In Graham Greene’s Travels With My Aunt, the narrator and protagonist, Henry Pulling, makes a wise observation: “A long experience with clients has made me prefer a shabby whisky-drinker to a well-dressed beer-drinker.”
But Greene didn’t live to see the now-robust world of craft beers, which is as complex and nuanced as an Islay single malt. The scene has certainly been booming—especially in Maine, Vermont, and Colorado. (And it’s a growing industry in New York and California too.)
But where to begin—and how? At Burlington’s LEED-certified Hotel Vermont, beer concierge Matt Canning has been introducing—and educating—connoisseurs and neophytes alike since 2013. The hotel’s “Hops and Malts of the Matter” package (which runs from May to October) has Canning leading full-day tours on Wednesdays—allowing guests access to some of the world’s most sought after (and hard-to-find) brews such as Hill Farmstead, Heady Topper,
But if you can’t make it to one of his mid-week tours, Canning offers his 13 favorite craft beers below. “Full disclosure, though: I’m partial to Vermont beers. In particular, I’m partial to hoppy Vermont ales,” says Canning. “But this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a Bavarian masterpiece or a Belgian classic. My palate is a product of my surroundings—and Vermont brews worldclass IPAs. My top five beers are reflection of this sentiment, they are all brewed in Vermont, they’re all hop forward and high in alcohol and none are distributed outside of the Green Mountain State.”
Fortunately, the eight others he recommends are.
If you can't make it to one of Matt Canning's mid-week tours, Juniper (Hotel Vermont's bar) will... [+]
"My all-time favorite," Canning declares. "This cloudy, exceedingly drinkable IPA is brimming with Citra hops. The balance in this beer is unparalleled."
"Focal Banger is almost stylistically identical to Susan in terms of appearance (golden and cloudy), ABV (7%), and hop profile (heavy on the Citra). This is Heady Topper’s younger sister and only sold a handful of times a year at the Alchemist Truck Sale."
"This is a big, juicy beer," Canning notes. "Its appearance is opaque and golden yellow. Sipping Mastermind is a full sensory experience. It’s hard to believe this beer is north of 8% ABV."
"The Vermont craft beer hysteria starts and ends with Heady. Ratebeer.com has rated Heady as the number one beer in the world for two years running now. It has the big flavor and aroma of tropical fruit with a touch of pine. And Heady’s hop profile is in a league of its own: This nuanced double IPA is by no means a 'hop bomb.'”
"An imperial pale ale, this beer is bursting with floral notes of West Coast hops. Its aroma comes from double dry hopping, adding whole hops during the fermenting process. Why has Hill Farmstead been rated the number one brewery in the world by beeradvocate.com two out of the last three years? Abner is brewed with well water from the family well and Shaun Hill is a world-class brewer."
Bourbon County Stout, Goose Island
"The standard for all barrel aged stouts," Canning says. "This beer has a cult following that includes this Beer Concierge. This pitch-black viscous brew is aged in bourbon barrels and released only once a year. Chocolate, caramel, and smoke on the nose—and rich oak from the barrels on the finish. Tread lightly—this beer is 14% ABV."
"A true 'beer drinker's' beer. This version of the aforementioned Susan is wild fermented with local microflora and aged for a year in French oak barrels. This is complex, a bit tart, funky, and reminiscent of a Vermont barnyard."
"The Quebecois are our close neighbors and friends here in Vermont and make some of my favorite beers. This Belgian style Quadrupel is the perfect adult beverage for a –10°F night in Vermont or Montreal. Rich and syrupy with distinct Belgian yeast flavors this beer can be sweet and spicy at the same time and finish with a bit of nuttiness. The rich flavors aren’t the only reason I suggest this beer on a cold Northern night, the 10.5% ABV keeps one warm as well."
"Lunch is one of my top ten beers," Canning says, "but Maine Beer Co. is one of my top five breweries. Lunch is the only 'East Coast style' IPA on my list: It’s crisp and piney in comparison to fruity and dank like the 'West Coast' styles. This is about as seasonable as a 7% beer gets, think fried seafood and sea breeze."
"Hailing from another top five brewery for me, Supplication is the crown jewel of Russian River’s barrel-aged series. This brown ale is aged one year in Pinot Noir barrels from nearby Sonoma County. The dominant yeast strain is brettanomyces and the ale is finished with wild cherries. It pours a deep amber color, the mouth feel is delicate, the flavor is tart, and it finishes dry similar to tannins in wine. Much like wine, I recommend letting this beer open up in a glass."
"Many consider Ommegang the premier Belgian-style brewery in the States, and this Beer Concierge concurs. Three Philosophers is a blend of a Belgian Quad and a Liefmans Kriek. This dark red ale shows beautifully in a glass. The flavor profile is sweet, malty with a bit of stone fruit. Think dessert. One has to wonder, where are they hiding all these monks in upstate New York?"
Peeper Ale, Maine Beer Company
"Peeper Ale is Maine Beer Co.’s flagship beer. It’s essentially summer in a bottle. This beer was intended to be enjoyed on the Maine coast with a fishing pole in hand. It’s light and crisp with plenty of hop identity—but without the bitterness and a low ABV. It doesn’t do this beer justice to drink one at a time."
"Lost Nation is one of the few breweries to brew this traditional German-style beer. The Gose was extinct for the better half of a decade post WWII and resurrected in the late 1980s. Brewed with coriander and salt, this beer has a sour component as well. The salt is what leaves the Gose finish dry, encouraging another sip. This is not the type of beer that one is immediately drawn to: There are not many commonalities in it, but once a Gose palate has been developed, there’s no going back."
