The news has seemed sour and sad too often these last weeks: the steady parade of people who don’t want to have to see any solar panels out their windows, the attack on small schools, and the demise of Greg’s Market. And then I read the usually wonderful Greg Dennis decrying Otter Creek Brewery for phasing out Copper Ale and replacing it with the new Backseat Berner.
I have written a good deal about beer over the years (everyone needs a hobby) and I would like to say: The new brew is a world-class beer. If you’ve been scheming to find a can of Heady Topper, this has a very similar taste: hoppy, bitter, incredibly delicious. To think that we’ll be able to stop into the local gas station (or drive down Exchange Street to the brewery) and pick up a six-pack of one of the most adventurous beers on the planet for under $10 — well, it restores my spirits.
As the days grow warmer, I plan to sip it while sitting on the porch and looking lovingly at the solar panels in my yard.
Bill McKibben
Ripton