Beer and Wine February Newsletter: Local Spotlight

14th Star Brewing started as a daydream in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan where Steve and his buddies spent a lot of time thinking about beer and getting out of the Army. As long-time homebrewers, an idea came to them to open a brewery which would prepare them for the day when they could retire from the Army. This started the journey from a handwritten business plan in the back of a notebook to fully-licensed craft brewery.

While new to the brewing industry, 14th Star understands that it is a small part of a proud craft brewing community in Vermont and of the Vermont artisan community as a whole. They strive to uphold the craftsmanship, attention to detail, balanced flavor, and hometown responsibility that are the hallmarks of the Vermont craft scene.

14th Star went under massive expansion in 2014 by moving their brewery to the old St. Albans Bowling Alley which is about 16,000 square feet which increased their production 10 fold. 

The majority of this expansion helped to craft their flagship beer: Valor Ale – a hoppy amber ale with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Purple Hearts Reunited Foundation, returning lost or stolen medals of valor to the servicemen and women who earned them. The rest will go to seasonal offerings like our Maple City Breakfast Stout and to original recipe beers that will be offered by the pint in the taproom.

Whether you’re having a pint of Valor Ale at a local restaurant or pub or stopping by the brewery for a growler fill, you will be able to taste the pride and effort that goes into making 14th Star beers. 14th Star understands and knows how hard work, attention to detail, and creativity can produce on the field of battle – they wanted to bring that to your glass.