You are invited to a celebration of being and time on Monday, December 1, at 5 p.m., when Monk’s Café will pour an extraordinary selection of Hill Farmstead’s creations to commemorate the Vermont brewery’s 15th anniversary.
Thirteen curated draft selections, including eight fresh and five vintage, as well as bottle pours of our collaborative cuvée Works of Love: Monk’s Café, will be presented for this unticketed, pay-as-you-go happening. We are proud to welcome Bob Montgomery of Hill Farmstead for this intimate event. All thirteen kegs will be tapped upon Monk’s opening at 5 p.m. on Monday, December 1.
Explore the complete list with descriptions that follows, and mark your calendar for this singular experience.
*The 15th Anniversary of Hill Farmstead Brewery at Monk’s Café*
ON DRAFT
Edward
Unfiltered American Pale Ale and my go-to Hill Farmstead beer. I consider this one of their Flagship beers. The malt is perfectly balanced with the hops. All ingredients are from the US, and they use a house yeast culture. The dry-hopping gives this a mouth-dripping aroma and is simply enjoyable to drink. 5% abv
George
American Brown Ale. Not many breweries make this style these days, so it is always a treat to share such a well-conceived beer with our guests—a great cooler weather beer with its rich flavors. Hopped with Centennial, Cascade, and a touch of Columbus. 5.5% abv
Harlan
This is a nice treat to offer, since we rarely have access to this IPA. Columbus, Simcoe, and a hint of Nelson Sauvin hops make this a very quaffable IPA. 6.2% abv
Marie
Unfiltered German-style Helles. Softly and naturally carbonated (no carbonation stone used to infuse CO2). Slightly hazy with a tad more body than their German-style Pilsner, Mary. A staff favorite and oh-so quaffable. 5% abv.
No Bad Parts
Shaun’s Non-Alcoholic beer that is quite inspired. Well water, organic lime juice, Strata hops, and malted barley make this a very refreshing respite if you’re planning a night out with friends but do not want to suffer the next-day consequences of having one too many. 0.2% abv
Society & Solitude #9
Double IPA with Amarillo, Motueka, and Nelson Sauvin Hops. That is a magical hop blend that integrates so well
in this outstanding version of their S&S series. 8% abv
Symposia
German-style smoked lager inspired by Shaun’s visit to Bamberg and the newest entry in the brewery’s Old World lagers.
Smoked on the brewery campus with wood from their Vermont property. German Perle hops were used in this single decoction mash. Lagered for six weeks in stainless steel. 5%abv
Twilight of the Idols
A Danish-inspired Winter Porter that is subtly infused with coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. Named after Nietzsche’s last known writings and naturally part of their Philosophical Series. I generally don’t enjoy vanilla in any style of beer, but the quality and soft touch used in this Porter makes this beer sing. 7.2% abv
VINTAGE OFFERINGS
15th Anniversary Imperial Stout: Shaun Hill & Ryan Witter-Merithew
A blended barrel-aged Imperial Stout comprised of beers that were aged between 15 and 23 months in Bourbon barrels. Shaun & Ryan previously worked together in Denmark; now Ryan is COO at Hill Farmstead. 10% abv
Civil Disobedience: Fifteenth Anniversary
This blended barrel-aged Farmstead® ale spans more than four years. Wine barrel-aged Arthur and Florence from Spring of 2021; Arthur from Autumn 2022; and Sankt Hans from Autumn of 2021. “A delightful balance of integrated acidity, texture, and weight.” 6% abv
Arthur
Packaged in 2017. “A special vintage draft of our quintessential Farmstead® ales, representing our singular efforts towards balance, elegance, and delicacy.” 6% abv
Beyond Good & Evil
“Our Bourbon barrel-aged, maple Imperial Stout presents a hint of decadence, but is considered balanced with the spirit and soft malt roast. Brewed January 2023 with malted wheat and Vermont maple syrup. It then rested contentedly in hand-selected Bourbon barrels from one of our favorite distilleries for two years.” 10% abv
Wheat Blanc
“In our continued exploration of Farmstead® ales, we present this, a lively, delicately tart, wine barrel-conditioned ale with a grist bill comprised of 90% organic wheat and 10% organic barley. This release was blended from a diversity of nine to 16-month barrels and hopped with select Motueka hops from Freestyle Farm – our agricultural partner in Upper Moutere, New Zealand – and select Hallertauer Blanc hops from Seitz farm – our agricultural partner in Wolnzach, Germany.” 5%abv
VINTAGE BOTTLE POUR
Works of Love: Monk’s Café
“In April of 2017, Tom Peters and Felicia D’Ambrosio of Philadelphia’s Monk’s Café journeyed north to collaborate on a blend originally intended to commemorate Monk’s 20th anniversary. The purposeful goal: evoke the minerality of white Burgundy wine while capturing the essence of a barrel-aged Farmstead® ale.
In the spirit of this year’s emergence of Prolegomena, this beer’s journey has been longer than anticipated but no less captivating to observe—one which ultimately resulted in a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Monk’s Café!
A blend of eight individual barrels comprised of Nordic Saison, Vera Mae, Anna, Arthur, and Florence, most of these began their individual journeys in the respective springs of 2015 and 2016. The composition now represents more than seven years—an arc of development and progress marked by patience, observation, and optimism.”
