The Shed Brewery - Mountain Hazy IPA

The Shed’s Mountain Hazy IPA presents a well-hazed golden color in the glass, topped with quite a fluffy head of off-white foam. Look for lots of fruity hops in the aroma department; we picked up a nice mix of tropical and citrus notes with touches of apple, pear, and secondary tones of melon and stone fruits. As with many good Hazy IPAs, it’s a multifaceted aroma profile that keeps one engaged by seeming to offer a little bit of everything. The juicy, fruity hops continue on to take center stage on the palate too. Perceived hop bitterness is perhaps a bit bolder than some other softer hazies, and it seems to amplify the touches of citrus zest to give this brew a satisfying, quenching character that keeps the beer dry and beckons another sip. Cheers!

The roots of The Shed Brewery stretch all the way back to the construction of a building in Stowe, VT in 1830. Originally home to a blacksmith shop, the building later became a cider mill where local apple farmers would gather and socialize after a hard day’s work. In the 20th century, the building would serve as a variety store and a hostel before The Shed Restaurant opened there in 1965. The restaurant became a popular hangout for skiers enjoying the local snow.

The restaurant burned down in 1994, but it was reopened in 1995 – this time with the addition of a modest 7-barrel brewery that specialized in producing English-inspired ales. In 2011, the owners closed the Stowe location and production moved to Otter Creek/Long Trail’s brewery in Middlebury, VT, where the new team set about packaging Shed beers for off-premises retail sale for the first time. In 2022, the Long Trail family became part of the employee-owned Mass. Bay Brewing Company of Boston, MA and Windsor, VT – most famous for their iconic Harpoon beers. Production of The Shed’s beers moved to Windsor while the Middlebury location became home to WhistlePig Whiskey. Today, The Shed currently offers their original flagship Mountain Ale (an unfiltered English Strong Ale) as well as Mountain Hazy IPA. For more info, visit them at theshedbrewery.com.