Hill Farmstead Brewery

Hill Farmstead Brewery is a craft brewery established in 2010 by Shaun Hill in Greensboro Bend, Vermont, in the state's Northeast Kingdom. The brewery operates on a family farm and is located in a relatively remote part of Vermont, approximately seventy miles from Burlington, the state's largest city. Its rural setting and connection to the Hill family property are central to the brewery's identity, while its reputation has been built primarily through the quality and distinctiveness of its beers. Shaun Hill's route into brewing began before the brewery itself existed. He first learned to make beer through a science-fair project during high school and later organized a home-brewing club while attending college. His early professional experience included work at The Shed in Vermont. Hill subsequently spent time brewing in Denmark at Fanø Bryghus and Nørrebro Bryghus before returning to the United States to establish Hill Farmstead. This background connected the brewery to both Vermont's emerging craft-beer culture and Danish and broader European brewing traditions. The brewery is associated with a broad range of styles rather than a single narrowly defined product category. Its recognized areas include American pale ale, India pale ale, porter, saison, stout, and other farmhouse-oriented beers. Beers identified with the brewery include Abner, Double Citra, and Everett. These names represent different aspects of its portfolio, including hop-forward ales and more traditionally influenced farmhouse or mixed-style expressions. The existing brand description emphasizes quality, traditional techniques, and an interest in the relationship between beer and place, often described through the language of terroir. Hill Farmstead's profile has been amplified by strong consumer and specialist acclaim. RateBeer named it the world's best new brewery in 2011. The RateBeer community subsequently selected it as the world's best brewery in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020; it placed second in 2013. These recognitions helped establish the brewery as one of the most prominent names in American craft beer and as a destination for enthusiasts interested in small-production, high-quality brewing. The brand's operating model is best understood as that of a destination brewery rooted in a specific Vermont location, rather than as a mass-market beer company. Available reference material does not establish a parent corporation, public listing, ticker symbol, broad international distribution network, or current executive team beyond founder Shaun Hill. It also does not provide reliable financial figures, production volumes, employee counts, or a detailed account of present-day ownership. Accordingly, Hill Farmstead is most accurately characterized here as an active, independently identified Vermont craft-brewery brand whose reputation rests on site-specific identity, stylistic range, and sustained critical recognition.

Hill Farmstead Brewery was established in 2010 by Shaun Hill in Greensboro Bend, Vermont. The brewery is located on a family farm in the Northeast Kingdom, a rural region of the state situated about seventy miles from Burlington. Its location distinguishes it from breweries built primarily around urban distribution or large-scale production: the farm setting is part of the brand's identity and contributes to its image as a destination for beer enthusiasts. Hill's interest in brewing began during high school, when he learned to make beer for a science-fair project. During college, he formed a home-brewing club, developing practical experience before entering the commercial brewing sector. His first commercial brewing work was at The Shed in Vermont. He later broadened his experience in Denmark, brewing at Fanø Bryghus and Nørrebro Bryghus. After this period of work in Vermont and Denmark, Hill returned to the United States and launched Hill Farmstead. From its beginning, the brewery developed a reputation across several beer categories. Reference material associates it particularly with American pale ale, IPA, porter, saison, and related farmhouse styles. Its portfolio is not limited to one signature category: hop-forward beers coexist with darker beers and farmhouse-influenced products. Abner, Double Citra, and Everett are among the offerings most closely associated with the brewery in the available material. The broader description of the brand emphasizes careful production, traditional brewing methods, and an interest in expressing the character of ingredients and place. The brewery's critical reputation grew rapidly. In 2011, only a year after its founding, RateBeer awarded Hill Farmstead the title of best new brewery in the world. The RateBeer community then named it the world's best brewery in 2012. Although it finished second in 2013, it returned to the top position in 2014 and was again selected in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. This sequence of rankings made Hill Farmstead one of the most visible and highly regarded names in global craft-beer culture, despite its rural location and relatively specialized positioning. The available references do not document a corporate parent, acquisition, public listing, financial performance, production scale, or detailed distribution strategy. They also do not establish a full current management roster. Shaun Hill is documented as the founder and brewer, but additional current or former executives cannot be reliably identified from the supplied sources. Likewise, there is no supported evidence in the reference material of scandals, lawsuits, recalls, major mergers, or regulatory controversies. Hill Farmstead's documented history is therefore primarily a story of founder-led development, international brewing experience, farm-based identity, stylistic breadth, and sustained acclaim from beer consumers.

1. 2015RateBeer names Hill Farmstead best brewery

   Hill Farmstead receives another best-brewery-in-the-world recognition from the RateBeer community.

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2. 2014Returns to RateBeer top position

   The brewery is again named the world's best brewery by RateBeer.

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3. 2013Second place in RateBeer world ranking

   Hill Farmstead finishes second in RateBeer's world brewery ranking.

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4. 2012First RateBeer best-brewery title

   The RateBeer community names Hill Farmstead the best brewery in the world.

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5. 2011Named the world's best new brewery

   RateBeer recognizes Hill Farmstead as the best new brewery in the world.

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6. 2010Hill Farmstead Brewery is established

   Shaun Hill establishes Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont, on the family farm.

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A premium, destination-oriented craft brewery emphasizing brewing quality, stylistic diversity, traditional technique, and a strong connection to its Vermont farm setting.

• AbnerCraft beer

  Abner is a beer associated with Hill Farmstead's recognized portfolio. The available reference material identifies the name but does not provide a verified specification for its style, recipe, alcohol content, release schedule, or current availability.

• Double CitraCraft beer

  Double Citra is an identified Hill Farmstead offering whose name indicates an association with Citra hops. The supplied sources do not establish a complete technical profile, including exact style, formulation, strength, production history, or present release status.

• EverettCraft beer

  Everett is one of the beers specifically associated with Hill Farmstead Brewery. The available references do not provide enough verified information to describe its precise style, ingredients, packaging, or current production status.

• American pale alesBeer style

  American pale ale is one of the styles for which Hill Farmstead has received recognition. Within the brewery's broader portfolio, this category represents its American craft-brewing orientation and hop-focused beer-making, although individual recipes and release details are not specified in the supplied sources.

• India pale alesBeer style

  India pale ale is a prominent part of Hill Farmstead's public reputation. The style contributes to the brewery's premium craft positioning and association with expressive, hop-forward beers. The available material does not specify a complete list of IPA variants or their release chronology.

• Farmhouse ales and saisonsBeer style

  Farmhouse ales and saisons connect Hill Farmstead's work with traditional European-inspired brewing and its rural Vermont setting. These styles are part of the brewery's recognized range, but the supplied references do not identify specific recipes, fermentation methods, or individual product histories.

• Porters and stoutsBeer style

  Porter and stout are among the darker beer categories associated with Hill Farmstead's award-recognized output. Their inclusion illustrates the brewery's stylistic breadth beyond pale ales and IPAs. Detailed product-level information is not provided by the available reference material.

• 2010Launch of a farm-based Vermont breweryStrategy

  After gaining brewing experience in Vermont and Denmark, Shaun Hill returned to the United States to establish a brewery on the family farm in Greensboro Bend.

  What changed. Hill founded Hill Farmstead Brewery and developed it around a rural Vermont location, founder-led brewing, and a broad portfolio of traditionally influenced craft beers.

  Aftermath. The location and brewing approach became core elements of the brand's identity and were followed by sustained international acclaim.

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• 2020Hill Farmstead receives RateBeer world-best recognition

  RateBeer named Hill Farmstead the world's best brewery again, extending its record of high consumer-review rankings.

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• 2019Hill Farmstead receives repeated RateBeer world-best recognition

  The brewery continued its run of top RateBeer recognition, being named the world's best brewery.

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• 2018Hill Farmstead receives repeated RateBeer world-best recognition

  RateBeer again named Hill Farmstead the world's best brewery.

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• 2017Hill Farmstead receives repeated RateBeer world-best recognition

  Hill Farmstead retained the top position in RateBeer's annual world brewery recognition.

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• 2016Hill Farmstead receives repeated RateBeer world-best recognition

  The brewery was selected as RateBeer's best brewery in the world for another year.

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• 2015Hill Farmstead receives repeated RateBeer world-best recognition

  RateBeer again ranked Hill Farmstead as the world's best brewery, reinforcing its reputation among beer enthusiasts.

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• 2014Hill Farmstead returns to the top of RateBeer's world brewery ranking

  The brewery was again named the world's best brewery by the RateBeer community.

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• 2013Hill Farmstead places second in RateBeer world brewery ranking

  Hill Farmstead finished second in RateBeer's world brewery ranking, remaining among the highest-rated breweries despite not taking the top position that year.

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• 2012Hill Farmstead named RateBeer Best Brewery in the World

  The RateBeer community selected Hill Farmstead as the world's best brewery, beginning a series of recurring top rankings.

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• 2011Hill Farmstead named RateBeer Best New Brewery in the World

  RateBeer recognized Hill Farmstead as the world's best new brewery, an early international accolade following its establishment in Vermont.

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1. Hill Farmstead Brewery
2. Hill Farmstead Brewery official website