Hill Farmstead Brewery, The Alchemist of Waterbury honored on consumer-driven Website RateBeer

RateBeer, one of the most important and popular websites dedicated to the craft beer movement have announced their ‘Best of Lists’ for 2012, and Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro was named number six of the ‘Best Brewers in the World’ out of a field of more than 12,000. TheAlchemistinWaterburywon a top honor for their flagship beer Heady Topper in the highly competitive Double India Pale Ale category.
RateBeer collects beer reviews from thousands of their members from all over the world and compiles those reviews on their website run out ofSonoma County,California. It is based on these reviews that the editors come up with their ‘Best of’ lists each year.
Hill Farmstead Brewery has quickly established itself as a rising star among craft brewers since opening in 2010, and to be named number six is certainly an honor. Vermont Brewers Association Executive Director Kurt Staudter said of the award, ‘This is huge! Shaun Hill is making some great beer up there inGreensboro, and we’re glad that the critical beer drinkers at RateBeer have discovered what we knew from the beginning.’
In addition to being named one of the best breweries, 12 of Shaun Hill’s beers were singled out for ‘RateBeer Best 2012 Gold’ awards. They were in the Double IPA style Ephraim, and Abner; in the low/moderate alcohol category Clara; in Porters Everett, Birth of Tragedy, and Fear and Trembling (Cabernet/Bourbon Blend); in the Belgian Session style they won for E., Phenomenology of Spirit, and Civil Disobedience (Release 1); and in the American Amber/pale they were honored for Edward, Amarillo Single Hop Ale, and Motueka Pale Ale.
In the wake of the tragic destruction of their landmark pub onMain StreetinWaterburyduring Tropical Storm Irene, the owners of theAlchemistJen and John Kimmich opened their new state-of-the-art cannery that same week, and now they have yet another award to add to their many accolades.
For the longest time the only way to enjoy the beers from theAlchemistwas in their pub, but all that has changed with the new cannery. Now that the beer is available in more places it is getting additional attention. The RateBeer Best 2012 in the Double IPA category went to their Heady Topper the only beer that they are currently canning. Staudter pointed out that ‘It’s perhaps the best beer I’ve ever had out of a can!’