I remember the first time I visited Whetstone Station, a craft beer destination with a killer rooftop bier garten in Southern Vermont. Brattleboro to be exact. We were picking up a friend from the airport in Boston and decided to make a craft beer adventure out of it. Nick and I left Vermont in the wee hours of the morning, picked our friend Heath up at the Boston airport by ten, and made it to Trillium Brewing in Canton to get in line by 11. We continued with a visit to Tree House Brewing before deciding we needed to find some sustenance to sustain our travels back north in Vermont. Whetstone Station was in its infancy then, having just opened in the spring of 2012.

Quickly after we arrived in Brattleboro, I knew Whetstone Station would become a go-to craft beer destination of mine, for the gorgeous views of the Connecticut River, their rooftop bier garten, and their whimsical, playful menu items that offers some of the best brewpub fare in the Green Mountain State. One of the coolest things about Whetstone is that it’s the only place I know where you can enjoy a beer in two states at once. The official Vermont / New Hampshire USGS State geographic boundary runs right through the restaurant!

During that initial visit to Whetstone Station, I enjoyed their Tim’s Awesome Burger, complete with Vermont cheddar cheese, red onion, tomato, maple smoked bacon, and PEANUT BUTTER – yes, peanut butter. It remains one of the most memorable burgers I’ve eaten in my Vermont travels. And I eat burgers a lot! Aside from the views, the diverse beer offerings, the fire-lit dining room and the extensive, wallet-friendly menu, Whetstone Station always simply makes me happy when I stop for a visit. It’s one of those places that feels good.

The staff is friendly. The whimsical signs throughout the spaces (check out the bathrooms!) always give me a good chuckle. And the rustic-modern, Vermonty interior is warm and welcoming. It’s somewhere I can easily spend hours with friends – no stress and nowhere I’d rather be. I also love that the owners are constantly innovating. From a new brewery space this spring to a food truck for catering, the Vermont waterfront restaurant and brewery is consistently adding more offerings to the community it serves.

A Brewpub + Brewhouse in Brattleboro, Vermont

Compared to other brewpubs in Vermont, Whetstone Station strives to offer low ABV styles (i.e., session beers). With that said, the brewpubs offers 28 draft lines and 60+ beers in cans and bottles. The location also has an experimental 3.5BBL nano-brewery where they produce just seven kegs of beer at a time. Despite their small size, they brewed over 400 barrels of beer last year, hitting their capacity for their onsite brewing space. Whetstone recently opened a larger 15-barrel brewery just down the street to allow them to produce more of their own beers with more consistency. Their own secondary brew space also options up the option for limited can or draft beer distribution.

Whetstone Station’s Mug Club

Whetstone Station is one of few Vermont locations to offer a mug club that promotes trying a variety of craft beer offerings from their draft list. The Brattleboro brewpub currently has nearly 400 people who have completed the mug club challenge of trying at least 99 different beers in a calendar year. If you do the math, that’s two new beers per week in 10 different style categories. The result? You earn your mug, and “all of the fun benefits and good vibes that come with it,” according to Tim Brady, one of Whetstone Station’s owners and founders.

Along with your own personalized 22-ounce mug, those who complete the challenge also receive:

• Discounts on food purchases
• A free dinner for free on the anniversary of your challenge
• Invitations to member-only events
• First tastes of new brews
• Priority reservations
• Unlimited free soda, bragging rights, and hugs from the owners

Mug clubbers are allowed to do a new challenge every calendar year. In fact, more than 100 people have done the challenge more than once. Some members have even done the challenge every year since Whetstone opened its doors in 2012. Anyone can participate and there’s no cost to join… Read the full rules for the club here and remember to drink responsibly!

Brattleboro’s Own Rooftop Bier Garten

The views from Whetstone Stations’ rooftop bier garten are unparalleled. When I think of brewpubs and breweries in Vermont with the best views, Whetstone Station is at the top. And especially during the summer. The rooftop space is open seasonally from April through October and has a variety of seating options and a bar.

The menu is also different from the main restaurant, featuring smaller plates (snack mix, salted peanuts, pickles, pub pretzels) and gourmet hot dogs. For a larger meal, they offer a Lobster Role, Buffalo and Mediterranean Chicken Wraps, Beer-Braised Brisket Sandwich, among other sandwiches, and a variety of eight-inch flatbreads. Only on Wednesdays, a classic triple-blend burger is available in the bier garten.

If the views, rooftop bar, and gourmet dogs aren’t enough, the rooftop bier garten also featured live music every Thursday at 8PM and every Sunday at 5PM.

Diverse Food Offerings at Whetstone Station

One of the things I love most about Whestone Station is their massive menu. The top three best selling dishes on the menu including their Station Fries (hand-cut fries with chive oil, Parmesan cheese, and fresh chives), Burgers, all made with their eight-ounce triple blend burger patty, and Steak Tips, which are marinated in their chef’s grandmother’s secret recipe of spices for 48-hours. The menu starts with Selfies and Sharezies – appetizers for your self or to share, including the Ultimate Wing Man, a huge pretzel stuffed with six Buffalo wings, then topped with shredded cheddar and warmed in the oven. Of course it’s served with blue cheese and beer cheese dipping sauces (to die for)!. The Korean BBQ and Peach Bourbon Wings are other favorites, along with the Pierogis, served with maple-bacon-chive sour cream.

Their menu also boasts a variety of soups and salads, including Brewhouse Chili and Cheddar Ale, sandwiches and wraps, and an extensive burger menu, available with a custom triple blend beer burger, classic double smash burger, chicken breast or a veggie smash. Check out their full drool-worthy menu here.

Also, as a condiment lover, I love that Whetstone Station makes all of their own, including Black Pepper Aioli, Smoked Moody Blue, Chipotle Ranch Aioli, Stout Mustard, Korean BBQ, Hop Mayo, Beer-B-Que and more.

Tap That Beer Dinners at Whetstone Station

In addition to their menu offering, Whetstone Station also hosts two “Tap That” beer dinners and food-and-beer tasting events throughout the year. Just this May, they also started a new beer dinner series called “The Gauntlet”. There are nine food items each offered with a paired beer from the brewery partner. You can order any part individually and/or pick and choose the items you’d like to try. Or, you can choose to “Run the Gauntlet” and enjoy one of every pairing on the menu for a fixed-price. Whetstone Station came up with this idea for folks who want a more casual beer-and-food pairing without having to commit to a high-priced, five-course meal.

5 Questions with Whetstone Station – Co-Founder and Co-Owner Tim Brady

How does being in Vermont and part of the Vermont craft beer scene influence your brand and offerings?

Vermont is one of (if not the) best craft beer state in the US.  We have long standing friendships with many of the amazing craft brewers in Vermont and are proud to showcase their offerings, alongside of our own, in our beautiful setting.

What role does Whetstone Station play in the local community for locals and travelers alike? What makes you one of the best beer destinations in Southern Vermont?

Our location and views with our house brewed craft beers and our extensive list of guest craft beers featuring local and regional favorites alongside of many exclusive and rare offerings.  Pair all of that with our full menu of locally focused dishes from traditional pub fare to creative inspired specials.

If someone was coming in Whetstone to try one beer and one dish from your menu, what would you say they have to try?

We’d have to suggest the Whetstoner Session IPA, a flavorful, New England style IPA but at just 4.5% abv, the kind of beer you can comfortably enjoy more than one of. For food, I would say our Tim’s Awesome Burger. It’s our signature beef patty blend (locally raised) topped with red onion, maple glazed bacon and peanut butter. The combination of sweet and savory really makes it something memorable and delicious.

If you had to put together the most epic flight of four beers someone you sample at Whetstone, what would be included?

Right now I would do:

Whetstoner (our session IPA)
Big ’Stoner (our double IPA version)
Foley Brothers Double Maple Brown
A La Fut Rouge de Mekinac

What’s next for Whetstone Station?

In our seventh year, we never stop trying new things. Two years ago, we opened Kampfires Campground to offer a lodging option for our guests (including both camping and an Inn). Last year we launched ‘The Rollin’ ’Stone food truck! This summer we launch our new 1,000 person amphitheater with a music and event series, the new brewery location and if all goes well, a fun surprise addition to our famous bier garten…

Tips for Visiting Whetstone Station Like a Local

• The restaurant and brewery is open year round from 11:30am to 10:00pm Monday through Wednesday. From Thursday to Sunday, the brewpub is open from 11:30am to 11:00pm. The rooftop bier garten is open when Vermont weather accommodates it, from April through October.
• Making Whetstone Station a travel destination? The restaurant outlines some camping and lodging options locally here, including the Latchis Hotel, Inn on Putney Road, The Inn at Kampsires and Kampfires Campground, all in close proximity to Whetstone Station.
• The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but you can call ahead on your way over and be added to the waitlist. You can also see the current wait time and get on their list online here too!
• Interested in touring the brewery? Currently you can do so by appointment only. Contact the brewery to setup a time to tour their beer-making facility.
• One of the unique things about Whetstone Station is their cast-iron serving plates, available in three sizes. Love them? They are actually for purchase from Whetstone Station, along with other swag.

Whetstone Station

36 Bridge St, Brattleboro, VT 05301
802-490-2354
eat@whetstonestation.com

*This post is sponsored by Whetstone Station. All opinions are our own.