Burlington: Guided Brewery Tour with 12 Vermont Craft Beers

4.82

(133 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone’s handing me a cold glass before I’ve even finished my first question—turns out our guide, Mike, knows when people are thirsty. We pile into this van (air-conditioned, thank god, because it’s muggy) plastered with cartoon hops and inside jokes only beer nerds get. The group’s a mix of college friends from Boston and a couple celebrating their anniversary—everyone kind of sizing each other up at first, but that fades fast once the first brewery hits us with that malty smell. I didn’t expect to laugh so much before noon.

First stop is 1st Republic Brewing. Shawn, one of the founders, tells us about coming back to Vermont after serving overseas—his hands move a lot when he talks about brewing, like he can’t quite separate the military discipline from the joy of making beer. Their IPA is sharp and piney; my friend tried to guess the hops and got it totally wrong (Shawn just grinned). There’s this easy camaraderie in the taproom—someone plays darts badly in the corner—and honestly, I could’ve stayed there all afternoon. But we’re herded back into the van for round two.

Queen City Brewery is next. The place smells like toasted bread and something sweet I can’t name. Our guide points out these weird old barrels and mentions “Steinbeer”—they heat rocks to brew it? I still don’t get how it works but the smoky caramel taste lingers longer than I expected. Paul (the brewer) lets us peek at some bubbling tanks; he shrugs off compliments but you can tell he’s proud. We try maybe four or five beers here—my notes got fuzzy after number three if I’m honest.

Last stop: Zero Gravity Brewing down in South End Arts District. It feels different—more polished but still friendly. Destiny pours us a crisp pilsner while telling stories about squeezing their whole operation into a tiny kitchen back in ’04. There’s a snack break here (pretzels? Something salty that hit the spot), and someone asks about vegetarian options—it’s handled without any fuss. At some point we all start swapping favorite beers like old friends. The ride back is quieter, everyone mellowed out by good company and twelve (!) little glasses of Vermont craft beer. I keep thinking about that smoky Steinbeer though—might be my new favorite thing.