Back before I met Danny DeVito and even before I attended the Wicked Wine and Brewfest, I was in Vermont with friends on Labor Day.  Our normal tradition would be to visit the Woodstock Inn Brewery and enjoy food and beer, but this year we were in Vermont and decided to hit up Long Trail for something different.

I had been to Long Trail a few years earlier, and it was nice to return.  The ride up Route 4 to Bridgewater Corners was a scenic one, and the weather was great to boot.  We arrived at Long Trail and noticed a long wait. This was due to the fact that kitchen couldn’t handle the large crowds, so if you wanted a beer that was cool but if food was in your future you’d be waiting.  We waited.

I’m not going to critique the food, frankly, no one goes to these places for the food; they want the beer.  My friend opted to get a sampler while I enjoyed the Long Trail Ale then noticed that the Pollenator was on tap.  This is one of their hard-to-find beers that you need to take advantage of when the opportunity arises, and it arose.  This was a great ale with a smooth honey flavor blended in and went well with the bratwurst I ordered.

No matter what you get, try not to drop your ketchup cap in your pint glass, trust me it does nothing for the flavor, but if the waitress is cool she’ll bring you another beer to replace the tainted one.  Long Trail is in a great location and makes for a nice afternoon ride with some treasure at the end of your journey.  I picked up a 22-ounce Pollenator and a 22-ounce Imperial Porter for future sampling.  Happy trails, everyone.