Robert Jr. also works with his family as a professor of Business Planning and Marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology. He notes that, even though he initially advised against starting the brewery, his parents nonetheless helped to come up with a 45-page business plan and never looked back. “They were persistent with the idea,” he says. The ensuing success of the winery is due to hard work, dedication, and quality, Robert, Jr. notes. “We select the finest ingredients and operate with diligent brewing techniques and excruciating attention to detail,” he says.

With a motto of “Do it the hard way,” no shortcuts are taken in making the beer that bears the family name. “We brew in small batches in our 15-barrel brewery, and we’re always experimenting with new recipes,” says Robert Jr.

Some of the beers available include:

Prospect (Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with a special blend of malt, barley, and oats and packed with aromas of pineapple and lychee)

Pieces of Eight (Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with eight different hops)

Fair Maiden (Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with seven hop varieties with aromas of stone fruit, passionfruit, and tangerine)

Skeleton Crew (Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with a citrus flavor, solid malt backbone, and a resiny, lingering finish)

Big Bang (India Pale Ale brewed with citrus and galaxy then dry hopped with citrus, mosaic, armarillo, and Simcoe; aromas are a melody of grapefruit, passionfruit, papaya, lychee, and melon)

Citrennial (New England IPA with notes of citrus and mango; medium-bodied IPA that is becoming a class Vermont brew)

Tipping Point (India Pale Ale with notes of tropical fruits)

Mutiny (an unfiltered IPA brewed with El Dorado, Equinox, Armarillo, and Simcoe) Grump Wench (an IPA with fruit forward and a clean, smooth finish)

Session IPA (bright and refreshing single IPA full of citrus and pine aromas)

Galaxy (juicy IPA brewed exclusively with galaxy hops; aroma of fresh citrus and stone fruit; full-bodied)

Citra (single-hop IPA brewed exclusively with citrus hops; aroma of fresh grapefruit, lime, and gooseberry, hazy and medium bodied)

There are a myriad of Captain Series single IPAs as well as dark beers and specialty beers.

The success of Foley Brothers Brewing is seen in a second outlet in Quechee, Vermont. According to Robert Sr., that accomplishment is due to the product itself. “We have a strong brand, and having presence in the eastern part of Vermont helps us sustain our business in a very crowded craft industry,” he says.

Foley Brothers Brewing is located at 79 Stone Mill Dam Road in Brandon, Vermont, (802) 465-8413, and 20 Quechee Gorge Village Drive in Quechee, Vermont, (802) 281-6769. Current hours in Brandon are Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 5 pm and Thursday to Sunday 12 to 6 pm in Quechee. For more information, click here.