Vermont Brewery- once you have visited a brewery in the beautiful mountains of Vermont you cannot help but understand how this is where the concept of the small quintessential micro brewery began. Vermont has so many great small breweries with incredible varieties of different types of brews. Some places like Harpoon Brewery has been around for quite some time and has a good solid following, while other smaller breweries like the River Roost Brewery has just gooten its feet wet and is a no frills place…no cornhole, no munchies, no nonsense kinda’ place. You come for the beer because it’s that good. The following Breweries are within driving distance of our cabin in Townshend Vermont. It can be a great addition to any day drive to stop in and try some of the varieties that each brewery is making. Some of the breweries have pub fair available and others are pure breweries where you can get a tour and some free tastings. The following list is just a sample, but I tried to list them in an order where you could actually take a day and visit all of them with a big looped drive. Remember to bring along a designated driver.
HERMIT THRUSH BREWERY
A cool little Vermont brewery in the heart of Brattleboro. Friendship, big ideas, and just a pinch of brewing skills (okay, more like a barrelful) all lead to the sour-specific brainchild of Christophe Gagné and Avery Schwenk. Here at Hermit Thrush Brewery, we’re dedicated to concocting the best New American Sours we can dream up — and we aren’t afraid to go old-school with our style. We combine environmentally sustainable practices (like wood pellet boilers) with age-old brewing processes and a harvest of locally grown ingredients. The end result? A pucker-inducing punch to the tastebuds, and barely a dent on the planet.
29 High Street
Brattleboro, VT
www.hermitthrushbrewery.com
WHETSTONE STATION BREWERY
A Vermont brewery right on the beautiful Connecticut river. This is a riverside eatery featuring craft drafts, creative pub grub & year-round deck seating.
We brew small, experimental batches in our little brewery and lab. Our system is so small we can only make about 7 kegs of beer on each brewday. We serve just a few at a time and change them up about every few days or so. We challenge ourselves to “brew differently” balancing creativity and science to craft some unique and delicious offerings.
It’s got a nice atmosphere, with a nice dining space indoors and casual beer garden deck overlooking the Connecticut river out back. They also serve many dishes in cast iron for a special fun flair. The drink options are expansive and good, staff friendly and knowledgeable. The food is great – inspired by classic pub food with fun and creative touches. Everything we’ve ordered has been delicious. The menu is well labeled for gluten free options, and the staff is well trained on that, too. Definitely worth popping in for lunch or dinner for good, casual but nice food that doesn’t cost a fortune in a nice setting. It’s often packed, so expect to wait, but it’s worth it.
6 Bridge St, Brattleboro, VT 05301
www.whetstonestation.com
J’VILLE BREWERY
Since this Vermont brewery is connected with a vineyard, it is a particularly beautiful spot. In 2012, the CEO of Honora Winery, Patty, approached Janice about potentially starting a brewery. They dreamed about how a brewery would run and what beers they would brew. In 2015 that dream became a reality! Janice has taken courses through the Siebel Institute, done some home brewing and had some hands on experience. the license for J’ville Brewery came through on March 17th 2015 and they got right to recipe development and brewing! J’ville specializes mainly in ales, with some experimental brews along the way. The tasting room has 16 oz cans, 32 oz crowlers and 32 oz growlers for purchase to date. There are 4 taps that rotate through the different types of beer, including some seasonal and limited brews.
201 Vermont Route 112
Jacksonville, VT 05342
Tel: (802) 368-2226
http://www.jvillebrewery.com/
ELM CITY BREWING COMPANY
This “Vermont” brewery is actually just across the boarder in Keene, NH, but we will not hold that against them. Keene is a great little town to visit. Elm City Brewing Company is a full-service restaurant and brewery open 7 days a week. With over 20 years dedicated to brewing beer, we believe that we have perfected the art of great beer and flavorful food.
Our Beer
Throughout our 20 years of operation, we have brewed many different types of beers. We are always adding and experimenting with our beers to make sure that we can deliver the best product to our customers. Here is a list of some of our favorite and frequently brewed beers. Our current selection is constantly changing, so make sure to check the page or stop in to see what we have new on tap at Elm City! You might just find your new favorite.
Fresh Food
At our core, we believe in serving fresh, homemade, flavorful food at all times. Fresh food is fundamental to our success and we believe that good food comes from good ingredients. We are proud to serve you food made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever we can. Our soups, breads, sauces, salad dressings, and desserts are made fresh daily.
Recycling, Composting and Repurposing
Elm City Brewing Company proudly recycles and composts all of our prep food waste. Spent grains from the brewing process are picked up by Manning Hill Farm who uses them to help feed their livestock. We then buy their yummy milk that is packaged in reusable glass containers! Our empty grain sacks are given to Stonewall Farm which they use to package their compost. All of our to-go containers are biodegradable and we do not use plastic bags. Our drinking water is filtered and we do not sell bottled water. We are conscious about limiting packaging and shipping distances in the products we buy. We care about the environment and believe that making even the smallest changes can help make a difference.
Shopping Local
Our fresh, handmade food wouldn’t be the same without the help of local farmers supplying us with delicious, fresh ingredients. Whenever we can, we try to shop locally. If we can’t find what we need in the Monadnock Region, we will find the next closest alternative.
222 West St at the Colony Mill Marketplace
Keene, NH
http://www.elmcitybrewing.com/
BELGIAN MARE BREWERY
Another “Vermont” brewery in NH. It was just too close to pass it by. The Belgian Mare Brewery in Alstead, NH has carved a rugged niche into the craft brew scene. Living on a historical farm in Cheshire county of southwest NH, Tim Roettiger uses a wood fired oven to cook his brews “the old fashion way.”
He has been perfecting his recipes for almost a decade in preparation to launching his 3 barrel brewery. Distribution is only in 22 oz. bottles — you will find both year-round and seasonal offerings from this great brewery.
The other unique part of the brewery is its off-grid aspect. “This building has no power to it,” says Roettiger. “The only automated part is this little chugger pump.” The three-barrel system features four repurposed tanks that serve as a boiler, a mash tun and two fermenters. The boiler is heated by burning wood inside an oven built to house the boiler. As you might suspect, using wood as your main source of heat can sometimes be difficult to manage. Recently his regular supplier stopped selling cheap slabs and now he pays top dollar for scraps and bundles of cordwood. “That’s been the biggest shock this spring – my fuel cost quadrupled.” he says.
207 Gilsum Mine Road
Alstead, NH
http://www.belgianmarebrewery.com
TROUT RIVER BREWING CO.
Looking for a Vermont brewery with pizza and beer? In the fall of 2014, Dan decided to step down as owner of Trout River Brewing Company. Kelen Beardsley, Gabriel Streeter, and Trevor Billings, three friends from the town of Springfield, Vermont, purchased the brewery. The three new owners are incorporated under Vermont Beer Shapers, LTD., honoring the heritage of the building that they moved the brewery to, the Fellows Gear Shaper building, located in the heart of Springfield, VT. Trout River Brewing Company began brewing beer in their new location in March of 2016. The goal of Vermont Beer Shapers, under the DBA of Trout River Brewing Company, was to reinvent the brand that Dan spent 18 years building, while still keeping the small craft brews that people loved.
Although there isn’t really a good tasting area, they are open for pizza on the weekends. They have a wide variety of different pre-selected combinations of toppings.
100 River St
Springfield, VT 05156
http://www.troutriverbrewing.com/
HARPOON BREWERY
This Vermont brewery is quite established. Cap off your trip by taking a guided tour of the brewery on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday! Learn all about Harpoon and get an up close and personal view of the brewing process. After the tour, all visitors over 21 years of age will enjoy a range of freshly-brewed Harpoon beers. You must be 21 years or older with proper ID to sample. Tours cost $5 and include a tasting (for visitors who are 21+). Tours last about 30 minutes.
TOUR SCHEDULE
Friday: 5 – 7 pm
Saturday: 11 am – 5 pm
Sunday: 12 – 4 pm
If you are visiting during non-tour times we offer a Production Viewing Area where you can check out the Brewhouse “up close” and learn all about Harpoon. Feel free to request a free sample from our sampling area.
336 Ruth Carney Drive
Windsor, VT 05089
www.harpoonbrewery.com
RIVER ROOST BREWERY
The owner of this Vermont brewery gets back to the basics and brews and pours this craft beer – a labor of love. It’s a no frills place…no cornhole, no munchies, no nonsense kinda’ place. You come for the beer because it’s that good.
Excellent up and coming brewery.
230 S Main St.
White River Junction, VT 05001
RETAIL HOURS:
Thursday: Noon-6pm
Friday: Noon-8pm
Saturday: Noon-6pm
Sunday: Noon-6pm
http://www.riverroostbrewery.com/
LONG TRAIL BREWING COMPANY
Long Trail Brewing Company is another Vermont brewery that has a name that everyone knows. Founded in 1989 by Andy Pherson in the basement of the Bridgewater Woolen Mill, the company relocated to its current brewing facility and visitor center in 1995.[1] Originally known as Mountain Brewers, the company changed its name to Long Trail Brewing Company shortly after their relocation to Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.[1] In 2006, Long Trail was acquired by its present owner, Fulham and Co., a Massachusetts-based private equity firm. Located on the banks of the Ottaquechee River in the heart of the Green Mountains, the Long Trail campus includes its brewing operations, visitor center, farmhouse pilot brewery and wastewater treatment facility.
Our spacious riverside pub & restaurant was inspired by the Hofbräu House in Munich, Germany. It is a magnificent place where the beer is plentiful and the atmosphere is a unique blend of industrial design and down-home comfort. We’ve sourced local Vermont ingredients to offer you a seasonal menu that complements our award-winning, handcrafted beer.
HOURS
SUNDAY- THURSDAY// 10AM – 6PM
FRIDAY- SATURDAY// 10AM – 7PM
5520 US Rte. 4
Bridgewater Corners, VT 05035
http://longtrail.com/
KILLINGTON BEER COMPANY
Killington Beer Company is located at 53 Woods Road, at the Spa building in the Woods Resort, Killington, Vermont. The facility opened for production in January of 2018. The brewery features a 4 barrel system which is capable of producing 125 gallons (about 55 cases) per brew. Beers are packaged in keg, cans, 22 ounce and special release bottle formats for distribution throughout the greater Killington area.
The brewery holds regular live music events and seminars. We are family friendly with food, soft drinks, and a spacious game room for our younger generation to enjoy!
Tours are available on Saturdays at 2:00 PM, first come, first served.
53 Woods Road
Killington, VT 05751
http://www.killingtonbeer.com/
HOP’N MOOSE
Chill, seat-yourself Vermont brewery with original, wood-fired pizza & many house beers, plus live music & TVs. Locally sourced food paired with hand crafted ales and lagers
Great microbrewery and restaurant.
Their skillet brownie sundae-takes about 15 minutes to make but worth the wait. Brownie dough cooked in a pan, topped with ice cream, whipped cream, hot chocolate sauce and a cherry. It was delicious!
You can also get cookie dough cooked in a skillet!
41 Center Street,
Rutland, VT 05701
https://hopnmoose.wixsite.com
VERMONT TAP HOUSE
The Vermont Tap House celebrates local farmers and brewers, with 30 regional brews on tap, and a menu featuring wood-fired pizzas, small plates, salads and sandwiches–made with the freshest ingredients available.
22 Merchants Row
Williston, Vermont, 05495
(802) 879-7060
http://www.vermonttaphouse.com/
Thinking of booking a vacation? We invite you to check our rustic log cabin for your perfect stay. Moose Pond cabin sleeps 8 and is just about 20 miles away from Brattleboro and also about 25 miles from several ski resorts.
www.moosepondcabin.com
Located in picturesque Grafton, Vermont, Grafton Trails & Outdoor Center is a perfect vacation destination in all seasons. Delight in skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, fat biking, and sleigh rides in the winter, or visit in the summer for mountain biking, swimming, hiking, and canoeing. At Grafton Trails & Outdoor Center, you’ll find activities, recreation, and events sure to entertain the entire family.
