Our Inspiration

Stowe, VT

Known as the Ski Capital of the East, Stowe, VT has been a tourist destination since shortly after its founding in the late 1700’s. Originally a summer destination, the first ski trails were carved into Mt. Mansfield during the Great Depression. It would take a few decades, but ski tourism would eventually dominate the local economy and today the Stowe Mountain Resort boasts over 115 trails and 485 skiable acres.

Stowe is located further north than most east coast ski resorts, and this northern exposure provides for relatively good snow coverage and colder temperatures to maintain a deeper snow base. Stowe is also known for having some of the most challenging terrain on the east coast, with a vertical drop of 2,300 feet and a peak elevation of 3,625 feet.

Beyond the ski resort, the historic downtown offers a variety of restaurants, pubs and local shops. However, don’t expect to find happy hours in any of the local bars. Vermont state law prohibits any time-constrained discounts for alcoholic beverages.

The Style

Winter Warmer

The Winter Warmer was born out of two styles of beer: The Strong English Ale and the spiced Wassail. With a slightly elevated alcohol by volume of 5-8%, these beers typically feature strong notes of spices, caramel and raisin. Relatively complex, our Hearthside Winter Warmer gets its flavor of sweet caramel, spice and molasses from the unique grain bill and hops we have selected.

The origin story of the first winter warmers are difficult to trace. Although their existence can certainly be traced back centuries, their popularity exploded in the late 1980s when the first craft breweries in the United States began to experiment with small batch season beers.

We are inspired by those pioneers of the craft beer industry and brew our seasonal Hearthside Winter Warmer in their honor.