I became a Middlebury, Vermont, resident in February of 2005 when I enrolled at Middlebury College as a Feb. I immediately fell in love with the quaint, quintessential Vermont town. Over the years when I was in college and settling into the community as a local post-graduation, Middlebury became a destination within the state for a network of breweries, wineries, and distilleries within a few mile radius. I was fortunate to work across the street from Appalachian Gap Distillery, located at 88 Mainelli Street, when they opened. I witnessed firsthand the transformation of one of Vermont’s most unique distilleries. Today, the distillery is producing sophisticated, handcrafted spirits sustainably, which they carefully and painstakingly craft.

How Appalachian Gap Distillery Came to Be

Named after the mountain pass leading from Bristol to Waitsfield (Vermont Route 17), App Gap Distillery opened its doors in 2010. The distillery was founded by two homebrewers after they experienced the “pride of being able to place a pint of really good beer in front of a friend and be able to say, ‘We made that.'” I, personally, remember walking into the distillery with a few of my co-workers one day soon after the distillery opened. We were eager to see what Middlebury’s first distillery had to offer.

Inside, App Gap Distillery offered samples of a few spirits in a largely industrial space.  There wasn’t a tasting room or really anywhere to sit. So we bellied up to a counter leading into an office space, where we learned about the spirits and the process for producing them. And we tasted some of their initial releases. The spirits spoke for themselves. Kaffekask, their first offering, was an un-aged bourbon distilled through coffee. It was one of the most unique bourbons I had ever tasted.

I also have a vivid memory of trying Snowfall Whiskey. Still learning about the subtleties of spirits at the time, I didn’t know a “clear whiskey,” smooth and delicate – void of any harshness – was possible. My colleagues and I looked at each other knowing we were in for a treat, working just across the street. We frequented “happy hour” stops over at the distillery to see what new spirits that were crafting.

The Evolution of Appalachian Gap Distillery

The evolution of App Gap Distillery is one of slow expansion, according to Lars Hubbard, founder, owner, and Chief Palate Officer for App Gap Distillery. In 2017, they expanded their capacity by adding on 5,500 square feet of production and storage space. This expansion also grew their tasting room, which is now an inviting space with a long bar and plenty of high-top tables for sipping and conversation. Now they have 7,500 square feet total in their space, including 2,000 square feet of barrel storage for their whiskies, a 1,000 square foot bottling and storage facility, and 4,500 square feet of production and grain storage.

App Gap Distillery currently uses 2,200 pounds of grain to make 1,000 gallons of mash per week. That amount of mash equates to enough spirits for approximately 1,800 six-bottle cases per year. That’s 10,800 bottles in total. About three quarters of that production is put into barrels and ages in their rickhouse. There, they put away roughly 50 full-sized barrels per year.

Made Right Here: Appalachian Gap Distillery’s Offerings

One of the points of difference for App Gap Distillery is that all of their spirits are 100 percent made-in-Vermont. And they are constantly innovating with new spirits, blends, and barrel aging. Some of the other well-known distilleries in Vermont, including Whistlepig Rye Whiskey, Smuggler’s Notch Distillery, and Caledonia Spirits purchase some (or all) of their spirits, often aging the spirits they purchase in Vermont. “We make everything here. Everything,” shared Hubbard. If you’re unfamiliar with App Gap’s offerings, Hubbard recommends Ridgeline Whiskey or Mythic Gin to start familiarizing yourself with their craft.

When we visited the distillery recently, we spent an hour chatting with Chris Leighton, distiller, brand evangelist and rye whisperer, who happened to be pouring in the tasting room. On site, you can choose to sample App Gap’s products for free or purchase a full-size cocktail. We opted for a tasting to experience all of the varied offerings, working our way one-by-one through their spirits, including:

• Fractal Vodka: Incredibly smooth, flavorful vodka, best served on the rocks
• Papilio: Made from Mexican Blue Agave and Vermont maple syrup, fermented and then distilled.
• Mythic Gin: An 18th-century style of gin with flavors of juniper, balsam, citrus and spic, including 11 natural botanicals.
• Peregrine Gin: A dry gin, described as a “spice garden” with juniper, cardamom, cassia, and cumin
• Snowfall Vermont Whiskey: Sweet and delicate in flavor, made from a mash of barley, rye, and corn.
• Papilio Reposado: Papilio aged in oak barrels for six months, with notes of vanilla and caramel.
• Ridgeline Vermont Whiskey: A blend of Snowfall Vermont whiskey from oak barrels, ex-bourbon barrels and port wine barrels.

Tasting Appalachian Gap Distillery’s Spirits

According to Hubbard, the distillers’ palates at App Gap are their standard to refined spirits. “We taste everything as we distill, as we blend, and before we bottle. We will not sell anything is not up to snuff.” And all of their spirits are of stunning quality. You can literally taste the careful thought that comes with the creation of each spirit – within the clean, round, and well-balanced flavors that are endlessly sippable.

I enjoy most spirits whether on a oversized rock or in a cocktail, so I was eager to try their diverse offerings. Papilio, the first agave spirit in Vermont, was a standout to me. It was one of the cleanest, smoothest tequilas I’ve tried with a hint of sweet from the maple on the finish. I was also thoroughly impressed with Fractal Vodka. It’s one of the first vodkas I’ve tried that actually tastes like something. It would certainly be discernible in a sampling line-up among more “run-of-the-mill vodkas”. It also sells for under $20, which is a steal for a locally made, hand-crafted spirit.

Although I have had Mythic Gin and Peregrine Gin previously, I enjoyed tasting the side-by-side to compare the nuances of the two styles. The cumin and cardamom combination in Peregrine was unlike any flavors I’ve tasted in gin before – wholly unique and memorable. App Gap’s newest offerings include: Morning Sunshine (distilled from Drop-In Brewing’s Sunshine & Hoppiness — “it is like a 100 proof IPA” according to Hubbard), and Drumlin Rye (100 percent rye made from grain grown within 25 miles of the distillery). As a hop lover, trying Sunshine with a strong hop aroma was a unique sip and one of the first distilled beers I’ve tried.

Appalachian Gap Distillery Cocktail to Try

The Dead Ringer

1 oz. Mythic Gin
1 oz. Peregrine Gin
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz. Campari
12 drops Orange Bitters
Absinthe

Rinse: Rinse glass with absinthe. Stir other ingredients with ice, strain into glass. Served up or on the rocks. Garnish with an orange twist.

Recipe courtesy of Lars Hubbard. Browse more cocktail recipes for App Gap’s offerings here along with videos for how to make them here.

Sustainability at Appalachian Gap Distillery

Aside from the fact that App Gap Distillery makes all of their spirits in house, they also have a fully sustainable practice. They do their “best to limit [their] ecological footprint in what is, by any measure, an energy-intensive and wasteful process.” From solar energy to partnerships with local farmers, to testing to ensure non-pollution, App Gap is doing its part to minimize its disruption on its environment.

“All the electricity we use in the building is provided by our solar collectors — we actually generate more than we can use, so we provide credits to our staff,” Hubarb shared. “All waste grains are given to local farms for feed, and the process water we use is captured, tested, and pH checked to ensure we’re not polluting the waste stream. Our facility is in the process of being connected to VT Gas, from whom we are going to buy 100% renewable natural gas.” At Appalachian Gap Distillery, you can feel good about supporting a completely local and sustainable business, carefully creating sophisticated spirits for every palette.

Tips for Traveling to or Enjoying Appalachian Gap Distillery Like a Local

• The tasting room hours are 1PM to 6PM daily with other times by appointment. You can visit for a tasting or a full cocktail.
• Tastings at Appalachian Gap Distillery are free. For the best experience, come before you’ve had much of anything else to drink for the day to ensure your palate can appreciate the delicate nuances of all of their unique spirits.
• As part of the tasting, sample smaller batch spirits available only on site.
• Don’t leave without bringing a bottle home! Their spirits range in price from $19.99 for a bottle of Fractal Vodka to Papilio Reposado for $54.99.
• Don’t miss the remainder of the Middlebury Tasting Trail, including Woodchuck Cider, Stonecutter Spirits, Otter Creek Brewing, and Lincoln Peak Winery.
• If you happen to live in Illinois, you can order spirits online from App Gap and have it shipped directly to you. Learn more here!

Appalachian Gap Distillery
88 Mainelli Road, Middlebury, Vermont
802.989.7362