Vermont Vacation: Lost Nation Brewing

Photo by Lily Carey

Going to Vermont always brings new surprises and new beers to try, and of the newest beers I was lucky enough to drink on my vacation were from a new brewery housed in the place where an old brewery once was. Two brewers, Allen Van Anda and Jaime Griffith started planning their own brewing ideas when the Trapp Lager Brewery started an expansion and they started planning a new brewery of their own. Then the old Rock Art Brewery's space opened up, and after months of prep and who knows what else, Lost Nation Brewing opened it's doors.
When I saw Lost Nation Gose on the menu at The Farmhouse Tap and Grill in Burlington, VT I thought two things, first, I fucking love Goses and had to order it, and second, what the fuck is Lost Nation Brewing. I was already planning the trip across the state to hit up The Alchemist and Hill Farmstead, so what was one more stop on the way. I was assuming I'd pull up to a space and be able to taste a few beers, grab a growler of something and be on my way. What I wasn't ready for was an amazing smell of smoked meats and a bar full of people with delicious looking food in front of them. I immediately regretted eating anything that morning because I wanted to fill myself with everything going on in this place.

Photo by Lily Carey

I ordered a Vermont Farmstead Alehouse Creamy Cheddar plate with a Petit Ardennes, a belgian ale that was full of delicious clove spice and tasted a bit like every brewery smells, with that sweet grain smell in the glass. The lady ordered the Gose after stealing half of mine the night before, this time getting to take in the entire beer. The gose was equally delicious, with some nice coriander spice and that briny finish that pairs excellently with the creamy cheese, making it a beer you want to quench your thirst with and almost causes a bit of thirst at the same time. The cheese was amazing, and served with an excellent cherry jam that added a perfect fruity balance to the dry finish of the Petit Ardennes.
Vermont is full of amazing breweries, and Lost Nation Brewing added another stop on what's becoming an annual pilgrimage to Vermont. Session beers are becoming more and more necessary to me. Drinking imperial bombs are great, but being able to sit back and drink a 6 pack without feeling like I'm gonna wake up in a bathtub is equally important. Being able to drink all night while playing an epic 4 hour game of Arkham Horror and walk away unscathed isn't always easy, and finding low ABV beers that actually taste excellent isn't easy either. But Lost Nation Brewing is doing just that, and I hope one day I can pick up bottles of their beer anywhere, but for now it's worth the trip to Morrisville for a growler, some cheese and a sandwich.