WILMINGTON, VERMONT

Twenty miles west of Brattleboro through snow-capped mountains, found Wilmington’s terrific pint-size venue, MAPLE LEAF BREWERY, New Year’s Day ‘06. Though by summer ’08, brewery closed and only bar remained.

Located in the quaint Mount Snow valley near the corner of Main Street, brewer Darren Fehring’s pub had outgrown its constricting boundaries and a second floor bar was built post-haste. Small dining area to left fronts brew tanks while tucked-in low-ceilinged bar takes up the right.

Burgers and sandwiches went well with sticky yellow-fruited corn-buttery malt-liquored pungency Winter Wheat Ale, coffee-stained wood-burnt walnut-dried Lenny’s Legend Porter, and ‘visiting ale’ Allagash Grand Cru (with its ripe tangerine-orange-melon tang and orange-cherry-bruised depth).

Best bets: alcoholic whisky-malted raisin-tart Mad Walter’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and rye-flaked hop-charred currant-embittered Rye Not Stout.

November ’06, quaffed creamy cereal-grained wheat-honeyed butternut-cornbread-dashed Bombshell Blonde and sharp-hopped red-fruited maple-sweet wheat-cracked Asylum American Pale Ale with Fehring.

By summer ’08, brewery closed but bar remained.