Last Call for the Vermont Brew Bracket: Double Sunshine IPA vs. Heady Topper
It's time for last call in the Vermont Brew Bracket.
The Final Pour was largely free of drama, as both winners jumped out to big early leads and held on the entire time. In yet another upset for the tiny Mad River Valley brewery, Lawson's Finest Liquids and its Double Sunshine IPA defeated Long Trail Ale by 171 votes. In the other semi-final, the Alchemist Heady Topper continued its reign, taking down Switchback Ale with nearly three-quarters of the votes and a 400-vote margin.
So it all comes down to this. All the larger, more mainstream brews (and that's relative in Vermont) are out, two craft favorites from small breweries are in. Heady Topper is likely the favorite; the Alchemist's post-Irene recovery has been nothing short of amazing even without the pub, and those 16-ounce cans are everywhere these days. But it's hard to bet against Lawson's Double Sunshine IPA. It might be hard to find on store shelves, but it's the beer that knocked out three flagships (Magic Hat #9, Trout River Rainbow Red and Long Trail Ale) on its way to the championship round.
One thing's for sure: with these beers, you can't really lose.
Voting for the championship round closes on Monday at 5 p.m. Click here to cast your ballot.
