When I lived in Middlebury, I would frequently take the Appalachian Gap over to Fayston, Waitsfield, and Warren to explore in my favorite valley in Vermont… The Mad River Valley. I remember one distinct day in 2014. It was a summer afternoon in August, and I stopped at Mad River Barn for a drink. That day, I discovered Mad River Distillers’ Maple Cask Rum for the very first time… #lifechanged

That very same day, I had the idea to start this blog, Travel Like a Local: Vermont, while sitting at the Mad River Barn bar. I like to think one of my best ideas was inspired by that tasty glass of Maple Rum… Since then, I’ve closely watched what Mad River Distillers puts out. Their spirits are some of the only that are distilled from scratch here in Vermont and are wonderfully unique in flavor. Their tasting room and cocktail shop in downtown Burlington on St. Paul Street has been an awesome addition to the Burlington cocktail scene and a fun stop for out-of-town guests who want to experience some of the finest Vermont-made spirits. I’m a big supporter of Mad River Distillers and their focus on using high-quality ingredients to create spirits unlike any others in Vermont.

The History of Mad River Distillers

Mad River Distillers started distilling in 2013 after spending two years renovating an old barn on their property in Warren. According to President Mimi Buttenheim, “We were interested in distilling aged spirits, particularly apple brandy, as there are a lot of apple trees on the property.” The first spirit they distilled was First Run Rum, a full-bodied rum with a balance of caramel and oak that appeals to rum and whiskey drinkers alike. At that time, they also released a young corn whiskey while their Bourbon was aging.

After Mad River Distillers sold their products in Vermont for a year, they expanded into Massachusetts. Now in 2019, the company’s products are in five New England states, as well as New York and California. The tasting room and cocktail shop in downtown Burlington opened in 2016. There is also a tasting room inside Mad River Taste Place in Waitsfield, which opened its doors in 2017. In addition to local spirits, Mad River Taste Place also offers a variety of local Vermont cheeses, beer, and other specialty Vermont products. When in Waitsfield, it’s a worthy destination to try Mad River Distillers’ spirits and a variety of other Vermont goodness.

Mad River Distillers Spirits: Their Point of Difference

All of Mad River Distillers’ spirits are made in Vermont and from scratch from non-GMO grains, local grains, and Vermont apples. What I enjoy most about them is their wide-range of appeal – even to folks who don’t tend to gravitate to spirits or cocktails. Their Vanilla Rum, one of my favorite offerings from MRD, can be substituted for most vodka drinks. Josh in the tasting room suggested it in a Cosmopolitan or a Spritzer – both of which I am going to personally try. The sweetness in some rums can be off-putting to me, which is another reason why I’m a big fan of Mad River’s rums. Even the Maple Cask is just subtly sweet and still with a dry-finish. Rather than use molasses like in many rums, instead Mad River Distillers uses fair-trade demerara cane sugar. Uniquely, their rums will appeal to whiskey drinkers.

Their whiskey and bourbon is another signature offering. Their whiskeys, in particular the rye, has chocolate fudge notes, which softens the bite and adds complexity and a hint of sweetness. I can see their Revolution Rye being wholly unique and special in a Rye Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Their Mad Apple Brandy features Vermont apples from their property in Warren and is a “modern take on a colonial favorite” with undertones of anise and baking spices. In addition to their regular offerings, they also have limited releases, including Hopscotch and Burnt Rock Bourbon.

Learn more about their unique spirit offerings and build your own spirit flight at the tasting room in Burlington or at home:

• Vanilla Rum: Vodka-esque um, macerated with Tahitian vanilla beans. Sweet cake nose. Silky mouthfeel. Dry finish.
• First Run Rum: Aged in oak barrels, a full-bodied rum with balanced caramel and oak flavors.
• Maple Cask Rum: Double-raged rum, which starts as First Run Rum, and finished in Vermont maple syrup barrels.
• PX Rum: Finished in sherry barrels, features hints of dark fruit and toffee.
• Bourbon Whiskey: Wheated bourbon with corn sweetness and a hint of honey.
• Revolution Rye Whiskey: Distilled from three rye malts, including a chocolate varietal, lending a fudge and espresso flavor.
• Mad Apple Brandy: Made from Vermont apples with hints of anise and baking spices.

Visiting the Mad River Distillers’ Tasting Room

So much more than a typical tasting room, Mad River Distillers’ tasting room and cocktail hour is a destination in-and-of-itself for the cocktail connoisseur. While on site, you can learn about the distilling process, while also browsing cocktail accessories, mixers, cocktail recipe books and more. It’s the perfect spot to buy gifts for local cocktail lovers as well. They even have maple syrup for purchase. I can’t think of a better gift idea, paired with a bottle of the Maple Cask Rum.

On a recent visit to the tasting room in Burlington, I enjoyed a spirit flight consisting of the Vanilla Rum and First Run Rum (both offered as free samples in July), the Maple Cask Rum, PX Rum, Revolution Rye Whiskey and the Mod Apple Brandy. Then, I sampled their cocktail flight, consisting of a Rum Punch (my favorite of the three), an Old Fashioned, and a Dark and Stormy. The small poured cocktails were cute-as-can-be and also delicious, using unique aromatics, fruit juices, and of course, their signature spirits.

In the month of July 2019, their Vanilla Rum and First Run Rum are on sale throughout the state. Be sure to pick up a bottle to make your own Mad River Distillers’ cocktails at home! 

5 Questions with Mad River Distillery’s President Mimi Buttenheim:

What’s unique about your spirit offerings and your company at large?

We produce all of our own alcohol from scratch. We do not purchase any alcohol. Our ingredients are high-quality; the grains are non-GMO and the sugar for our rums is fair-trade certified. We call our rums “whiskey drinker’s rums”. They are aged in new oak barrels, which is unusual in rum. The sugar distillate is very clean tasting (because we don’t use molasses). Therefore, the rums pick up a lot of barrel character during the aging process.

We also do not add sugar to our rums after the distillation, so they are not sweet. Our Bourbon is four grains, and our rye is 100% rye (unusual) and some of the rye grains have been malted and roasted, which adds a pronounced cocoa/coffee/mocha flavor to the rye whiskey.

How do you differ from other Vermont companies producing spirits?

We have a focus on barrel-aged spirits and do not produce vodka or gin. We also distill everything from scratch.

How does being in Vermont impact your brand and your products?

In Vermont, we are fortunate to be able to market and sell our products direct to the public at farmers’ markets, events and in our tasting rooms. We also have access to the state liquor agency stores. This means our route to market is a lot easier than it is in other states. We also have access to incredible ingredients, including Vermont corn, maple syrup, and apple cider.

For someone who hasn’t tried your products, what would you say is a must-try to become familiar with your offerings?

Maple Cask Rum and Revolution Rye Whiskey. The Maple Cask Rum begins as our barrel-aged rum First Run Rum. We trade the rum barrels with a maple syrup producer [Al Wood, Wood’s Vermont Syrup Company] who barrel ages his syrup in them for a number of months. After he bottles the syrup, he sends the empty barrels back to us and we continue to age the rum in them. The barrels infuse the rum with a hint of maple, and the resulting rum is viscous and drinks like whiskey. It is perfect in an Old Fashioned.

Revolution Rye is an extremely unique rye whiskey. 96 proof, 100% rye, with “chocolate rye” in the mash bill. It is excellent in a Manhattan and complements amaros nicely.

What notable awards have your spirits won that you’re most proud of?

• Revolution Rye, 92 points Wine Enthusiast
• Maple Cask Rum, Gold Medal, Spirits of the Americas
• PX Rum, Double Gold Medal, Best in Class, SF International Spirits Competition
• Mad Apple Brandy, Good Food Award Winner

Tips for Visiting Mad River Distillers Like a Local:

• During the week, Mad River Distillery Tasting Room is open in Burlington from 12pm – 6pm Sunday through Wednesday, 12pm – 8pm on Thursdays, and 12pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
• While you’re on site at the Tasting Room, follow them on social media or tag them in a post and receive a free branded shot glass!
• Interested in visiting the distillery itself in Warren? You’ll have to call ahead and make an appointment. The location is actually undisclosed to ensure they aren’t being interrupted frequently during the production process, according to Josh in the Tasting Room.
• Mad River Distillers only serves full cocktails on the weekend – Thursday through Sunday. If you visit mid-week, enjoy a spirit flight or a mini-cocktail flight.
• Interested in getting your hands on some Mad River Distillers’ spirits? Their website here has the option to put in your zip code to find their spirits close to home.
• Mad River Distillers will host your event in their space in downtown Burlington. Contact them about hosting your private event!
• If your state allows receiving shipped spirits, you can purchase Mad River Distillers’ spirits online on their website here. If you’re in Rhode Island, you can order by calling Bottles Fine Wine.

Mad River Distillers
137 St Paul St, Burlington, VT 05401
retail@madriverdistillers.com
802-489-5501

*This post is sponsored by Mad River Distillers. All opinions are our own.