Never really got into most of the Magic Hat offerings. Single chair was ok. I was surprised they never really did much with the tap room, instead keeping it to just to small samples and merchandise rather than going full tap room like everyone else
Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
21–30 of 155 posts
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#22Vermont today has much better beer than Magic Hat (even at its height). They tried a lot of different stuff, and most of it just wasn't very enjoyable. What Magic Hat did have was beautiful marketing and wider distribution. It has to be partially by choice, but The Alchemist and Lawson's make some of the best beer I have ever had, but they are both impossible to find outside of New England and a few parts of New York…
From what I can tell, New England IPAs–especially the coveted ones such as Heady Topper–really only work when you can control for freshness.
As soon as the beer gets canned its got 2-4 weeks where you can drink it and say "wow, that's amazing". After that you'll have it and think "ok, a bit overhyped".
Distributing beer throws freshness out the window. A liquor store may put it in the back for a month before they throw it on the shelf and then your prospective customers won't get the best impression your beer can offer, as it's tarnished while waiting in that can. So now there's this surge of brewery controlled distribution where you make these pilgrimages to buy a bunch of beer that they'd canned only a few days prior, attracting people to enjoy it when it tastes its best and spread the word.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#23A lot of really good entrepreneurial food companies have come out of Vermont, Ben & Jerry's being the most famous. Like MH, it was acquired by a multinational company (Unilever) although it still strives to retain its independence and Vermont character. We live in an adjoining state, and get cheese, chocolate, beer, and syrup from Vermont producers. There's even roasted coffee beans from a producer up there that my wife likes. Most aren't known outside of the northeast.
The thing is, in order to survive almost all of these Vermont food ventures have to "export" to other states. The local market isn't big enough. This encourages them to be more experimental, which fits with the state's independent streak but is also necessary to attract die-hard fans elsewhere.
To give one pre-pandemic example, if the local cheesemakers attempted to sell product that was just like what you can find in the supermarket there's no way consumers in other states would notice it, much less the restauranteurs in New York and Boston.
[Edited Unilever reference]
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#24Vermont today has much better beer than Magic Hat (even at its height). They tried a lot of different stuff, and most of it just wasn't very enjoyable. What Magic Hat did have was beautiful marketing and wider distribution. It has to be partially by choice, but The Alchemist and Lawson's make some of the best beer I have ever had, but they are both impossible to find outside of New England and a few parts of New York…
Lawson's started brewing at Two Roads in CT and got a distributor in CT and it's been a lot easier to find at least here in NJ within the past year. I also recently got Heady and Focal down here but I am not sure where the distributor got it from or if it was a one off thing. You probably already know about them but Hill Farmstead is my favorite in VT. I used to go there a few times a year when I lived closer by.
Sip of Sunshine has always been brewed at TwoRoads. Super Session is also brewed there. The rest of the line up is local at the Waitsfield or Warren facility. Double Sip came before Sip as well.
Alchemist AFAIK only has local distribution within 25 miles of the brewery in Stowe by their own trucks/vans.
(adding) If you find yourself in the central VT area, the Lawson's tap room is really nice facility, definitely check it out.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#25Vermont today has much better beer than Magic Hat (even at its height). They tried a lot of different stuff, and most of it just wasn't very enjoyable. What Magic Hat did have was beautiful marketing and wider distribution. It has to be partially by choice, but The Alchemist and Lawson's make some of the best beer I have ever had, but they are both impossible to find outside of New England and a few parts of New York…
Lawson's started brewing at Two Roads in CT and got a distributor in CT and it's been a lot easier to find at least here in NJ within the past year. I also recently got Heady and Focal down here but I am not sure where the distributor got it from or if it was a one off thing. You probably already know about them but Hill Farmstead is my favorite in VT. I used to go there a few times a year when I lived closer by.
I still find Hill Farmstead nearly impossible to find, even being in Vermont. They make great beer, but also show that exclusivity adds a lot to the mystique.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#26As a craft beer lover, I'm really at odds with what to think about where the scene is today. There are so many breweries out there that are brewing some really great beer and coming up with some interesting styles. In many places there's a recapturing of what I'd call "beer as place" with beirgartens, brew-pubs, and breweries themselves having a more open and inviting experience to hang out and drink beer. It's tasty…
I used to be really into discovering beers, but I usually just drink Founders All Day IPA these days, with a German Pilsner as a backup. There are only a couple months out of the year here in Florida where I'd want something that over 5%, though.
As I venture more into my 30's, I almost exclusively drink session beers when I want something hoppy. Drinking even one 8%+ ABV DIPA leaves me pretty much useless the next day.
Founders All Day IPA is a solid go to. Other session IPAs/APAs I enjoy are Notch Left of the Dial, Lagunita's DayTime, Harpoon Rec League, and Zero Gravity Little Wolf APA.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
>production is just being moved to Rochester though. I don't think this really captures how important small business is to Vermont. This is likely culling a lot of jobs across the whole supply chain that locals rely on to survive.
I think GC was more referring to the "fall" in the article's title. This might be bad for Vermont, but it's hardly the "fall" of Magic Hat.
There are more than enough brewers and distillers in VT that it won't be that big a deal. Regionally at least, Alchemist, Lawsons and Switchback are bigger names now.
Hemp has also become a thing.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lawson's started brewing at Two Roads in CT and got a distributor in CT and it's been a lot easier to find at least here in NJ within the past year. I also recently got Heady and Focal down here but I am not sure where the distributor got it from or if it was a one off thing. You probably already know about them but Hill Farmstead is my favorite in VT. I used to go there a few times a year when I lived closer by.
I still find Hill Farmstead nearly impossible to find, even being in Vermont. They make great beer, but also show that exclusivity adds a lot to the mystique.
AFAIK its only available on tap, frequently at ski area restaurants.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#29I think an issue the American craft beer scene has is quantity over quality. Some American beer places I go into have like forty different beers on tap, and are really proud of it. I find it hard to believe that forty beers are being kept fresh and live and maintained properly. Are they replacing them every few days or are the less popular ones in a range that wide sitting there for weeks? I feel like they're ending up quietly taking lower-quality shortcuts like using kegs rather than casks. I don't know why they don't focus on fewer, higher quality beers, rather than a ridiculously wide range.
Re: Magic hat leaves behind a transformed craft beer industry in Vermont
#30As a craft beer lover, I'm really at odds with what to think about where the scene is today. There are so many breweries out there that are brewing some really great beer and coming up with some interesting styles. In many places there's a recapturing of what I'd call "beer as place" with beirgartens, brew-pubs, and breweries themselves having a more open and inviting experience to hang out and drink beer. It's tasty…
I used to be really into discovering beers, but I usually just drink Founders All Day IPA these days, with a German Pilsner as a backup. There are only a couple months out of the year here in Florida where I'd want something that over 5%, though.
You should try to get your hand on some of Lawson's Super Session #N, N varying by time of year and reflective of the type of hops used.