Stowe—Aways In Vermont

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of Zymurgy Magazine

By Mark Pasquinelli

A Homebrewing Couple’s Anniversary Adventure

My wife Karol and I were all-in for an anniversary vacation to Stowe. It would be a much-needed respite from the travails of life–an opportunity to restore our souls. She could do some bird watching in that outdoor wonderland, and, of course we’d visit the iconic breweries, providing us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to up our homebrewing games.

For us, Stowe holds a curious fascination–a tiny town in northern Vermont that somehow became the epicenter of a craft beer Mecca, the home of the New England IPAs and–surprise!–the maker of wunderbar German lagers. We planned visits to Idletyme, von Trapp, and The Alchemist to interview the brewers. Karol would assist as my photographer and help with the interviews, posting hard-hitting 60 Minutes-style questions.

We knew of the town’s reputation for friendliness and, sure enough all three brewers were more than happy to meet with us and share their knowledge.

Access the full article in the January/February 2024 Zymurgy magazine.

This article includes the following homebrew recipes:

• Idletyme Helles Brook Lager
• Idletyme Zog Pale Ale
• Focal Point (inspired by The Alchemist’s Focal Banger)