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Brewers: Outsiders shouldn't tap 'Vermont' for beer names

Posted at 7:36 PM, May 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-09 19:40:02-04

Vermont brewers have a message for the rest of the industry: Don't go describing a brew as a Vermont beer if it's not from the Green Mountains.

The Vermont Brewers Association is taking issue with out-of-state brewers using "Vermont" in the names and descriptions of their beer. One target is Berkeley, California's Fieldwork Brewing, which produced a one-off beer described as a "Vermont Farmhouse Ale."

Vermont is home to numerous respected craft breweries, including The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead and Magic Hat.

It also has a law designed to ensure that food-makers don't misuse the state's name as a marketing term. But that law doesn't cover beer.

State Rep. Sam Young said Tuesday that the Legislature may look at making a change to the rule next year.