Idletyme Brewing Company - Stowe, VT

If you have been following Katie Wanders for a while, you probably know a few things to be true:  1) I love to be active and 2) I love to park my behind at a brewery immediately after said activity.   Hike/Ski/Run, Beer, Repeat.  And if I am being honest, it has to be good beer - preferably local, preferably new to me.  As some may tease, I have a loose set of rules when it comes to boozing in various locations.  You can drink a Narraganset on the Block Island Ferry... you can drink a PBR on a ski mountain, but in about every other situation, it has to be good beer. 

After a great hike up Mount Hunger, three silly sweaty hikers left the trailhead and immediately drove to one of the local breweries to drink cold beer (and cider, and vodka) and order everything on the menu that was deep fried or smothered in sauce and cheese.  A few hundred calories burned and a few thousand consumed.  It was a weekend for the books, just not the scales. 

Vermont is known for being a mecca of outdoor adventure and home to some great craft beer and cider.  There are over 50 breweries in Vermont making craft beer.  The area is home to several breweries, distilleries, cideries and even coffee shops and package stores that sell some of Vermont's best beer.  This area of Vermont boasts some of the states best including Alchemist, Idletyme Brewing Company, von Trapp Brewing, Rock Art, Lost Nation, Hills Farmstead, Stowe Cider, Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits, Green Mountain Distillers, Citizen Cider and Woodchuck Hard Cider. 

With so many options to chose from we let Liz, the resident expert, pick out a good spot for a cold pint and some high quality comfort food, a combination that is not always easy to find.  After a great hike, we ended up spending a rainy afternoon at Idletyme Brewery located right in the heart of Stowe, Vermont.

 Idletyme Brewing Company focuses on simple and seasonal, offering great beer, quality food, and an awesome environment to enjoy both in.  They focus on incorporating local Vermont flavors and a large board boasting the "Farm to Brewery" method greets you as you walk in.  The brewery space is open and industrial, with a large bar and several dining areas.  There is also a large outdoor area but with the pending storm, we pulled up seats inside around the bar.  The food menu at Idletyme offers a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and dinner entrees focusing on some of your favorite comfort foods (shrimp n grits anyone?).  I knew I wanted (correction, needed) a burger and the girls ordered some fantastically saucy wings and a chicken salad wrap.  We also ordered an extra side of fries HAND CUT and fried pickle spears to complete our feast of deep fried food.  Everything we ordered was soon demolished and the burger was everything I wanted and then some.  

To really get a grip on Idletymes beer selection, I decided to go with a flight of six beers that were conveniently served in an adorable old wooden ski. I tried the Islandtyme (8%  guava hoppy beer), Danube (5.5% blueberry hefeweizen, some of my favorite things in life combined), Pink N' Pale (5.5% the pale fermented with grapefruit), Simcoe Pale Ale (5.5%, citrus, fruit, dry), Mosaic DIPA (8% smooth malty fruity earth), and Idletyme (American style double IPA, 8%).  My favorites were the Danube and the Pink N' Pale because I love a good seasonal fruity beer.  Overall I thought they made some good beer with a good variety, including some fun seasonal twists on a few favorites.  I also thought they did a great job with their logos and graphics and was really impressed with the cans themselves.  

Good food and good beer under the same roof, and in one of Vermont's best little ski towns.  If you find yourself in Stowe with a mountain bike, or with a pair of skis over your shoulder, make sure Idletyme is on your list of places to park it after a long day on the mountain. Check out their fun seasonal takes on some of your favorite beer (Blueberry Hefes and Grapefruit Pale Ales to name a few).  Definitely order the burger and order an extra side of hand cut fries.  

A good hike, good beer, good food, and the best of company. 

Happy Sipping,