Freak Folk Bier

Microbrewery in Waterbury, Vermont, United States πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
Associated Venue: Freak Folk Bier

Established in 2019

Contact
28 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT, 05676, United States
Description
Mixed culture, Oak fermented Beer. Brewed and blended in Vermont.

Freak Folk Bier has been years in the making. Conceptualized by two professional brewers looking to explore their creative instincts and to escape the monotony of the typical brewery lifestyle and mentality. This is our attempt to have complete control over how our beer is brewed, fermented and presented to our local community. Our goal is to remain a humble little company and to grow organically.

We strive to present world class wild and farmhouse- inspired beer to an ever growing community of beer and wine enthusiasts to share and contemplate.

Admin Note: Freak Folk Bier is brewed at Queen City and then aged in wooden vessels. The brand was started by Queen City's head brewer Lillian MacNamara and Ryan Miller of Kent Falls, Aqua ViTea Kombucha, and many others.

Permanent taproom opened in Waterbury, VT.

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8.3/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 8.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
Top tier pulp. 16oz can from the brewery. Thick yellow, clumpy white head. Plenty of pineapple on the nose, some stone fruits, citrus curd, wheat and straw, some wet grass and lime. It's all working here. Flavor drops the pineapple and comes with the citrus, grapefruit, lime, lychee. Soft wheat. Grass. Some hop burn over a medium full bodied. Real good. Cheese curds. Height of the style.
Tried from Can on 10 Aug 2026 at 01:51

7.8/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
473ml can. Minimally milky, yellow-ish, golden colour with average to huge, fluffy, slowly osteoporosing, moderately lacing, white head. Citrusy fruity, slightly piney, minimally grassy, hoppy aroma, minimally spicy, pale malty background, notes of lemon, some grapefruit, woody pineapple, a touch of blueberry, hints of cracker. Taste is moderately bitter, citrusy and slightly tropical fruity, minimally piney and grassy hoppy, slightly spicy, pale malty basis, notes of lemon, some woody pineapple, a touch of blueberry and grapefruit, hints of salty cracker; minimally tart-ish, citric and zesty finish.
Oily texture, smooth and soft, minimally greasy, simultaneously slightly dry palate, medium to fine, very dense, mildly prickly carbonation.
Well crafted, crisp, clean, citrusy - pretty good.
Tried from Can from Addicted2Craftbeer on 08 Aug 2026 at 19:00

8.1/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Canned 7/21/26, drunk 8/7/26.
Peachy-pineapple with a zesty brightness to it. Very similar to Lilikoi Single Hop Pale Ale from Hill, though maybe a bit soupier, with more minerality and yeast. So overall, less clarity/brightness than that one, but you still get the main force of this pretty nice (IMO) hop. Cracker, honey, biscuit from the malt balances gently. Low acidity.
Orange-pineapple-papaya with a hint of banana, even. A pretty interesting, funky hop, and there's good bitterness here, to boot (about average for the style). Reasonably malty but with a crackery dryness and levity of body on the finish. Nice. Soupier and less focused than Hill's, but still shows excellent flavor/balance.
Tried from Can at Freak Folk Bier on 07 Aug 2026 at 17:06

8.4/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8.5 Texture 8 Overall 9
On tap at Freak Folk, pours a hazy golden with a large fluffy white head. Aroma is wonderfully complex, with tons of wild yeast, a deep rustic character, and some hay. Flavour is impressively complex, with lots of wild yeast, rustic saison yeast, spices, and hay. Carbonation is above average, perfectly suited to the style. Wonderful complexity. Excellentβ€”top-shelf saison.
Tried from Draft at Freak Folk Bier on 07 Aug 2026 at 04:23

5.3/10 β€” Appearance 5 Aroma 6 Flavor 5 Texture 5 Overall 5
On tap at Freak Folk, pours an opaque, milky yellow with a small white head. Aroma is very oaty and muddy, with tons of allium, yeasty hop soup, and chalk. Flavour is full of muddled oat goopiness, not allowing the hops to breath; lightly chalk, minimal chalk, just too muddled. Not working for me.
Tried from Draft at Freak Folk Bier on 07 Aug 2026 at 04:19

7.4/10 β€” Appearance 7 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
On tap at Freak Folk, pours a hazy blonde with a small white head. Aroma has herbaceous notes, grassiness, and biscuity malt. Flavour is much the same, with bright herbaceous notes, crisp crackery malt, and some grassy hop bite. Extremely well-made helles.
Tried from Draft at Freak Folk Bier on 07 Aug 2026 at 04:18

8/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Canned 7/21/26, drunk 8/6/26.
Juicy, fruity, tropical with kumquat, sweet lime and ripe peach. Not a huge Kohia Nelson/Phantasm guy, but this doesn't smell like punchy passionfruit and only smells just slightly of white grape at all. Soft, rich, succulent, honey-like malt easily balances the lower acidity. Getting some funk/mineral as it warms/breathes. No alcohol noted.
Bitter/acidic with a piney Nelson edge to it, initially. Soft malts help balance and it's quite dry overall, leading to unripe tropical fruit skin on the finish. Not much passionfruit from the Kohia, nor the white grape-like character of Nelson, but more of an acidic, weird tropical fruit rind character. I like the bitterness here, but with the grapey acidity, it gets a bit much on the finish. Not quite enough room for funk, more vibrant tropical notes, or the better intricacies of Nelson. All that said, it's supple, dry, flavorful and nicely bitter in a style that often lacks enough bitterness, so it's perfectly competent, just not a standout in this incredible series.
Tried from Can at Freak Folk Bier on 06 Aug 2026 at 14:13

8.3/10 β€” Appearance 9 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Canned 7/21/26, drunk 8/4/26.
Big mineral and funky hop notes. Definite sulfur. Lime and rich stone fruit combine to create a unique, somewhat understated character with surprisingly timid malts in support. White wine/grape on the very end.
Malts are plentiful in the mouth, however, with rich honey to balance the moderate bitterness and big blend of tropical fruit salad and light lime character. Very Motueka-forward with undertones of Riwaka funk/mineral and more standard Citra to fill in the gaps. Juicy, funky, tropical, spicy...a lot going on here, for sure. And yet, the main force is bitterness and sweet malt/sweet tropical fruit.
Tried from Can at Freak Folk Bier on 04 Aug 2026 at 17:47

8/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Canned 7/21/26, drunk 8/2/26.
Nice looking beer....
Smells rich and sweet...I think Ryan has avoided using soft serve ice cream up until this point. Getting a strawberry banana character with not too much lactose. Very little acidity yet it doesn't smell cloying/unbalanced. Good strength of aroma, but it's mostly strawberry-banana for me.
A lot more acidity in the flavor; though I wouldn't even it call it tart. Some dryness coming from fruit acidity; earthy strawberry perhaps. More creamy than sweet, but still fairly sweet. Very easy drinking. Milky, creamy, soft, rich. Definitely tastes like a fruit smoothie with vanilla and sugary ice cream on the end. Not quite as balanced as the draught versions I've had, but a grand success for a canned product. Not an easy "style" to can.
Tried from Can at Freak Folk Bier on 02 Aug 2026 at 18:24

8.4/10 β€” Appearance 9 Aroma 8 Flavor 8.5 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Pours a hazy, glowing orange-pineapple, with smallish head. Aroma is citrus and tropical fruit. Flavors follow, with some dankness and a light sweetness. Soft mouthfeel. Mild to moderate hop bitterness in the finish. Quite good.
Tried from Can on 01 Aug 2026 at 19:37