I'm staying at Branbury State Park for a week with the family starting on Saturday. I have a good lay of the land for bottle shops, restaurants, breweries, etc for northern and southern VT but not the middle. I plan to hit River Roost on the drive up and Foley Bros one day as well. Anything else in the region with a good taplist? Is Drop In decent? I also may have to hit Whistle Pig for a dram given the convenience.
They have a great tap list at Big Fatty's in the same parking lot as River Roost. Will have a few Hill Farmstead brews. They have a crowler/beer shop attached too (get SoS, etc.). The Coop in town gets SoS cans too.
Drop In is great if you like more traditional European styles, grab a couple growlers for the week. Visit OCB too if you've never been. As far as bottle shops go, the shop in Leicester has a good selection, as well as the Middlebury bevie. Check dates though if you go to either place, they don't move through craft very quick. Freshest stuff will be in natural stores like the Middlebury Coop (stop into the bagel bakery next door, best bagels in VT). Unfortunately the area is kinda sparse as far as great taplists are concerned. It's generally BMC, OCB, Long Trail, Drop In, etc... You won't find HF, Heady, etc unless you are willing to travel further. Whistle Pig is beautiful and worth checking out. But speaking of liquor, check out Stonecutter Spirits in Midd, they make some great gin and whiskey.
Hired Hand in Vergennes. Bit of a drive, but their food is excellent as well and talk about a scenic cruise the back way from Middlebury. If you're into coffee Vergennes Laundry has some of the best in the State as well.
Grew up in that neck of the woods and spent my summers just around the corner from Branbury on Lake Dunmore. All suggestions are great. Foley Brothers is an awesome incredibly laid back spot. Make sure to look for Upper Pass beers when you're in the area. First Drop might be my favorite Pale Ales brewed in VT. There isn't a whole lot as far as decent tap rooms or awesome bottle shops. A drive up to Fiddlehead wouldn't be a complete waste of time, its not too far. Otter Creek is a short drive away. Never been to the Bobcat Cafe in Bristol but people I know really like it. Cafe Provence in Brandon is your loca spot for a great meal. They have a decent bar downstairs that usually has a good selection of beers. If you want to know anything else about the area shoot me a PM. There are some awesome hikes right across the street from Banbury.
I was just in the area this past weekend... Foley's was amazing. They also do wine tastings there. Also stopped in to the Woodchuck Cider place in Middlebury and was blown away how good some of the ciders are (Woodchuck is apparently just one of the brand names under the Vermont Hard Cider Co.). If you're into ciders the samplers are cheap and they pour pints as well. Really glad we stopped. Appalachian Gap distillery is close to Stonecutters, Woodchuck, and Otter Creek, too, with the Whistle Pig "tasting room" down the road in some Pewter gift shop.
I also grew up around that area, really couldn't ask for a better place to grow up in IMO. BTW OP, check out Paddler's Pub at Waterhouses across the lake. It's a fun little pub with some good pub food and great atmosphere.
Being that I live in Middlebury 15 mins from there, I can assure you you've gotten great suggestions. Eat at Bobcat for sure. Stop off at OCB and Foley. Burlington is a straight shot up about an hour from you where you will find tons (Foam brewers is a must). Also, while you're at Branbury, you have to check out the Falls of Lana. Short but amazing hike 5 mins from you.
