Vermont Pub and Brewery

When Chris Went: January 16th, 2021

Where: 144 College Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Vermont Pub and Brewery is Vermont’s oldest microbrewery, opened by Greg Noonan and Bill Mares in 1988, making it older than any brewery in Connecticut. When it opened, Vermont Pub and Brewery was the first Vermont brewery in the state in ninety-four years. All the state’s breweries owe Greg Noonan a debt because it was his advocacy that got Vermont to change their liquor laws to allow for on-site sale of manufactured beer which made microbreweries and brewpub feasible. Since they opened in 1988, Vermont Pub and Brewery has won a number of awards for their different beers, including their Burly Irish Ale, Forbidden Fruit Framboise, and their Handsome Mick’s Smoked Stout. The pub is located in downtown Burlington, not far from the water and close to tons of great breweries and restaurants. The brewpub gives off a distinctly Irish pub feel in aesthetic, beer, and food.

Chris: I visited Vermont Pub and Brewery while it was snowing which led to a very picturesque scene. With its location in downtown Burlington we decided to make a day of it and see all the things the city had to offer, so that meant brunch, beer, and Ben & Jerry’s. Since we had already decided to have all the unhealthy food we decided to order some of the best poutine I have ever had. (I would be open to starting a craft poutine blog) We also wanted to try as many beers as we could so we got a flight. On a quick side note, I feel as though Vermont Pub & Brewery was the safest restaurant or brewery I have ever been to in terms of covid precautions. In terms of beer, I was a little disappointed that they did not have any darks for me to try, but I was able to sample four different beers. After reading the rave reviews of their beer I was not impressed, not giving any of the beers over a 3 out of 5, and it seems most people on untapped seemed to give similar ratings. I tried two sours, Forbidden Fruit and Spuyten Duyvil and did not think either was very good. Maybe we just came on an off day and got the B lineup instead of the A lineup. In summary, Vermont Pub and Brewery is a place with great history, great food, and okay beer.

Other Cool Things:

  • Merch for sale
  • Founder has written THREE books on brewing (two on lagers and one of scotch ale)
  • Take out available
  • Maybe you will see Bernie Sanders there

What Chris Drank:

Chris: Flash Mob (Pale Ale) 4.9% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Spuyten Duyvil (Sour) 5.6% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Regal (Lager) 4% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Forbidden Fruit (Raspberry Sour) 6% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Vermont Maple (Ale) 7.2% – 2.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Moerlein Lager House

When Shannon Went: October 17, 2020

Where: 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202

The biggest name in Cincinnati’s brewing history was Christian Moerlein, a Bavarian immigrant who built one of the largest breweries in the United States. Moerlein opened his brewery in 1853 and after a few years, his business was producing nearly 500,000 barrels of beer a year. When prohibition laws were initiated, the brewing facility became unprofitable and closed down in 1919. In 2004, a Cincinnati native bought the rights to Christian Moerlein and quickly began producing the same historic great tasting beer from back in the day. Today, the Moerlein Lager House is a three story building featuring a green roof, balconies and terraces with views of the Central Riverfront Park, Ohio River, Roebling Suspension Bridge and Great American Ball Park.

Shannon: I have a soft spot for breweries with deep historical roots. The Moerlein Lager House does a phenomenal job of honoring the original Christian Moerlein Brewing Company by displaying historic sketches and ads of the former brewing giant on their walls. A bigger honor reflecting their history is found in the beer! With nearly 100 beers on tap, some brewed in-house, others on guest tap or canned, Moerlein Lager House knows what they’re doing, especially with a traditional German lager. Overwhelmed by the options, the best way to tackle the tap list was with a flight. I enjoyed all four beers and if I wasn’t so full from my incredibly delicious fish sandwich, I probably would have ordered another pint. I have no doubt that I’ll never run out of options!

Other Cool Things:

  • Christian Moerlein, the founder, was a Bavarian immigrant and blacksmith
  • The Christian Moerlein Brewing Company was born in 1853 but closed after prohibition laws shut them down
  • Brewing the same quality and historic beers from the 1850s!
  • Over 100 beers available!
  • Open 7 days a week
  • Merch store for your Moerlein needs
  • Located right next to the Great American Ball Park where the Cincinnati Reds play
  • Full service kitchen serving up appetizes, main dishes, and desert – menu changes seasonally!
  • There is a dedication marker on the floor of the lobby for Pete Rose commemorating his record-breaking 4,192nd hit in 1985. 

What Shannon Drank: Flight Edition!

Orange Daydream (Cream Ale) 5.5% ABV – 4.5 out of 5

Baltic Porter (Porter) 6% ABV – 4 out of 5

Passionfruit Helles (Lager – Helles) 5.3% ABV – 4 out of 5

Third Wave (IPA) 6.2% ABV – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Front Porch Brewing Company

Front Porch Brewing - CT Beer

When Chris Went: November 29th, 2020

Where: 226 North Plains Industrial Road #4, Wallingford, CT 06492

Cute doggo

Wallingford has a pretty robust brewing scene with three breweries (Center Street, Cliffside, and Front Porch) and a cidery (New England Cidery). There are only a few places in Connecticut that you can go to one town and visit four places for craft beer or cider. Front Porch opened their taproom in late 2017 and are a true microbrewery. The taproom is very small with only 5 or 6 tables inside during normal times, although when we went in November it was still warm enough to use their outdoor seating. Like many microbreweries it is in an industrial park and the taproom is not much more than a bar inside a garage with a few tables. Most likely you will drive right passed the brewery without even realizing it.

Nice cans
Pretty tipsy

Chris: We decided to hit up Center Street, New England cidery, and Front Porch all in one day due to how close they all were. I had been to Front Porch before, but most of my friends had only had their beer from stores. The taproom is not much to look at and did not have a huge selection of beer, but they did try to get a least one beer per popular type. They had a few IPAs, a stout, and a sour. Obviously I decided to go for the stout, their Pistachio Puff Pastry. It was a white stout which was brewed with pistachios, lactose, vanilla beans, cacao nibs and marshmallow and was created in collaboration with Abomination Brewing Company in North Haven. All of my friends absolutely loved the beer, but I personally was not a fan of the stout. I thought it was way too sweet despite being an imperial at 10.1%. Overall, I would say that I have not been a fan of Front Porch Brewing’s beers. I have never given one of their beers above a 3.25 on Untapped. With that said, I know a lot of people, including friends who went with me in November, love their beer. They are closed for the winter season until April 1st, but maybe when they reopen, I will give them another shot.

Other Cool Things:

  • Dog friendly
  • Cool glasses (see image)
  • Cans to-go
  • Outdoor seating

What Chris Drank:

Chris: Killer Limes From Outer Space (Sour) 6% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Pistachio Puff Pastry (Stout) 10.1 % 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 2.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?