After touring the US as a singing family trope, Maria and Captain von Trapp decided to settle in Stowe, Vermont. In the 1940’s, they found a great deal on an idyllic farm with sweeping views atop the rolling green hills. They raised livestock, grew produce, and began welcoming guests into their 27-bedroom home in the summer of 1950. In 1980, the lodge suffered a tragic fire, from which the original building could not recover. A stunning new 96-room alpine lodge was built in its place, with a luxurious spa and gym, gardens, farmland, and world-class recreational facilities on the 2,600 acre property, including the United States’ first cross-country ski center.

In a sea of Vermont craft IPAs, Johannes von Trapp found himself craving the light, refreshing brews he enjoyed while visiting the European countryside — beers “you can have at lunch but won’t need a nap after.” So, in 2010, Johannes, the youngest child of Maria and Captain von Trapp, brought his dream to fruition, gathered a group of the finest local brewers, and began von Trapp Brewing in the basement of the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort bakery, the Kaffeehaus. Since then, the brewery has grown immensely, moving into a state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot brewery featuring a Rolec Brew House with the capacity to brew up to 36,000 barrels of beer annually.