The first beer I ever drank in Vermont was a Back Acre Sour Golden Ale waiting on ice at Hotel Vermont's bar. Matt Canning, the hotel's Beer Concierge, had coaxed me to the region.
Many trips later, and this beer still pops up like a talisman. This Golden Ale is blended two or three times a year, and released two or three times a year. And that's it—they don't make any other beers.
Last night's bottle was at Hen of the Wood in Burlington, a place where I've eaten more than a few of my best meals ever. And it was a head-shaking reminder of how quickly friendships in beer can develop from a single glass of something beautiful.
This morning, Canning and I head north to Hill Farmstead's Festival of Farmhouse Ales.
—Michael Kiser