Small Group Brewery & Spirits Tour in Vermont

Six people. Several stops. One big Vermont taste. This is a small-group day built for people who like real craft and don’t want to bounce around with a huge crowd. I love the six-person max because you actually get time for questions, and I also like how the tour mixes spirits, beer, and Vermont food in a way that feels like a true day of tastings, not a rushed checklist.

The one thing to plan for is money: the main stops are included, but the samples and lunch are available for purchase, so your final bill can creep up if you order freely. Still, with admission ticket for the stops listed as free and a set 6-hour schedule, it’s easier to pace yourself than it is if you DIY.

Key Highlights You’ll Care About

• Max 6 travelers for a more personal pace and better conversation time with your guide
• Round-trip pickup included so you skip the stress of driving and parking between stops
• Vermont Spirits Distilling Co with maple-sap-based Vermont Gold Vodka and other maple-finished spirits
• Quechee General Store for Cabot cheese, maple syrup variety, and classic Vermont country-store energy
• Barn-style craft at SILO Distillery with sustainability details (recycled distillation water, spent grains used as feed)
• Long Trail Brewing Company near a river, with beer tied to the 273-mile Long Trail hiking route

The Vibe: Craft Drinks, Food Stops, and No Big-Bus Chaos

This tour is set up for a very specific kind of day: you want Vermont flavors, you want them made locally, and you want to spend your time talking and tasting—not navigating. With a small group capped at six, it’s the opposite of the typical high-volume tour where you’re herded from one room to the next.

I like that the day isn’t just beer, and it isn’t just spirits. You start in the world of Vermont Gold Vodka made from maple sap, then you swing into a classic country store for cheese and maple syrup, and you finish with Long Trail beer by the river. That mix makes the whole experience feel like Vermont culture, not just alcohol tourism.

Your guide also matters here. One standout theme from past groups is that the guide keeps things interactive—helpful, chatty, and willing to talk through the spirits and the communities you’re visiting. If you enjoy asking why something is made a certain way, this format works.

Price and Value: What You Get for $359

At $359 per person for about 6 hours, you’re paying for four big things: transportation, organization, a guide/driver for the day, and access to multiple producers (with stop admissions listed as free). If you tried to do this on your own, you’d likely spend time driving, and you’d still have to coordinate tasting schedules.

What’s not included is also important: beer and spirits samples cost extra where they’re offered, and lunch is available for purchase. That doesn’t make the tour a bad value—it just means you should decide your sample strategy ahead of time. If you treat this like a small tasting flight at each stop, you’ll keep things reasonable. If you go heavy on every menu, the day can get pricey fast.

The best value shows up if you’re the type of traveler who wants to compare styles—gin vs bourbon vs vodka, then beer styles like IPA, hefeweizen, and seasonal releases—while someone else handles the logistics.

Getting There Easy: Pickup, Air-Conditioned Comfort, and a Designated Driver

This is one of those tours that removes friction. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and you ride in an air-conditioned vehicle. You’re also covered by a designated driver/guide for the duration, which is a big deal when you’re planning to taste alcohol and not think about parking or driving between towns.

Start time is 10:00 am, so you’re not stuck waking up at 6 am. From there, you can expect a day with short, focused stops—mostly around 30 minutes—plus one longer lunch option at Harpoon.

If you’re traveling with a group of friends, it still stays personal because it’s capped at six total. If you’re traveling solo, that small size makes it easier to fit in without feeling like you’re one face in a crowd.

Stop 1: Vermont Spirits Distilling Co and Maple-Sap Vodka

Your first stop is Vermont Spirits Distilling Co, described as Vermont’s oldest craft distillery. This is a strong opening because it sets the theme for the day: local agriculture and small-batch production.

What I’d zero in on here is the Vermont Gold Vodka. It’s made from 100% pure Vermont maple sap, and the information notes it as an industry first. If you’re used to vodka from grain, tasting a maple-sap-based style gives you a totally different angle on what “Vermont” can mean in a glass.

You can also expect to see a lineup of spirits with Vermont flavors threaded through them, including No 14 Bourbon finished with Pure Vermont Maple, plus several coppers-branded gins (American Gin, Sugarwood Gin, and Barrel Gin). There’s also a note about organic botanicals and hand-picked wild Vermont juniper berries, which matters because juniper is what anchors the gin experience.

Admission is listed as free for this stop, so your main choice is how much you want to taste by purchase. This is a great point in the day to decide how adventurous you feel.

Stop 2: Quechee General Store for Cabot Cheese and Maple Syrup Variety

Then you shift gears to Quechee General Store, one of those Vermont stops that feels like part food hall and part local institution. If you’ve never spent time in a country store that takes cheese and syrup seriously, you’ll probably enjoy how straightforward it is: lots of products, lots of choices, and a very “locals shop here” atmosphere.

The highlights here are the cheese collection—especially Cabot cheeses—plus other Vermont artisans. The store also has a large mix of maple syrups and farm stand products from beloved local producers.

One detail that adds credibility: it’s noted as the first independently owned Cabot affiliate store. That’s the kind of fact that usually comes from long-term relationships with producers, not a last-minute reseller setup.

This stop is listed for about 30 minutes, so it’s long enough to browse and pick up a few things if you want, but not so long that you lose momentum. If you’re the type who likes edible souvenirs, you can make this your strategy stop.

Stop 3: Harpoon Brewery for Lunch and the IPA, Hefeweizen, and Seasonal Mix

Next up is Harpoon Brewery, a big-name Vermont brewery founded in 1986 and described as employee-owned. That employee-owned detail matters because it often shows up in how the brewery runs: stable operations, pride in quality, and less “corporate distance” from the craft.

Harpoon is best known for its India Pale Ale, and you’ll also find year-round options like Dark, UFO Hefeweizen, UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, and UFO White. There’s even mention of UFO Light Force, UFO Maine Blueberry, and select Clown Shoes beers, plus seasonal releases like an Octoberfest Marzen style ale and Harpoon Camp Wannamango.

If you like the idea of exclusives, Harpoon also offers the 100 Barrel Series: one-of-a-kind batches. You likely won’t try every one of these during the tour, but knowing they exist helps you understand how active their lineup is.

Beer samples are available for purchase, and lunch is available to buy on-site. If you’re trying to control spending, this is the stop where you can plan a reasonable lunch and still taste a sample or two—without overspending across every brewery.

Stop 4: SILO Distillery Barn Distilling and Sustainability You Can Actually See

SILO Distillery is another craft-forward stop, with small-batch spirits made from Vermont-grown grain and local ingredients. The way the process is described is a big part of why this stop feels special: they begin with grain selection from Grembowicz Farm in North Clarendon, Vermont, and they do everything start to finish in their barn distillery.

The architecture is also a real sensory part of the experience. The barn distillery and a real silo tower are mentioned, and the ambience is described as unique—exactly the sort of setting that makes a tasting feel like a destination.

Sustainability is explicitly part of how they operate. The tour notes recycling the water used throughout distillation and sending spent grains to farmers for feed. You may not be doing a technical class here, but you’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how a small operation thinks about inputs and reuse.

Admission is listed as free for this stop, and you’ll be able to purchase samples if you want them. This is a good checkpoint if you want to slow down, absorb the setting, and decide if you’re staying in spirits mode or shifting back to beer later.

Stop 5: Foley Brothers Brewing in Quechee or River Roost on Tuesdays

This stop is built around Foley Brothers Brewing in Quechee. It’s linked to the family-run Neshobe River Brewing Company, and it’s described as a microbrewery with small-batch brewing and a focus on ingredient quality and detail. If you like IPAs, this is where your hop cravings get addressed—Foley Brothers is noted for its IPA and generally solid beer selection.

The vibe here is described as at-home, which usually translates into a relaxed feel rather than a formal tasting room. Also, the brewery is described as always experimenting with new recipes. That matters because you might not see the exact same lineup every time, even if the brand is familiar.

Here’s the one operational detail you should know: Foley Brothers is closed on Tuesdays. In that case, the tour swaps in a visit to River Roost Brewery in White River Junction, Vermont.

Beer samples are available for purchase, and this is another stop where you can balance your day. If you’ve already tasted spirits earlier, you might keep the beer tasting lighter here. If your spirits palate needs a reset, this is a good place to do it.

Stop 6: Long Trail Brewing Company by the River and the Long Trail Connection

Your final stop is Long Trail Brewing Company, a Vermont institution since 1989. It takes inspiration from the 273-mile Long Trail hiking route through the Green Mountains. That link to hiking isn’t just branding—it gives you a simple way to understand the brewery’s identity: beers designed to be trail-worthy, tied to an outdoors mindset.

Long Trail is known for its flagship Long Trail Ale and Trail Hopper IPA. You’ll also notice how the setting supports the end of the day: it’s located right near a river, with cozy bar seating and friendly staff.

This is also your last chance for any beer sample purchases. The tour concludes by returning everyone to their original pickup locations, so you don’t have to figure out transport once you’re in that final tasting mood.

With this being the last stop and the shortest tasting windows earlier in the day, it’s often the right moment to either buy a favorite beer or go for one last sample flight.

How to Plan Your Tasting Day Without Overdoing It

Because samples and lunch are available for purchase, I recommend thinking of the day as a series of options rather than a requirement to taste everything. The stops are built to be short—often 30 minutes—so you’ll want to make quick decisions once you’re inside.

A smart approach is to pick one “anchor” to taste at each type of stop:

• At the distillery: choose one spirit you’re curious about and one style you want to compare.
• At the brewery: focus on an IPA or a signature beer first, then decide if the seasonal option is worth it.
• At the country store: decide if you want edible souvenirs like Cabot cheese or maple syrup options.

Also, pace your food. Harpoon is the stop where lunch is available, and it’s a natural time to eat something substantial. That way, you don’t feel like every tasting needs to be powered by snacks.

Who This Tour Is Best For (and Who Might Skip It)

This small-group tour fits best if you want a guided structure and you like comparing multiple types of craft products in one day. You’ll especially enjoy it if you care about Vermont-specific ingredients—maple sap, Vermont-grown grain, local botanicals—and you like seeing how the same state can show up in both spirits and beer.

It’s also a good choice if you’re trying to avoid driving between towns after you start tasting. The designated driver/guide and round-trip pickup do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Who might not love it: if you’re the kind of traveler who wants long, detailed walk-throughs at each location, the time windows can feel a bit quick. This is a sampler-style day with free admissions and paid tastings, not an in-depth production tour that runs for hours at one place.

Should You Book This Vermont Brewery and Spirits Tour?

Yes, if you want a high-value Vermont day that’s organized, small-group, and built around Vermont craft ingredients. The mix of Vermont Spirits Distilling Co, Quechee General Store, Harpoon Brewery, SILO Distillery, Foley Brothers (or River Roost), and Long Trail gives you variety without feeling chaotic.

I’d book it if you like the idea of a guide who chats and answers questions—especially about how spirits and beer fit into the communities you’re visiting. Just go in with a tasting plan so the paid samples and lunch stay fun, not stressful.

If you’re after something ultra-slow and deeply technical at one producer, you might prefer a different style of tour. But for a 6-hour, six-stop taste of Vermont, this one is easy to recommend.

FAQ

How many people are on the tour?

The maximum group size is 6 travelers, which helps keep the experience personal.

What time does the tour start, and how long is it?

It starts at 10:00 am and runs for about 6 hours.

Is pickup from my accommodation included?

Yes. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the tour is offered with round-trip transit.

Are beer and spirits samples included?

No. Beer and spirits samples are available for purchase.

What happens if Foley Brothers Brewing is closed?

Foley Brothers is closed on Tuesdays. On those days, the tour visits River Roost Brewery in White River Junction instead.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. If weather is poor and the tour is canceled, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund, and it can also be canceled if a minimum number of travelers isn’t met.