July, 2000

By Bobby Bush

No this isn’t an urgent plea for help. Three Needs Brewery Tap Room is the name of the other brewpub in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Just a few blocks up the street from Vermont Pub & Brewery, this rustic establishment has been open since November, 1995.

A scratched, worn hardwood floor sparsely cover by a few wooden tables, the C-shaped bar in this small room was full. Afraid of a Liquor Board sting during the annual beer festival, the nervous bartender carded everyone. Twelve tap handles offered Anchor Liberty Ale, Saranac Mountain Lager and other micros, along with four of Three Needs’ own. The brewhouse was nowhere in sight - and I forgot to ask. We sampled an amber, sweet-and-sour finishing ESB. My glass had to be completely empty before the paranoid bartendress would serve another. Dortmunder Lager was weak gold in appearance. Its flavor profile provided low malt visibility and a hoppy dry ending. Schwarzbier tasted of crystal malt embellished with little sprinkles of chocolate and a surprising dry mouth as each swallow ceased. Belgian Single was a contrast in sensations, beginning sweet and saying a sour, dry goodbye. Triple Wit was available in 12 ounce bottles but had to be - just my luck - consumed on premises. We left without trying this oddly named brew.

Though I met neither, Glen Walter is the owner and Dan Lipke the brewer for this hole-in-the-wall brewpub which emphasizes beer and not much else. Don’t forget, this is a college town.

The next morning we were up bright and early and headed 25 miles south for the 10:00 opening of Otter Creek Brewing. This sizable micro was established in 1991 and nine years later is brewing at an annual pace 23,000 barrels. Visible through glass windows, the brewery complete with kegging and bottling line, was nicely appointed, but idle this Saturday morning. However, the tasting room and merchandise shop were well stocked and included a full fledged stand-up bar with six handles.

Beer in hand, we walked through the aisles examining shirts, hats, glasses and more. Summer Wheat Ale was American style and crisp with little residual yeast effect. Medium-bodied Otter Creek Pale Ale was hopped strongly and had a soothing bitter finish. Slightly less hoppy, Copper made a nice session beer with its caramel finale. Jud’s Falt Ale, so called because an unnamed assistant brewer screwed up the hops addition, was a dry pale ale, while Stovepipe Porter, adorned with brown foam, was delicious with roasted and chocolate malt in careful balance.

Otter Creek also brews a second brand of beer called Wolaver’s Organic Ales, which is certified organic by Oregon Tilth, a group that does that sort of thing. We sampled a sweet, chocolate malty Brown Ale and learned that Jud’s had been intended as Wolaver’s Pale Ale. Not their fault, Lawrence Miller is Otter Creek’s brewmaster and owner. Franco Zauli serves as head brewer. Wolaver’s and Otter Creek beers can be found throughout New England and in Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. See www.ottercreekbrewing.com.

We back-tracked a bit up to South Burlington to visit a much newer, though very eclectic microbrewery. Magic Hat Brewing opened its doors in 1994 and moved into a barn-like warehouse on Bartlett Bay Road three years later. Like Otter Creek, they do big business in their gift shop/tasting room. A self-guided tour courses a catwalk above the brewing area. The bartender at the tasting bar, as helpful as he tried to be, struggled to keep up with requests for growlers-to-go. But we persevered.

Brewmaster Bob Johnson and his staff brewed 25,000 barrels last year. Ingenious and unusual are the operative words for Magic Hat’s beers. Hocus Pocus was a mild summer wheat with citrus conclusion. Representing 22% of Magic Hat’s sales, Fat Angel, subtitled A Pale Shade of Ale, was a clean dry-hopped pale. Medium-bodied with caramel notes, Bob 1st Ale was an Irish Red with dry tongue. Blind Faith, proclaimed by beer bard Michael Jackson as one of his favs, was a powerfully hopped IPA. With a big 55% of the volume, Number 9 was a pale ale made pleasant and soothing with apricot essence. Nitro-charged, Humble Patience was malty sweet. And YMP was a light ale with - are you ready - lemongrass and peppermint. Strange but good. See for yourself at www.magichat.net.

(Next installment: The Shed)

This article first appeared in Focus, a weekly paper published in Hickory, North Carolina.

© Bobby Bush