A couple of years back now, I wrote a blog post on the best craft beer destinations in Vermont. I named Craft Beer Cellar in Waterbury as my top pick for a Vermont bottle shop but was hard pressed for a runner up. All of the sudden, I started getting comment after comment about Meuleman’s Craft Draughts. Imagine my horror as a Vermont craft beer enthusiast… I had never heard of it!

But, it was apparent immediately that Meuleman’s has a distinct following of raving fans. Since then, I’ve only heard more and more about Meuleman’s. They are one of few places in Vermont where you can readily find Backacre – both new and vintage batches alike.

When a road trip to Southern Vermont for a book signing of Classic Diners of Vermont took us near Meuleman’s, we decided we needed to veer off course and experience this Vermont craft beer destination for ourselves.

Finding Meuleman’s Craft Draughts

I always thought Meuleman’s was in the town of Londonderry. It’s actually about five miles south in the village of Rawsonville, closer to Jamaica, Vermont, at the intersection of Route 30 and Route 100. We followed our GPS, which told us we reached our destination… But where? The sign for Meuleman’s adorns the front facade of the building. It’s not easy to see from the road. Otherwise, we just saw signs for ‘Craft Beer’ and ‘Craft Beer Shop’ and followed along. Meuleman’s is situated inside of a building that houses a few other businesses: Fran’s Kitchen (Asian- and Italian-inspired home cooking), a florist, and Ungrounded Coffee. Just across the street is the well-regarded roadside eatery Honeypie.

Once inside, the tiny Vermont bottle shop, which is only 800 square feet and owned by Greg and Pat Meulemans, makes a big impression. As of mid-February 2019, they had two beers on for growler fills, 182 can options, and 243 bottles. This is a massive craft beer selection for such a small establishment! They also list all of their prices in their beer list online; all of which seemed quite fair to me, especially in a rural Vermont community.

The Craft Beer Selection at Meuleman’s Craft Draughts

Meuleman’s, which opened its doors in November 2010,  celebrates Vermont craft beer from around the state as well as other great selections of domestic and imported beers. They have a thorough list on their website here of available bottles and cans. In addition to bottles of beer, wine, cider, and mead, they also fill 64-ounce growlers for you to take home and kegs for your next party, family get together or weddings.

To go with your beer, they offer locally sourced Vermont cheeses and Vermont hot sauce, BBQ sauce, Fox Meadow Honey Mustard, and other Vermont snacks, perfect for your road trip. Try the Westminster Crackers, Vermont Pickle Co, Gormly’s Pretzels, and VT Smoke and Cure BBQ Sticks.

Finding Backacre in Vermont

Arguably one of Vermont’s most sought-after small batch beers, Backacre, a sour golden ale, is readily available at Meuleman’s. In fact, it’s one of only a handful of places you can find Backacre – and in the newest batch available and vintage offerings. During our visit to Meuleman’s, Greg had bottles vintages from batch 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, and 12. Bottles from July 12, August 2013, April 2014, and October 2014, sell for $45 a bottle. Newer vintages (batches 10-12) sell for $19.50 per bottle.

Here are a few other places you can sometimes find Backacre in Vermont:

• Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier,
• Metrina Wine & Cheese in Chester
• Brewfest Beverage in Ludlow
• Drop-In Brewing in Middlebury

Tips for Visiting Meuleman’s Craft Draughts Like a Local:

• Looking for something particular? Call ahead (802-297-9333) and ask Greg if they have it in stock and ready for your purchase.
• Wednesday is Growler Sale Day. Check their Facebook page to see what’s on sale every week.
• Drop next door for a coffee from Ungrounded Coffee or hop across the street for a quick and delicious bite to eat at Honeypie.
• While they have a large selection of Vermont craft beers, they also carry from harder to find beers from out-of-state. Take advantage of Greg’s beer knowledge and ask for recommendations.

Meuleman’s Craft Draughts
8814 Vermont Route 30
Rawsonville, VT

Tuesday – Saturday, 12-7PM
Sundays, 12-5PM

Greg@CraftDraughts.com
802-297-9333