Over the past decade, 14th Star Brewing has contributed much to Vermont’s vibrant brewing culture, as well as to the overall northeast brewing scene.
I am proud of the brewing culture that exists here in the Green Mountain State. Having played numerous roles within this industry over the last two decades, I have seen firsthand how Vermonters and beyond respect those who roll up their sleeves every day, trying to find just the right combination of malts and hops in hopes of achieving the perfect brew to appease their faithful followers. That’s certainly something here at 14th Star that drives us, and will keep us motivated as we enter the next decade of business.
Ten years ago we introduced our company to the world (St. Albans) with a modern Hoppy Amber Ale, named Valor, and followed it with a cult classic double IPA, Tribute! Tribute is a true celebration of hops and it plays a major role in defining who we are as brewers. We rounded out our initial core styles with an Oatmeal Stout dubbed Maple Breakfast Stout – one of only a handful of full-time and easily accessible “dark beers” that sells just as well in the dog days of summer, as it does on the ski slopes in the middle of February. These three beers are enjoyed equally today as they were in the original brewery.
As we continue to celebrate our Decade of Dedication, we have been honoring the past, and the heritage of our early beginnings. And now, as we are looking ahead and steadily building for the future, we found ourselves with renewed energy as we engage in some wayfinding for the next round.
We continue to push forward with a focus on our craft as we begin to hit our new stride. Some of the early initiatives we tackled were rebranding and revamping the look and feel of our company, both in terms of our packaging as well as in our Taproom. We’re doubling down on innovation, our people, our consumers, the retail/hospitality sector, local partnerships, non-profits, wholesalers, and our hometown. And with this, we have the opportunity to refocus and modernize our core portfolio offerings.
Building off the foundations of Valor, Tribute, and Maple Breakfast Stout, we introduced Citranade to the major leagues. Our modern take on a New England Style Double IPA is already off to the races here in VT, and in most markets within our region. Quickly climbing the ranks as our soon-to-be best-seller. Next up to bat was CodeName, a fresh take on a hazy session, with all the big IPA flavors, and only clocking in at 4.8%. Debuted in early March at the Vermont Brewers Festival in Killington, we are now rounding first with cans and draft available across the state to solid reviews and feedback. To have that type of flavor with a lower alcohol percentage was needed, and the brewery team under Andrew, Kendall, and Sam delivered!
Now it’s time for Wayfinder, the aptly named last member of the “new” core to join the family and help lead the way for us in the next decade.
Wayfinder is the result of years of refining and perfecting our interpretation of a Czech-Style Pilsner, brewed right here in St. Albans, Vermont. Using our techniques, and skills to navigate in a busy world, we found ourselves wayfinding early on for the right balance within our core offerings. The destination was always to be balanced, but the road seemed unmarked in a busy market. We leaned in and trusted in our instincts, experience, and palates to shine a light on our new beers in 2022.
While we are excited to build upon new opportunities, the mission remains the same: being a craft brewery known for producing a wide variety of world-class ‘brews with a mission,’ raising awareness and supporting local organizations and various charities, all while allowing new exploration to inspire our future path.
Sincerely,
Ryan Chaffin
General Manager
