So, last Thursday evening Sam von Trapp and JP Williams from the Trapp Family Lodge invited us out to see the new brewing facility that they are building. JP is the current brewmaster at Trapps and it was great walking through both the current facility and the new one with him. You could tell how excited he was, and he was happy to share all of the knowledge he has accumulated over the years.
We started off at the DeliBakery where we were shown around the current brewing facility. Then we made the short walk downhill to the new facility where JP and Sam showed us around and let us explore every little nook and cranny. It was really fun to see what they had planned and to see how excited they were for the adventure they had ahead of them.
Here you can see JP showing us around the brewing facility located underneath the Trapps DeliBakery. It’s not a very large space and felt quite crowed with our small group. I may be mistaken, but I believe that they said their current capacity was around 4000 barrels a year with their current setup. Well… That is about to change.
Here you can see one portion of the new brewing facility. This place is enormous! When talking to JP and Sam you could tell they were amp’d on the new space. They’re still waiting on a lot of equipment, but if everything goes according to plan they should be up and running sometime later this fall… and instead of producing only 4000 barrels a year they will be able to crank out 50,000!
The new facility really is pretty neat. During our visit all of the interior light was provided courtesy of large solar collectors. Not a single electric light was on and there was way more than enough light. It should look pretty amazing once the place is all shined up with brewing vessels and bottling and kegging machinery.
After touring the new facility we made our way back to the DeliBakery where everyone was treated to a pint of their choice or a sampler if you were feeling a little less decisive. The new brewing facility will also include a restaurant and access to the ski trails. With any luck, everything will be up and running this winter and if you join us for the Catamount Trail Classic in March there’s a good chance that we will be ending our journey with a beverage at the new location.
There are a lot more photos below. Enjoy… and the next time you’re in Stowe you should really check this place out. The beer is great and the people are even better!
Think Snow!
