Online tickets for SIPtemberfest are SOLD OUT! There are still a handful of tickets left at Hostel Tevere in Warren, the Mad Taco in Waistfield and Montpelier, and Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier.

But there is GOOD NEWS:

1. You can still buy tickets to our Brewers Dinner & Tasting on Friday 9/28! This is such a cool event that you should really take advantage of it! Four courses of delicious food paired with beers hand-selected by Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Mike Gerhart of Otter Creek Brewing. Plus you’ll get an exclusive chance to pick the brains of these two beer connoisseurs in a question and answer session. And in true SIPtemberfest style,  we will have a couple surprises in store for you! These tickets are limited so don’t hesitate – get yours sooner than later!
2. You can still WIN tickets to SIPtemberfest! Very shortly we will be giving away tickets to some lucky contest winners! There will be a Caption Contest and a Swag Shot Contest. The winner of these will both be awarded TWO SIPVIP packages which includes entry for two, two t-shirts, meal vouchers and more! Finally, you can enter to win two tickets to the above mentioned Brewers Dinner & Tasting by simply RSVPing to our Facebook Invite!

So while tickets might be running out, there is still hope! Stay tuned because the contests will start this week! If you’re not much for contests and you still don’t have your SIP tickets, then get on it because they probably won’t last much longer!

Cheers!

We’ve had some questions come up a couple times recently so we’re going to address a the Top Ten for you here:

1. What’s with this Dinner on Friday thing?  Great question. We are really excited to present this exclusive opportunity for people to drink & dine with two of the most reputable brewers in Vermont: Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Mike Gerhart of Otter Creek Brewing. Guests will get to try beers paired specifically to a four course dinner and take part in a Q &A session with these beer-connoisseurs. We are working on a couple surprises too! Tickets are limited so get yours while they last!
2. So, for Saturday, I have kids/friends that don’t drink/pregnant wife…  No sweat. They don’t need tickets but they can totally come and hang out. Kids will love taking a ride on Mad River Glen’s Single Chair and we’ll have live music and great local food. Plus the General Stark’s Pub will be open to all so you can head inside and take a team-break from the fest.
3. I take my dog everywhere! Can Spot come to the SIP?  Yes. BUT we ask that all dogs remained leashed and attended to the entire time – not everyone loves dogs as much as you do. We reserve the right to ask that misbehaving dogs be taken home, so if your four-legger is a mischievous one, maybe he should ride the couch all day instead.
4. If I already bought my ticket and then I win one of your contests, can I get a refund?  Sure. We’d love for you to bring your friends too, but if you have no one to fill the tickets you’ve purchased, email us and we’ll work it out for you.
5. When are you going to release the whole brewers list???  Soon – promise! But for now, you’ll have to manage with the Sneak Peeks we keep posting. We can tell you that we already have more brewers than ever, but we are still lining more up! And we have a couple of surprises in store for you too so stay tuned!
6. What’s your sign?  Libra.
7. Are you single?  That depends who’s asking. Are you independently wealthy?
8. I from outta-town. Where’s a good place to stay in the area?  There are a ton of great places around here, but our personal favorite is the Hostel Tevere which will be hosting a killer post-party Saturday night and hangover breakfast on Sunday. But check the Mad River Valley’s Lodging listing, or the VT State Parks listing for more options. Staying in Waterbury or Montpelier areas will mean plenty of post-SIP options for you too!
9. I’m not really into buying tickets online. Anywhere I can get them locally from a real live human being?  Yes! Hostel Tevere, Mad Taco in Waitsfield or Montpelier, and Three Penny Taproom are all selling tickets to Saturday. If you want tickets to Friday, you have to get them online, or you can email us if you really really really don’t want to use TicketLeap.
10. How about transportation?  If you don’t have your own DD, you can take our FREE Shuttle – the Alpine Limo – that will be going between the Hostel Tevere and SIPtemberfest all day long. The schedule is still being finalized, but we’ll keep you posted on how that shakes out soon.

Before we give you our Brewer Sneak Peek #2, if you haven’t purchased your SIPtemberfest tickets yet, what are you waiting for?? They are on pace to sell out once again so don’t waste any more time – get your tickets right now!

In our latest Brewer Sneak Peek we feature some of our brewers who do more than just brew. These guys are dedicated to providing their respective communities with  quality craft beer but they pair it with their own delicious food. Their establishments are beloved in their communities and at this year’s SIPtemberfest, you’ll get a chance to find out why.

• Trout River Brewing – Nestled over yonder in Lydonville in the Northeast Kingdom, Trout River Brewing is a locally own and operated microbrewery that creates and serves fresh, all natural, premium ales and lagers. Their beers are made with pure Vermont water, the best imported and domestic malts and hops, and quality yeasts and they are all unfiltered to allow for a more flavorful and complex taste. Their pub is open Wednesday through Saturday evenings from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. when you can try their gourmet, hand-tossed, sourdough pizzas made with eleven-year-old sourdough culture, and topped with eclectic toppings including scallops, three kinds of mushrooms, and onions caramelized in their stout.
• Norwich Inn & Jasper Murdock’s Ales – They may be new to SIPtemberfest, but the the Norwich Inn has been around for a while. President James Monroe dined there in 1817 while on a horseback tour of the New England frontier. Today Jasper Murdock’s Ales and Lagers are crafted from the finest malts and hops and are only sold only at the Inn located in beautiful Norwich, VT. They offer two dining options: their Pub and their dining room, both of which offer fantastic atmosphere and wonderful food at wallet-friendly prices.
• Vermont Pub & Brewery – Greg Noonan, one of the Craft Brewing pioneers, opened Vermont’s first brewpub in Burlington on November 11, 1988 after lobbying the state legislature for three years to allow pub brewing in Vermont for the first time since Prohibition. Over the years VPB has been honored with numerous international awards, but they’ve also taken home a lot of local hardware, having been voted “Best Place to Have a Beer” by every Burlington Free Press Readers’ Choice Awards, “Best Place for Couples” and the perennial winner of the Seven Daysies Awards by the Seven Days readers’ poll for the “Best Place to Drink a Vermont Beer”. They also serve a large variety of tasty food that pairs well with their unique beer menu. This is the first time they will be at SIPtemberfest and we are thrilled to add them to our lineup!
• Bobcat Cafe & Brewery – For ten years, the Bobcat has supported and enhanced their community of Bristol, Vermont, by hosting benefit dinners and by providing a comfortable spot where local people can meet and socialize. Their 100 member Mug Club is a testament to the dedication of their regulars and the quality of both their food and their ever changing beer list!