Freak Folk Bier
Microbrewery
in
Waterbury,
Vermont,
United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Freak Folk Bier
Established in 2019
Contact
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.
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.
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to mug.
Appearance: glossy burnt yellow/almost copper color with a finger and a half's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal to floral to slightly earthy with some mineral water and super light clean malts; slight peppery/spice tones further under
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet hoppy to malty refined quality; finishes the same way
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable; very smooth along the tongue - and nothing distracting at all
Overall: a very nicely done Helles lager very worthy of coming back to.
Can to mug.
Appearance: glossy burnt yellow/almost copper color with a finger and a half's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal to floral to slightly earthy with some mineral water and super light clean malts; slight peppery/spice tones further under
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet hoppy to malty refined quality; finishes the same way
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable; very smooth along the tongue - and nothing distracting at all
Overall: a very nicely done Helles lager very worthy of coming back to.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 17:00
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9.5
Texture 9
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy burnt orange haziness with a finger and a quarter of white foamy head which dissipated at a nice pace and left just some light touches of lace
Aroma: peachy to apricot to mixed tropical fruity hop tones; clean malts seems extremely light almost non-existent to be found
Flavor: takes the prior noted aromas and melds them to a refined sweet to bittersweet full on and well ratio-ed hop to malt quality; finishes the same way
Texture: medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper (more or less as the alcohol seemed to equate to the sips partaken so the alcohol was being felt in my consumption and not on the tongue); so this is very smooth all along and still felt like beer as this was not a kiddy juice drink
Overall: what an absolutely wonderful NETIPA extremely worthy of coming back to.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy burnt orange haziness with a finger and a quarter of white foamy head which dissipated at a nice pace and left just some light touches of lace
Aroma: peachy to apricot to mixed tropical fruity hop tones; clean malts seems extremely light almost non-existent to be found
Flavor: takes the prior noted aromas and melds them to a refined sweet to bittersweet full on and well ratio-ed hop to malt quality; finishes the same way
Texture: medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper (more or less as the alcohol seemed to equate to the sips partaken so the alcohol was being felt in my consumption and not on the tongue); so this is very smooth all along and still felt like beer as this was not a kiddy juice drink
Overall: what an absolutely wonderful NETIPA extremely worthy of coming back to.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 16:45
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: burnt yellow cardboard haziness with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely and left just a little bit of lace
Aroma: pineapple sweetness, lime zest; light mixed citrusy hop notes with a little bit of vanilla sweetness in the underneath
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet to light zesty mixed citrusy vibe; finishes the same way
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; great smoothness along the tongue as the vanilla does a great job of canceling out any possible lime zest that might have wanted to nip the tongue
Overall: another wonderful fruited IPA by Freak Folk! Definitely would come back to this.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: burnt yellow cardboard haziness with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely and left just a little bit of lace
Aroma: pineapple sweetness, lime zest; light mixed citrusy hop notes with a little bit of vanilla sweetness in the underneath
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet to light zesty mixed citrusy vibe; finishes the same way
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; great smoothness along the tongue as the vanilla does a great job of canceling out any possible lime zest that might have wanted to nip the tongue
Overall: another wonderful fruited IPA by Freak Folk! Definitely would come back to this.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 16:33
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: thick orange haziness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which took it's time to dissipate then leave some light lace
Aroma: mango sweetness with tangerine sweetness up front; light piney hops in the middle; sweet vanilla in the underneath
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality with the fruits taking a good hold of the full flavor; light finish of the tangerines and vanilla
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; great smoothness with an even keeled vanilla tone smoothing out any hops that might be trying to act assertively
Overall: a very nicely done fruited IPA that I would love to come back to.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: thick orange haziness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which took it's time to dissipate then leave some light lace
Aroma: mango sweetness with tangerine sweetness up front; light piney hops in the middle; sweet vanilla in the underneath
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality with the fruits taking a good hold of the full flavor; light finish of the tangerines and vanilla
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; great smoothness with an even keeled vanilla tone smoothing out any hops that might be trying to act assertively
Overall: a very nicely done fruited IPA that I would love to come back to.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 16:24
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to lager glass.
Appearance: glossy burnt yellow to almost copper color with a three finger white foamy head which settled off at a nice pace to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal to earthy hops up front with a light honey and biscuity maltiness underneath
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine malty sweet to a herbal and crisp earthy quality; finishes crisp through those noted flavors
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable; very smooth along the tongue; carb level seems good
Overall: yeah, I can see this as a Czech lager and definitely one I would return to.
Can to lager glass.
Appearance: glossy burnt yellow to almost copper color with a three finger white foamy head which settled off at a nice pace to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal to earthy hops up front with a light honey and biscuity maltiness underneath
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine malty sweet to a herbal and crisp earthy quality; finishes crisp through those noted flavors
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable; very smooth along the tongue; carb level seems good
Overall: yeah, I can see this as a Czech lager and definitely one I would return to.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 16:08
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Reviewed from notes. Consumed 03/23/2024.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy amber with a slight transparency about it; finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely and left some light lace
Aroma: wonderful blend of sweet piney to mixed citrusy to light grapefruit hoppy bittersweet notes; super light on the malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a full bittersweet hoppy to malty quality; finishes clean through a superb balance of the hops and malts
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; smooth like a West coast IPA and a nice expected hop bitterness assertiveness where you notice it but you know it's nothing overbearing
Overall: awesome WC styled IPA very worthy of coming back to.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy amber with a slight transparency about it; finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely and left some light lace
Aroma: wonderful blend of sweet piney to mixed citrusy to light grapefruit hoppy bittersweet notes; super light on the malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a full bittersweet hoppy to malty quality; finishes clean through a superb balance of the hops and malts
Texture: medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; smooth like a West coast IPA and a nice expected hop bitterness assertiveness where you notice it but you know it's nothing overbearing
Overall: awesome WC styled IPA very worthy of coming back to.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Mar 2026
at 16:03
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: dark maroon/red color with a quickly dissipating head which didn't leave any lace
Aroma: red raspberry and blueberry sweet and tart qualities; good funkiness; nice sour backing
Flavor: intertwines the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet to sour to light tart and funky quality; finishes with a variety of blueberries and raspberries
Texture: medium bodied, great sipper; some smoothness and a touch of acidity that seemed barely noticeable, to be honest
Overall: what a wonderful fruited sour ale more than worthy of coming back to.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: dark maroon/red color with a quickly dissipating head which didn't leave any lace
Aroma: red raspberry and blueberry sweet and tart qualities; good funkiness; nice sour backing
Flavor: intertwines the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet to sour to light tart and funky quality; finishes with a variety of blueberries and raspberries
Texture: medium bodied, great sipper; some smoothness and a touch of acidity that seemed barely noticeable, to be honest
Overall: what a wonderful fruited sour ale more than worthy of coming back to.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Mar 2026
at 15:50
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Canned 2/24/26, drunk 3/18/26.
Lots of melon, lush malts (honey, cookie, white bread) and huge, fruity-estery yeast. I get a bit of white grape from the Nelson before the Citra takes over in a rush of orange and mango juice. No alcohol in the nose and not much, if any, of the herbal Nelson that is less preferred to the white grape.
Similar to the nose with big melon and fat malts, leading to a bit of white grape before a Citra explosion of mango and orange juice/pulp. Bit of "dank", marijuana-like flavor on the finish. Dries out nicely with a very robust bitterness, but, while it's perfectly competent and quite drinkable for its size, with no alcohol, there's nothing overly interesting here.
Lots of melon, lush malts (honey, cookie, white bread) and huge, fruity-estery yeast. I get a bit of white grape from the Nelson before the Citra takes over in a rush of orange and mango juice. No alcohol in the nose and not much, if any, of the herbal Nelson that is less preferred to the white grape.
Similar to the nose with big melon and fat malts, leading to a bit of white grape before a Citra explosion of mango and orange juice/pulp. Bit of "dank", marijuana-like flavor on the finish. Dries out nicely with a very robust bitterness, but, while it's perfectly competent and quite drinkable for its size, with no alcohol, there's nothing overly interesting here.
Tried
from Can
on 18 Mar 2026
at 19:59
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
Canned 2/24/26, drunk 3/15/26.
Nicely prominent Motueka; always have good experiences with Freak Folk's treatment of this hop. Bright, lime-based fruit salad with soft mineral and gentle white wine. Citra boosts intensity while giving a citrusy edge and more tropical depth. Dainty cracker and honey-like malts gently balance. No alcohol, excess sugar or resin.
Maybe a bit more Citra-forward in the mouth than the nose, but still allows plenty of room for the Motueka. There's a peachy edge to the Citra, though, with a dry, almost chalky mineral that is either a whole lot of dry hop or some of these unusual hop products. The malt really shines here and I think, makes the beer, giving a rich honey impression before drying out significantly with cracker-like notes, so that the juice and sweet tropical/citrus character doesn't become unbalanced in concert with too much malt sweetness/succulence. Tons more white wine and mineral on the finish thanks to the fantastically well-done Motueka. This is up there with the best Motueka IPAs I've ever had.
Nicely prominent Motueka; always have good experiences with Freak Folk's treatment of this hop. Bright, lime-based fruit salad with soft mineral and gentle white wine. Citra boosts intensity while giving a citrusy edge and more tropical depth. Dainty cracker and honey-like malts gently balance. No alcohol, excess sugar or resin.
Maybe a bit more Citra-forward in the mouth than the nose, but still allows plenty of room for the Motueka. There's a peachy edge to the Citra, though, with a dry, almost chalky mineral that is either a whole lot of dry hop or some of these unusual hop products. The malt really shines here and I think, makes the beer, giving a rich honey impression before drying out significantly with cracker-like notes, so that the juice and sweet tropical/citrus character doesn't become unbalanced in concert with too much malt sweetness/succulence. Tons more white wine and mineral on the finish thanks to the fantastically well-done Motueka. This is up there with the best Motueka IPAs I've ever had.
Tried
from Can
on 15 Mar 2026
at 22:12
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Panda at home, thanks to the Wingmane, 15/03/2026.
Murky orange topped with an off white head that thins to the edge.
Nose is ripe melon, guava, pine resin, mango flesh.
Taste comprises raw pineapple, grass, stone fruit, lychee, mandarin.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close spiked with juicy come lightly resinous hop bitterness allied to a mellow boost.
Solid.
Murky orange topped with an off white head that thins to the edge.
Nose is ripe melon, guava, pine resin, mango flesh.
Taste comprises raw pineapple, grass, stone fruit, lychee, mandarin.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close spiked with juicy come lightly resinous hop bitterness allied to a mellow boost.
Solid.
Tried
on 15 Mar 2026
at 16:44