"Montpelier" news and stories

A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly bars across the country.

Despite being the second least populous state in the nation (ranking just below Wyoming), Vermont is well-known as a craft beer haven. The state ranks #1 in craft breweries per capita and is home to recognizable brewery names like Magic Hat, Long Trail and Harpoon. So as the state capital, Montpelier, Vt. really has no choice but to represent!

But for years, the minuscule capital (with just over 8,000 people) didn't have a craft beer bar to call its own. Three Penny Taproom came to the rescue.

"We're our country's smallest state capital," says owner Scott Kerner. "The only one without a McDonald's." Now, since May 1, 2009, the city finally has a top-flight beer bar. And though representing this beer-friendly state from its capital might seemingly create some pressure, Kerner believes they've risen to the task, "In our nine months, we've created quite a stir in not just Vermont, but in New England."

Read more about Three Penny Taproom and find their recent draft list after the jump...

Chez Dolley and James Madison. Photo: Mark F. Levisay

There's no telling how Dolley Madison, celebrated for her exceedingly proper social graces, would have felt about folks sifting through her midden.

But that's just what the archaeologists at Montpelier -- the onetime Virginia home of former President James Madison -- have been doing since 2007, when they first uncovered the (very first) First Lady's trash heap. Their findings, many of which pertain to the Madisons' culinary habits, will likely be supplemented this summer by a new excavation of the estate's North Kitchen. According to spokeswoman Beth Morrill, interpreters at the historic site are planning to use their discoveries about how and what the Madisons ate to engage a new generation of hungry visitors.

"We're teaching children about recycling," Morrill says, pointing to a recently unveiled hands-on exhibit that teaches children about the Madisons' penchant for using every part of an animal (every part except, it seems, for the shell: Dolley Madison's midden was well-stocked with discarded oyster shells, the fruit of which likely paired nicely with the Champagne she served her guests.)