For Frost Beer Works, brewing the perfect IPA comes down to more than just exotic aromas and an ideal balance of hoppy and juicy flavors. It’s about ensuring a repeatable taste that customers can experience every time they crack open a can or take their first sip from a draft.

Founded in early 2015, Frost Beer Works of Hinesburg, VT, has taken its production from around 350 barrels a year to over 7,000, or more than 1,750 pints annually. We talked with Garin Frost, owner and founder of the brewery, and take a look at their history, their obsession with consistency, and how investments in brewing technology have allowed them to produce their revered beer on such a large scale.

 FROM HOME BREWERY TO PRODUCTION POWERHOUSE

Garin fell in love with brewing years before opening the business’s doors. While he enjoyed the creative side of the process, it was the technical aspects —the chemistry, experimentation, and instrumentation—that really drew him in. Garin quickly found that home brewing had serious limitations.

 “I was always sort of jealous of the folks who could do it in a commercial environment,” he says. Garin grew his operation, eventually creating a mini-commercial setup right in his home. His passion didn’t stop there either. In 2014, he expanded into a commercial building that he owned from a previous business. He coordinated a deal with his current tenants and sublet a 1,000-square-foot section of the property for himself and his brewing equipment.

Today, Frost Beer Works is still in the same location, but now, they occupy the entire building, around 8,000 square feet.

HIGH-TECH BREWING

Garin’s fascination with the science of craft beer production has been a primary driver of the brewery’s success. The facility is more akin to a laboratory than a brewhouse, complete with hemocytometers, in-line yeast cell counters, and dissolved oxygen meters. This allows them to achieve extreme precision, such as injecting a specific amount of yeast cells into the wort, commonly in the millions, billions, or trillions. And by specific, we mean specific. “Out to three digits,” Garin says. He describes how even the smallest introduction of oxygen, down to the parts-per billion level, can ruin a beer: “It might not impact it immediately, but it might impact its shelf life to the degree that it could be pretty bad within a couple of weeks, or it could be just terrible within a month.” He comments on how the brewery’s success is measured by its ability to create high-quality, stable products, not just its financials. 

 One of the most remarkable elements of Frost Beer Works’ facility is its custom, in-house software, which monitors every element of the brewing process in real time. Every measurement that’s being taken during fermentation and canning can be seen by their small team anywhere, at any time. “It’s very uncommon for a facility of our size to have that level of visibility into what’s going on,” Garin says. This data-driven approach to production sets them apart from other local craft brewers.

EVERY CUSTOMER IS ROYALTY

One would think that, at just shy of 2 million pints a year, the brewery has some serious marketing going on. But in true Vermont fashion, Frost Beer Works has zero salespeople. In a state without a single billboard, they fit right in. They are one of the only craft breweries of their size to have expanded solely from the admiration of their beverages. Not a single salesperson has worked for them in their 11 years of business. For the first few years of their journey, the brewery even handled its own distribution. This has resulted in a deep dedication to the customer experience. To Garin, the customer’s appreciation for the product is more important than the sale.

 A SMALL BREWERY WITH A BIG PRESENCE

Frost Beer Works’ production processes are neck and neck with larger beer producers, but their commitment to their craft is something that you can only find with a small, local Vermont brewery. You won’t find inconsistency from one can of Lush to another; you’ll always get the same aromatic, juicy enjoyment, which can only be achieved by adhering to rigorous quality standards. Today, their iconic beer line is widely available in nearly every gas station, grocery store, nook, and cranny of Vermont, plus 10 other states. Track down their products with the “Find Our Beer” map on their website or stop by their brewery in Hinesburg to get a taste of the magic (and science).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FROST BEER WORKS

FROST BEER WORKS

171 Commerce Street

Hinesburg, VT

802 482-2999

www.frostbeerworks.com