Yankee Brew News Archive

Brewer's Profile: Liz Trott

Originally Published: 08/97

By: Kate Cone

Good things come in small packages. That's how the gift-giving wisdom goes, anyway. And the smallest brewery in Vermont has celebrated its first year in business, a big accomplishment in that micro-heavy state. Jigger Hill Brewery owner/brewer Liz Trott, the state's only woman head brewer, has managed to guide her Tunbridge business venture through the mazes of licensing and label approvals, distributing channels, and marketing and public relations efforts, and still has time to make six kinds of high-quality, bottle-conditioned beers.

Sold under the Tunbridge Quality Ales label are: Telemark Ale (formerly TelemarkMild); Covered Bridge IPA; Ox Pull Stout; World's Fair Special; Sap Brew and coming this November/December will be Winter Expedition Ale.

YBN: You sent out your first product on April 15, 1996. What has been the biggest change since then?

LT: I got paid! (laughs). After a year and a half of being in business, I was finally able to write myself my first paycheck. I made $500. bucks.

YBN: So business is that good?

LT: Actually, business is great. The next biggest thing that's happened is that I'm adding some staff to help me out. Instead of doing it all alone, I now have a Siebel-trained brewer, a brewery assistant who will help with bottling and labeling, a bookkeeper and a truck driver.

YBN: The driver is going to distribute your beer. Tell me how this self-distribution came about.

LT: Some Vermont micro owners have been trying to get the laws regarding beer distribution changed for awhile. Presently, in order to distribute your own beer, you have to set up a separate corporation, obtain a license and get additional liability insurance. You're essentially running two businesses, the brewery and the distributorship.

YBN: What are the benefits of acting as your own distributor?

LT: Having more control over getting your beer into the stores and bars is the greatest advantage. The distributors are carrying, representing and selling many different kinds of beers in addition to other alcohol. Some distributors are more of a "wine house" than a "beer house." So for a new micro like Jigger Hill, it's difficult to get the sales reps to become motivated to educate themselves about my beers, be enthusiastic about representing them to the accounts and specifically in my case, to be careful about follow-up. I had two accounts call me this morning saying they had sold out of my beer, but the distributor hasn't shown up as scheduled to pick up more stock.

YBN: You've been distributing your own beer for two weeks. Seen any difference?

LT: A huge difference. In the course of those two weeks, because I'm the most enthusiastic representative of my beer, I've made enough sales to cut myself a paycheck. The account managers and staff like meeting the person who brews the beer, and I'm assured that the beer gets represented to the accounts. You never quite know if that's happening adequately using an outside distributor.

YBN: Why not?

LT: Well, the "big beer" breweries offer perks to the salespeople that I can't afford to offer. And if I threaten to pull my product, there's little or no effect. If the "big beer" companies make those noises, watch out.

YBN: You said that some of the other Vermont micro's are thinking of switching to self- distributing?

LT: Yes, in fact, some of us may form a cooperative distributorship. On a statewide level, Senator Dick McCormick has proposed a bill to change the laws to allow us to distribute without having to set up the extra corporation and incur the additional costs of licensing and insurance.

YBN: So beer is getting 'political?'

LT: In a manner of speaking. If you're a Vermont citizen and want to support the micro's, call Sen. McCormick's office at the State House in Montpelier and register your support!

YBN: As long as beer doesn't get 'politically correct.' What other laws do micro owners have to deal with?

LT: Label approval can be a major headache. In this state, you have to get state and federal approval for your beer labels. It takes up to 3 months. There are ways to apply pressure, but you have to learn them. You want to work in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. If they sit on your applications, you can go out of business waiting.

YBN: Let's talk about your beers. You've changed the "Telemark Mild Ale" to "Telemark Ale." Why?

LT: Well, the less educated drinkers (those who don't read YBN) thought the "mild" designation meant a light beer like Budweiser. In fact, it's an English mild ale, lightly hopped with Kent Goldings hops.

LT: Tunbridge, Vermont hosts one of the country's oldest agricultural fairs every autumn. This will be the 120th year. The fair attracts over 35,000 people to a town that has a year-round population of 800. This year, Jigger Hill Brewery will be the first microbrewed beer ever offered in the beer tent. They usually sell fifty kegs of Bud, and they've ordered

twenty kegs of our beer.

YBN: What's the significance of the term "Special" in the World's Fair ale?

LT: Each year I change the style of beer. If I label it "Special," I don't have to get my label reapproved every year.

YBN: Sneaky.

LT: No, clever.

YBN: Is this fair something YBN readers might like to attend?

LT: Definitely. As a matter of fact, Jigger Hill is sponsoring a homebrew contest at the fair. It will be held the weekend of September 12th to the 14th, 1997. For more information about the fair, write to the Tunbridge World's Fair Committee, Tunbridge, Vermont 05077.

YBN: And the winner receives?

LT: This is the good part. We'll have a "Best of Show" category. The winner of that award will be asked to brew his or her recipe with me, and we'll bottle it under the World's Fair Special label for the next fair.

YBN: Sounds like fun. Let's backtrack a bit and find out how you came to open a brewery.

LT: I began homebrewing twenty years ago after I returned from a trip to England and realized the beers here were terrible. I eventually made a beer using maple sap replacing the water. It's very unique. It was this beer that inspired me to brew commercially.

YBN: Tell us more about the Sap Brew.

LT: It's made in late spring, during the short maple syruping season. Brewed in the style of a blond ale, lightly hopped, bottle conditioned and uses a bit of maple syrup with active yeast in the priming stage. It's not sweet at all. But the sap adds a nice tang. It goes fast. In fact, we have one keg left, which we'll take to the Vermont Brewer's Festival. Unless YBN readers attend that, they'll have to wait until next spring to sample it. But they can still enjoy the beers already mentioned as well as Covered Bridge IPA, Ox Pull Stout and in November or December we'll introduce Winter Expedition.

YBN: What did you do before you became a brewer?

LT: I have a degree in surveying from Vermont Technical College, and I operated my own drafting and mapping company for several years. I then became a senior citizens' advocate. I recently gave up the day job to devote all my energies to the brewery.

YBN: You were using a 4 bbl Horeca system -- any plans for enlarging or upgrading?

LT: Not yet. With our three fermenters, we can produce 40 barrels a month. That will be fine for awhile yet.

YBN: Where can readers sample your beers?

LT: We're selling only in Vermont now, so they'll have to come here. In South Royalton we're sold at a restaurant called "Crossroads" and in Norwich at "La Poulet A Dents." And it's sold in twelve-ounce bottles in liquor stores.

YBN: What will you be doing in your second year to widen the audience for your beers?

LT: I'm trying to get more exposure at ski areas. Several micro owners including myself, just bought into Mad River Glen, which has one of last three chair lifts in the country. That will guarantee our beers on tap there.

YBN: Any other marketing ideas?

LT: We'll be making two contract brews for Crossroads restaurant and for Dan and Whit's, a 200 year old country store in Norwich.

YBN: It really sounds as if the hard work has been worth it. Can we visit?

LT: Come on up! Give me a call first, and we'd be happy to give a tour. We have hats and t-shirts available and you can sample the beer.

Kate Cone is the author of What's Brewing in New England: A Guide to

Brewpubs and Microbreweries, Down East Books, 1997.

Sidebar:

Jigger Hill Brewery, Ltd.

Dickerman Hill Road

Tunbridge, VT 05077

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 837

South Royalton, VT 05068

Phone: 802-889-3406

Tours: By appointment. Hats & t-shirts available by mail. Check or cash. No plastic.