6 Best Sights in Northern Vermont, Vermont

The brewery that launched a beer revolution in Vermont with its Heady Topper welcomes guests to its shop, tasting room (known as the Beer Café), and seasonal beer garden. Tours of the brewery last about 40 minutes, and include insight into the brewery's impressive sustainability mission as well as how the beer gets made, a commemorative tasting glass, and a can of beer.

Acclaimed brewer Todd Haire spent 13 years at Magic Hat Brewing Company and another two years at Switchback Brewing Co. before opening his own Burlington operation alongside fellow co-founders Bobby Grim, Sam Keane, Jon Farmer, and Dani Casey in 2016. Since then, Foam has gained international praise, including a spot as one of the world's 10 best new breweries—bestowed by BeerAdvocate—the year they opened. The brewery sources more local ingredients than just about any other beermaker in the state: all their beers have at least a portion of local hops, all the barley is grown regionally in New England, and all the wheat is grown in Vermont. Some limited edition brews even incorporate produce, in a collaboration with area organic farms. A limited menu of charcuterie and bar snacks is available for noshing either in the family-friendly taproom or on the outdoor patio with stunning views of the Lake Champlain waterfront. Attached sister restaurant Deep City has the best brunch in town.

It is difficult to quantify owner and master brewer Shaun Hill's contribution to the international explosion of craft beer. Hill Farmstead has won Best Brewery in the World eight times since 2012, and it's a key player in Vermont tourism, where beer contributes as much to the state economy as skiing and hiking. Since opening in 2010, Hill's eighth-generation family farmstead off a rural mountain pass, miles from cell service, has drawn millions of local and international travelers pilgrimaging for a coveted pint and a growler to-go. A beautiful bar is surrounded by acres of woods and lawnspace, and a small pond sits at the bottom of a sloping field—a nice spot for pondering over a pint.

While it's grown over the years, there still isn't much to the tasting room here, but there doesn't need to be: Fiddlehead only cans a few of its celebrated beers, making this the best place to sample the full variety on tap. Decide which one you like best and buy a growler to go—or, better yet, enjoy it with a pie from Folino's Pizza next door; they're mighty fine.

Switchback may not get as much press as other more famous craft Vermont beers, but its classic unfiltered ale is a solid, respected brew that's well worth exploring at the brewery and an expanded tap house and beer garden, added in 2024, in Burlington's buzzing South End. In addition to superfresh beer right from the source, beer-filled cocktails and a menu of perfect-for-pairing bites, the space hosts regular events and live music throughout the year. Employee-led Askew Beer Co. holds down a few experimental taps, too.

What started as a single tap in a pizza restaurant has turned into one of Burlington’s most successful and hippest breweries, thanks to frothy gems like Conehead and Green State Lager. Its shiny brewery in the South End Arts District is always buzzing—starting first thing in the morning with coffee and amazingly crispy, tender waffles flavored with brown butter, sea salt, and, of course, Vermont maple syrup. And yes, you can get a beer with that. Tasty complements continue throughout the day, with items like bratwurst, crispy cheddar curds, and foodie-friendly bistro bites, paired with Zero Gravity's popular favorites or taproom-only offerings, like bottle-conditioned brews and unusual co-ferments. Sink into the cozy couches in front of the fireplace, or watch the brewers at work through large windows behind one of the two bars.