STOWE, VERMONT

In a Moroccan red barn-like lodge along the mountaintop of ski-bound haven Stowe, rustic green-walled hillside depot, THE SHED RESTAURANT & BREWERY, became a brewpub in 1994.

Visited November ’06, its right side bar area served brewer Jim Conroy’s swell tapped beer samplers (in old wooden ski trays) as well as frozen daiquiris, West Indian rum drinks, and sandwiches-burgers-appetizers. Exquisite left side Gardenroom Greenhouse dining area and huge back patio satisfied quieter patrons.

Quaffed dry white-breaded, maize-husked, spice-tingled, grapefruit-soured West Branch Golden Canadian Ale, green apple-tart, date-fig-soured, candi-sugared Belgian Wheat, woody Simcoe-Centennial hop-embittered, grapefruit-apricot-dried National IPA, and bitterer alcohol-doused, orange pith-dried, peach-pear-grapefruit-tinged Spawn Double IPA.

The Shed’s mainstay, Mountain Ale, brought fig-sugared prune-dried bruised orange prowess to morning dewed grape-tobacco moisture and whiskey-soured fruitcake finish.

Bought in growler, Scottish Porter had oily, coffee bean-embittered, chocolate-cappuccino-creamed, sour fig-laden propensity.

On a snowy afternoon, January ’09, fought icy roads to do revisit. Had tuna fish salad with peppery gin-soaked banana-bruised orange-sugared cotton-candied Tripple, a true fave.

Quaffed nitro-soft, mocha-fronted, ice coffee-backed, hazelnut-walnut-tinged Strongman Porter thereafter.

Dessert was dry burgundy-like Shady Monk Quadrupel, boasting stewed prune, raisin, and fig souring and Belgian-spirited dank basement mustiness.

Phone number: 802 253 4364