• Courtesy
• Monarch & the Milkweed to-go cocktails

Better late than never, Burlington's Monarch & the Milkweed jumps on the to-go cocktails bandwagon this week. Chef-owner Andrew LeStourgeon will also add some new food options to meet the requirement for such sales, though his fabled chicken and waffles is not among them.

The bottled, single-serving, garnished drinks cost $10 to $12.50. Classics such as a boulevardier join house creations like the Kettlebell, featuring Barr Hill Gin, amaro and Luxardo Maraschino Originale.

Since Monarch reopened last September after an almost 18-month closure, its food menu has been American Flatbread Burlington Hearth pizza and salad. "Everyone wants us to do food again," LeStourgeon said.

Jokingly described by LeStourgeon as adult "Lunchables," the offerings ($15 to $60) will feature combinations of cheeses, cured meats, and housemade creations such as chicken liver pâté, maple-sea salt crackers and chocolate pudding. "They're what people want and reach for when they're drinking cocktails," he said.

The new spreads will also be available for on-site consumption, along with pizzas. For now, to-go orders must be placed in person, with online ordering to come.

— M.P.

• Courtesy Of Clara Walsh
• The women of Three Penny Taproom

Move over, plaid-clad bros; March is for the ladies at Montpelier's Three Penny Taproom. This Women's History Month, the craft beer destination is celebrating women-owned and -operated breweries.

During Lady Brew, Three Penny will feature pours or cans from four breweries with "a strong female presence," marketing and events coordinator Clara Walsh said: North Hero's Kraemer & Kin, Stowe's the Alchemist, Bristol's Hogback Mountain Brewing and Austin Street Brewery in Portland, Maine. Only the Alchemist has previously been on tap at Three Penny.

Lady Brew will also spotlight women brewers' stories in the bar and online. When the kegs kick, Three Penny will donate 5 percent of each beer's sales to a charity of the brewery's choosing.

"The beer industry is still a boys' club," Walsh said. "I want to change the public's perception of what it means to brew beer in Vermont, in New England. It's not all men with beards and flannel shirts."

— J.B.