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Butterfly Bakery: Craft Beer Hot Sauces

Butterfly Bakery hot sauces

Get a glass of water, cuz we’re bringing a different kind of heat on the Windowsill today!

Aside from craft beer, I’m also a big food guy (a little too big, if you ask my doctor). And, to the dismay of my wife, I like my food spicy. This means that I’m always ready to try a new kind of hot sauce. Luckily, for me, I found a way to combine my passions: the Butterfly Bakery in Vermont.

Aside from bars, cookies and granola, Butterfly Bakery loves making hot stuff. The bakery was started by Claire Georges in 2003. When it all began, Claire was baking in the middle of the night in a local coffee shop, dropping off her goods at local stores in the early morning hours before they opened. In 2007, she got a space of her own, and hired her first employee in 2014. Claire prides herself in her commitment to grow Butterfly slowly, in a sustainable manner, and using only local ingredients to make her delicious treats.

Butterfly Bakery hot sauces.
Take a closer look at these awesome sauces! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Somewhere along the way, she also started making hot sauces as a side business. In 2015, she expanded that, which is what brought her company to my sill today. I’d seen Butterfly’s products on the Instagram of my good buddy, @irie_viewbrew, and I reached out to see if there was any way I could sample the company’s hot sauces. Claire generously sent me four different sauces, each made with a different variety of local craft beer.

I ended up with bottles of Heady Topper (made with The Alchemist), the Red Heady (the “owner’s reserve” also made with Alchemist), the Habañero Lime Switchback (made with Switchback Beer) and the Peppercorn Porter (made with Queen City Brewery).

As you can see, the only one I’ve gotten to so far is the Heady Topper. I couldn’t help myself. It was absolutely delicious! I really can’t wait to try the rest, and I can already tell they’ll be wonderful. Check out Butterfly Bakery’s Instagram, and go buy some of their sauces… if you can take the heat!

Head over to my Instagram to get a better look!

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. Butterfly Bakery: Craft Beer Hot Sauces . Get a glass of water, cuz we’re bringing a different kind of heat on the Windowsill today! . Aside from craft beer, I’m also a big food guy (a little too big, if you ask my doctor). And, to the dismay of my wife, I like my food spicy. This means that I’m always ready to try a new kind of hot sauce. Luckily, for me, I found a way to combine my passions: the @butterflybakeryvt in Vermont. . Aside from bars, cookies and granola, Butterfly Bakery loves making hot stuff. The bakery was started by Claire Georges in 2003. When it all began, Claire was baking in the middle of the night in a local coffee shop, dropping off her goods at local stores in the early morning hours before they opened. In 2007, she got a space of her own, and hired her first employee in 2014. Claire prides herself in her commitment to grow Butterfly slowly, in a sustainable manner, and using only local ingredients to make her delicious treats. . Somewhere along the way, she also started making hot sauces as a side business. In 2015, she expanded that, which is what brought her company to my sill today. I’d seen Butterfly’s products on the Instagram of my good buddy, @irie_viewbrew, and I reached out to see if there was any way I could sample the company’s hot sauces. Claire generously sent me four different sauces, each made with a different variety of local craft beer. . I ended up with bottles of Heady Topper (made with @alch3mistb33r), the Red Heady (the “owner’s reserve” also made with Alchemist), the Habañero Lime Switchback (made with @switchbackbeer) and the Peppercorn Porter (made with @queencitybrewery). . As you can see, the only one I’ve gotten to so far is the Heady Topper. I couldn’t help myself. It was absolutely delicious! I really can’t wait to try the rest, and I can already tell they’ll be wonderful. Check out Butterfly Bakery’s Instagram, and go buy some of their sauces… if you can take the heat!

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Hermit Thrush Brewery: Gin Barrel Saison

Hermit Thrush Brewery: Gin Barrel Saison

Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Special Notes: Soured and matured in local Vermont gin barrels

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.05/5

We hereby pause Stout Season to bring you a Sour from the archives!

Have you ever been to Brattleboro Vermont’s Hermit Thrush Brewery? I have… sort of! Back in June, I took a trip to Vermont for my good friend @galleycookinbeersnob’s bachelor party. On my way there, and on my way back, I made it a point to stop by as many breweries as possible. Every time I had to pee, I would search for a brewery near me and make a pit stop.

Hermit Thrush Brewery: Gin Barrel Saison
Lighting got really weird with this can, but the beer was solid! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Window Sills)

It was on Sunday afternoon, as I was heading back, that I realized I had to go, and found out I was near Hermit Thrush Brewery. I pulled off the highway, followed my Waze App and reached the destination, but there was no parking anywhere that I could find. I went around the block once, and still didn’t see a good place to park, so I hopped back onto the highway and continued my trip. But Hermit Thrush, which is named after the official bird of Vermont and opened back in 2014, looked really cool from the street!

Now, let’s talk about this Gin Barrel Saison, which I actually picked up a one of my local CT liquor stores. Like everything else Hermit Thrush makes, it’s a responsibly-brewed American sour. For this one, they took a saison and fermented and matured it in gin barrels from a rotating list of local distilleries. Sadly, I’m not sure which distillery’s barrels were used to house this batch of the Gin Barrel Saison. Either way, the resulting beer is nice and crisp, with a lot of that gin goodness on the nose and tongue, and a nice, refreshing sweet-tart finish. It’s interesting, for sure!

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• Hermit Thrush Brewery: Gin Barrel Saison • We hereby pause Stout Season to bring you a Sour from the archives! • Have you ever been to Brattleboro Vermont’s Hermit Thrush Brewery? I have… sort of! Back in June, I took a trip to Vermont for my good friend @galleycookinbeersnob’s bachelor party. On my way there, and on my way back, I made it a point to stop by as many breweries as possible. Every time I had to pee, I would search for a brewery near me and make a pit stop. • It was on Sunday afternoon, as I was heading back, that I realized I had to go, and found out I was near Hermit Thrush Brewery. I pulled off the highway, followed my Waze App and reached the destination, but there was no parking anywhere that I could find. I went around the block once, and still didn’t see a good place to park, so I hopped back onto the highway and continued my trip. But Hermit Thrush, which is named after the official bird of Vermont and opened back in 2014, looked really cool from the street! • Now, let’s talk about this Gin Barrel Saison, which I actually picked up a one of my local CT liquor stores. Like everything else Hermit Thrush makes, it’s a responsibly-brewed American sour. For this one, they took a saison and fermented and matured it in gin barrels from a rotating list of local distilleries. Sadly, I’m not sure which distillery’s barrels were used to house this batch of the Gin Barrel Saison. Either way, the resulting beer is nice and crisp, with a lot of that gin goodness on the nose and tongue, and a nice, refreshing sweet-tart finish. It’s interesting, for sure! • ABV: 6.5, IBU: N/A, Rotating availability • @untappd says: 4.05/5

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The Alchemist: Luscious (2018)

The Alchemist: Luscious

Style: British Imperial Stout

Special Notes: Made with 50% specialty malt for more flavor.

ABV: 9.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.27/5

We have a nice bit of deep, dark lusciousness on the Windowsill today!

Can you imagine a world without beer from Vermont’s The Alchemist? Well, back in 2011, their brewpub in Waterbury—this was long before the beautiful new facility in Stowe—was completely devastated by a flood. According to the Waterbury Record, the floodwaters “destroyed nearly everything in the Alchemist basement. A walk-in cooler, compressors, computers, the malt, beer, food, recipes—all were damaged beyond repair.”

Facing basically being out of business, owner John Kimmich was able to save two beers. Heady Topper and Luscious. Four days after the flood, Kimmich opened a temporary cannery. The Luscious and the Heady Topper helped save the company when it was released for 11/11/11. You can imagine why this beer holds a special place in Kimmich’s heart.

The Alchemist: Luscious
Like the label says, this one was truly luscious.(Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Well, now it holds a special place in my heart, too. I picked up this can all the way back in June, when I visited for @itsmeitsbmd1085’s bachelor party. This was my last can leftover from that trip. As bittersweet as that is, this beer definitely had no bitterness to it at all. Just luscious, sweet deliciousness. It’s a British-style imperial stout with a good kick and some great flavor to boot. One interesting note about this version that separates it from the ones brewed before 2017 is that Alchemist now works on a five-week-brewing cycle. Previous versions of the Luscious was often aged for 8, or even 12, weeks.

The ones you’re getting at their Stowe location these days are much younger. You can have them fresh, or age them a while. Mine spent almost seven months in the fridge, and it was still incredible!

Check this one out on Instagram, now! Be sure to like and follow Beers on Windowsills!

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. The Alchemist: Luscious (2018) . We have a nice bit of deep, dark lusciousness on the Windowsill today! . Can you imagine a world without beer from Vermont’s The Alchemist? Well, back in 2011, their brewpub in Waterbury—this was long before the beautiful new facility in Stowe—was completely devastated by a flood. According to @beerconnoisseurmag, the floodwaters “destroyed nearly everything in the Alchemist basement. A walk-in cooler, compressors, computers, the malt, beer, food, recipes—all were damaged beyond repair.” . Facing basically being out of business, owner John Kimmich was able to save two beers. Heady Topper and Luscious. Four days after the flood, Kimmich opened a temporary cannery. The Luscious and the Heady Topper helped save the company when it was released for 11/11/11. You can imagine why this beer holds a special place in Kimmich’s heart. . Well, now it holds a special place in my heart, too. I picked up this can all the way back in June, when I visited for @itsmeitsbmd1085’s bachelor party. This was my last can leftover from that trip. As bittersweet as that is, this beer definitely had no bitterness to it at all. Just luscious, sweet deliciousness. It’s a British-style imperial stout with a good kick and some great flavor to boot. One interesting note about this version that separates it from the ones brewed before 2017 is that Alchemist now works on a five-week-brewing cycle. Previous versions of the Luscious was often aged for 8, or even 12, weeks. The ones you’re getting at their Stowe location these days are much younger. You can have them fresh, or age them a while. Mine spent almost seven months in the fridge, and it was still incredible! . ABV: 9.2%, IBU: N/A, Rotating availability . @untappd says: 4.27/5

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Lawson’s Finest Liquids: No Collusion

Lawson's Finest Liquids: No Collusion

Style: Whiskey barrel-aged Imperial Stout

Special Notes: Aged in Mad River Distillers’ “Hopscotch” Whiskey barrels.

ABV: 11.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: No longer in production (brewed once)

@untappd says: 4.38/5

Sometimes, collusion amongst friends leads to very good beer.

Despite the fact that today’s beer is named No Collusion, it’s very much a product of collusion… without the deceptive part of the word’s meaning, though. It comes from a partnership between Vermont’s Lawson’s Finest Liquids (makers of the Sip of Sunshine) and Mad River Distillers (a Vermont-based maker of fine spirits).

The process is detailed on the bottle, but just in case you can’t read it, it’s basically this: First, they started with Mad River’s “Hopscotch” Vermont Whiskey barrels. After the whiskey was emptied, Lawson’s filled those barrels with a maple imperial stout. One year later, the barrels were tapped and the beer inside was harvested for sale.

Lawson's Finest Liquids: No Collusion label closeup
No fancy frills for this bottle. Just the facts, and the beer. (Credit: Martin Stezano / Beers on Windowsills)

The next collusion that led this beer to my Windowsill, is one amongst friends. My good buddy Brian, and his new wife, had themselves a house warming party. Another good friend of the Windowsill, Alex, brought this bottle to the party and shared it with all of the guests. Collaboration at its finest, all around!

What else can I say about this beer? It was so good, that I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a few days! I still remember it fondly! Chocolatey, mapley, whiskey goodness. Although, I must say, I didn’t realize it was aged in whiskey barrels until I saw the label. The beer itself was ultra smooth. The rest of the night got away from us a bit (Bourbon County and Pumking made appearances), but the Lawson’s really stuck in my mind. Incredible. I really hope they decide to make more some day.

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. Lawson’s Finest Liquids: No Collusion . Sometimes, collusion amongst friends leads to very good beer. . Despite the fact that today’s beer is named No Collusion, it’s very much a product of collusion… without the deceptive part of the word’s meaning, though. It comes from a partnership between Vermont’s Lawson’s Finest Liquids (makers of the Sip of Sunshine) and Mad River Distillers (a Vermont-based maker of fine spirits). . The process is detailed on the bottle, but just in case you can’t read it, it’s basically this: First, they started with Mad River’s “Hopscotch” Vermont Whiskey barrels. After the whiskey was emptied, Lawson’s filled those barrels with a maple imperial stout. One year later, the barrels were tapped and the beer inside was harvested for sale. . The next collusion that led this beer to my Windowsill, is one amongst friends. My good buddy @itsmeitsbmd1085, and his new wife, had themselves a house warming party. Another good friend of the Windowsill, @sherk.alex, brought this bottle to the party and shared it with all of the guests. Collaboration at its finest, all around! . What else can I say about this beer? It was so good, that I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a few days! I still remember it fondly! Chocolatey, mapley, whiskey goodness. Although, I must say, I didn’t realize it was aged in whiskey barrels until I saw the label. The beer itself was ultra smooth. The rest of the night got away from us a bit (Bourbon County and Pumking made appearances), but the Lawson’s really stuck in my mind. Incredible. I really hope they decide to make more some day. . ABV: 11.0%, IBU: N/A, Limited availability (brewed once so far) . @untappd says: 4.38/5

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Rock Art Brewery: 20th Anniversary Double IPA

Rock Art Brewery: 20th Anniversary Double IPA

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 80

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 4.03/5

Still coming strong with that VT Beer on the Windowsill!

This past June, I took a trip to Vermont. Part of that trip involved a stop at Morrisville, VT’s Rock Art Brewery. As you can see by the photos, it’s a beautiful brewery. Although the company was founded in 1997, their current facility is only seven years old. The taproom, which was womanned by a really cool lady whose name escapes me, had amazing beers. Everything was super clean, and there was art displayed all over the place. The best part? The whole place is solar powered. The folks in Vermont know how to do green!

Now for the brew. I was unable to nail down the hop recipe for the 20th Anniversary DIPA, but it’s one of the juiciest, haziest Double IPAs I’ve ever had. Really crisp and clean, with amazing hoppiness and a nice, dry finish. I had it at the taproom (see the 2 oz glass on the great big, round sill?) and brought home a can for later. So good! Perfect for a 20th anniversary brew… or any anniversary, for that matter!  If you’re in the area, go to Rock Art!

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Simple Roots Brewing Company: Elderflower Saison

Simple Roots Brewing Company: Elderflower Saison

Special Ingredients: Elderflowers

ABV: 5.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.7/5

Saison season is not over yet!

Have you guys seen Breaking Bad? You know, the one about the science teacher that decides to make meth on the side? Well, Simple Roots Brewing Company is kind of like that… except without the meth. It was opened in 2014 by former high school science teacher Dan Ukolowicz and his wife, Kara Pawlusiak. There’s lots more to tell about this Vermont-based brewery, so I hope to get their beers back on my Windowsill soon!

I’ve really gotten into saisons lately, and I really enjoyed this one from Simple Roots, too. It’s a little bit tart, crisp and light, and infused with dried elderflower for a very unique flavor. As the can says, this one is definitely good to drink on rocking chair, under the shade of a tree and with family and friends. Pull up a picnic table, because I really enjoyed the Elderflower Saison!

More great saisons await on my Instagram, so head over there now!

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River Roost Brewery: Glimpse

River Roost Brewing: Glimpse

ABV: 7.8%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.33/5

Wanna see what’s on the Windowsill? Why not get a glimpse…

River Roost Brewery was opened in 2016 by Mark Babson, a former brewer and quality technician in the industry. Since then, the White River Junction-based beer maker has been garnering quite a reputation for quality brewing. How did I find them? I had to pee. Yep. I was driving up to Vermont, about an hour from my destination, and I had to pee. I popped “brewery” into my GPS and found River Roost. Good thing I did, because I picked up today’s brew in the process. And I peed!

The Glimpse is definitely one of the better DIPAs I’ve had in quite some time. I was unable to find out the hop recipe before posting, but whatever the mix, it’s juicy, hazy, resinous and amazing. Of course, I could tell it was gonna be good from the tropical aromas that zoomed into my nostrils when I opened the can. Find these guys, and drink their delightful brews!

Check out the rest of the beers from my Vermont trip on Instagram!

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Rock Art Brewery: A River Runs Gruit

Rock Art Brewery: A River Runs Gruit

ABV: 5.2%

IBU: 0

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.66/5

I am Gruit on the Windowsill today!

When I first saw this beer at Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, VT, I thought to myself; what the hell is a gruit ale? Well, luckily, American Craft Beer had the answer for me. The word gruit, or grut, is German for herb. A gruit is any brew that uses an herbal mixture for flavoring or bittering instead of hops. Back in the day, gruits dominated the beer market, but around the 15th or 16th centuries, their popularity ended. Why? For one, German beer purity laws—they passed in 1516 and stated that beers could only contain water, barley and hops—made it a no no (or “nein nein”) to make anything resembling a gruit. It’s also believed that religious conservatism helped bury the style, as many of the herbs used back then were aphrodisiacs. Can’t have a bunch of horny drunks running around now, can we? Thankfully, microbreweries started popularizing the style again in the 1990s.

A River Runs Gruit is a cleverly named—great shout out to the classic novel, and eventual Brad Pitt film—is an ale brewed with herbs, chamomile, rose hips, elderberry and lavender. The lavender and chamomile stood out the most for me. Overall, this brew was a very weird experience. Thankfully, I like weird. I love that this ancient style, which seemingly has endless possibilities for herb combinations and flavorings, is making its comeback. This one was very flowery and tasty, once I got through the hop-less weirdness of it all. I dug it!

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Two Roads Brewing Company and Lawson’s Finest Liquids: Typecast Farmhouse IPA

Lawson's Finest Liquids and Two Roads Brewing Company: Typecast Farmhouse IPA

Hops: Wye Challenger, Cascade, Centennial

Special Ingredients: Vermont White Cedar, Connecticut Balsam Fir Tips

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.7/5

We have a really atypical collaboration on the Windowsill today!

I love a good collaboration brew, so you know I was excited to find out that one of my favorite local breweries, Two Roads Brewing Company, and one of Vermont’s finest breweries, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, had come together to create a very unique Farmhouse IPA—the Typecast. For those of you know know Lawson’s story, it shouldn’t be a surprise that these two made a beer together. They already make a lot of beers together. If you’ve ever had any Lawson’s in a can, know that it was actually brewed at Two Roads. The two have had a solid contract brewing relationship for a while now.

Now onto the brew. A farmhouse IPA? Sounds wild, right? What is it? It starts out as a farmhouse ale (aka saison), and then it’s dry-hopped to perfection. One extra cool thing about this beer is that it uses all local ingredients. It uses Cascade and Wye Challenger hops grown in Connecticut, as well as Centennial hops grown in Vermont. The Typecast also includes Vermont white cedar and CT balsam fir tips in the boil. Overall, this brew wasn’t really for me, but it’s definitely an eclectic style, with some pretty good flavors that you might like. Cheers!

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Burlington Beer Company: Orbital Elevator

Burlington Beer Company: Orbital Elevator

Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, El Dorado

Malts: Oat Malt, Flaked Oats

ABV: 8.3%

IBU: 40

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.15/5

We’re getting scientific on the Windowsill today!

Have you heard of the space elevator? No, I don’t mean the thing Roald Dahl’s beloved character, Charlie, gets into in the oft-forgotten sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (although that elevator does go into orbit… so maybe it is?). Anyway, the space elevator is a potential way for human beings to travel into space using an elevator-like contraption involving, essentially, the same tech as the lift in your apartment building or office. Once the tech is available and perfected, this concept would save billions over NASA’s current strategy of launching rockets. That’s good, since we’re apparently gonna need that money for a Space Force now… you know, like G.I. Joe had…. Anywho, if you want to find out more about the “orbital elevator” concept, check out the Youtube video BBCO sent me. I can’t link here, so just google “Space Elevator—Science Fiction or the Future of Mankind?” It’s animated, and pretty awesome.

OK. We’re here to talk about the beer. The Orbital Elevator—which gets its name from Burlington Beer Company’s fascination with the space elevator concept—was really a special brew. Billed as an oatmeal Double IPA, it’s a DIPA brewed with Oat Malt and Flaked Oats. This gives the brew more of a fluffy mouthfeel, which I really enjoyed. The hops used—Simcoe, Mosaic and El Dorado—give the Orbital Elevator that tropical “fruity pebble paradise” of flavors and aromas we all love in our IPAs. Another winner from BBCO!

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