Visit to the Von Trapp Brewery
What it looks from outside. (taken from their website)
As many or some of you know, I have to travel ever so often for work. And those days can get quite long, though never boring. At times, there are little bonuses in a day, or during the time away, and when I know there is somewhere different, somewhere that inspires, I like to try and get there.
Stowe is not far from where I was, so when I had a block of time, I went to visit the smart town of Stowe, that is when I ended up in the Stowe's Public House, on its opening day no less. After a great Viognier wine and an even better plate of meat and cheese, off I was on the second part of my adventure. I wanted to go for a long hike at the Von Trapp Lodge in Vermont, I had been before and knew it would be the perfect thing to do on a lovely September day,
I managed to get close to 4 Ks of hiking, saw some wild turkeys, met up with the coolest breed of sheep, and some pigs too! Along the way, I heard about the soft opening of the Von Trapp Brewing Company, or is it Von Trapp Brewery of even better, Von Trapp Bierhall! All will work in a google search I am sure. So I changed from my hiking clothing to something nicer and went to visit this Bierhall, The welcome was so warm, the space letting in so much natural light, I could already imagine the snow covered grounds and avid skiers coming in for some food, lager, bratwurst, wine and beers that do not have alcohol too, for example, Rookie's Ginger and Root Beer.
I started with a homemade pretzel, served with two flavors of mustard, a flight of beers to taste, and dug in, the mustards were a great balance to the soft warm salty pretzel, it was just what I needed after all the hiking. But then I started observing the plates zooming around me and mmmmmm. I decided on my favorite beer of the 4, named the Helles and ordered the Chicken Schnitzel. This plate is or feels as Austrian as it gets, the chicken schnitzel itself tender and breaded quite lightly, served over a bed of braised red cabbage, apple kraut, arugula lightly drizzled with a lingonberry vinaigrette, if that isn't enough, it was topped with a perfectly poached egg, a weakness of mine. All of that was a large meal, but I could not resist ordering a side of Sauerkraut mashed potatoes, oh, the luxury. All the food was a perfect balance of acid and sweet, warm and lovely.
The menu is short, and what I love about that is they keep it traditional, but with modern twists, local ingredients and a beautiful group of people to see to the guests. I wish I could have gone for several days to try on the rest of the menu, there were the Bratwurst, Knackwurst and Bauernwurst to try, the kebabs, all kinds of sandwiches, salads, small plates and desserts.
I have very good reasons to return. When I saw one of the Von Trapps meandering around and chatting with the guests, I knew I had to get a picture in, which I am happy to share with you. This is Sam Von Trapp, son to Johannes Von Trapp and Lynne Peterson, He is director and executive vice president in the family business. (Disclosure: I hope my information is right, if not please feel free to contact me so I can correct it.)
You know, for those of you that live in and around Montreal, spending a day, a weekend, or few days in and around Stowe or Burlington area is a great way to unlax, (new word alert! My dads fault), and you must go find the Von Trapp Lodge, the Brewery too. The whole place is breathtaking, and somehow, the Sound of Music is never far from your mind when you are walking the mountains, or chatting with those that work at, or spend time there.
Sam Von Trapp et Moi!
A side note, I stopped by St. Albans, it was a wonderful stop, I found a treasure trove at this lovely shop owned by this lovely lady and came home with a few treasures, the name of the place is Vintage Vibe, easy to find and on the main road.
