Category: Activities

<p>Roasted Butternut squash, pickled Delicata, pumpkin hummus and roasted pumpkin seeds – that’s squash four ways – can be enjoyed in the vegetarian shawarma specialty at Chef Stefano Coppola’s <a href=”http://vermontfresh.net/search-members/member-list/member/morse-block-deli”>Morse block Deli and Craft Beer Emporium</a> in Barre. Chef Stefano may say he’s running a typical sandwich shop, but his <strong>attention to detail </strong>and<strong> culinary finesse</strong> across the menu signify that this shop is <strong>anything but typical</strong>.</p><p>Chef Stefano bought Morse Block Deli last year and just celebrated 6 months open! A sandwich shop was a new endeavor for Stefano. A <strong>NECI grad</strong> and <strong>experienced chef</strong>, Stefano has worked in and run many Vermont Fresh Network kitchens. Vermont food and beer is his passion, and Chef Stefano has always gone <strong>extra lengths to see if he can source an ingredient locally</strong>: his philosophy for the deli is no exception. Running a deli has created some challenges for the committed locavore. “People are always going to want to see tomatoes on the menu – even in February,” Stefano explained, “so I play with a traditional menu and use <strong>local ingredients in a non-traditional way</strong>.” Take the most popular menu item at Morse Block Deli – Granite City. It’s not surprising that a turkey sandwich tops the list a neighborhood sandwich joint, but Chef Stefano’s turkey sandwich has a little more going on between the slices. He recently switched his local turkey source to <a href=”http://vermontfresh.net/search-members/member-list/member/maple-wind-farm”>Maple Wind Farm’s</a> <strong>pasture raised birds</strong> from Richmond, Vermont. The turkey is first <strong>brined in a maple bourbon bath and sous vide</strong> – “to keep it extra moist,” shared Chef Stefano. Served with ‘LTO’ (lettuce, tomato and onion), <strong>cranberry mayo</strong>, <a href=”http://vermontfresh.net/search-members/member-list/member/cabot-creamery-cooperative”>Cabot</a> <strong>cheddar</strong>, between slices of <strong>La Panciata Cranberry Pecan bread</strong> – made especially for Morse Block Deli. Taking extra care with ingredients (like the Maple Wind turkey) is Stefano’s secret for converting a typical deli customer into a local food enthusiast. It’s working. Business has been great, and the sandwich shop has been just as busy this winter as it was in the high traffic summer and autumn months.</p><p>Chef Stefano also hosts extremely popular <strong>monthly pop-up dinners</strong> at the shop. Exploring international cuisine like <strong>ramen, pho, and tamales</strong> (coming up next week!) Chef Stefano isn’t planning on adding evening hours permanently anytime soon, but a first class liquor license is in the works.</p><p> </p>

Source: Dig in VT Trails

<p>The 16th annual Strolling of the Heifers Festival will be June 2, 3 &amp; 4, 2017, with the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade stepping off at 10 a.m. sharp on Saturday, June 3, 2017 The heifers are at the front of the Parade, so don’t be late! </p><p>ALSO PRESENTING: The seventh annual SLOW LIVING SUMMIT, a unique conference on sustainable living, in downtown Brattleboro, May 1st and 2nd, 2017.</p><p>Details: <a href=”http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com” target=”_blank”>www.strollingoftheheifers.com</a>, <a href=”http://www.slowlivingsummit.org”>www.slowlivingsummit.org</a></p><p>WHAT’S A HEIFER? That’s a question we’re often asked. The answer is simple: A heifer is a young cow who has not yet had a calf of her own. And who is very cute, as you will see at the Parade.</p><p>BEST VIEWING: anywhere along Brattleboro’s historic Main Street, or at the Brattleboro Common.</p><p>PARKING: There are parking lots served by shuttle buses off Route 91 Exits 1 and 2. Downtown parking is limited, and some streets are subject to towing. Check our website for parking details. </p><p>BEFORE THE PARADE: Arrive early, enjoy Brattleboro shops and eateries that open early, or have pancakes at the Organic Breakfast on the Common. </p><p>AFTER THE PARADE: Follow the crowd and join us at the Slow Living Expo for food, fun, entertainment and informative exhibits. The festival continues til 4 p.m. </p><h3><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Schedule of Events</span></h3><p><strong>FRIDAY, JUNE 2:</strong></p><p><em>Gallery Walk &amp; Street Festival<br/></em>5:30-8:30 p.m., Main Street and the River Garden – Brattleboro<br/>Food, music, dancing and fun at our annual downtown block party!<br/>2017 Culinary Centerpiece: The Great New England Fruit Pie Baking Competition!</p><p><strong>SATURDAY, JUNE 3:</strong></p><p><em>The Strolling of the Heifers Parade Brattleboro, VT<br/></em>10 a.m. sharp, up Main Street. The heifers lead the parade, so don’t be late! NO DOGS, PLEASE!<br/>Pre-parade entertainment!<em> </em></p><p><em>Slow Living Expo<br/></em>9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Brattleboro Common and Retreat Grounds </p><p><em>Beef &amp; Cheese</em>: Cooking with Local Chefs — Home EnergyVillage — Crafts Village — Woodlands Exhibit — Goat Olympics — Healthy Living Village — Entertainment — Human Foosball!</p><p><em>Dozens of Food Vendors</em> — Dozens of farms and exhibitors — Bouncing Castles – Amusement Rides and more!!</p><p><em>Ride the MOOver!! </em>4 stops in a one-way loop throughout the day! Common- Retreat- Retreat Farm/Grafton Cheese-A Candle in the Night…. Free and Air-conditioned!</p><p><em>Brattleboro Area Farmers Market</em> (presented by our farming friends)<br/>Western Ave. Brattleboro, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.</p><p><strong>SUNDAY, JUNE 4:</strong></p><p><em>Famous Farmers Breakfast<br/></em>9 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Marina Restaurant (off Putney Road, just north of the West River Bridge in Brattleboro)</p><p><em>Tour de Heifer<br/></em>Vermont’s most challenging dirt road cycling rides — 15, 30 or 60 miles (plus family-friendly 3-mile Round Mountain hike) Beginning and ending at Lilac Ridge Farm, W. Brattleboro. </p><p><em>Farm Tour<br/></em>Guided tours at five area farms — reservations encouraged!</p>

Source: Dig in VT Trails

<p>Maple Cask Rum is a collaboration between <a href=”http://www.madriverdistillers.com/” target=”_blank”>Mad River Distillers</a> in Warren and <strong>Wood’s Vermont Syrup Company</strong> in Randolph. After aging the <a href=”http://www.madriverdistillers.com/liquor-type/first-run-rum/” target=”_blank”>First Run Rum</a> in charred and toasted new oak barrels, Mad River sends the empty rum barrels to Al Wood. He fills them with his homemade maple syrup and then ages the product at his sugarhouse. Once the syrup is bottled, the seasoned barrels are returned to Mad River Distillers, where aged rum is finished inside of them in their rickhouse. The resulting <a href=”http://www.madriverdistillers.com/liquor-type/maple-rum/” target=”_blank”>Maple Cask Rum</a> is a <strong>sugar cane based spirit that drinks like a whiskey</strong>. It has <strong>notes of maple sweetness and oak, vanilla and toffee flavors.</strong></p><p>Mad River Distillery still is tucked away inside Vermont’s beautiful Mad River Valley, where they produce their locally inspired liquors. Just last year, they opened a cocktail bar and tasting room in downtown Burlington, Vermont where they can share their love of craft cocktails with a rapt audience. </p><p><strong>What We’re Drinking:</strong> Maple Cask Rum Maple Mojito, paired with mint and SAP! Maple seltzer</p><p><strong>Where: </strong><a href=”https://www.diginvt.com/places/detail/mad-river-distillers-burlington-tasting-room” target=”_blank”>Mad River Distiller’s cocktail shop in Burlington</a>. 137 St. Paul St. Burlington, VT 05401.</p><h4><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><em><img class=”left” src=”https://www.diginvt.com/assets/_resampled/resizedimage300370-Maple-Mojito-1.jpg” width=”300″ height=”370″ alt=”” title=””/>Maple Mojito</em></span></h4><p style=”padding-left: 90px;”><em><br/>2 oz Maple Cask Rum<br/>.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice<br/>.75 oz Simple Syrup<br/>6 mint leaves</em></p><p><em>Shake the ingredients over ice until frosty and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with SAP Maple Seltzer and garnish with fresh mint.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p>

Source: Dig in VT Trails

<p><em>It’s about to be April. . . which is not the height of harvest season in Vermont. Nevertheless we still have <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>plenty</span> of Vermont farm products available. It’s also a time where our specialty food producers shine, preserving Vermont products each summer to enjoy through the year. Here’s a profile of one food maker: Butterfly Bakery of Vermont. Thank you to the Vermont Fresh Network for sharing this from the <a href=”http://vermontfresh.net/news-events-and-blog/”>Fresh Feed</a>. </em></p><p><span id=”docs-internal-guid-d8702c21-1f18-eb31-d947-60bf8fa91252″> </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Butterfly Bakery began almost 15 years ago with owner Claire Fitts Georges baking long nights in rented oven space in Montpelier, VT. The cookies, granolas, and other baked goods she made soon attracted a loyal customer base because 1. they were (are) delicious and 2. they use alternative sweeteners (lots of Vermont maple syrup!) and grains (spelt goes really well with Vermont maple syrup!). </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Today the nighttime baking is long gone; Claire opened her own space in 2007 where she bakes for wholesale clients and the Montpelier Farmer’s Market. And her products have expanded well beyond baked goods – in fact, her fastest growing line is hot sauces. Claire’s hot sauces aren’t just made here in Vermont, they also feature Vermont produce – from the hot peppers that are their primary ingredient to the specialty ingredients going into batches like Hot Squash, Vermont Peach, Smoky Seyval, and Maple Sugar Shack. Here’s some more from Claire on the hot sauce trade:</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>How did you get started with the hot sauce line? It’s a bit of a leap from cookies?</strong></span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Farmers Market sales were faltering in 2011 and I decided that, rather than give up on Farmers Markets, I would utilize my recipe development skills to create something that customers would want to buy from me. I did a lot of “experimental” products that kept customers coming back to sample, but my favorites were the ones that utilized the farmer “extras” left over at the end of the market. Farmers often had chili peppers left at the end of the market, because, in Vermont, they’re easier to grow than to sell. My hot sauces became quickly popular and their shelf stability meant that I could do large batches that would sell over several weeks. So the numbers of experimental batches just kept growing until it became a regular thing. </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>How has this hot sauce enterprise changed since you began?</strong></span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Well it’s grown a lot. My initial batches were 10 or so bottles. Then maybe 50. Now the micro batches are usually around 150 and the big batches are around 1500 bottles. Also my skill has grown tremendously. I was flying pretty blind when I first started making hot sauce, with only random blogs as reference points. Now I have a much better understanding of how to adjust my recipes to get the results that I want. That’s been part of the beauty of my micro batches of hot sauce. Like comedians hone their skills performing every night, I’ve learned a lot of the ins and outs of different ingredients by doing so many different kinds of hot sauce.</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><a style=”text-decoration: none;” href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxowurqD2Rs”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #cf9200; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>You can see a video of Claire making one of her big batches at the Food Venture Center with Alchemist owner John Kimmich.</span></a></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>Vermont isn’t necessarily known for its hot peppers (yet) – can you tell us a little more about the peppers you’re sourcing?  </strong> </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>My first farmer producer grew a wide variety of peppers and I played with them.</span></p><blockquote><p><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>About that first producer. . .</span><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Jim just blisses out in his garden. Every year he tells me that he’s not going to grow peppers again, then deep in the winter he gets the itch and ends up starting 1000+ plants in his living room because he’s just that kind of guy. His peppers are the ones that gave us a name in the hot sauce world. Without his peppers we’d never have made it this far. Let’s just say that he has a lifetime hot sauce subscription with us – </span><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>From ButterflyBakeryVT.com</span></p></blockquote><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>As my scale has grown, jalapenos and habaneros have proven to be the easiest to source, so I’ve been relying mostly on those . . . although now I’m finding more farmers who can diversify their pepper crops and will start having a wider variety of peppers again in 2017. Vermont’s lush, wet soil produces full flavored, heavy peppers, which are entirely what has made my hot sauce so yummy. I can’t imagine how my flavors would change if I started sourcing peppers from areas with a different growing climate.</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>How do you acquire all the hot peppers you need, especially as your business is expanding?</strong>  </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>There is no way that I could source enough peppers from farmers if I just relied on the peppers that they were already growing. I contract with farmers in February for the peppers that I will buy in the fall. I’m almost positive that I’m now the number 1 purchaser of Vermont chili peppers. I was getting 500 lbs in 2014, 2500 lbs in 2015, 6500 lbs in 2016 and now I have 17,000 lbs on order for 2017. It’s important to me to purchase from a wide spread of farmers so that if any one of them has crop problems, I still have plenty of peppers to last me through the year. As the peppers come in, I hire folks to destem them, bag/box them up and freeze them. Right now I’m freezing my peppers at the Vermont Food Venture Center, but I will be moving into a new facility in the next month that will house my own 300 sq ft freezer (plus a shiny new kitchen).</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Butterfly Bakery currently purchases from Stillmeadow Garden, </span><a style=”text-decoration: none;” href=”http://vermontfresh.net/search-members/member-list/member/maple-wind-farm”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #cf9200; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Maple Wind Farm</span></a><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>, True Love Farm, Kingsbury Market Garden, Dutchess Farm, Littlewood Farm, Shadow Creek Farm – each </span><a style=”text-decoration: none;” href=”https://butterflybakeryvt.com/pages/our-hot-sauce-story-our-growers”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #cf9200; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>described in more detail on her website</span></a><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”> </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>You’ve been working recently with some of the state’s craft brewers on hot sauce lines, how is that going?</strong></span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>I’m so excited about this project. The only thing holding me back is a lack of peppers (it turns out that 6500 lbs isn’t enough for a year). With the 2017 crop of peppers I am going to be debuting a line of Craft Beer &amp; Brews Hot Sauce that will feature different Vermont beers and ciders. The flagship will be my existing Heady Pepper hot sauce made with Heady Topper IPA, but I have many new flavors waiting in the wings.</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>Any other popular Vermont foods you think deserve to be turned into a hot sauce line?</strong></span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>I just hired a new saucier who has a background as an herbalist and we were talking about making herbal inspired hot sauces. I also just came across a maple vinegar made from sap and it was so delicious. I’d love to figure out how to incorporate that into some batches. I don’t even know what else. I’m constantly coming up with ideas. There isn’t enough time for all the flavor ideas that I have listed out on my phone.</span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”><strong>What’s on your mind for the future? </strong> </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>It amazes me that after plunking along at a good small business, I finally have a product on my hands that has some serious potential for growth. Now I’m just trying to figure out how to grow it in the right way that aligns with my attitudes about business and with my life. I want to do more philanthropy with my hot sauce (our Genersaucity program donates 100% of profits from a given batch to a chosen charity). And I want to create a Vermont pepper market – both creating enough volume to make Vermont hot sauces and creating cache for a Vermont Pepper.  </span></p><p style=”line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 15pt;” dir=”ltr”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>Claire has recently started selling to restaurants, and is “learning the ropes” of this type of market. She sells to independent food stores across Vermont and online at </span><a style=”text-decoration: none;” href=”http://www.butterflybakeryvt.com/”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #cf9200; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>www.ButterflyBakeryVT.com</span></a><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #725e3e; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;”>. She also makes exclusive batches for the Alchemist in Stowe.</span></p>

<p> </p>

Source: Dig in VT Trails

<p>Maple Open House Weekend is a statewide event celebrating sugaring season. Sugar makers throughout Vermont will open the doors of their sugarhouses, inviting visitors in to experience and enjoy this remarkable time of year when pure Vermont maple syrup is made. Whether it’s the sight of steam rising from the sugarhouse, the inviting aroma of boiling sap, or the sweetly divine flavor of syrup as enjoyed in traditional sugar-on-snow, visitors are treated to an experience for the senses!</p><p>Some Examples of Activities Offered:</p><ul><li>Tours of sugarhouse and woods</li><li>Pancake breakfasts</li><li>Maple candy-making demonstrations</li><li>Live music</li><li>Horse-drawn sleigh rides</li><li>Sugar-on-snow</li><li>Sampling of maple syrup</li><li>Maple donuts, maple cotton candy, maple creemees and other maple goodies to try</li><li>Maple syrup and maple specialty products to purchase</li></ul><p>Each participating sugar maker has their own unique take on the weekend, and are hosting events at different times.</p><h4 style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://www.diginvt.com/search-results/category/maple-open-house” target=”_blank”>Check out the map and list of participants here! </a></h4>

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Maple Open House Weekend and festivities are making their way down to southern Vermont! We are less than a week out and as of now the weather forecast predicts the perfect conditions for sap to flow: days above freezing with nights dipping below. It’s shaping up to be the perfect year to catch all the action.

If you are up visiting Vermont for the weekend or simply want a relaxing change of scenery, the Four Columns Inn and Artisan Restaurant in Newfane, VT is planning a maple-inspired weekend for overnight guests and visitors alike. You can participate in guided walks through the woods; partake in maple breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners; and warm up with coffee and maple treats.

For a little excursion, head to nearby Smith Family Maple to see a sugarhouse in production and enjoy maple syrup samples and complementary sugarhouse-made corn fritters served with warm maple syrup.

Visit DigIn VT’s Maple Season in Southern Vermont trail for more inspiration on where to grab a nearby brew or cheese sample to round out the perfect weekend.

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Established in 1797, the Norwich Inn in Norwich, Vermont is a historic Vermont property rich with tradition and many stories within its walls. The Inn was the first to welcome a US president to dinner! James Monroe visited the Inn’s Tavern in 1817 and (rumor has it) the tavern operated in secret during Vermont’s prohibition in the 1920s. Since then, the Inn has added modern comforts and efficiencies – they are a Green Hotel and committed to local as a long-time member of the Vermont Fresh Network – while keeping their historic charm. 

The Norwich Inn is a perfect hub for visitors traveling to Vermont for Maple Open House Weekend, March 25th and 26th. An easy drive from Boston or New York and right across the river from Hanover, New Hampshire. Starting in Norwich, visit sugarhouses, King Arthur Flour, Dan and Whit’s classic Vermont Country Store (right next door to the Inn), and many delicious eateries all along scenic Vermont routes. Follow the Central Vermont Maple Trail to plan your trip! 

Maple will rule the menu at Jasper Murdock’s Tavern at the Norwich Inn over Maple Open House Weekend. Chef Stephen Dow will be brining chicken wings, roasting beets, and sweetening the desserts in local maple for the occasion. Maple is Vermont’s local, natural sweetener, and Chef Dow sneaks it into his recipes constantly to add sweetness that also packs flavor. Like true Vermonters, the folks at the Norwich Inn know their sugarmaker. Dale, the maintenance manager at the Inn is also their source for syrup and he’ll boil sap on demand for the Inn – he also provides the honey! 

Visitors to the Norwich Inn will also be treated to housemade brews. The Inn is home to one of the oldest microbreweries in the state, and beers produced at Jasper Murdocks are only available on tap at the tavern and bottled at the Inn. While the sugar in maple can be challenging to use directly in the brewing process, Head Brewer Jeremy Hebert, has selected the perfect brew to accompany the maple-themed tavern menu.  

Where we’re Staying: The beautiful and historic Norwich Inn, 325 Main Street, Norwich, VT

What we’re Eating: Maple Fig Bread Pudding and Maple Creme Brulee! While maple may be considered a seasonal treat to some, Chef Dow made the mistake of briefly taking his famous Maple Creme Brulee off the menu last summer. Customer outrage demanded the local favorite return to the daily menu year-round.

What we’re Drinking: Two Patrick Stout. Two Patrick Stout was first brewed for St. Patrick’s Day, and is now a tradition at the Inn. It is a classic Irish dry stout, with roasted barley providing the dark color, rich body & roasty flavors. Historians believe that there must have been two St. Patricks, because events associated with him span 125 years. This beer is the recipe of a third Patrick, our former brewer Patrick Dakin.

Follow the Central Vermont Maple Trail!  

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Maple Open House weekend is right around the corner but that’s not all the state has to offer this time of year. Over the next few weeks, statewide festivals will be popping up to celebrate the Vermont’s favorite sweetener. Find one near you! 

3/18 Cabot Maple Festival
3/19 Middletown Springs Maple Festival
3/25 Poultney Maple Festival*
3/25 Lunenburg Maple Festival*
3/25-3/26 Woodstock Maple Madness*
3/25-3/26 Whitingham Maple Festival*
3/25-3/26 Mad River Valley Maple Festival *(Waitsfield)
4/28-4/30 Vermont Maple Festival (St. Albans)
4/29 St. Johnsbury Maple Festival 

*Note: Many of these festivals may be happening in conjunction with Maple House Open Weekend on March 25-26th.

Source: Dig in VT Trails

It’s the sweetest season here in the Green Mountain State, and sugar houses across Vermont are getting ready to welcome thousands of visitors to their businesses. More than 70 sugarhouses will open their doors to the public on March 25th and 26th for sap tapping, demonstrations, sugar bush tours, maple doughnut dining, sugar-on-snow and so much more!

Where should you stay? Here’s a list of hotels, inns and B&Bs with sweet deals for the maple curious. 

Northern Vermont 

Hotel Vermont, Burlington. Maple Madness Package! 

Maple Madness Package: Enjoy the sweetness of spring with our Maple Madness Package! Embark on a spring tour around the state with Bonafide Tours’s ‘Maple, Wines and Covered Bridges’ Half Day Tour as seen in the Boston Globe. Indulge in a full breakfast in Juniper before you leave for the day. Bonafide Tours provides guided exploration on back roads to a contemporary winery and colorful Vermont sugarhouse where you will learn about tapping into the Sugar Maple of Vermont from generations of maple syrup markers. Along the way, capture images of snow covered pastoral landscapes, waterfalls, 19th-century barns, church steeples, and meeting houses. In addition to the tour, each room will receive a bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup to take home.

The tour runs Friday, Saturday & Sunday only, so the package is available for Thursday, Friday or Saturday night stays through April 3, 2016. Rates starting at $539 for two. Use code MAPLE – click here to book.

Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe: Sugar Maple Snowshoe Tour!

Stay at the Trapp Family Lodge, a unique, four-season resort specializing in European-style accommodations and cuisine, spectacular mountain vistas, upscale amenities, and outdoor activities. Explore the family sugarbush! Enjoy a casual one-mile hike/snowshoe into the von Trapp family sugarbush. Learn about sugar making, from collecting sap to the boiling process. This is the perfect way to see the behind-the-scenes of the maple syrup process. Book here! 

Central Vermont

Inn at the Round Barn Farm, Waitsfield: A Real Sweet Deal!

The combination of warm days and cold nights this time of year yields the sweet sap of our Vermont Maple Trees producing the finest maple syrup in the world. Come visit us during this “Rite of Spring”. Package Includes a self guided tour of a Vermont sugarhouse – watch them make the sweet elixir; a Vermont maple welcome gift upon arrival; overnight Vermont accommodations Friday and Saturday nights; beautifully prepared breakfast daily; and afternoon tea & cookies.  

The weekend getaway starts at $170.00 per person plus state tax – book here!

Middlebury Inn, Middlebury: Maple Sugar Package!

This is a one night package for two people that will include Breakfast for Two, a bottle of Maple Syrup, some Maple Candy and admission to the New England Maple Museum as well as directions to local Sugar Houses where you can experience the Sugaring process first hand. Taxes are additional, gratuity for breakfast is included. Our Maple Sugar Package starts at $155 plus tax – book here!

Mountain Top Inn and Resort, Chittenden: Sweet Maple Mania! 

In addition to the ‘sweets’ here on property, you will be just a short drive from the New England Maple Museum, Baird Farm, Sugar & Spice, Mendon Mountain Orchards (where you can pour your own syrup from a giant steel drum!) and many more maple farms & sugarhouses. Stop by our front desk for ideas on how to spend the perfect ‘maple day’.

Deal includes classic lodge accommodations for two, a full country breakfast each morning featuring pancakes with REAL Vermont maple syrup, a sweet smelling Vermont made maple soy candle for you to take home (1 per package), delectable Vermont Maple Truffles (made in Mendon, VT), and use of resort facilities (including sauna, hot tub, trails, ice rink – weather permitting). The Sweet Maple Mania package starts at $575 double occupancy for two nights (plus tax and resort fee) – book here!

Norwich Inn, Norwich: Maple Syrup Lovers Unite!

Stay with The Norwich Inn over Maple Open House Weekend and visit an array of different Sugar Houses. Learn the steps of making one of Vermont’s Favorite products! There is plenty to learn and see this weekend. Whether it’s the sight of steam rising from the sugarhouse, the inviting aroma of boiling sap, or the sweetly divine flavor of syrup as enjoyed in traditional sugar-on-snow, visitors are treated to an experience for the senses! The Norwich Inn will also feature maple-themed menu items throughout the weekend. Book here! 

Red Clover Inn and Restaurant, Mendon: Spring is Sweet Vermont Maple Package!

Celebrate sweet spring with your sugar in Vermont with the Red Clover Inn & Restaurant Maple Package: 

Enjoy maple cookies and a steaming mug of Vermont Coffee Company coffee, or tea, upon arrival; a $100 voucher toward a candlelit dinner for two on the night of your stay with choice of cuisine and desserts; accommodations for two in the Red Clover Inn (some rooms with Jacuzzi tubs and hearths, as available); self-arranged tour of Baird Farm Sugarhouse, North Chittenden, Vermont; locally-sourced breakfast for two including classic pancakes and Vermont maple syrup, keepsake syrup and two maple lollipops for the trip home

Valid Thursdays through Mondays, February 26 through April 30, 2017; $295 per couple/night; alcohol and gratuity not included. Add an extra night’s stay for $125/room. Based upon availability. Book here! 

Woodstock Inn and Resort, Woodstock: Sugar Season Escape!

Our Sugar Season Escape Package makes getting away to the beauty of Woodstock, Vermont and the casual elegance of The Woodstock Inn & Resort even sweeter. Vermont is famous for having the best Maple Syrup in the world, and we are celebrating the sugaring season with this great offer.

The Sugar Season Escape Package includes accommodations in one of our luxurious guest rooms and a hearty country breakfast for two each morning 

Midweek rates start at $169 per room, per night; weekend rates – start at $199 per room, per night. Available March 8 – May 18, 2017. Book here, or upgrade to a sweet ‘suite’ deal.

Southern Vermont

Dorset Inn, Dorset: Maple Madness!

Enjoy a 2-night stay in a luxurious standard guest room, 3-course dinner for two one evening, a map to area sugarhouses; a Vermont maple gift basket from Dorset Rising, and a full country breakfast each morning!

 $525 per couple. 24 Hours notice required. Packages are for new reservations only, based on availability and must be requested at the time of booking. This package may not be combined with any other offers. Upgrade to a suite for $75 a night. Book here!

Four Columns Inn and Restaurant, Newfane: Maple Getaway! 

Participate in guided walks through the woods; partake in maple breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners; and warm up with coffee and maple treats at Four Columns Inn and Artisan Restaurant!

Source: Dig in VT Trails