2008 Woodie Awards
I.P.A. makes waves at Otter Creek
Local brewery celebrates 15 years with the birth of a tasteful, classy ale
Rachel Durfee and CC Ragan
Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: Local News
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In March of 1991 Lawrence Miller brewed his first batch of Otter Creek Ale. Fifteen years later the local brewery is celebrating its anniversary with a series of limited edition beers and a special anniversary ale. To learn more about the brewery, which locally develops, produces and bottles every Otter Creek beer and sells it as far west as California, we recently attended a brewery tour and tasting. Free tours are offered daily at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. and include complimentary sampling of up to six seasonal brews on tap for those of age. Visiting the facility also has its financial benefits - each day a different beer is featured at a discount price and all types are on sale on Monday.
With our guide, we stood on the brewing platform above the bustling production line to hear about all that goes into producing fresh and flavorful beers. In addition to an inventive line of brews, Otter Creek has an equally inspiring history. Founder Miller began experimenting with beer brewing when he stumbled upon a left-behind home brewery kit in his dorm room at Reed College in Portland, Ore. Blessed with a trust fund, he went to Germany for further study and then returned home to open his own brewery. Once a young camper in Vermont, he was drawn back to the Middlebury area due to its pristine water - beer's key ingredient. In the spring of 1991, the brewery opened down the road from its current location. Four years later, Miller moved his small-time beer production center to its current location at 793 Exchange Street.
The company blossomed, and in 1998 Miller entered into a partnership with Robert Wolaver and his west coast organic brewing company. In 2002 Miller retired from the brewing business and sold Otter Creek to Wolaver, who quickly began an expansion of the operation. Otter Creek/Wolaver now sells nine year-round beers plus a plethora of seasonal and special release brews.
Though no brewing was taking place on the tour day, visitors did get to witness the bottling process, which included capping and labeling the commemorative fifteenth anniversary India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) on a recently purchased 22-ounce bottling machine. Brewmaster Steve Parkes, the brains behind every beer at Otter Creek, explained that the I.P.A. came about as sort of a misfit. This past fall, while Otter Creek employees were brainstorming a number of distinct beer types from around the world for the current, limited-time only World Tour line of brews, which includes labels such as Cerveza Cacao and Double Decker, the I.P.A. didn't seem to fit into any one category but was still a beer the company wanted to produce. It was chosen as the anniversary ale, made its debut in early March and will be sold throughout the coming year.
With our guide, we stood on the brewing platform above the bustling production line to hear about all that goes into producing fresh and flavorful beers. In addition to an inventive line of brews, Otter Creek has an equally inspiring history. Founder Miller began experimenting with beer brewing when he stumbled upon a left-behind home brewery kit in his dorm room at Reed College in Portland, Ore. Blessed with a trust fund, he went to Germany for further study and then returned home to open his own brewery. Once a young camper in Vermont, he was drawn back to the Middlebury area due to its pristine water - beer's key ingredient. In the spring of 1991, the brewery opened down the road from its current location. Four years later, Miller moved his small-time beer production center to its current location at 793 Exchange Street.
The company blossomed, and in 1998 Miller entered into a partnership with Robert Wolaver and his west coast organic brewing company. In 2002 Miller retired from the brewing business and sold Otter Creek to Wolaver, who quickly began an expansion of the operation. Otter Creek/Wolaver now sells nine year-round beers plus a plethora of seasonal and special release brews.
Though no brewing was taking place on the tour day, visitors did get to witness the bottling process, which included capping and labeling the commemorative fifteenth anniversary India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) on a recently purchased 22-ounce bottling machine. Brewmaster Steve Parkes, the brains behind every beer at Otter Creek, explained that the I.P.A. came about as sort of a misfit. This past fall, while Otter Creek employees were brainstorming a number of distinct beer types from around the world for the current, limited-time only World Tour line of brews, which includes labels such as Cerveza Cacao and Double Decker, the I.P.A. didn't seem to fit into any one category but was still a beer the company wanted to produce. It was chosen as the anniversary ale, made its debut in early March and will be sold throughout the coming year.