If you are driving Route 9 between Wilmington and Brattleboro anyway – and if you are staying near Mount Snow, you probably will be at some point – the Vermont Distillers tasting room at Hogback Mountain is an easy, worthwhile stop. It is a working craft distillery’s outpost tucked into a mountaintop country store, pouring maple liqueur and small-batch bourbon next to one of the best views in southern Vermont.
The Story Behind the Bottle
Vermont Distillers has been producing spirits in the Deerfield Valley since 2008, working out of a production facility in West Marlboro. The line runs under the Metcalfe’s name and is naturally gluten-free, built around Vermont’s signature ingredient: maple. The flagship is Metcalfe’s Vermont Maple Cream Liqueur, joined by a straight Maple Liqueur and fruit-forward Raspberry, Blueberry, and Peach Liqueurs. From there the lineup branches into Maple Bourbon, Honey Bourbon, and Catamount Vodka, with limited releases like a Ciriaco’s Limoncello showing up seasonally.
What to Taste in the Tasting Room
The Hogback Mountain tasting room sits inside the Hogback Mountain Country Store, about 200 yards from the distillery’s home base, and it is the most convenient of the three spots to sample the full Metcalfe’s lineup if you are coming from West Dover. Expect to find bottles of every core release on the shelf, along with local cheese and maple products from other Vermont makers filling out the store around them. It is a browse-and-taste stop, not a formal tour – good for a 15 to 20 minute detour rather than a planned outing.
The 100-Mile View
What makes this particular tasting room worth the drive is where it sits. Hogback Mountain’s overlook is at about 2,400 feet on Route 9, roughly 3.5 miles east of downtown Wilmington and about an 18-minute drive from Valley View Villa. On a clear day the view stretches south across the Green Mountains toward Massachusetts, with ridgelines rolling out for what locals have long called the “100-mile view.” Foliage season – typically late September through mid-October in this part of Vermont – is when the overlook draws the biggest crowds, but the view is a reason to stop any time of year.
Planning Your Visit
Hours at the Hogback Mountain Country Store shift seasonally, so check vermontdistillers.com or call ahead if you are timing a stop precisely. Vermont Distillers also runs a second tasting room and cocktail bar at its Marlboro production facility on Route 9, which hosts live music on Saturdays from July through October, plus a retail spot on Church Street in Burlington if your trip extends that far north. For most guests staying near Mount Snow, though, the Hogback Mountain stop is the easy one – it is already on the way to Brattleboro, Wilmington shopping, or a foliage drive.
🗺️ More to Explore Near Mount Snow
- Hogback Mountain – The Famous 100-Mile View — the overlook itself, with hiking and parking details
- Must-Try Craft Breweries and Taprooms in the Deerfield Valley — where to go next for local beer
- Maple Sugaring Near Mount Snow — the source of the maple in every bottle
- Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival — another Deerfield Valley sipping stop, seasonal
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Vermont Distillers tasting room?
The main tasting room sits inside the Hogback Mountain Country Store on Route 9 in Marlboro, about 200 yards from the Vermont Distillers production facility. A second tasting room and cocktail bar operates at the Marlboro distillery itself, and a retail location is open on Church Street in Burlington.
What kind of spirits does Vermont Distillers make?
Their core lineup is naturally gluten-free and built around Vermont maple: Metcalfe’s Vermont Maple Cream Liqueur, Maple Liqueur, and fruit liqueurs in raspberry, blueberry, and peach, plus Maple Bourbon, Honey Bourbon, and Catamount Vodka.
How far is Hogback Mountain from Valley View Villa?
It is about an 18-minute drive east on Route 9, roughly 3.5 miles from downtown Wilmington. It pairs easily with a Route 9 drive toward Brattleboro or a foliage-season outing.
Is there anything else to do at Hogback Mountain?
Yes – the overlook itself is a free roadside stop with the famous 100-mile view, and hiking trails on Hogback Mountain connect toward Molly Stark State Park for those who want to stretch the visit into an afternoon.
Do I need a reservation for the tasting room?
No reservation is typically needed for a casual stop to browse and taste – it operates as a retail tasting counter inside the country store rather than a guided tour. Hours shift seasonally, so it is worth checking ahead if you are planning around a specific time.
