Matthew L.
Yelp
Freak Folk Bier is a craft brewery that opened in Waterbury, Vermont in February 2022. It was founded by couple Lillian MacNamara and Ryan Miller. Both MacNamara and Miller had a decade of brewing experience before they deciding to become brewing partners. MacNamara brewed for Magic Hat and Otter Creek before becoming the head brewer at Queen City Brewing in Burlington. Miller brewed for breweries in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Connecticut before becoming the head brewer at Aqua ViTea Kombucha in Middlebury. The duo had a dream to open their own brewery where they could escape the monotony of the typical brewery lifestyle and mentality and have complete creative control. They especially wanted to focus on mixed-culture fermentation. Freak Folk Bier initially launched in 2018 as an alternating proprietorship brewery. The couple rented equipment and wooden barrels for aging from Queen City and set up shop in an extra room at the brewery. After a number of successful bottle releases, they acquired the ground floor of a new multi-use property (dubbed "Bell's Block") in Waterbury to open their own brick-and-morter brewery and taproom.
I recently visited Freak Folk Bier for the first time while I was on a Vermont craft beer road trip. I actually never heard of the small brewery until I started making my itinerary for the trip. When I saw that they had a 4.33/5 average rating on Untappd (after being open for only two years in a state with an already impressive roster of breweries), I knew that I had to make a stop. I was actually spending the night at the historic Old Stagecoach Inn and Freak Folk Bier is just a 3-minute walk from the inn. I arrived at Freak Folk's taproom not long after they opened for the afternoon. The place was small, cozy and super chill. I grabbed a seat at the bar and looked over the draught selection. I enjoyed some short pours of "Dark Harvest" (American Porter), "None The Wiser: Mosaic & Nelson" (IPA), and "Double Fantasy: Strata & Strata CGX" (IPA). These were all impressive brews. A customer sitting next to me asked if I wanted to split a bottle of "Penumbra" (Oak-Aged Saison) with him. I happily accepted and I'm glad that I did because it was simply fantastic! I purchased some cans-to-go before I left. I was VERY impressed with my visit to Freak Folk Bier and I look forward to seeing what they brew in the future!