That all said, one thing we don’t do is brew beer.  We’d love to be brewing beer, but frankly we just don’t have the room for it (and that equipment is expensive!).  Which makes our runner-up award for Best Brewpub Outside Chittenden County both an honor, and a little confusing.  I guess some of you are just so excited about Three Penny that you voted for us in what ever category you felt like.  Hey, no one’s complaining- accolades are accolades and we love getting them; especially reader surveys like the Seven Daisies.  You like us, you voted for us, and we’re honored.  Thanks so much for all your support!

And summer isn’t summer without some beer league softball.  This year, our Three Penny Taproom team looks to have finally grown out of being perennial basement dwellers and risen up to a legitimately mediocre team!  Hey, one step at a time.  The regular season closes out with a double header on Wednesday, July 28 starting at 6:00 and then a final doubleheader on Monday, August 9 starting at 6:00.  Playoffs (everyone gets in, double-elimination tourny) will begin the week of August 16.  Come down to the Dog River Fields in Montpelier and drink some beers with us, and have a blast cheering us on!

Plus, summer in Vermont is a proverbial hot-bed of great music festivals.  Case in point: the 8th Annual Northeast Kingdom Music Festival, coming up August 6 & 7 in East Albany, VT.  A finer collection of amazing music you’ve mostly never heard of cannot be found.  This year, along with such staples as me riding around like a madman on my golf cart and Three Penny co-owner Scott Kerner (aka MC Jay Walker) keeping you informed from the Main Stage mic, the NEK Music Fest will feature a Three Penny tent manned by Joey and slinging out what is increasingly known as Central Vermont’s best tacos (sorry, we won’t be serving beer- it’s a BYOB party).

And speaking of August:  Scott and Matt, always trying to think of new ways to keep things interesting, have put together India Pale August- a whole month of over a dozen IPA’s on tap!  Some of what we’ll be featuring includes Hill Farmstead’s Edward IPA, Abner double IPA, and Citra and Sorachi Ace single-hop IPA’s, plus McNeil’s Warlord, Brewdog’s Punk IPA, Lawson’s Finest Chinooker’d, a double dry-hopped Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous, Victory Hop Devil, a few from Mikkeller’s Single Hop Series, and a bunch more.  Now that’sa fine collection of IPA’s!!!

Enjoy it all while it lasts folks… I’ve already started stacking wood!

Cheers,

Wes

I’ll start off by noting that we’re usually a lot better about mentioning what’s happening at the Taproom on our Facebook page, so if you’re on facebook you should ‘friend’ us (or ‘like’ us or ‘fan’ us or whatever it’s being called these days).  Facebook.com/threepenny I think, or you can maybe just find us here, or just do a search for “Three Penny Taproom” in Montpelier, VT.  Along these lines, we’re on Twitter, too.  That one is Twitter.com/threepennytap.

As far as happenings here, this coming Sunday (July 11) we’re having a ‘happening’, but not here.  It’s the second installment of Punk Rock Brunch, in which Scott, Joey, and a rag-tag assortment of other associated hooligans takes over Montpelier’s best breakfast/lunch spot (Kisment, of course)- and punk rock the place out to hell.  No, it’s not a band, it’s brunch with grounds in your coffee, the stereo turned up way too loud, and the kitchen staff throwing salt at each other.

Next Sunday (July 18) we’re hosting another of our (increasingly imfamous) beer & cheese pairings.  This one is called Celebrate the Northern Forest: Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese and will feature specially selected craft beers courtesy of our own Scott Kerner, paired perfectly with six artisan cheeses hand-picked by Central Vermont’s own Jeff Roberts (author of The Atlus of American Artisan Cheese).  In addition, chef Joey Nagy will be providing some incredible accouterments for your enjoyment.  The event runs from 1:00 to 3:00 and costs $45/person.  Sign-up and pre-pay in person here at Three Penny- but do so soon, these events always fill-up quick!

In between these two events, this coming Wednesday, July 14 (Bastille Day!) we’re pulling out any stops that may have been left in order to bring you an Allagash Bash!  We’ve got 10 different kegs from Allagash Brewing sitting in the basement, ready to go on tap that day.  Not only will we be pouring, on draught, Allagash beers that you probably didn’t even know they put in kegs, but we’re also honored to be hosting Allagash Brewing founder and president (and all-around great guy) Rob Tod!  This will be a not-to-be-missed party.

OK, I think that’s it- for now.  Cheers!