Magic Hat Brewing Company
5 Bartlett Bay Road South Burlington, VT 05403
802-658-BREW (2739)

After Long Trail, we headed to the Magic Hat Brewery in Burlington.
This is definitely the most colorful brewery we've ever visited.
Loud music, flashing lights, and many 20-somethings filled the gift shop and sampling bar.
One had to be pretty aggressive to obtain samples that Saturday afternoon.
The pre-tour movie is very inspirational and demonstrates the love of craft beer that many of us share.
The tour was wall to wall, over 50 people were present, and it was difficult to hear the guide. That didn't matter so much to me; I've toured dozens of breweries, and if one wants to hear the guide, then stand right next to him or her.

My first taste of Magic Hat was the Wacko I had at the Mount Hope, PA BeerFest in May 2010. Perhaps it's me, but I still haven't found one of their beers that I love.
The beers have interesting tastes, but seem a little off the mark.
A friend who is twenty years younger loves the Number Nine. Maybe it's a generational thing...

Long Trail Brewing Company
5520 U.S. 4,
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont 05035
(802) 672-5011

Our next stop after Harpoon was the
Long Trail Brewing Company in nearby Bridgewater Corners.
Long Trail beer was originally brewed in the Bridgewater Woolen Mill nearby in Vermont's Green Mountains.
By 1994, however, Long Trail had outgrown that venue, and moved a short distance to a state-of-the-art facility on the banks of the Ottauqueechee River.
There is a well-marked self-guided tour upstairs, as well as a restaurant and bar, where a visitor can obtain samples, sandwiches, and beer to-go.
Again, since fall is approaching, I had the Harvest beer.
A bit heavier than the Oktoberfest, dark color, good finish.
We liked the vibe at Long Trail as it seemed more laid back than our previous stop, and, more akin to Vermont.

Harpoon Brewery
336 Ruth Carney Drive Windsor , VT 05089

Right across the river from Cornish, NH, via a typical New England covered bridge, is the Vermont location of
Harpoon Brewery in Windsor.
There are guided tours, as well as a very brief self-guided tour area, a restaurant/bar, and beer garden.
As it was almost fall, I had a pint of the Oktoberfest.
Good taste, nice dark color, though it lacked a “wow” factor. Jen sampled several and we agreed that the UFO Hefeweizen was our favorite. This is a very light, golden- colored brew with hints of citrus and a smooth finish.