>Willard Brooks

My family takes an annual summer vacation in beautiful leafy Northwestern Vermont. This is the most relaxing time of year with internet & TV replaced by long days by the dock, fireside ghost stories, smores, reading, and, well...sipping wonderful Vermont brews. It begins as we cross by ferry into Vermont and head up Shelburne Road to Folino’s Pizza and Fiddlehead Brewery for growler fills and lunch. For the very fair price of $6 one gets 32oz of an IPA that implies summer vacation to me like no other beer. This may be in part because Fiddlehead is our first Vermont stop—but it’s also in the nature of the beer and the aromas and flavors it delivers. At 6.2% it’s somewhat on the lighter side of the IPA spectrum and sports a very alluring golden color with a nice fluffy white head that leaves pleasant lacing on the glass and an aroma that invites sip after sip. On the palate it begins with a dank hop candy impact followed by mid-palate notes of citrus and then a very crisp dry finish. It’s tradition for me to sit quietly on the deck on our arrival night sipping this beer and looking out over the lake while smoking a very soothing English Blend in my briar pipe. As a result, this beer says “Vermont” and “summer beer” to me like no other. It also happens to be one of the most highly sought beers in VT. It’s no surprise to me. I absolutely love this beer and cannot wait until our trip again next summer. In the meantime, let’s be happy that our fair city does not leave us lacking in the IPA category.

>Chris Groves Certified Cicerone ®

I don’t play golf much anymore. There’s not much time in my schedule to, really. Given the opportunity to play this past Monday for a great charity event, I was delighted to get out and see what I could do having not hit a ball in over a year. It also happened to be 90 degrees and humid with little to no breeze...Was beer a good idea to keep hydrated and nourished? Yes. The carbs and vitamins helped me to be at peak performance level for finding lost balls in the bushes, sending drives right down the middle of the wrong fairway and three-putting every hole. It was awesome. Saranac Summer Pils in the can was plentiful as were the empties in every recycling bin at the tees. I’ve had the Summer Pils on draft before and enjoyed it...though the experience was evening pub time. Monday seemed to really hit the spot with the outdoors, the sun and the heat. German Pilsner isn’t the most deep or interesting beer style to crafties but once you “get it”...you can’t stop won’t stop. Saranac’s interpretation of the style includes a touch of non-tradition, using Belma hops which lend a little citrus and berry-like flavor to the nose and finish. The body is light and refreshing, perfect for whatever sweat inducing activity you might find yourself in. Get yourself some and enjoy the heat. Winter is coming.