100% Wapsie Valley Organic Heirloom corn grown on the farm. Aged at least a year in a new American oak, charred, 15-gallon barrel. The bottle expels great aroma. The front has a butterscotch maple taste that is followed by a smoky oak candy. The finish brings you to a nice subtle wood stove with a balance of warmth. The amazing flavors from one grain is for the purist bourbon sipper. Certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers and wears the The Real Organic Project label.
900828 – 750ML – 44.99
Whale and Tonic
Ingredients: ½ ounces Gray Whale Gin
4 ounces craft tonic
Fresh lime squeeze and garnish Expressed mint and garnish
Build in a highball glass over ice. Add Gray Whale Gin and tonic, then give it a gentle stir. Add a fresh squeeze of lime and finish with an expressed mint sprig for garnish.
Gray Whale Gin
030322 – 750ML – $39.99
SIZE!
030321 – LITER – $48.99
Bushmills Lemon Good Good
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Bushmills 10 year old
Single Malt Irish Whiskey
2 ½ parts ginger beer
2 ½ parts classic lemonade
Build in a Collins glass over ice. Garnish with lemon wheel.
Bushmills Irish Whiskey
015536 – 750ML $49.99
Hornitos Anejo Reserve
Honoring 75 years of spirited innovation, Hornitos Tequila unveiled a new Reserve line. The new product presents tequila crafted with three ingredients: agave, yeast and water. Añejo Reserve undergoes a special secondary finish to deliver a truly unique experience for tequila enthusiasts, offering premium taste in exquisite packaging without breaking the bank.
084662 – 750ML – $44.99
Dingle Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Dingle Single Malt Irish Whiskey is our core whiskey expression and is handmade in the traditional way. Triple distilled and then fully matured side by side in bourbon and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks, before being married at a ratio of 69% PX and 31% bourbon to deliver this exquisite, smooth and flavorsome whiskey.
Nose – Lime zest, chopped mint, sweet pear
Taste – Caramelized apple, raisins, vanilla
Finish – Long with honey sweetness and mixed spice
015438 – 700ML – $59.99
400 Conejos Espadin
Mezcal 400 Conejos is named after the ancestral belief that agave spirits were occupied by 400 rabbits. Those who ingested the agave spirits would be controlled by one of the 400 rabbits, but no one ever knew which rabbit you’d get with each mezcal. Each rabbit had a different personality and way of making you think and act. 400 Conejos Espadin is made with agave Angustifolia and agave Karwinskii. This mezcal has notes of smoke, citrus, herbs and minerality.
087706 – 750ML – $32.99
ON SALE: $28.99
On Your Six Bourbon
On Your Six is a versatile and approachable bourbon. Lighter in alcohol and intensity, it is appealing to new bourbon drinkers but has enough character to entice experienced bourbon fans. This is a whiskey that can be easily sipped neat or on the rocks, yet still elevates classic whiskey cocktails. Each bottle is embedded with NFC technology, and by tapping your phone to the front label, the company shares stories of the first responders and military members it supports.
022548 – 750ML – $39.99
The Gold Roast Cortado
(elevated play on an Irish coffee)
Ingredients:
½ parts B&T Gold Roast
½ shot espresso or cold brew part simple syrup
¾ part quality Madeira wine 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Cold Serve
In a shaker filled with ice (pebble if available), add all ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with lemon peel sliver.
Bib & Tucker Gold Roast
076335 – 750ML – $49.99
Drumshanbo Gunpowder
Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel French 75
Ingredients:
1 ounce Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
4 ounces sparkling wine Lemon twist for garnish
Combine gin, lemon and syrup in mixing tin with ice. Shake to chill and dilute. Double strain into wine glass of preference. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon rind twist and expression.
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel
028521 – 750ML – $34.99
High Drive
Distillery Rye
High Drive is a unique Vermont hillside family farm-based distillery that produces a distinctive line of spirits created from grains grown on its farm and other ingredients sourced from organic growers.
Seeded, cultivated, harvested, stonemilled, distilled and bottled on the farm, these spirits embody a true sense of place and time, tended from the soil to your glass. The Rye Whiskey is the newest addition to its lineup.
900829 – 750ML – $44.99
Destination for spirits
Bennington Beverage Center grows on foundation of retail expertise
On the bustling Northside Drive, Bennington Beverage Center is a longstanding destination for spirits, wine and beer in Southwestern Vermont. For the last 23 years, it’s been owned and operated by Denis Noel and his family. As frequently one of the top-selling 802Spirits agency locations, Bennington Beverage relies on retail expertise, customer service and community roots to position itself as both a local staple and stop for visitors.
Noel started retail jobs at 15 years old and worked his way up to manager of a local branch of a grocery store.
“Pearson Foods was a chain in Vermont, and I was a store manager for them when I was 20 years old,” he said. “Then at Hannaford, they really taught me how to operate a business and merchandising. I was also a retail store opening coordinator with Hannaford for a couple of stores, so I really got to understand the nuts and bolts of marketing. How come things go here? How come things go there? And what's the best way to do things?”
In 2002, the former owners of Bennington Beverage had put the business up for bid. Noel had been researching going into the independent grocery business when he discovered that the original offer for Bennington Beverage fell through.
“I called my local banker and said, ‘What about me?’” Noel said. “I talked to the previous owner and said, ‘I'm interested in buying it myself.’”
Noel was familiar with some of the staff at the
Left to right: Charles 'Chuck' Dane, store owner Denis Noel and his daughter Erica Noel
Division of Liquor from his work at the grocery store, which he feels helped position him as a reliable manager.
“I very much have appreciated my relationship with the Department of Liquor. I think it's been a huge partnership,” he said. “The state has always treated me well, and I appreciated that, and I'd like to think we've done well for them.”
Five months later, on Oct. 22, 2002, the paperwork was signed, and the store was his.
He wasn’t much of a spirits drinker at that point, but that wasn’t a barrier.
“Before I bought the liquor store, the only thing I knew how to drink was Coors Light,”
“Sometimes you learn from your customers: not only what they want to buy, but what they're looking for, and you become educated through experience.”
DENIS NOEL
Noel said. “It was an eye-opening experience for me in terms of understanding. But it's still Merchandising 101: put the vodkas together, you put the rums together, and high-end, low-end. There are a lot of similarities in merchandising, even though it's managing different products.”
Today, his tastes have expanded, and he says he enjoys a margarita or a whiskey sour, among other drinks.
Throughout Noel’s 23 years as owner, he’s been fortunate to have the support of some long-term employees. The longevity of tenure means customers can get help from a familiar face.
“Sometimes you learn from your customers: not only what they want to buy, but what they're looking for, and you become educated through experience,” Noel said. “I'm very fortunate. I've got a staff that has been with me for a very long time.”
Chuck Dane has worked for Bennington Beverage for some 15 years. Noel’s daughter, Erica Noel, was working for him when he took ownership of the store, went part time while working for Orvis, and later returned full time. Noel says three other staff members have been with him between eight to 10 years, too.
“Chuck handles the liquor side, and my daughter handles the wine and office
operations in the office,” he said.
Noel says that Bennington Beverage benefits from being the only 802Spirits licensee for some 20 miles in Vermont. The city’s proximity to New York is also a benefit, particularly with the states’ differing models of liquor sales.
“Our variety exceeds New York's liquor stores, because they're privately owned. So from a variety sense, and ... where we're not that far off in pricing, it allows us to be pretty competitive,” he said.
Vermont products like craft beer and Vermont-distilled spirits are popular with retail customers, particularly during foliage season.
Noel says Bennington isn’t really a ski town, but it does get many people traveling through between New York and mountains like Bromley and Stratton.
Meanwhile, restaurant licensees purchasing products in high volume have a balance of Vermont products and more national brands like Tito’s.
Since COVID, Noel’s seen shifting trends in how and what people are drinking, particularly the rise of ready-todrink cocktails.
“That really changed how people look at things, and it's changed the dynamics of the
whole thing,” he said. “It's taken a lot of time for the retail to catch up to it, and the wholesalers, too, for that matter.”
At age 66, Noel is considering the future. He’s not retiring soon, but he hopes his daughter may continue running the store afterwards.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “And I know my staff enjoys it, too. We try to make it fun.”
Clockwise form top left: Owner Denis Noel says Bennington Beverage's variety attracts interstate customers from nearby New York. The store is located on the Northside Drive. Chuck Dane has worked for Noel for more than a decade. Vermont products from Barr Hill, Killington Distillery and WhistlePig are popular. Erica Noel manages the wine department.
BY SARAH PEARSON
Happy Birthday, Vermont
Craft distilleries make spirits with care and local ingredients
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday this year, the Revolutionary War is in the spotlight. With several major battles on its borders — particularly the war-turning Battle of Bennington— Vermont shares in that story of American independence.
But it took 14 years after declaring itself the Vermont Republic for it to become the 14th
independent state. After paying $30,000 to the state of New York to settle land disputes, Vermont voted on March 4, 1791, to join the union and was accepted into the United States.
This month, to celebrate Vermont’s 235th birthday, we’re highlighting a few of its Made in Vermont spirits and cocktails.
Recently, 802Spirits added new opportunities to purchase Vermont-made products at ski areas. These retail displays, featuring 65% to 70% Made in Vermont products, are now open at Paradise Provisions at Sugarbush in Warren and at Killington.
So, happy birthday, Vermont! Here’s a toast to you.
Lost Lantern Vergennes
Self-proclaimed “whiskey nerds” Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski founded their independent bottling business with a vision for introducing other whiskey lovers to new flavors. They taste-test and carefully select each cask that gets put into a Lost Lantern bottle.
Through the Lost Lantern Discovery Club, members receive a monthly bottle of a new, never-before-released Lost Lantern product.
VERMONT PRODUCTS
W.B. Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store
2 ounces Lost Lantern Gentle Giant Balcones Distilling Texas Single Malt
¾ ounce spiced plum syrup
3-4 ounces soda water
Combine Lost Lantern Gentle Giant and syrup in a cherished highball glass and stir. Fill the glass with ice. Top with soda water, stir to combine.
Garnish with a dried plum, currant, cherry or even a saladito.
Bennington
Battle Monument,
Bennington, VT
Spiced Plum Syrup
1 cup sugar
½ cup molasses
4 plums, chopped
1 cup prune juice
1 cup plum wine — can substitute any cooking wine you have; remember this is a choose-your-own-adventure
1 tablespoon plum wine vinegar — can substitute white wine or champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tablespoon whole pink peppercorns; if using black or white peppercorn, reduce to ½ teaspoon
1 pinch salt
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and stir until sugar dissolves.
Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to low, stirring frequently.
Reduce liquid by about a third, or until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. As the syrup reduces, make sure you increase the frequency of stirring. Remember the chance for burning a syrup increases the less liquid volume is in the pot.
Remove from heat, strain through a mesh filter and discard cinnamon sticks and peppercorns.
For a smoother syrup texture, blend mixture and strain solids, repeating to reach preferred texture. Keep refrigerated for up to a week’s use.
Vermont Vermouth
Brattleboro
Vermouth, a fortified wine, is a staple ingredient for many cocktail recipes. Kobey Shwayder opened Vermont Vermouth in 2020 with three products following his passion for cooking and flavors. After fermenting the wine, what becomes vermouth is steeped in different processes to add herbs and spices, deepening the flavors. It can add balance and sweetness to cocktails. Today, Vermont Vermouth has about a half-dozen vermouths plus a selection of amaros and liqueurs, all made with locally sourced fruit and ingredients.
SILO Distillery
Windsor
At the end of 2025, SILO Distillery transitioned ownership. It is now run by owner and distiller Erin Bell and cidermaker and distiller Nicole Leibon, with support from house manager Jamie Ciccarelli and event manager Mary Shappell. What remains is the distillery’s commitment to showcasing the best of local growers, including Vermont-grown corn for its vodka and russet apples grown in nearby New Hampshire. It plans to bring back its Vermaro, the first Vermont-made amaro, which first debuted in 2020. The Vermaro features a 100% Vermont-made spirit, maple syrup and 14 botanicals, a nod to the 14th state.
Green Mountain Mule
1 orange
1½ ounces SILO Vodka
½ ounce SILO Vermaro
½ ounce fresh lime juice
Bar spoon (or teaspoon) of maple syrup
Ginger beer
Add SILO Vodka, Vermaro, lime juice and maple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake hard. Strain into a glass over ice. Top with ginger beer.
The
Rouge Sour
1 ounce Rosso Red Bitter Aperitivo
1 ounce cognac
¾ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake, then shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Boyden Valley Winery and Spirits
Cambridge
For spirits that harness the inspiration of ice cream, Boyden Valley is your destination. Its crème liquors and other spirits are made on the farm from local ingredients. The apple brandy is made from Vermont-grown apples, fresh cream and wood-fired maple syrup.
Espresso Martini
3 ounces pineapple juice
1½ ounces blue curaçao syrup (Note: Different from blue curaçao liqueur.)
1 ounce cream of coconut
1 ounce non-alcoholic rum (optional)
Candy snowflake for garnish
Add all ingredients to a shaker with some ice, shake well, and pour into a coupe or tumbler of your choice.
Garnish with candy snowflake.
Boyden Valley Winery and Spirits
Putney Mountain Winery and Spirits
Putney and Quechee
What began as a homemade winemaking experiment turned into Putney Mountain Winery in 1998. Charles Dodge, a former Dartmouth music professor, and his wife, lawyer Kate Dodge, had reflected on memorable experiences abroad and how their favorite wines were made with locally sourced ingredients. In a town with many fruit orchards, they thought they might be able to do the same. Their business now makes a range of premium wines and liqueurs with ingredients found close to home.
Citrus & Honey
1½ ounces Putney Mountain Simply Honey liqueur
1 ounce gin
2 ounce fresh squeezed grapefruit or blood orange juice
Egg white, whipped (optional)
Ice
Fresh rosemary sprig (garnish)
Orange or grapefruit slice (garnish)
In a cocktail shaker, add together ice, gin, liqueur and juice. Shake well and strain into a glass. There is a lot of variation in the flavor of fresh citrus juice, depending on the sweetness of the citrus used. You may want to add an extra splash of Simply Honey liqueur or even some simple syrup to this cocktail. Add the egg whites (if using) and garnish.
Split Spirits Middlebury
Split Spirits creates craft spirits with a commitment to sustainability. It works with local farms to source its ingredients and had the country’s first Climate Neutral Certified distillery. Each handcrafted small batch begins by grinding local grain sourced from organic or regenerative farms. They ferment, distill, barrel age and bottle all of its spirits on-site. You can try their whiskey, gin and other spirits at the distillery in Middlebury or the tasting room in Manchester below the Vermont Flannel Co.
The Melvin (Serves 2)
4 ounces Split Spirits Vermont
Add all ingredients in small pitcher, add ice and stir. Pour into two highball glasses and garnish with the citrus peel of your choice.
Sappy days
March is the month of maple in Vermont, with March 21 and 22 being a major weekend for sugarhouses to open their doors to visitors. You can make your plan for a sweet adventure with details at vermontmaple.org.
Beyond sugar on snow or pouring syrup on pancakes, you can also try the sweet stuff in a seasonal mocktail.
Honeycrisp-Maple Drink
14 ounces Honeycrisp apple slices (about 3 medium apples)
1 cup water
½ cup unfiltered apple cider
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
5 ounces light ginger ale
Ice
Garnish: additional apple slices and thyme sprigs
Process apple slices, water, apple cider, lemon juice and maple syrup in a blender until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an ice-filled pitcher. Discard solids. Stir in ginger ale. Garnish, if desired.
MOCKTAILS
Maple-Lime Mocktail
1 12-ounce can plain or lime-flavored seltzer
1 tablespoon amber maple syrup
1 teaspoon lime juice
Ice
Add maple syrup and lime juice to the bottom of a 12-ounce glass. Add seltzer and ice. Stir and serve.
Enjoy these cocktails from
MAPLE BOURBON SOUR
1½ ounces WhistlePig Snout-To-Tail Bourbon, Aged 10 Years
¾ ounce maple syrup
1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes bitters
1½ ounces WhistlePig Small Batch Rye, Aged 10 Years
¼ ounce maple syrup
3 dashes bitters Orange peel for garnish
Add all ingredients to an old-fashioned cocktail glass. Add ice. Stir until maple syrup is properly diluted. Garnish with fresh orange peel.
1 egg white Orange peel or cherry for garnish MAPLE OLD-FASHIONED
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into an old-fashioned or rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with
ON SALE IN OUR STORES
BRANDY
COCKTAILS
FORTIFIED WINES
CORDIALS
GIN
TEQUILA
VODKA
WHISKEY
WHISKEY, IRISH
A triple-distilled, single-malt whiskey combined with an aromatic, lighter grain Irish whiskey, aged at least 3 years in Kentucky bourbon barrels and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks This is the highest-quality blended Irish whiskey from Ireland's oldest whiskey distillery Code 015776
Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey offers sweet, smooth notes of vanilla, honey, toasted wood, and baked apple on the nose and palate, leading to a warming, creamy toffee finish, though some reviewers find it simple with a slight ethanol bite, especially neat, making it better suited for cocktails Code 015830
D E W is a blend of all three styles of Irish whiskey, giving it a
STORE LOCATOR
No matter where you are, a Vermont Liquor Store is nearby. Visit us on the web at 802spirits.com
Please call ahead to confirm store hours.
Jay
Jay Country Store
1077 VT-242 • (802) 988-4040
7 am - 8 pm, Sun: 7 am - 7 pm
Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville Country Store
21 Mill Street • (802) 644-6300
Mon - Fri: 9 am - 7:30 pm, Sat: 11am - 7 pm, Sun: 10 am - 5 pm
Jericho
Jolley
341 Route 15 • (802) 899-2507
6 am - 9 pm, 7 days
Johnson
Jolley
(802) 425-2421
60 Main Street • (802) 875-5555
Mon-Wed: 6am-11pm, Thurs-Sun:
6am-11:50pm
Colchester
Dick Mazza’s General Store
777 W. Lake Shore Drive • (802) 863-1808
7 am - 9 pm, Sun: 10 am - 4 pm
Derby Center
Derby Village Store
483 Main Street • (802) 766-8113
7 am - 8 pm, 7 Days
East Thetford
Huggetts Mart
2930 US-5 • (802) 785-2116
6am - 8pm, Fri-Sat: 6am-9pm, Sun: 7am -8pm
Enosburg Falls
Beverage Gallery
341 Main Street • (802) 933-4767
10 am - 7 pm, Sun: 10 am -6 pm
Essex Center
Essex Discount Bev.
Alburgh
Jolley Alburgh Bridge
3030 US Route 2 North, Suite 1 (802) 796-3360
8 am-8 pm, 7 days
Arlington Arlington Deli
3713 Route 7A • (802) 375-6427
8 am - 8 pm, Sun: 10 am - 5 pm
Ascutney
Fireside Beverage
31 Depot Avenue • (802) 674-2775
10am-7pm, 7 days
Barre
Beverage Baron
411 N. Main Street • (802) 479-9227
6 am - 9 pm, Fri: 6 am - 10 pm Sat: 7 am -10 pm, Sun: 7 am - 9 pm
