I'll be making a trip to Vermont at the end of October. There will be lots of scenic drives, cheese, and of course beer. The Vermont Brewer's Association has what they call the Passport Program. Basically, there are 21 breweries in Vermont and the more you go to the cooler stuff you get. Go to 4 breweries and you get a nifty keychain. 10 breweries gets you a t-shirt. And if you get to all 21 you get a, "collector's set of VT beer gear". As much as I'd like to go to all 21 over my 3 day trip, I don't need a DWI on my record.
The Passport Program does however bring up an interesting point about beer in Vermont: it's everywhere. Vermont has more breweries per capita (and likely per square mile) than any other state in the country. If the city of Chicago had as many breweries per person as Vermont there would be 90 (yes, nine zero) breweries within the city limits instead of the current 15 breweries. This makes Vermont a beer lover's paradise.
I plan on going to around 5 or 6 of the breweries between stops for cheese and pictures of leaves. Stops at Magic Hat and Harpoon seem mandatory, but I would like to see some of the smaller guys like Rock Art, The Brewery at Trapp Family Lodge, and Long Trail Brewing.
What's interesting in Vermont is that there are a variety of business models with the breweries. The Brewery at Trapp Family Lodge, for example is a side project for a bed and breakfast resort that features fine food, wine, cheese, skiing and other activities. More research is needed, but this looks to be a great trip.
My vote would be to go to as many breweries as you can that don't distribute where you normally buy beer. I've got nothing against Magic Hat and Harpoon, but you can buy their product near home (unless they've got some fancy local brews).
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