Rather than resuscitating the old thread about visiting Bratt, figured I’d start a new thread about this old brewery/pub. For those of you new to the New England beer scene , McNeill’s used to be one of THE premier beer destinations in New England. For skiers & hikers in southern VT it was always a must-stop. They even bottled & distro’d to Boston in their hey-day. I only visited once in the early ‘00’s & my visit seemed to be similar to others’: an eclectic place with strange patrons & servers (with the brewer/owner Ray being a key attraction) - but most of all great beer for the era. To show how times have changed, his ESB was a top draw. I’d heard third-hand info that Ray had many struggles in his personal life through the years. I’d forgotten about the place frankly & thought it had closed, but apparently it’s still chugging along. Just curious if anyone’s been there recently & can report on the current state of affairs there? I’ll be driving through Brat in a few weeks, just wondering if it’s worth it to stay the night & pay a visit (aside from pure nostalgia from someone who visited many years ago)?
I haven't been in 5 or 6 years, but used to be a highlight of my visits to the area. I have very fond memories there as well--I almost always went in the winter, so I remember it being eclectic and a cozy, dimly lit respite from the cold. I also seem to remember that the serving side of the bar was lower than the patron side, making the servers seem very short, which was always an odd dynamic. And the old Catamount tap on the bar. I was a big fan of the ESB especially, and remember it being good when I was last in, but again that was several years ago now. I honestly don't remember much else about the beer from my last visit, but I'd certainly stop by for a pint to check it out, if not necessarily spend the night.
I was in Zwanze day in Rome back in 2012 and happened to make friends with an American there because I was by myself. We were talking outside the bar when an older British guy came up to us and started chatting because we spoke English. He asked where we were from and I said Portsmouth, NH and he went on and on about how he comes down regularly to go to Portsmouth brewery and McNeil’s and back in the day, catamount and pennechuck. He used to put on an English beer competition in the area I guess. It was real cool to hear him mention those breweries because, even the ones that remain, don’t get talked about much anymore unfortunately. Thanks for bringing up McNiels! I miss seeing their bottles around.
I have been within the past year or so. I don't think it has changed much. Some people will probably love it and some may not like anything about it. I have enjoyed each of my visits (going back a long time). I think Ebenezer's is similar. Once thought of as a mecca and now doesn't fit with the current scene as much. If someone is looking for only IPA's or brews that push the limits of style (BA Pastry Etc.) that is not what they are going to find at either of these places. Novare Res also seems to get mixed reviews which I don't understand.
i was there this weekend, i been wanting to check out McNeills since they opened up all those years ago and i finally made it Friday night. Seems like a cool place, old and thrown together, clientele was a microcosm of Brattleboro i guess. All we had was the two cask ales, which were good. We did stop at Whetstone Sunday AM, pretty cool place right on the water. At the downstairs bar they had 3 of there beers on tap and a bunch of guest beers. There is an upstairs beer garden. Parking is tight, we went to the Co-op up the street and left the car there and walked two minutes to the bar. Definitely would hang in both places again
Agreed, used to go up there a lot back in the day as his beers on draft were so much better than any bottle we got in MA. Very odd place, even then, but Dead Horse IPA was one of my all time favorites. Redbones used to have it on tap quite a bit as well. Haven't been there in years though, but fighting a VT speeding ticket in Brattleboro next month, so I'll definitely stop in.
Can't say anything about the brewpub itself, but I first recall hearing about Ray in a long ago Yankee Brew News article, and he came across as the most pompous ass imaginable (until The Donald)... next was at a BA fest at the Cyclorama, where I was volunteering. ... was halftime and I approached him to try a bier of his. He glanced at me for a 1/2 second and continued to chat with one of his minions, ignoring me the rest of the time .... oh well...
Agree he could be a dink @ a fest, I saw that too. But at his home brewery Ray would break out a cello & start playing, or bring out some sweaters he knitted. Interesting guy for sure. To Dave: Prosit!!
I always try to hit McNeill's whenever I'm in Brattleboro. On muggy days though it can be pretty intolerable inside the place.
do they still have the ring game in the back? last couple times i went they had what seemed to be tap line issues after the remodel, should stop back again but never think to for whatever reason.
Only been once. Beer seemed to have quite a few issues. One of their cask offerings tasted sour. Everythng else felt amateur home brew status. Nothing crisp or flavorful (the good type of flavor. Some had their issues for sure).. I sampled everything and went with a pint of their stout/porter. Roasted malts hide a lot of faults. bartender and the space was cool as hell. I sort of wish they could just turn that into a tap house for area breweries. Old stale tap line status all around I thought this thread was a joke for a minute Like literally, the most memorable and WORST beer I have ever tried. Visited summer '17. Felt like they may have been significant in 2008 when the craft beer wave started. But that's where the comparisons stopped. Literally felt like I was back in 2006 trying a new brewers new brews. UT scores sort of spot a downward trend.But no one wants to be candid. The space has the feel of a dive bar, and sadly, the beer matches. Most new age dive bars have macro and import kegs. This felt like I was stuck before I was even legal to drink.
I visit Brattleboro every couple of years and absolutely love McNeill’s, but I'm not going to fault others who say they don't like it. They're right, the beer can be spotty and it's like stepping back in time 10 or 15 years to the times when you really had to search to find good beer. It's not for everyone and it's not perfect. I've had many excellent beers there, but I've also had a more than a couple of infected pints -- just awful. I overlook it because the good far outweighs the bad. To me, McNeill’s has a wonderful pub atmosphere with full-on kooky Vermont charm. Local weirdos galore, friendly conversation, funky decor, questionable sanitary practices -- everything you'd expect from a hippie mecca. I'll be more than a bit heartbroken if it closes, because there's nothing in the area that matches it for charm and atmosphere. Whetstone Station may have Hill Farmstead and a great view of the river, but the food is awful and the atmosphere sterile. If I'm looking to enjoy a couple of pints after a hike through the surrounding hills, it'll be at McNeill's every time.
Went once about 1.5 years ago in my quest to get to every brewery in VT. I was pretty sketched out by the place. It is a dive in the true sense of the word. The beer was pretty blah and they charged like $2 for a literal shot of beer. They seemed annoyed that I was even there. If they had been more welcoming and polite, I would have spent more while I was there. I would never go back.
