer. Thanks Dave.

 Speaking of Mike, he recently visited a few Central New York breweries along the Finger Lakes: 2 Goats Brewing in Burdett, NY, on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, Rooster Fish Brewing in Watkins Glen, NY, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, and Ithaca Beer Company in Ithaca, NY, just south of Cayuga Lake. The Finger Lakes have for several years been know for their wineries, with wine tours a staple around the lakes. But more and more craft breweries have been springing up around the lakes as well, and craft beer tours are gaining popularity. After sampling several beers from each brewery, Mike's recommendations are as follows:

2 Goats (the name is a play on Double Bock - bock being German for goat) - Goat Master Ultra Pale and XIPA were his favs. Also on tap they had Dirty Shepard Brown, Dirty Butt, Hefeweizen, Cream Ale, Goat Gasm (Ultra + IPA), Danger Goat Blonde, Dopplebock, and  Whiskey Richard (a big one at 12% ABV!)

Rooster Fish Brewing - On tap were: Summer Sky Hefeweizen, firehouse Blonde, Tripel Witch Belgian Tripel, Farmer Saison, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Mysterious Amber, Dog Tooth Pale Ale, Hop Warrior IPA, Original Dark Nut Brown Ale, Cocoa Porter, Raven Black IPA. His picks were Hop Warrior IPA, and Raven Black IPA.

Ithaca Beer Company - On tap were: Ground Break Saison Ale, Cayuga Cruiser (a Berliner-Weisse style ale), Flower Power IPA, Cascazilla Red IPA, Green Trail Session IPA, Apricot Wheat, #05256 (an amber ale made with a single new variety of hop yet to be named), Oatmeal Stout, White Gold. Mike's picks: Flower Power, Cascazilla, Green Trail, Oatmeal Stout.

 A while back I referenced an article in which Sam Adam's Jim Koch claimed that a teaspoon of yeast prior to each beer he drinks significantly reduces the effects of alcohol. Since that time there have been numerous articles written by bloggers and reporters anxious to test this theory (or find an excuse to drink during work hours). Just Google "Sam Adams Jim Koch and yeast" and you'll get a page of links to writers who have attempted this. The most scientific of these - performed by NPR - seems to show only a minor lessening of alcohol in the bloodstream, while other, more anecdotal accounts - primarily this one by the Daily News - seem to validate Koch's claims. I've tried this experiment myself in a completely unscientific manner at the last couple of BOTB meetings. Basically I gulped down a packet of dry yeast mixed with water a bit before the festivities (ugh - tastes like Death in a glass). My conclusion is that I seemed to feel the effects less than normal and we did have some pretty high ABV beers at both meetings. For me the jury's still out.

Next month we sample some Vermont beers Hud's providing after a grueling working vacation throughout that state. 

Sláinte,
The BOTB Guys