The new BLISTER Craft Collective is our way to shine a light on some of our favorite people and companies in the broader craft world.
Here, you’ll find a collection of the best and most passionate artists, artisans, and innovators who don’t just care about the bottom line, they’re committed to keeping the bar high, while often trying to raise the bar, too.
They also support the independent work we do here at BLISTER, and are helping us launch new series, new events, new programs, new podcasts, and produce even more gear reviews.
So we hope you’ll support them — especially since they are among the very best at their respective crafts of making beer, coffee, art, whiskey, watches, wine, shoes, knives, tea, and more.
We look forward to introducing you to some of our favorite people and companies, and we suspect that many of them will become some of your favorites, too. This is just the beginning — stay tuned for lots more to come.
BLISTER Craft Collective Members:
Created on a dairy farm in Vermont during the winter of 1899, Bag Balm has stood the test of time and proven its utility — for 125 years and counting. Our reviewer and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, grew up about 35 minutes from Bag Balm’s headquarters in Lyndonville, Vermont (where Bag Balm is still being made today) and Bag Balm was a staple in her house growing up. Reviewer Kara Williard brought her green tin of Bag Balm with her on her ski trip to Antarctica. And Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, won’t go ski touring without first applying Bag Balm on the inside of his heels to prevent blisters from forming (which almost always otherwise do).
And now, with Bag Balm’s expanding line of products, the members of our Blister team each seem to have their own personal favorite Bag Balm product — or favorite / personal application of a product — all made with simple ingredients that provide relief for dry, cracked, and / or windburned skin, hands, lips, knees, feet, etc.
Check out all of Bag Balm’s offerings, and see which ones become your favorites.
We love great beer. We also love great N/A beer, for the many occasions where we don’t want (or can’t have) alcohol, but we do want the flavor of a great IPA, or gose, or porter, etc. Only problem is, truly great N/A beers are still quite rare. So we’ve been on a mission over the past several years to identify the best ones out there, and Bravus Brewing Company consistently produces some of our absolute favorite N/A styles. For the most discerning beer heads (and IPA fans), Bravus’ West Coast IPA is a must-try. For those who shy away from hops, then their Raspberry Gose is outstanding, and on the other end of the style spectrum, their coconut porter is also delicious.
Headquartered in Anaheim, CA, Bravus was the first N/A craft brewery started in North America. You know that not all beer is created equal, so check out Bravus if you want to try some of the best N/As we’ve ever had.
Brandon Capps, the founder and owner of New Image Brewing, is exceptionally passionate about the intricacies of brewing, growing a business, and doing things differently — as well as being a dedicated skier and mountain biker. New Image has made a name for themselves in the Front Range of Colorado and beyond because of their constant experimentation, innovation, and refusal to be satisfied with mediocrity.
Cork Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop is Vermont’s first — and only — natural wine shop and restaurant. Founders Danielle and Katie Nichols are wildly passionate about introducing people to the world of natural wine, and they’ve also managed to create one of the best restaurants in Stowe. We highly recommend swinging by for both the food and drink, and encourage you to sign up for CORK’s Wine Club, which includes wines that Katie personally selects and writes about.
Offset Bier has quickly established itself as the best brewery in Park City, and one of the very best in the state, making it a must-stop for any true beer aficionado who’s in the area. But Offset is also establishing itself as a community hub for skiers, runners, and bikers, which is as important to them as their commitment to brewing topshelf beer.