Each year we invite one out of state brewery to take part in our crunchy Vermont festivities. This year’s “That Guy” Out of State brewer is Sixpoint Brewery out of Brooklyn, NY and we are pretty sure if you aren’t already a fan, that you will be shortly.

You may have seen Sixpoint’s stylish cans in your favorite grocery store and thought “those aren’t from around here.” But if you’ve tried any of their beers, they will soon become regulars in your beer refrigerator, blending in nicely with all the native Vermonters in your inventory.

But if their beer meets the standards of Vermonters, their brewing philosophy is about as Vermonty as it gets, with a strong tendency to buck trends and stay on the fringe of mainstream. ” The fountainhead of our creativity cannot be confined to the shackles of “style guidelines” because style simply has no guidelines. Style is boundless, amorphous, restless. …We don’t reverse-engineer our beers to conform to dictated style guidelines. Instead, we gather our inspiration from what a beer could be… then pull back and aim to hit the bullseye of that potential.”

They will be serving three bullseyes at SIPtemberfest and it would be well worth your tokens to try them all.

• Brownstone –  Brownstone is their “bedrock; the first fortress of Sixpoint.” It was the first beer of theirs to make it onto my beer shelf and it now makes regular appearances there.  This mahogany-hued brew has elements of roasted barley and a hop-forward profile.
• Resin – In a can that almost makes me feel like I’m some extreme dude brah with wings, this is a very cool beer with a very cool story. Resin celebrates the extraction of hop resin for a concentrated yet balanced brew. View the very cool story of Resin below.
• Spice of Life – The Spice of Life Series is an ongoing, monthly installment in which Sixpoint produces a single-hop IPA with 12 different hop strains over the course of the year. All other elements of the recipe remain the same – the malt bill, fermentation regime, yeast strain, etc. The only ongoing variable is a different hop strain is featured each month. Under this “controlled experiment” one can appreciate the dynamic difference between various hop strains, covering a wide spectrum of flavors and aromas. Click here for more information.

A week from today about this time we will be in the midst of tasting some incredible beers. Wanna know what they will be?  Stay tuned all week as we count down the list!

We’ve already told you about some of our brewers this year, but did you know that we have distillers at the SIP as well? We don’t call is “SIPtemberfest” for nothing! These distillers are true artists in the industry and their products are of top quality while making sure their Vermont roots are apparent.

• Smuggler’s Notch Distillery – If you were with us last year you got a chance to taste some of SND’s in-cred-i-ble vodka and probably thought something like “hot damn that’s good!” But if for some strange reason you thought they were a one trick pony, this year in addition to their award winning vodka, they are bringing their gin & rum both of which are sure to knock your socks off.
• Caledonia Spirits & Winery – What better way to maximize your tasting experience than to have two distillers for you to compare and contrast! Caledonia Spirits & Winery offers beverages of equal craft and quality but with a distinctly different twist. They will be pouring their Barr Hill gin and vodka, but also have some cordials and even mead for you to sample! And while you can’t buy their beverages at the SIP, you can find them at multiple farmer’s markets and retail locations throughout the area.

It’s official – the switch has been flipped. School’s back in session. Summer jobs are coming to an end. Flip flops and tank tops are getting pushed to the back of the closet in exchange for cozy sweatshirts and wool socks.  That’s it. Summer’s over.

But  that means Autumn is here! Bring on the foliage and the ski move premieres and the pie! And bring on SIPtemberfest! It’s only a week away!

Here’s a colorful but important list of what  you all need to know:

1. ALL TICKETS WILL BE UNDER THE TICKET PURCHASER’S NAME AT THE GATE. You don’t need to print anything out. Just go to the line your name falls under and you will be checked in there.
2. If you bought tickets for friends – please make sure you all arrive at the same time. Unless specified otherwise, all tickets will all be under the purchaser’s last name – see above.
3. If you bought tickets from someone who can’t make it: BE SURE THAT BOTH PARTIES CONFIRM THE RESALE BY EMAILING US – IN ADVANCE! siptemberfest@madriver.com. We take no responsibility if your name isn’t on our list and we won’t let you in without confirmation! Don’t start the day out like that!!
4. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE WITH SIP TICKETS MUST HAVE VALID ID UPON ENTRY NO MATTER WHAT! This means YOU! It’s a beer fest people. No moaning and groaning. Bring your ID or you’ll have to go back and get it. Period.
5. Yes – if you don’t have a ticket you can still come, you just can’t try the beers. This means you can bring your friendly and well behaved dogs (on leashes!), children and friends. PLEASE DO NOT ABUSE THIS POLICY. We want you all to have a good time, but we are placing a lot of trust on your side of the court to be responsible and respectful. Don’t be “that guy who ruined it for everyone.” Thanks!
6. Yes – there is food! We have returning favorites: the Skinny Pancake and The Mad Taco’s Sausage Guy. In addition to that we will have Scout’s Honor Ice Cream serving up some creative and tasty flavors. And the General Stark’s Pub will be open for seated service and will have wine and bottled beers too!

We will be posting all sorts of additional information this week so be sure to sign up for Fresh SIPs at the top right hand side of the page so you don’t miss a beat. This is also a good way to make sure you get the memo when tickets go on sale next year (hint.)

Stay tuned and see you all soon!