Lost Nation Brewing- Morrisville, Vermont

What would a Katie Wanders trip to Vermont be without stopping at a brewery?  The amount of New England breweries I have visited in the one year I have been home is impressive and alarming.  When traveling north to hike, bike, ski and play in the mountains,  a stop at a new brewery is just the perfect way to break up a road trip (as counter-intuitive as that may sound).  So yes, I have done a lot of hiking, biking, skiing and playing in my year here.  Oh yeah, and a fair amount of drinking I suppose. 

If I am driving to Vermont, Maine or New Hampshire I will almost always see what kind of fast funky stops are along the way.  Stopping in at a new brewery is always a fun way to sample new (to me) local beers and get a little bit of the culture of the area.  Today's post is of course, a Vermont weekend road trip pit stop.  And a great one at that.  Long story short we found and liked their beer (particularly the mosaic IPA) on various taps and cans across the state.  Finally, after driving home from Smugglers Notch, we were happy to see Lost Nation right on the way home.  Otherwise, the brewery is pretty far up in northern Vermont and out of the way but if you are in the area (especially on the way to Smuggs), this is a must stop.  

The New England beer scene has exploded, especially in the realm of hoppy double IPAs.  But because of this, I get insanely excited when I see some local beers on a menu that aren't trying to knock my socks off with some 10% double IPA.  Sometimes, you just want a drinkable beer, you know?  When I visited the lovely state of Maine, Allagash was that brewery.  

 Lost Nation had that for me here in Vermont, and introduced me to a new love of a very different type of beer (spoiler: their gose! ).  This is the first gose I have ever really enjoyed and wanted to take home.  Most of the gose's I have tried are just plain weird.   They also brew my tried-and-true favorite beer, a  farmhouse saison.  Sidenote:  The way to my heart is with a good spiced saison and a burger with fries.  Pizza will also do.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Before I talk about my favorite beer and give you all the secrets on wooing Katie Wanders, let's talk a little bit about the brewery. 

Lost Nation is located in the sleepy Vermont town of Morrisville.  Their logo features their building, a big red barn style structure (not really among a grassy field, more of at the end of the parking lot but you can use your imagination, right?).  There is a great outdoor space for the warmer months, and an indoor space with a long bar and various tables and chairs.

Lost Nation also serves food and has an impressive Rotating Menu featuring local Vermont products. Vermont cheese of the day?  Artisan meats of Vermont chorizo patty?  Gouda and gose fondue?  SIGN ME UP.   While we didn't enjoy any of the food on this visit, the menu looked unique and everything sounded divine.  I have heard the food is amazing and I am kicking myself in the butt that we didn't get to enjoy any.  But I digress. Again.

So, what is the style, theory, and soul behind Lost Nation?  "After years honing our skills in the brewing and process industry, we set forth to create a brewery with a simple mission; to produce honest beer. The result is a 7,000bbl brewery located in Northern Vermont that is capable of brewing any style of ales and lagers. The brewery takes inspiration from lesser-known European beer styles, along with local Vermont life to guide our brews. The attention to detail, modern equipment, and love for beer help produce truly authentic, unique beers. Enjoy!"-- Allen Van Anda & James Griffith — Founders / Co-Brewmasters

So there you have it, detail + modern equipment + love for beer + Vermont = honest authentic beer.  And most importantly, they are making lesser known European style beers, i.e. ales and lagers. Move Over double IPA's, we are growing old of that trend fast. 

Year Round Offerings

GOSE (4.5%):  pronounced goes-uh. "A traditional German beer style that was all but extinct 30 years ago. An amazingly refreshing beer brewed with coriander and sea salt. The tart, dry finish combined with the hint of salt and citrus leaves your palate craving another sip".  Katie Wanders Favorite.  I loved the saltyness and refreshing taste to this beer.  This is what I will be drinking all summer long. I left with cans of the gose.

SAISON LAMOILLE (5.9%):  A slightly lower alcohol version of the classic farmhouse style. Hazy golden beer with notes of fruit, spice, and funk.  Katie Wanders Second Favorite. I love a saison, the spicier the better.  This one was a nod to one of my favorite classic beers.

VERMONT PILSNER (4.8 %)"Our golden lager is a crisp, clean, easy drinking beer that has a full, balanced hop finish. This Franconian style Pils is perfect for any occasion".

RUSTIC ALE (5.2%);  A ruby colored ale that has a pronounced hop character. This smooth beer features a soft malt body that is complimented by a generous amount of American hops both in the kettle and after fermentation.

PETIT ARDENNES (4.2%):  The Ardennes Forrest is a region in Belgium where some of the world's best beers are produced. We used these beers as inspiration in brewing this Belgian session ale. Petit Ardennes is a light bodied blonde beer with notes of spice, herb, and tropical fruit. A very sessionable beer with a low alcohol content that still has great flavor.

 PITCH BLACK (5.4%):  Pitch black is designed as a dark beer that any beer drinker can enjoy. Although the color is black, the beer drinks smooth and finishes clean with subtle notes of smoke and roast balanced by a gentle malt body and crisp hop finish.

MOSAIC (5.5%):  Our single hop IPA is brewed and dry hopped with Mosaic hops. Clean and crisp with an incredible balance between juicy fruit flavors and hop bitterness. Thatcher favorite and this came home with us as well. We had been sampling this one since Kingdom Trails last fall. 

** Other beers are offered on a seasonal basis as a "limited release" beer.  We brought home the Roll Away IPA as well as the Mosaic, two IPAs that were different from their other low ABV  year round offerings.  If you like a hoppy bit to your beers (aka most IPAs) you will enjoy these.  

ROLL AWAY IPA (6.8%):  Cherry and tropical fruit notes and a candy-like aroma from the ever popular El Dorado hops.   Thatcher favorite and this came home with us as well.

Guest Offerings -  Other revolving taps included guest taps from other breweries and fun offerings like cider, kombucha and root beer. 

Tap Room:  Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30 to 9:00.  

Lost Nation Brewing | 87 Old Creamery Road | Morrisville, VT 05661 

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Smugglers Notch Ski Resort, Vermont