Vermont: Keeping It Weird

I saw that on a t-shirt at a gift shop, right beside one that said ‘I’d tap that’ underneath a picture of a maple tree. The second fit my warped sense of humour and if I were a guy, I would have bought it. The first one though… We didn’t realize Vermonters were a weird bunch. They seemed pretty normal.

Maybe Vermont is weird because they have great gf stuff and wherever we went, the people got it. When I enquired at Das Bierhaus if they had any gf beer (after seeing them mentioned in a gf posting), the waitress replied “We have many” with such sincere enthusiasm that I was shocked and could only muster an “OK, Thank you”. Returning after dinner, our waitress (a different one from before) helped me choose one to my liking. If that is what makes Vermont weird, then I’m all for it. One day I hope everyone will be just as weird.

A major purchase in Vermont was a few bags of pretzels. Initially we bought one, then returned the next day for more (it didn’t help that The Honey was eating them as quickly as I was). Gratify pretzels really do gratify you. Not only are they gf, they are also dairy free (lactose, milk & casein), and egg free. My belly stayed happy. They are awesome pretzels and what you remember them being like.

A few Red Ales by Harvester Brewing came home with us (in nice big bottles). The red ale has a stronger, but pleasant taste with nuances of coffee (never thought I’d ever write that!). Surprisingly, it is made with chestnuts and gf oats along with the usual sorghum. This is a beer I’d pick up again.

We also brought back a four pack of New Planet’s Tread Lightly Ale. It’s a nice beer. It’s light, crisp and has nice flavour to it. It’s not going to knock you off your chair, but it’s a nice beer. Upon checking out their website they have a few others available (blonde, amber, Belgian) including a raspberry! I used to love raspberry wheat beers! Next time I’m in Vermont (or Colorado) I’m keeping an extra eye open.

Van’s is a great company with lots of gf items. We picked up some of their ‘Lots of Everything’ crackers because they are one of the few that don’t contain potato. They are really great crackers and I could eat them by the box (oh yeah, my life sounds so exciting now!). They remind me of the gluten-loaded vegetable thins you find at the regular grocery store. Van’s are crunchy and full of flavour and perfect on their own or with some cheese (Hmmm, I think I still have some left). Yes, we have great crackers here too and the only comparison would be to those fabulous Crunchmaster crackers, which are to die for. Here’s another item for your next crossborder-shopping-trip.