Up on the Hilltop With Hill Farmstead
photo by Phil Galewitz
The taproom is closed, but worth a visit to this Vermont brewery for a drive-through pickup
The drive to Hill Farmstead Brewery is mostly along a two-lane road through small towns and forests in Vermont’s isolated Northeast Kingdom.
About three miles from the brewery you turn onto a dirt road. After passing under a large canopy of trees you emerge about a mile later to drive by a handful of dairy farms before rounding a bend. Its here when you catch your first glance of the brewery’s two story, brown shake and shingle buildings, white grain silo surrounded by evergreen trees, and an expansive lawn.
Welcome to the place that for the past seven years has been ranked “the best brewery in the world” by Ratebeer. The ranking are compiled from more than 4.2 million customer and industry reviews. The top ranking is all the more incredible since Hill Farmstead sells its beers only at the brewery.
On a normal day, I would have parked and walked into the tap room that has a wrap around deck that looks out over the Green Mountains. But being in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, I pulled into the drive through line and waited my turn to pop open my trunk to pick up my pre-ordered beer. I gave my name and identification to the woman out in front of the brewery, who smiled through her face mask and moments later delivered a four-pack of 16 ounce beers and three bomber-style 750 ml bottles.
founder Shaun Hill, photo by Matt Furman
Among my choices were the Anna, a pale ale brewed with Vermont wildflower honey, E., a pale ale aged in oak barrels; and Self-Reliance (there are many variances by #), another pale ale hopped with special German hops. The four pack was the Walden, a modest 4% abv. Blonde ale brewed with Amarillo®, Motueka, and Simcoe hops.
When I pulled into a parking area to inspect my loot and admire the million-dollar view, I watched a steady stream of cars pull into the brewery, which is 2 hours east of Burlington, Vt. and 40 minutes from the nearest interstate highway. I chatted with a few other visitors who also had travelled far, including from Boston and southern New Hampshire.
Like its rural and out of the way location, the limited distribution of Hill Farmstead beers is part of the brewery’s mystique. Hill Farmstead makes little effort to publicize itself beyond an Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Its owner, Shaun Hill, keeps a low profile except for his eloquent commentaries on his Instagram page.
Farmstead history
This year mark the 10th anniversary for Hill Farmstead. But the Hill’s history in the Northeast Kingdome stretches back to 1788. The brewer’s logo takes inspiration from a tavern owned by the family in the Greensboro area over a century ago. Over the decades, numerous family members have worked the land in and around Greensboro, including Shaun's grandfather and his 13 siblings, all of whom were born and raised on the land upon which sits Hill Farmstead Brewery. For much of its history, the land has been working dairy and crop farm.
Shaun founded the brewery on his family’s land after returning from Denmark where he had spent two years brewing beer. Hill was always interested in the fermentation process and make his first homebrew while still in high school.
photo by Phil Galewitz
The beer
When making beer Shaun’s stated goal leans toward terms not often found in brewing—elegance, sophistication and tasteful simplicity.
His first beer—and the beer that put him on the map nationally—was Edward, an American pale ale named for his grandfather. The company describes the beer this way: “Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his five children. In his honor, this American Pale Ale is dutifully crafted from American malted barley, a plethora of American hops, our ale yeast and water from Edward’s well.” Another early beer was the Anna, his grandfather’s sister. The Clara, is a Grisette named for another of his grandfather’s sisters. The Arthur, named for his grandfather’s brother, was the brewery’s first saison. In all, Hill Farmstead has made over 300 beers, from simple golden ales to bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts, brewed with Vermont’s maple syrup.
Shaun said his favorite beer is Art (the wine barrel conditioned version of Arthur). It was born out of necessity, as he had some Arthur beer left over after selling the rest to a distributor about ten years ago. “It was the happenstance of having some (wine) barrels on hand, no money in the bank, nowhere to sell the beer, and only the potential benefit of time and forethought,” he said.
Hill often quotes scholars and academics when talking about brewing showing his philosophical side. In 2020, Hill has become more reflective in describing his path in life and beer. “Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay ‘Self-Reliance’ inspires and compels our persistent reflection, examination, and refinement,” he wrote recently.
Phil Galwitz outside the brewery
“From our ongoing pursuit of unique and personally selected hops to our steady quest after refinement and the individualized expression of elegance in all of our beers, Emerson’s urging to ‘insist on yourself; never imitate’ provides motivation towards greater self-exploration, self-expression, and self-realization.”
That’s how Hill described the its “Self-Reliance” series of IPAs made with a single hop style.
On the week I visited, I was able to buy the Hallertau Mittelfrüh installment. This 6% ABV batch features selected hops from Germany, and was conditioned in oak barrels for 3 months. The beer was a combination of semi-sweet and tart with a dry finish that tasted delightful.
The 4% ABV Walden blonde ale I tried next was quite hoppy with earthy and floral notes, yet still light and refreshing. How fresh? The beer was canned three days before I picked it up.
Hill Farmstead had lived up to the hype.