Vermont Beer Collective is a craft beer specialty store that opened in Waterbury, Vermont in…read moreFebruary 2024. It was founded by husband and wife Nate and Liz Dunbar. The shop on 3 Elm Street had originally opened under the name 'Craft Beer Cellar' in December 2013. It was part of the 'Craft Beer Cellar' chain of specialty beer stores that was founded by Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker in 2010 with the opening of their flagship store in Belmont (MA). Two years later, they began franchising and at the chain's peak they had 33 locations in 15 states. Mark Drutman was the original owner of the Waterbury location. By 2019, CBC locations began to close (including the flagship location which closed in 2023). After the Dunbars made their home in Vermont, they decided to switch craft beer from their hobby into their livelihood. Drutman sold the Waterbury CBC to the Dunbars in May 2023. They slowly began to make the shop their own and by the following year they left the franchise and unveiled a new logo and a new name. The Vermont Beer Collective now has one of the best craft beer selections that can be found in the state. The Dunbars even added a bar in the store where customers can sample beer from 8 taps as well as a three-tap LUKR faucet from the Czech Republic. The couple also have a love for hiking, skiing and cycling and hope to make their shop a venue for the outdoor sports community to gather. I recently visited the Vermont Beer Collective while I was on a Vermont craft beer road trip. It's conveniently located right across the street from the popular Prohibition Pig Restaurant & Brewery. After enjoying some delicious smoked meat and a pint there, I headed across the street to check out the shop. I was really impressed by their selection! They had offerings from the best breweries in Vermont, around the country, and even breweries from the international scene. We're talking the best of the best! The bar was also really cool! The place is not just a shop where you can buy beer but also a place where you can hang out. I spoke for a few minutes with owner Nate Dunbar. He was really friendly and he told me that he's originally from my home state of Connecticut. He explained that the store had about $25,000 of flood damage in their basement just weeks after they bought it, but they pressed on. He told me about the future plans that he has for the shop and seemed very optimistic. Before leaving, I purchased a coveted bottle by Belgian-based Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen to take home. I'm happy to have discovered the shop and I wish them all the best!

Best place I've ever found for buying great beer. They have a large selection of excellent beers,…read morebut most importantly their staff is remarkably helpful. Just tell them what style of beer you like, or which beers you usually drink, and they can provide numerous recommendations. They were also very knowledgeable about beer in general, proving to be an invaluable resource to help you find some good beers to try. In particular I wanted to sample some local beers, and I loved all of the options they recommended based on my flavor preference. If you're anywhere near Waterbury, VT, and enjoy good beer, do yourself a favor and stop by the Craft Beer Cellar for some great beer recommendations.

Love this place! Been coming here for years, and there is such a great selection of beer and cider…read more If you can't find it elsewhere, you can probably find it here! We also got a couple of cheeses and did a make your own cheese plate. 10/10 recommend doing the same, they also have a great cheese selection. Great place to sit outside on a cool afternoon. We were helped relatively fast earlier in the afternoon when there were less people, but they still didn't take too long when it got more crowded

Lots of selections for here and to go options. Had one or two beers chatted with the person working…read morehere. Tried local beers and cheese, wining !!!!

Super friendly and approachable! Helped me and my boyfriend pick out some nice wines at our price…read morepoints, and gave us a tour of the tasting room. Very welcoming space! 10/10

Definitely worth a stop when in the Waterbury area. Smugglers' Notch Distillery is in the same…read moreplaza as Cabot Creamery and Lake Champlain Chocolates, so there is a lot to see and taste here. After looking at the very attractive displays showcasing each product made at the Distillery, my daughter and I opted to share a tasting. We chose the Moroccan Rose and Grapefruit Flavored Vodka to start and I loved the distinct fruity taste without the sugary sweetness. Next was the Maple Gin, which was lovely as well. Our server told us she likes to mix it with muddled blueberries and ginger beer for a refreshing summertime mule, and I agree that does sound delicious. Our third taste was the Bourbon Maple Cream Liquor, which was so delicious, and we finished the tasting with the Maple Cram Liquor, which was smooth, sweet, and went down very easily. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the store - everything was sparkly clean and shining. The layout of the displays was so attractive. We will definitely stop there again on our next trip to VT.

Not a lot to like with their products. You can find more losers than winners so do a $5 tasting of…read moreyour top 4 picks. In my case there was only 1 that passed the taste test. Friendly staff but I would not return.

Stopped into this place on a whim and had a wonderful time. It was my companion's first ever wine…read moretasting; I fear that the Charlotte Village Winery experience has spoiled him and now no other tasting room will live up to this one. Wine tasting is $3 per person for the full menu of wines. The wines are GOOD - just as delicious as they are unique. The wines are unique, too; nearly all of the grape wines utilize imported grapes, so a majority of the wines grown on site are made from berries. All of the wines are very good, but I have no words for how beautiful the dry blueberry wine is - you'll have to pay the three dollars for the tasting and see what I mean. It is BEYOND. Our wine guide was charismatic, knowledgeable, and a delight to chat with. We only spoke with one staff member and I sadly did not catch her name but the summer staff is so kind and knowledgeable about the business that I'm sure the entire team is a treasure to the Charlotte community. My only regret is that I didn't pick up more of the blueberry wine. Oh well. I am not from this area but will certainly be ordering more wine online for years to come. Thank you, Charlotte Village Winery!

So stingy with amount given at tasting! Do you know the drops of wine that remain at the divot at…read morethe bottom of your wine glass? That's how much you get for a "tasting" of each wine. Cross my heart. Could barely taste each wine and definitely couldn't smell the wines. How can one tell from literally drops of wine whether you want to buy a bottle of anything? Ten "tastings" for $10.

A very attractive spot by the water/lake/river? Staff really…read moreattentive and friendly. Great selection. Outdoor and Indoor sections, and you can play cornhole (is that what it's called?)... It's an ok game, but a lot of bending over!!!

Flloyd is amazing. Had a great conversation with him while at the bar, and got some amazing peanut…read more butter stouts from California. Friendly, service and he helped give us all his ice to keep our crowlers cold for the trip home. Stayed til 9:45 to help me decide on stouts and ciders, too! That's going the extra mile!

This was a neat small stop along the overall tasting trail in this part of Vermont. You can come in…read morefor some samples and talk to one of the owners, at least when COVID is not a concern. The owner was very personable and talked about what makes their products different and of high quality. I had a great time talking to him. I recommend their gin and the vodka. Very smooth and clean tasting. My wife liked the "tequila." Technically it is not tequila because it was not 100% agave based. Instead they incorporated maple syrup into the liquor as well. How very Vermont!

This place appears to be out-of-business. Three attempts to visit during posted hours resulted in…read morelocked doors. The phone number has been disconnected per Verizon.

Great beer. Excellent service. Nice area to walk into town for food. Staff are very helpful and…read moregive great recommendations.

Neutral rating only because I was excited to visit until I was walking toward the door and saw the…read moresign outside: no kids, 21+ only. This is literally the only brewery in Vermont I've been to that doesn't allow kids (including the high end ones like Hill Farmstead) so it was unexpected to see. Sadly I turned around and left.