Otter Creek Brewing Company - Copper Ale

First introduced in March of 1991, Otter Creek’s Copper Ale is inspired by the Altbiers of Northern Germany. It’s a medium-bodied, amber ale brewed with no less than six malts including Two Row Pale, Munich, Caramel, Carastan, Carapils and Black malts. Copper Ale is hopped with Cascade, Hallertauer and Mt. Hood hops and brewed with a proprietary house yeast strain. Look for a sweet malty nose balanced nicely by a pleasant hop spiciness. We found the body rich and full and would characterize it by being a well-balanced blend of malty notes and mild bitterness. Overall, a well balanced ale packed with flavor!

The Otter Creek Brewing Co. was conceived by founder/brewmaster Lawrence Miller in 1989. Larry had become an enthusiastic homebrewer while attending Reed College in Portland, Oregon, a location respected in the industry as producing dozens of exceptional breweries. Inspired by both his homebrewing hobby and his academic studies, Larry traveled to Europe after graduation to learn more about the science of brewing. There he researched German and Belgian beer styles and studied old world brewing techniques...at breweries as well as numerous back alley beer halls! Completing his research in Europe in early 1989 Larry settled in Middlebury, Vermont where he devoted himself full-time to the planning of a new brewery.

Middlebury was chosen for the brewery site as much for its quality of life as for its excellent water. Coincidentally in 1989, a local businessman was in the process of building an industrial start-up space for small businesses. One unit was custom fitted with the necessary floor drains and utilities and the new brewery found its first home (the brewery would eventually grow to consume the entire building).

Larry purchased Widmer Brewing Co.’s brewing equipment when the Portland, Oregon based brewery carried out a major expansion in the summer of 1990. Test brewing began at Otter Creek shortly after Thanksgiving 1990 and the first batch of unfiltered draught Copper Ale was rolled out on March 12, 1991. Response to their flagship ale was strong, and by year-end, Otter Creek was ready for its first expansion.

The brewery’s production capacity doubled with the installation of a new fermenter and a filtered ale was introduced with the purchase of a new filter. Seasonal Ales were introduced during the summer of 1991 with the first batch of Summer Wheat Ale. This was followed by Hickory Smoked Amber Ale in the fall, Stovepipe Porter in the winter, and Mud Bock Spring Ale in the spring, all of which were enthusiastically received. Helles Alt Beer, their second year-round brew, was added in May of 1994.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (802) 388-0727 or check out their web site at www.ottercreekbrewing.com.