Our 14th Star GM Ryan Chaffin got to chat with the team from All Beer Inside Podcast about how we are celebrating our Decade of Dedication as well as the importance of giving back and keeping it local while tasting some of our new core brews!
Author: David
The Wort with Mike Pete and Steve
Hailing from St. Albans, Vermont 14th Star Brewing Co is a veteran-built brewery crafting some of the best liquids.
Prescott, Director of Brewing Operations joins the show remotely and talks about the brewery’s journey, mission, and brews.
Listen as Prescott breaks down the styles, the processes and gives his take on what brewing is all about.
For local fans of The Wort Podcast, 14th Star is distributed to NY and PA and is also available for delivery through the TapRM app.
Wayfinding A New Path
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
14th Star Delivered Right To Your Door!
We are excited to announce we have partnered with TapRm to provide same-day beer delivery in most of NYC and next-day delivery across NY and PA! Order online today and TapRm will ship cans of our brews right to your door!
Raising a Glass to Those Who Make a Difference
Here at 14th Star, we believe service doesn’t stop and our commitment to our community is always at the forefront of whatever we do — now it’s time to highlight some folks who also share that commitment!
“This Medal of Tribute is our way to showcase and shine a light on those everyday folks, along with the amazing group of beneficiaries we promote every day.”
Ryan Chaffin
General Manager
14th Star Brewing Co.
We are proud to announce our new Medal of Tribute program and present Medals of Tribute yearly to four Vermonters that exemplify what it is to be community leaders and “Brewed With A Mission!”
Click here to learn more and nominate a worthy individual to be awarded a Medal of Tribute!
Chatting with The Boozebuddy Update
We had the pleasure of chatting with The Boozebuddy Update last week on Vermont’s 231st Birthday about what’s new here at 14th Star Brewery and some things to look forward to this year as we celebrate our 10-year Anniversary and “A Decade of Dedication”!
Check out the full video here!
14th Star Brewing Celebrates a Decade of Dedication
St. Albans, VT – 14th Star Brewing is set to celebrate 10 years of brewing dedication throughout 2022. “Brewed with a Mission”, not only to brew world-class beer while enriching the community, but to also reward our faithful followers with a new look, and new evolved lineup of fresh beers.
Also, this winter 14th Star Brewing will be updating and refreshing the Taproom in St. Albans that they share with Grazers who will also be featuring some new menu items where they will look to elevate their guest experience with burger pairings, and educational opportunities — all the while supporting their neighbors throughout the town of St. Albans and Franklin County with a focus to bring new folks up to this region to experience all that we have to offer in our corner of the state.
“I’m incredibly honored to lead the charge on some important initiatives early in 2022, and beyond. One being ensuring we have a balanced and modern portfolio that continually evolves and fits the needs of our thirsty consumers while highlighting the amazing abilities of our team in our brewhouse” said 14th Star GM Ryan Chaffin.
“Also, to create a Taproom experience that reflects and showcases our past 10 years, while building the future of where we are going as a company and highlighting all the amazing local establishments that surround us in town that make St. Albans a great place to visit.”
Learn more about downtown St. Albans at downtownsaintalbans.com.
At 14th Star, we believe service doesn’t stop and our commitment to our community is always at the forefront of whatever we do. Our goal is to be outstanding corporate citizens and consistently produce quality products for our consumers. Great beer is what we produce, community is what we build.
“From the earliest days of daydreaming about opening a brewery while we were stationed in the mountains of Afghanistan, Matt and I always wanted this business to be something bigger, something more profound than just beer. We knew that it had to make a difference. To say we are proud of what our team and community have accomplished in the last 10 years would be an understatement — and we’re launching into our second decade with both barrels blazing.”
Steve Gagner
Founder
14th Star Brewing Co.
14th Star Brewing Co. is honored to donate a portion of the proceeds from all sales of our core brews to local organizations and various charities in the communities where our beer is served. We are delighted to shine a light on some amazing non-profits, including:
- Purple Hearts Reunited Inc.
- The Josh Pallotta Fund, Inc
- The American Red Cross of Northern New England
- Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports
- Martha’s Kitchen
Please see our 2022 Brand Deck Presentation to learn more about 14th Star Brewery and our upcoming beer releases for 2022 as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary and a Decade of Dedication!
“We will be dedicated and committed to celebrating the past accomplishments that this storied brand has achieved while setting our sights and gears to the amazing opportunities ahead of us to make a difference. Continuing the mission of brewing world-class beer and supporting so many folks through our daily efforts to ensure our organization is always contributing to the success of our fellow neighbors, and Vermonters across the Green Mountain State. 14th Star Brewing represents so much positivity, decency, and creativity, showcasing those efforts and rewarding so many folks with delicious beer is truly my pleasure.”
Ryan Chaffin
General Manager
14th Star Brewing Co.
A Taste of The Jay Way!
Cold off the 14th Star canning line and landing at Jay Peak this week — Jay Way Amber Ale!
We are so excited about this collaboration with our friends at Jay Peak Resort and can’t wait for you to experience the unique fun and camaraderie Jay Peak has to offer, perfectly paired with this refreshing hoppy Amber Ale!
Brewed With A Mission: A portion of every sale of Jay Way will benefit Purple Hearts Reunited and the Josh Pallotta Fund, two Vermont-based organizations that work to honor the sacrifice veterans have made for our country.
Check out Jay Peak’s latest blog post to learn even more about this brew and where you can find it on the Mountain!
New Look.
New Lineup.
Same Mission.
With 2021 coming to a close, it’s hard to believe that 2022 marks our 10th Anniversary here at 14th Star Brewing!
We are ready to celebrate this milestone with a new look, some new brews, and new events all year long.
We are excited to share with you our plans for 2022 and beyond — check out our 2022 “Brand Deck” presentation and 2022 release calendar below!
2022 Beer Release Schedule
Enter Ryan Chaffin
Please join us in welcoming our new General Manager here at 14th Star Brewing — Ryan Chaffin!
As many of you know, Ryan is coming to us from our VT wholesale partner, Farrell Distributing, and Long Trail Brewing brewing prior to that.
Ryan is an industry veteran who has been a strong advocate and champion of our brand and mission since our earliest days. He brings years of experience to the team and we are beyond excited to have him!
“In my mid-twenties I had the pleasure to represent and grow with one of the true OG’s in the locally made VT beer world, Long Trail Brewing Company. They were, and still are real leaders, pioneers, overly passionate about producing quality beer, and that decade was a great run. I was and remain a faithful ambassador to this day.
Decade two in my fermented journey took me to serve one of my closest friends and incredibly respected industry veteran, David Farrell, and the entire Farrell crew of over 300 rock star employees, many close personal friends for decades of mine. Having leadership responsibilities for this world-class organization is a role that I will always be thankful to my friend Dave for. Along with my fellow senior leadership team, and countless others having that trust in me from the beginning to contribute, along with allowing me to do what I do best. I will remain once again, a faithful ambassador, and close friend to all here.
I believe both companies to be some of the most respected, creative, strategic, disciplined, and dominating groups in this industry, and I will be cheering them on supporting the momentum we have built together.
For my third leg of this beverage marathon that starts early December, I will be transitioning back to my roots representing, and proudly serving the 14 Star Brewing Co to head up the charge in 2022 and beyond. Brewed with a mission, one that I fully believe in. I have watched with respect and enthusiasm since we partnered on this brand and family at Farrell’s close to a decade ago. Founders Steve and Matt, along with many partners, family, and friends who have invested and supported this mission from the beginning is inspiring. Along with current and past employees, brand ambassadors, consumers, retailers, wholesalers, community groups, and nonprofits, along with brave Veterans have poured a lot of time, energy, and soul into the success of this brewery. I’m excited to join this group and carry out this current mission, while navigating it into the future with some solid industry support. Especially proud to announce on Veterans Day!”
Sincerely, and thank you.
Ryan Chaffin