It was a year ago that the rains of Hurricane Irene began and didn't stop. The roads and homes of Vermont were pounded and flooded and just plain wrecked. The people weren't.

After the storm, Bobcat Cafe and Brewery brewed their special Flood Suds Belgian-style Wit. It's Belgian-style, not Belgian, because everything in it is from Vermont!  The ingredients are listed on the bottle. Take that, Irene!

This is more than symbolic. Vermont needed lots of dollars to repair the damage wrought by Irene. Dollars spent locally strengthen the whole community, circulating from pocket to pocket until they leave to fatten some far-off corporation's bottom line.  The dollars that might have been spent on Belgian malt or noble hops from Europe went to local farmers, who spent it repairing their own properties.

Beyond that, Bobcat brewed a heck of a Wit. It's delicious. I gave it 5 stars on Untappd, and I don't do that often. We had it with a broiled haddock and greens (reds?) from the Heaven's Harvest Farm CSA and my favorite Greek salad. The beer was a perfect match for the summer fare!