In this episode we meet with Tom Bedell, who has been writing about beer (and golf) since 1985.  Tim and Tom sit down to talk about Trappist Ales, at a local Brattleboro bar, Windham Wines.  Tom toured all of the Trappist Monastery’s in Belgium and gives us some insight as to what makes these breweries and their beers different.  While Tim and Tom talk mainly about Chimay, Westmalle, Orval, and Rochefort – Tom talks about all 7 Trappist breweries and clears up some of the questions about these world class beers.

Quarterly, Tom hosts a beer tasting at Windham Wine Bar.  This bar is located in our home town of Brattleboro, Vermont so be sure to stay with us at Forty Putney Road B&B while you are in town, we are even in walking distance to Windham Wines.  If you have been to any of the Trappist Monastery’s in Belgium please feel free to share your experiance in the comments below.  We would love to live vicariously through you and get some tips for our inevitable trip to visit them ourselves.

Related Posts:

• Brattleboro Brewers Festival 2010
• Brattleboro Brewers Festival and Pub Crawl
• Our Inn in Brattleboro Vermont

©2010 HereForTheBeer.com. All Rights Reserved.

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery is located in Waterbury, Vermont.  This 7 barrel brewing operation is owned by John and Jennifer Kimmich.  John and Jen met while working at the Vermont Brewery and Pub in Burlington, Vermont.  John was the brewer there while Jen was waiting tables and managing the pub.  Now this is a young entrepreneurial couple we can relate to!  They new they wanted to open their own brew pub and took that chance in the small town of Waterbury, Vermont.  Like many of us in Vermont we have learned that John and Jen share a similar ideal, which is supporting their local community.  The Alchemist Pub and Brewery is a member of Vermont Farm Fresh, which supports local Vermont Farmers.  They also support local artists, there pub is decorated with an aray of paintings and scultures  creating a unique and interesting atmosphere.

We have been to the the Alchemist Pub and Brewery on three separate occasions and each time the place is packed.  There is no mystery why this is the case.  Vermont is know for its craft beers, but in my opinion the Alchemist is the best in the state.  They are not afraid to be adventurous with there beers.  The beers are bold and flavorful with a nice balance of malts and hops.  The style of the Alchemist’s beers are more along the lines of what you may find on the West Coast as compared to what is readily available here on the East Coast.

If you are making the trip to Waterbury you will need something to do during the day as the Alchemist does not open until 4pm.  Waterbury is also home to Ben and Jerry’s “original” Ice Cream Factory, Green Mountain Coffee and The Vermont Teddy Bear Company.  Personally we do not need any other reason but beer to visit a town, however these places were a perk.  Waterbury has a cute little downtown, The Alchemist is located in the heart in the old post office.  Just another neat feature that sets this brewery apart from the others are the hops growing up the wall of this brew pub.  We had never seen hops still on the vine before.  Let me end by saying if you are planning a trip to Vermont be sure to spend a day in Waterbury, Vermont and go to the Alchemist Pub and Brewery.  If you are coming from the Boston or New York City area be sure to stop for a night at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast in Brattleboro, Vermont and say hi to us!

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