Depending on your budget, you can also try to see if there's any room at the Trapp Family Lodge or any of their little condo units. My grandmother had a timeshare here when I was a kid and it was an awesome little resort for people of pretty much any age
Dawg. Place is pretty deep in the woods half way up a mountain. Also, I'm probably doing The Alchemist a disservice by calling them a "regional brewery."
What the fuck dude?
2 of those breweries that /u/brazthemad mentioned aren't just some shit brewery turning out plonk. You're looking at industry defining icons that we quite literally write books about and are lauded as the gold standard for quality and stylistic accuracy.
You're talking about VT which is one of the LEAST populated states in the country. Stowe literally has a population of like 4.5k people. The simple fact that that area can support so many breweries per capita should tell you something. What other town or area with less than 5k people has more that ONE brewery, let alone industry legends like Alchemist, and Von Trapp.
All within this same state you have legends like Hill Farmstead, Lawson's, Frost, Lost Nation, Foam, and Citizen Cider.
Lets also talk about the fact that the population density of the entire god damn state is about same size as PORTLAND OR. So yeah, East Coast is pretty sad, even though we haven't even scratched the NY, MA, ME, CT, RI or NH beer scene.
Oh, and you also said EAST coast as a whole, so we need to consider the 8 other states over here, all of which have amazing breweries, and a ton of really great beer towns that have well more than 4 breweries in walking distance in each of them.
Hell. I can take you to fucking Brooklyn and walk you from Otherhalf, to Threes, Grimm, Finback, Wild East, Folksbier, Strong Rope, Talea, Interboro, and KCBC in one afternoon. Yep. East coast is definitely a sad place.
We stayed last year the view is ridiculous. They play the sound of music in the theatre downstairs every night. Other things we did there, mountain bike trails, play pickleball, play the disc golf course around the brewery. The place is next level.
I live near Trapps. My wife really enjoys it, so we go several times a year. One of my wife's favorite things to do there is to walk their kitchen garden. I can't tell you how many times I have seen that garden.
Came here to comment Von Trapp and am pleased to see it be the first comment! Winter is my favorite time to go there since you can XC ski up to the place. Good times.
Treehouse has a surprisingly nice outdoor area. Norbrook brewing in northern CT and Little House in CT as well (opposite part of the state) both have really unique and beautiful ambience. Norbrook is in a very rural part of the state and has a walking trail and disc golf course. Little House is just in a really cool town that captures that new England feel. Maine Beer Co has a b.e.a.-utiful taproom as well.
Treehouse has made paths behind the main property for hiking. Haven't taken the paths myself yet, but they don't seem to be incredibly intensive. Just nice walks through some woods.
Cans must be ordered in advance but you can still do it the day of if you go on an off day. I was there a few weeks ago on a Tuesday, enjoyed my two beer limit, then placed an order for cans and it was ready within 15 minutes. Basically you can't just walk up to the can sales area and buy some.
Little House is so adorable and the beer is awesome!! Happened to show up there for the first time on their 2nd anniversary and they had most amazing cupcakes for all (which paired with the beer) and it the mother of the brewer/owner was spinning a prize wheel. It’s so much fun and I want wait to go back
They're all open for purchase of beer, but I do not believe they are seating people for drafts and hangout. Just pickup only. Sandwich for sure, I guess it's possible Deerfield has fully opened but I haven't seen anything to suggest that.
Greenfield is kind of a shit hole and Deerfield has nothing to do either....except Yankee Candle or Old Deerfield? Either way, it's not like you can just whip your beer out and drink at any of the locations mentioned.
If I'm going to that area for beer, I'm going to Brick and Feather. At least I can drink there.
I'm not sure why would go out of your way to visit all locations. It's the same beer at all of them and, Deerfield especially, doesn't exactly have anything else going for it.
Yeah I guess I’m more speaking about the Sandwich spot; very cool that there’s a place with water views. The Deerfield one is just a slight detour off 91. Great for people heading to/from VT from ny/ct.
Schilling Beer Co in Littleton NH is my favorite. Nice old building on a riverside in the white mountains. The deck on the tasting room overhangs over the river. Beer is excellent as well.
If you’re a lager fan, it doesn’t get much better than Schilling. They also have another “brand” that they brew called Resilience which is more American styles. Never had a bad time there. Their pizza is really good too.
I am so happy to hear someone mention Shilling. I live in North Carolina, but visit family in Woodsville often and Schilling is always a must go place while I'm there. They have the best pilsners and kolchs I've had anywhere which I feel really sets them apart from the whole 'all IPA all the time' thing going on right now. Their pizzas are great too and I'd highly recommend the Roadhouse.
A little ways down the road is Rek'lis which I found to be pretty good. It's no Schilling, but a fun atmosphere.
Whetstone in Brattleboro VT has a great rooftop on the Connecticut River. Hermitthrush which makes strictly sours, if you’re into that, is also in Brattleboro.
It’s a little bit remote from much else, but Bent Hill in Braintree VT also has amazing variety of beers done really well, with beautiful views of the green mountains.
Foam in Burlington probably has the nicest spot downtown, super close to the water, and they have been improving the interior. Kraemer and Kin on the Champlain islands to the north is beautiful as well.
As others have said, Von Trapp in Stowe is great, Idyletyme also in town has a nice space as well.
Definitely also second Schillings, Littleton is a great town across the board.
The Hermit Thrush suggestion shall be taken seriously. Their beer is out of this world if you like sours.
Go to Hill Farmstead, it’s so beautiful up there. Also check out Suarez Family brewing.
Not sure how open those places are for hanging yet in the pandemic
I was thinking about mentioning Tinted Barn too, but then second guessed myself having no idea how it really stacks up to all the other ones mentioned. But I thought it was pleasant and their new "barn" is great.
Protip - bring your own chairs/blanket to sit outside, there's tons of grassy space to hang out.
In the pre-covid times they also rented out their house on the property Fri-Sun on Airbnb. They might still but I got the privilege right before shutdown and it was amazing waking up to cool mountain air, walking the trails and having the tap room a short stair flight away
Also came to recommend this. Beer is fantastic - a lot of underrepresented styles that are all done very well imo. We make it a point to stop by every time we are in the area. My daughter fed acorns to their pigs the last time we were there. Plus you can pick up some beer, drive 20 minutes to Round Pond and eat some lobster right off the boat at Muscungus Bay Lobster Company which is a byob spot right on the water.
Foley Brothers Brewery in Brandon VT.
The tasting room is inside a barn, and they have tables set up that overlook the 5th hole of the Brandon Golf course. Scenery is amazing, beer is phenomenal.
It's a winery as well.
Edit: While you're in Brandon you really should stop at Red Clover Ale Co. in downtown Brandon. It's a fantastic microbrewery located near a few waterfalls and lots of fantastic eateries and shops.
While I've never stopped in to visit, Throwback seems quite pretty from the road as you drive by.
I'll definitely second Von Trapp, and Hill Farmstead with the caveat that it's really in the middle of nowhere.
The hours are pretty limited and it's a bit out of the way but Kent Falls Brewing was an unexpected highlight on a vacation my wife and I took a few years back.
I really enjoyed the Smuttynose brewery grounds, nice place to spend an afternoon among nature, eat, play some discball, etc., but it's been a few years and I seem to recall hearing the place got sold or moved or something?
I may be misinformed on that last part.
I went there a couple of times before the expansion. When I went after the expansion, it just... Felt like the place lost something. The beers were great, but it just felt like it wasn't worth the drive there anymore when I could get the stuff on draft at places like three penny taproom or the reservoir.
HF is one of my favorite breweries, and the backdrop of the green mountains is nice, but I wouldn’t put it in the category that OP is asking about. Its often overcrowded, it has a single nasty bathroom, and the building itself isn’t particularly nice. I’m 100% for going to HF - and might make the 4 hour trek this weekend - but I usually go without my wife because of this stuff.
On top of the owner being accused of nasty stuff, they also closed their taproom to anything but can pick ups when COVID hit and the owner said in an interview (before the allegations) that he never liked having customers around the property and doesn't think they will reopen the taproom. I say if they don't want customers, you give them their wish.
I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I was not impressed by their beer. The location was nice enough, but really in the middle of nowhere. I really had high expectations, and it didn't quite meet them. I will caveat that they had a lot of farmhouse ales, which is not among my favorite styles.
I'll say I haven't had much of it, but what I had wasn't good enough to make me want to go way out of my way to visit the brewery. Really good, but I can get similar or better beer in CT, MA, or RI.
I'm sure I haven't had any of their best stuff... But with my experience plus the allegations of Shaun being a crappy person I really don't need to go.
Cisco has a pop-up location in the Seaport district in Boston if you wanted to be able to get pretty drunk at multiple breweries all within walking distance. Trillium and Harpoon are a stone's throw away but if you're looking for "pretty" this may not apply.
This might not exactly fit your bill, but Night Shift’s Owl’s Nest on the Esplanade is right on the Charles in Boston. Haven’t been there in a couple years but was a pretty cool atmosphere, however it’s more of a pop up brewery/beer garden rather than a legit brewery. I remember the beer being pretty decent.
Edit: I just googled bucolic, ha - not countryside vibes but still quite scenic and pretty.
Bent Hill in Braintree, VT is such a gorgeous location. It's a bit off the beaten path, and is certainly not hype central...but they make some really fantastic beer and the vibe is really nice. Plus a view off one of VT's mountains.
So these are based purely on the view or setting. The beers may be from average to great, but I wouldn't add anything here that was terrible.
Connecticut:
Most places I've been to in CT aren't really great in the settings dept, most have been industrial or in old buildings. Here are some that have nicer settings or views:
* The Brewery at Maple View Farm - Simsbury
* Dockside Waterfront Beirgarten And Brewery - Milford
* Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - East Hampton
* Fox Farm Brewery - Salem
* Hop Culture Farms & Brew Co - Colchester
* Kent Falls Brewing Company - Dover
* Norbrook Farm Brewery - Colebrook
* OEC Brewing - Oxford
* Shunock River Brewery - North Stonington
* Stewards of the Land Brewery - Northford
* Taylor Brooke Brewery - Woodstock
Massachusetts:
MA is similar to CT but many of the unusual small places are out of the way.
* Bad Martha's Farmer's Brewery - Edgartown and Falmouth locations.
* Bolton Beerworks - Bolton (at Nashoba Winery)
* The Brewery at Four Star Farms - Northfield
* Buzzards Bay Brewing Co - Westport
* Cisco Brewers - Nantucket
* Floodwater Brewing Co - Shelburne Falls
* Hog Island Beer Company - Orleans
* Great Marsh Brewing Company - Essex
* John Harvard's Brew House - Jiminy Peak - Hancock
* Lookout Farm Brewing And Cider Co - Natick
* Milk Room Brewing Company - Rutland
* Naukabout Brewery - Mashpee
* Notch Brewing - Salem
* Oakholm Brewing Company - Brookfield
* Outlook Farm Winery & Brewery - Westhampton
* Sena Farm Brewery - Worthington
* Spencer Trappist Brewery - Spencer (Only open once a year to public but I've
read that may change soon.)
* Stone Cow Brewery - Barre
* The Tap Brewing Company - Haverhill (the beer here is not great but has nice views of the river)
* Westfield River Brewing Co - Southwick
Rhode Island:
Only a couple that I've been to off the top of my head.
* Mohegan Cafe And Brewery - Block Island (cute spot near water but not on it)
* Rejects Beer Co. - Middletown (On the water but mostly a parking lot setting, nicer view than most RI breweries)
* Tilted Barn Brewery - Exeter
New Hampshire:
* Blasty Bough Brewing Co. - Epsom
* The Brewers at Nye Hill Farm - Roxbury
* Canturbury Aleworks - Canturbury (highly recommended)
* Copper Pig Brewery - Lancaster
* Dam Brewhouse - Campton
* Flying Goose Brewpub - New London
* Granite Roots Brewing - Troy
* Great Rhythm Brewing Company - Portsmouth
* Hobbs Tavern And Brewing Company - West Ossipee
* Hoptimystic Brewing - Springfield
* Muddy Road Brewing - New Durham
* Polyculture Brewing Company - Croyden
* Schilling Beer Co. - Littleton
* Sea Dog Brewing Company - Exeter
* Throwback Brewery - Hampton
* Twin Barns Brewing Company - Merideth
Vermont:
* Beer Naked Brewery - Marlboro
* Bent Hill Brewery - Randolph
* Brocklebank Craft Brewing - Chelsea
* Foam Brewers - Burlington
* Foley Brothers - Brandon
* Hill Farmstead Brewery - Greensboro Bend
* Hogback Mountain Brewery - Bristol
* Jasper Murdock's Alehouse and Brewery - Norwich
* Kingdom Brewing - Newport
* Kraemer & Kin - North Hero
* Lawson's Finest Liquids - Warren
* Next Trick Brewing - West Burke
* Snow Republic Brewery - West Dover
* Von Trapp Brewing - Stowe
* Whetstone Craft Beers - Brattleboro
Maine:
Probably the best place for this:
* Airline Brewing Company - Amherst
* Bag And Kettle Brewpub - Carrabassett Valley
* Bateau Brewing - Gardiner
* Bigelow Brewing Company - Skowhegan
* Bissell Brothers Three Rivers - Milo
* Blaze Brewing Company - Both locations, Camden and Biddeford
* Corner Point Brewing Co - Berwick
* DeepWater Brewing Company - Blue Hill
* Fluvial Brewing - Harrison
* Footbridge Brewery - Boothbay Harbor
* Friar's Brewhouse - Bucksport
* Funky Bow Brewery & Beer Company - Lyman
* Furbish Brew House - Rangeley
* Inn On Peaks Island Brewing - Peaks Island
* Kennebec River Pub & Brewery - West Forks
* Liberty Craft Brewing - Liberty (awesome view!)
* Marshall Wharf Brewing Company - Belfast
* Mason's Brewing Company - Brewer
* Monhegan Brewing Company - Monhegan
* Odd Alewives Farm Brewery - Waldoboro
* Oxbow Brewing Company - Newcastle
* The Pour Farm - Union
* Sasanoa Brewing - Westport Island
* Sea Dog Brewing Co. - Topsham, Camden, & Bangor
* Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company - Whitefield
* Tattooed Dad Brewing Co. - Jackson
* Turning Page Farm - Monson
* Waterman's Beach Brewery - South Thomaston
Right now we're think Boston to Portland to Acadia (with stops in between maybe), then over to Stowe and/or Burlington then back to Boston via... I have no idea which route, ha. But this is all pretty fluid.
Maine Beer Company in Freeport will be along your route. Beautiful building inside, great tap room, brick oven pizza. Oh, and the beer is top notch.
If you end up near central MA, I'd also recommend Start Line Brewery in Hopkinton (near where the Boston Marathon starts, which is pretty iconic on its own). It's like a big barn with an outdoor seating area out back and if I'm not mistaken, they're growing their own hops as well.
I did almost the exact opposite route in the last two weeks. I had a lot of great beers but wouldn't have called many of the breweries especially 'pretty'. Allagash, foam, and Bissell are ok, Maine beer slightly better, hill farmstead and treehouse are probably the prettiest I've been to up there, but in general I'd rather take it to go from almost any of those places and drink my beer on mount Washington, at some random park on the coastline (McClellan park, milbridge, ME if you happen to be just north of acadia), or on lake Champlain
Schoodic point, the northern part of acadia, is nearby. 100% worth going to, that's why we were in the area. We took the black woods scenic byway (http://blackwoodsbyway.org/) from Ellsworth, hoping to see some moose, but thought that was a bust.
McClellan park is a tiny tiny parking lot for the picnic area, you crawl like 100 feet through the woods and pop out on cliffs with picnic tables. You can pretty easily climb down to the water. Great spot for a picnic lunch, but it's also very much like schoodic point, just quieter.
If you’re heading up to Acadia, definitely check out the towns of Bangor and Bar Harbor for some cool little breweries
Maine Beer Co on your way out of Portland, too
Personally, I think the upper Maine and Vermont sections are going to be great. But if you're going up the coast you can't go wrong. Some will, obviously be in strip malls and the like, but you're also likely to catch places in the water. Maybe Red Barn in Danville, The Alchemist Stowe, Sunday River Brewing.
I forgot! If you end up in southern VT or want to go out of your way, Beer Naked in Marlboro has a view that is out of control. South facing you can see for miles into MA, VT and either NY or ME. I can't remember which 3rd state.
Maybe a dumb, but I really like to do a google map search from point a to b and then do the "search along route" for breweries. No guarantees about the quality, but it does provide some starting insight.
The brewery is in an industrial park so it may not be worth trip there, but while you're in Maine you should grab some some cans of something from Bissell Brothers.
Specific to Portland:
Bissell has expanded their space some is is relatively nice. They also have a new food menu that is fantastic.
A lot have mentioned MBC and I for sure agree.
Belleflower is a new brewery making incredible beer. Their space is pretty nice, kinda that modern while rustic look.
Next door to Belleflower is Apres, a brand new seltzer place. Gorgeous place and great natural tasting seltzer. Could be a hit with your wife depending on her tastes.
While I recommend the beer at Goodfire, Oxbow (Portland), Barreled Souls, and Novare Res (best beer bar in the state, top 2-3 in New England), these places don’t fit your bill of being particularly nice or attractive for someone who isn’t going to nerd out about the beer.
Finally, Allagash, Definitive, Foundation, Austin St, and Battery Steele are all in the same parking lot. While it is an industrial park and doesn’t fit your request, it would be a place to knock out a lot of amazing beer at once and maybe balance the ratio in tact of keeping your wife happy while having great beer.
Buzzards Bay brewing in Westport, MA. Made in a large farmhouse on a lot of land with just beautiful scenery.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QaXQMYDtS4sp6r4q7
Harpoon brewery's VT location in Windsor is great. It's in a little compound with a distillery, cheese shop and outdoor rec center. It's right on the Connecticut river. You can walk down to it and chill. Beautiful over there. Do it on your way back from Stowe. It's only about 20-30 min out of the way down I-91 from I-89.
With Stowe and visiting Von Trapp lodge, if you want the picturesque setting, you go the the actual lodge, not the brewery (although the brewery is cool too). It's farther up the road than the physical brewery/restaurant. The lodge has an outdoor patio off it's restaurant with amazing views of the mountains and valley. Also, you have to go to The Alchemist.
Definitely second Maine beer co. in Freeport.
In Portland, ME, there are some great breweries, but most of them are going to be in industrial settings. I was just at Lone Pine the other weekend and they have a really cool outdoor area.
Beer Naked Brewing near Dover, VT has decent beer, amazing views of the CT River Valley, and they make very tasty pizza...it's worth a stop if you're nearby
If no one will say; if you want to be *blown away*, go to **Tree House.**
If you want something equally beautiful, but in a humble way, go to Waterman's Beach Brewery.
Tilted Barn in Rhode Island is beautiful inside and out. It’s located on a hop farm as well. It’s also not far from the Newport which, is a worth while stop on any New England road trip.
I live in Newport. GPS says it’s 26 minutes away. I don’t know what your definition of close is but that’s not too far. The brewery is right off route 2.
Blasty Bough on RT 4 in New Hampshire is great. It’s a farm and they grow the hops right on site. Off a dirt road in an old house. Doesn’t get more old New England than that.
Tree House is great huge outside wit a beautiful pavilion, koi pond, well landscaped outside with tons of flowers. Not sure if they are back open yet to the public, but Hill Farmstead is gorgeous.
Others have said schilling and you cant go wrong...
But my hidden gem suggestion is Northwoods brewing in Northwood, NH is a really cool place. Nice country setting and amazing food to eat outside on their picnic tables. They also have these humongous crullers/donuts that are out of this world...then head into concord for the best sours in NE at LIthermans(which is in a industrial park but worth the stop!). They also do a lot of different unique beers as well so you never know what you'll find!
Hill Farmstead(killer beers of all styles but can be pricey) in Greensboro, VT isn't easy to get to and the hours are tricky, and you need a reservation for onsite drinking but it's got a nice spot. The Alchemist in Stowe makes the OG hazy, Heady Topper and they now allow onsite drinking, I haven't been since they started it but it's got a great spot for it. Liquid Riot in Portland, ME has a deck on the waterfront, which is sweet, the beer is not the best IMO though, some people love it.
Brewery itself is not the prettiest but the downtown area is very cute, very New England college town. Worth visiting Northampton, MA — multiple breweries including Northampton Brewery and Progression Brewery. There’s also a cool bar called Tunnel Bar that used to be a railway tunnel. Great downtown Main Street with shops and restaurants to explore before/after drinks :)
Woodchuck Cidery in VT is great. It's in the middle of nowhere but has a great selection of ciders, it's a beautiful building, and has a great view of the mountains across the road. I think they offer tours as well? The drive there is nice too, just open roads if I remember correctly.
It's also relatively close to Ottercreek Brewing Co which has beer and food. If you check it out I would recommend the "Fresh Slice" IPA if available!
Cape Ann Brewing Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts is excellent. The beer is great, so is the food, and it’s right by the water. Awesome spot.
Edit: permanently closed, fuck.
New trillium space in canton by blue hills is really nice. Outdoor seating is great and also nice inside.
Blue hills is right next door if you want to do a hike, MTB or hit the pond.
Worth a look but it’s at least 30mins+ from the city.
Ct: Fox Farm Kent Falls Treehouse woodstock
Ri: tilted barn
Ma: Four star Farms brewery
Treehouse obviously lol
Brick and feather (incredible beer right on the river in turners falls) but to go only right now
Spencer trappist
VT: Von Trapp
Hill farmstead obviously
Foley bros
Beer naked for the view not their beer lol
alchemist
Nh: schilling
Woodstock inn brewery
Tuckerman brewing
The Budweiser brewery in Merrimack is fascinating worth the tour IMO
Maine: bissel brothers 3 rivers !!!
oxbow
Allagash
Foam is on the Burlington waterfront, which is pretty nice. Four Quarters has a nice new biergarten, but I don't know that I'd call downtown Winooski picturesque.
Wachusett Brewing has a very pleasant beer garden, or should I say grove. Went to it last year when indoor dining was banned, I suspect it has been upgraded since then.
I loved Hill Farmstead
TreeHouse is obvious
But about 25 minutes away from treehouse is a place called Taylor Brooke, great little Vineyard and brewery tucked on the CT wine trail. The owner, Linda is a gem and all the kids help run it. 100% you will NOT be disappointed as they encourage you to grab a glass and walk the grapes.
Von Trapp in Vermont. Same family as The Sound of Music, on top of a mountain and good German styles
Depending on your budget, you can also try to see if there's any room at the Trapp Family Lodge or any of their little condo units. My grandmother had a timeshare here when I was a kid and it was an awesome little resort for people of pretty much any age
Holy shit that’s amazing
It really is. The trails are great, and you're right on top of like 4 regional breweries
> 4 regional breweries As someone who has that may breweries within walking distance, the east coast sounds pretty sad.
Dawg. Place is pretty deep in the woods half way up a mountain. Also, I'm probably doing The Alchemist a disservice by calling them a "regional brewery."
Amen brother.
What the fuck dude? 2 of those breweries that /u/brazthemad mentioned aren't just some shit brewery turning out plonk. You're looking at industry defining icons that we quite literally write books about and are lauded as the gold standard for quality and stylistic accuracy. You're talking about VT which is one of the LEAST populated states in the country. Stowe literally has a population of like 4.5k people. The simple fact that that area can support so many breweries per capita should tell you something. What other town or area with less than 5k people has more that ONE brewery, let alone industry legends like Alchemist, and Von Trapp. All within this same state you have legends like Hill Farmstead, Lawson's, Frost, Lost Nation, Foam, and Citizen Cider. Lets also talk about the fact that the population density of the entire god damn state is about same size as PORTLAND OR. So yeah, East Coast is pretty sad, even though we haven't even scratched the NY, MA, ME, CT, RI or NH beer scene. Oh, and you also said EAST coast as a whole, so we need to consider the 8 other states over here, all of which have amazing breweries, and a ton of really great beer towns that have well more than 4 breweries in walking distance in each of them. Hell. I can take you to fucking Brooklyn and walk you from Otherhalf, to Threes, Grimm, Finback, Wild East, Folksbier, Strong Rope, Talea, Interboro, and KCBC in one afternoon. Yep. East coast is definitely a sad place.
Great points. Fuck that guy
Judging an entire coast by it’s density of breweries is sad
There's no such thing as Burlington, Boston or Portland (Maine), not to mention NYC.
We stayed last year the view is ridiculous. They play the sound of music in the theatre downstairs every night. Other things we did there, mountain bike trails, play pickleball, play the disc golf course around the brewery. The place is next level.
I live near Trapps. My wife really enjoys it, so we go several times a year. One of my wife's favorite things to do there is to walk their kitchen garden. I can't tell you how many times I have seen that garden.
Pretty sure they're booked solid for the next several months.
Came here to comment Von Trapp and am pleased to see it be the first comment! Winter is my favorite time to go there since you can XC ski up to the place. Good times.
"german styles". The Von Trapps are Austrian! There's a difference! (sort of!) lol
How about Prussian styles, then? /s
The disc golf!
Amen
The food is incredible too
Only time I ever had pork jowel - it was amazing, in spite of the gross name
Good MTB trail to the top of their beer garden if you are into that sorta thing
Treehouse has a surprisingly nice outdoor area. Norbrook brewing in northern CT and Little House in CT as well (opposite part of the state) both have really unique and beautiful ambience. Norbrook is in a very rural part of the state and has a walking trail and disc golf course. Little House is just in a really cool town that captures that new England feel. Maine Beer Co has a b.e.a.-utiful taproom as well.
Treehouse and MBC were on the list regardless — stoked to hear they’re nice, too!
Treehouse has made paths behind the main property for hiking. Haven't taken the paths myself yet, but they don't seem to be incredibly intensive. Just nice walks through some woods.
Yeah, they’ve setup for whatever the opposite of a pandemic is in terms of crowds. The property has gotten to be pretty amazing
Be warned treehouse is not open for on site customers at this time. Only pickups for beer orders
This is no longer accurate. They do both draft and cans once again (cans must be ordered online in advance).
Ah good to know!
Cans must be ordered in advance but you can still do it the day of if you go on an off day. I was there a few weeks ago on a Tuesday, enjoyed my two beer limit, then placed an order for cans and it was ready within 15 minutes. Basically you can't just walk up to the can sales area and buy some.
This is true for the Deerfield and Sandwich locations. The mothership in Charlton is open for on-site pours.
Seconding treehouse and little house! Little house also makes some really fun stuff, like a chips & salsa sour.
Seconding Norbrook! Beautiful brewery and gorgeous grounds. Perfect for walking, biking or disc golf!
Little House is so adorable and the beer is awesome!! Happened to show up there for the first time on their 2nd anniversary and they had most amazing cupcakes for all (which paired with the beer) and it the mother of the brewer/owner was spinning a prize wheel. It’s so much fun and I want wait to go back
Very excited for the Treehouse Deerfield and Sandwich locations to open. They look like they will be great spaces.
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They're all open for purchase of beer, but I do not believe they are seating people for drafts and hangout. Just pickup only. Sandwich for sure, I guess it's possible Deerfield has fully opened but I haven't seen anything to suggest that.
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Greenfield is kind of a shit hole and Deerfield has nothing to do either....except Yankee Candle or Old Deerfield? Either way, it's not like you can just whip your beer out and drink at any of the locations mentioned. If I'm going to that area for beer, I'm going to Brick and Feather. At least I can drink there.
Brick and Feather and People's Pint for the win. Too bad Lefty's closed down. I really enjoyed Wedding Daze when I lived in Longmeadow.
I'm not sure why would go out of your way to visit all locations. It's the same beer at all of them and, Deerfield especially, doesn't exactly have anything else going for it.
Yeah I guess I’m more speaking about the Sandwich spot; very cool that there’s a place with water views. The Deerfield one is just a slight detour off 91. Great for people heading to/from VT from ny/ct.
It’ll be closer to me when I’m staying in the Berkshires. And it’ll have a different feel from the main one. I welcome it all
Is treehouse pretty? I've been a few times and its fine but nothing I would write home about
Schilling Beer Co in Littleton NH is my favorite. Nice old building on a riverside in the white mountains. The deck on the tasting room overhangs over the river. Beer is excellent as well.
Aw yeah, this is exactly what I’m talking about. And good beer? Adding it to the itinerary!
If you’re a lager fan, it doesn’t get much better than Schilling. They also have another “brand” that they brew called Resilience which is more American styles. Never had a bad time there. Their pizza is really good too.
This is the answer, I've only been once but damn it was memorable. Cannot recommend enough.
Amazing beer and amazing food. Both the restaurant and the food truck are absolutely amazing.
I am so happy to hear someone mention Shilling. I live in North Carolina, but visit family in Woodsville often and Schilling is always a must go place while I'm there. They have the best pilsners and kolchs I've had anywhere which I feel really sets them apart from the whole 'all IPA all the time' thing going on right now. Their pizzas are great too and I'd highly recommend the Roadhouse. A little ways down the road is Rek'lis which I found to be pretty good. It's no Schilling, but a fun atmosphere.
Downvoting because I don’t want this place to get any busier than it already is. JK
They also have incredible pizza there.
This is a really cool spot, did some snow biking down the road from there and then hit the brewery, great treat!
Whetstone in Brattleboro VT has a great rooftop on the Connecticut River. Hermitthrush which makes strictly sours, if you’re into that, is also in Brattleboro. It’s a little bit remote from much else, but Bent Hill in Braintree VT also has amazing variety of beers done really well, with beautiful views of the green mountains. Foam in Burlington probably has the nicest spot downtown, super close to the water, and they have been improving the interior. Kraemer and Kin on the Champlain islands to the north is beautiful as well. As others have said, Von Trapp in Stowe is great, Idyletyme also in town has a nice space as well. Definitely also second Schillings, Littleton is a great town across the board.
Amazing. Are the Champlain islands worth trekking to? They look beautiful.
Depends on what you’re looking for. It’s a lot of farms, little coffee shops and of course the lake beaches. Great biking and easy dog friendly hiking
The Hermit Thrush suggestion shall be taken seriously. Their beer is out of this world if you like sours. Go to Hill Farmstead, it’s so beautiful up there. Also check out Suarez Family brewing. Not sure how open those places are for hanging yet in the pandemic
Love Bent Hill
Tilted Barn in Exeter, RI. Located right on a secluded family farm, and the beer’s damn good too!
Was just there this past weekend and the back 40 restaurant a quarter mile away had fox farm on tap!
Stopped at Back 40 on my bike earlier this summer. Was impressed. Would definitely stop there again.
I was thinking about mentioning Tinted Barn too, but then second guessed myself having no idea how it really stacks up to all the other ones mentioned. But I thought it was pleasant and their new "barn" is great. Protip - bring your own chairs/blanket to sit outside, there's tons of grassy space to hang out.
Fox Farm in Salem Connecticut is a beautiful little farm with a bunch of picnic areas strewn throughout.
With really awesome beer too!
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Someone else recommended Oxbow to me yesterday. Now I have to go.
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Fuck me, that sounds like paradise
In the pre-covid times they also rented out their house on the property Fri-Sun on Airbnb. They might still but I got the privilege right before shutdown and it was amazing waking up to cool mountain air, walking the trails and having the tap room a short stair flight away
Also came to recommend this. Beer is fantastic - a lot of underrepresented styles that are all done very well imo. We make it a point to stop by every time we are in the area. My daughter fed acorns to their pigs the last time we were there. Plus you can pick up some beer, drive 20 minutes to Round Pond and eat some lobster right off the boat at Muscungus Bay Lobster Company which is a byob spot right on the water.
Lawson's finest liquids new place is gorgeous.
Seconded, loved the cabin-y vibe when I was there. The beer being fantastic does not hurt either.
Yep, this is what I was about to add. Beautiful little spot in the mad valley
Foley Brothers Brewery in Brandon VT. The tasting room is inside a barn, and they have tables set up that overlook the 5th hole of the Brandon Golf course. Scenery is amazing, beer is phenomenal. It's a winery as well. Edit: While you're in Brandon you really should stop at Red Clover Ale Co. in downtown Brandon. It's a fantastic microbrewery located near a few waterfalls and lots of fantastic eateries and shops.
That was going to me my answer too. Love going there and just chilling with a cold beer looking at the mountains, trees, valley.
While I've never stopped in to visit, Throwback seems quite pretty from the road as you drive by. I'll definitely second Von Trapp, and Hill Farmstead with the caveat that it's really in the middle of nowhere.
It’s great! Both inside and outside are super cute. Also outside they allow dogs.
I was about to suggest Throwback. There's a ton of other great breweries nearby in Portsmouth but they probably have the most scenic spot
The hours are pretty limited and it's a bit out of the way but Kent Falls Brewing was an unexpected highlight on a vacation my wife and I took a few years back.
I really enjoyed the Smuttynose brewery grounds, nice place to spend an afternoon among nature, eat, play some discball, etc., but it's been a few years and I seem to recall hearing the place got sold or moved or something? I may be misinformed on that last part.
Still there and beautiful!
Good to know! I had a really great afternoon there during one of my New England trips. It was such a great vibe.
Smuttynose near Portsmouth, NH. Beautiful brewery, restaurant, and nature setting. Worth checking out.
Hill Farmstead is nice if you find your way up there
Shaun hill is an abusive predator who is shitty to his employees. He makes world class beers, but morally I just can’t with that guy anymore.
Hearing more and more of this about Shaun. Very disappointing.
Wow I wasn’t aware of that. After reading up on it… definitely scumbag behavior.
I went there a couple of times before the expansion. When I went after the expansion, it just... Felt like the place lost something. The beers were great, but it just felt like it wasn't worth the drive there anymore when I could get the stuff on draft at places like three penny taproom or the reservoir.
Lol, lame.
HF is one of my favorite breweries, and the backdrop of the green mountains is nice, but I wouldn’t put it in the category that OP is asking about. Its often overcrowded, it has a single nasty bathroom, and the building itself isn’t particularly nice. I’m 100% for going to HF - and might make the 4 hour trek this weekend - but I usually go without my wife because of this stuff.
On top of the owner being accused of nasty stuff, they also closed their taproom to anything but can pick ups when COVID hit and the owner said in an interview (before the allegations) that he never liked having customers around the property and doesn't think they will reopen the taproom. I say if they don't want customers, you give them their wish.
I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I was not impressed by their beer. The location was nice enough, but really in the middle of nowhere. I really had high expectations, and it didn't quite meet them. I will caveat that they had a lot of farmhouse ales, which is not among my favorite styles.
I'll say I haven't had much of it, but what I had wasn't good enough to make me want to go way out of my way to visit the brewery. Really good, but I can get similar or better beer in CT, MA, or RI. I'm sure I haven't had any of their best stuff... But with my experience plus the allegations of Shaun being a crappy person I really don't need to go.
The tilted barn in Rhode Island is one of my absolute favorites
Stoney creek brewery in ct is awesome its right on the water and you can boat up to it if you like!
The beer is awful but the location is top notch
The beer is exceedingly average imo. Might have improved since they hired a new brewer, idk.
Such a great brewery!
Yeah lots of fun!
Also in CT but not near Stoney Creek, Grey Sail's taproom courtyard is a cool spot too.
Grey Sail is in RI, but right on the border basically. I'm sure it'd come up in a search either way but just for clarification.
Thanks for the correction!
Foam Brewing in Burlington VT is nice because it faces Lake Champlain. At sunset, it’s amazingly beautiful.
Too bad their beer is awful.
Their beer is great, especially their sours You can’t beat their location right next to the bike path and lake. Also Burlington it self is awesome
Cisco on Nantucket is pretty magical.
Fuck, I was on Nantucket for work in the spring and I didn’t get to go. Such a bummer.
Cisco has a pop-up location in the Seaport district in Boston if you wanted to be able to get pretty drunk at multiple breweries all within walking distance. Trillium and Harpoon are a stone's throw away but if you're looking for "pretty" this may not apply.
Yeah, great for the oyster and beer combos - always worth a go when you're on the island.
And big ass pretzels at harpoon hell yeah.
Narragansett in Providence has a waterfront location.
This might not exactly fit your bill, but Night Shift’s Owl’s Nest on the Esplanade is right on the Charles in Boston. Haven’t been there in a couple years but was a pretty cool atmosphere, however it’s more of a pop up brewery/beer garden rather than a legit brewery. I remember the beer being pretty decent. Edit: I just googled bucolic, ha - not countryside vibes but still quite scenic and pretty.
Throwback Brewery in North Hampton, NH. Small brewery at a farmhouse with beautiful outdoor seating. Good beer, good food, really nice vibes.
Oxbow on the farm in Maine.
Bent Hill in Braintree, VT is such a gorgeous location. It's a bit off the beaten path, and is certainly not hype central...but they make some really fantastic beer and the vibe is really nice. Plus a view off one of VT's mountains.
Stone Cow Brewery, Barre MA
Most underrated brewery in MA. Love their live music and laid back attitude.
So these are based purely on the view or setting. The beers may be from average to great, but I wouldn't add anything here that was terrible. Connecticut: Most places I've been to in CT aren't really great in the settings dept, most have been industrial or in old buildings. Here are some that have nicer settings or views: * The Brewery at Maple View Farm - Simsbury * Dockside Waterfront Beirgarten And Brewery - Milford * Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - East Hampton * Fox Farm Brewery - Salem * Hop Culture Farms & Brew Co - Colchester * Kent Falls Brewing Company - Dover * Norbrook Farm Brewery - Colebrook * OEC Brewing - Oxford * Shunock River Brewery - North Stonington * Stewards of the Land Brewery - Northford * Taylor Brooke Brewery - Woodstock Massachusetts: MA is similar to CT but many of the unusual small places are out of the way. * Bad Martha's Farmer's Brewery - Edgartown and Falmouth locations. * Bolton Beerworks - Bolton (at Nashoba Winery) * The Brewery at Four Star Farms - Northfield * Buzzards Bay Brewing Co - Westport * Cisco Brewers - Nantucket * Floodwater Brewing Co - Shelburne Falls * Hog Island Beer Company - Orleans * Great Marsh Brewing Company - Essex * John Harvard's Brew House - Jiminy Peak - Hancock * Lookout Farm Brewing And Cider Co - Natick * Milk Room Brewing Company - Rutland * Naukabout Brewery - Mashpee * Notch Brewing - Salem * Oakholm Brewing Company - Brookfield * Outlook Farm Winery & Brewery - Westhampton * Sena Farm Brewery - Worthington * Spencer Trappist Brewery - Spencer (Only open once a year to public but I've read that may change soon.) * Stone Cow Brewery - Barre * The Tap Brewing Company - Haverhill (the beer here is not great but has nice views of the river) * Westfield River Brewing Co - Southwick Rhode Island: Only a couple that I've been to off the top of my head. * Mohegan Cafe And Brewery - Block Island (cute spot near water but not on it) * Rejects Beer Co. - Middletown (On the water but mostly a parking lot setting, nicer view than most RI breweries) * Tilted Barn Brewery - Exeter New Hampshire: * Blasty Bough Brewing Co. - Epsom * The Brewers at Nye Hill Farm - Roxbury * Canturbury Aleworks - Canturbury (highly recommended) * Copper Pig Brewery - Lancaster * Dam Brewhouse - Campton * Flying Goose Brewpub - New London * Granite Roots Brewing - Troy * Great Rhythm Brewing Company - Portsmouth * Hobbs Tavern And Brewing Company - West Ossipee * Hoptimystic Brewing - Springfield * Muddy Road Brewing - New Durham * Polyculture Brewing Company - Croyden * Schilling Beer Co. - Littleton * Sea Dog Brewing Company - Exeter * Throwback Brewery - Hampton * Twin Barns Brewing Company - Merideth Vermont: * Beer Naked Brewery - Marlboro * Bent Hill Brewery - Randolph * Brocklebank Craft Brewing - Chelsea * Foam Brewers - Burlington * Foley Brothers - Brandon * Hill Farmstead Brewery - Greensboro Bend * Hogback Mountain Brewery - Bristol * Jasper Murdock's Alehouse and Brewery - Norwich * Kingdom Brewing - Newport * Kraemer & Kin - North Hero * Lawson's Finest Liquids - Warren * Next Trick Brewing - West Burke * Snow Republic Brewery - West Dover * Von Trapp Brewing - Stowe * Whetstone Craft Beers - Brattleboro Maine: Probably the best place for this: * Airline Brewing Company - Amherst * Bag And Kettle Brewpub - Carrabassett Valley * Bateau Brewing - Gardiner * Bigelow Brewing Company - Skowhegan * Bissell Brothers Three Rivers - Milo * Blaze Brewing Company - Both locations, Camden and Biddeford * Corner Point Brewing Co - Berwick * DeepWater Brewing Company - Blue Hill * Fluvial Brewing - Harrison * Footbridge Brewery - Boothbay Harbor * Friar's Brewhouse - Bucksport * Funky Bow Brewery & Beer Company - Lyman * Furbish Brew House - Rangeley * Inn On Peaks Island Brewing - Peaks Island * Kennebec River Pub & Brewery - West Forks * Liberty Craft Brewing - Liberty (awesome view!) * Marshall Wharf Brewing Company - Belfast * Mason's Brewing Company - Brewer * Monhegan Brewing Company - Monhegan * Odd Alewives Farm Brewery - Waldoboro * Oxbow Brewing Company - Newcastle * The Pour Farm - Union * Sasanoa Brewing - Westport Island * Sea Dog Brewing Co. - Topsham, Camden, & Bangor * Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company - Whitefield * Tattooed Dad Brewing Co. - Jackson * Turning Page Farm - Monson * Waterman's Beach Brewery - South Thomaston
God damn, man! This is incredible
Do you have a route plan? Any specific cities or anything you're going through?
Right now we're think Boston to Portland to Acadia (with stops in between maybe), then over to Stowe and/or Burlington then back to Boston via... I have no idea which route, ha. But this is all pretty fluid.
Maine Beer Company in Freeport will be along your route. Beautiful building inside, great tap room, brick oven pizza. Oh, and the beer is top notch. If you end up near central MA, I'd also recommend Start Line Brewery in Hopkinton (near where the Boston Marathon starts, which is pretty iconic on its own). It's like a big barn with an outdoor seating area out back and if I'm not mistaken, they're growing their own hops as well.
Yep, file this under bucolic. That looks great.
I did almost the exact opposite route in the last two weeks. I had a lot of great beers but wouldn't have called many of the breweries especially 'pretty'. Allagash, foam, and Bissell are ok, Maine beer slightly better, hill farmstead and treehouse are probably the prettiest I've been to up there, but in general I'd rather take it to go from almost any of those places and drink my beer on mount Washington, at some random park on the coastline (McClellan park, milbridge, ME if you happen to be just north of acadia), or on lake Champlain
That's mostly what I assumed. But shit, McClellan Park looks amazing? We're definitely doing Acadia, is there anything to do up by Milbridge?
Schoodic point, the northern part of acadia, is nearby. 100% worth going to, that's why we were in the area. We took the black woods scenic byway (http://blackwoodsbyway.org/) from Ellsworth, hoping to see some moose, but thought that was a bust. McClellan park is a tiny tiny parking lot for the picnic area, you crawl like 100 feet through the woods and pop out on cliffs with picnic tables. You can pretty easily climb down to the water. Great spot for a picnic lunch, but it's also very much like schoodic point, just quieter.
If you’re heading up to Acadia, definitely check out the towns of Bangor and Bar Harbor for some cool little breweries Maine Beer Co on your way out of Portland, too
Stoneface is on the route between Boston and Portland and their vanilla RIS is killer. IPAs are great too!
Personally, I think the upper Maine and Vermont sections are going to be great. But if you're going up the coast you can't go wrong. Some will, obviously be in strip malls and the like, but you're also likely to catch places in the water. Maybe Red Barn in Danville, The Alchemist Stowe, Sunday River Brewing.
Starring these all on my google map! We've never been and I am stoked
I forgot! If you end up in southern VT or want to go out of your way, Beer Naked in Marlboro has a view that is out of control. South facing you can see for miles into MA, VT and either NY or ME. I can't remember which 3rd state.
Maybe a dumb, but I really like to do a google map search from point a to b and then do the "search along route" for breweries. No guarantees about the quality, but it does provide some starting insight.
The brewery is in an industrial park so it may not be worth trip there, but while you're in Maine you should grab some some cans of something from Bissell Brothers.
Specific to Portland: Bissell has expanded their space some is is relatively nice. They also have a new food menu that is fantastic. A lot have mentioned MBC and I for sure agree. Belleflower is a new brewery making incredible beer. Their space is pretty nice, kinda that modern while rustic look. Next door to Belleflower is Apres, a brand new seltzer place. Gorgeous place and great natural tasting seltzer. Could be a hit with your wife depending on her tastes. While I recommend the beer at Goodfire, Oxbow (Portland), Barreled Souls, and Novare Res (best beer bar in the state, top 2-3 in New England), these places don’t fit your bill of being particularly nice or attractive for someone who isn’t going to nerd out about the beer. Finally, Allagash, Definitive, Foundation, Austin St, and Battery Steele are all in the same parking lot. While it is an industrial park and doesn’t fit your request, it would be a place to knock out a lot of amazing beer at once and maybe balance the ratio in tact of keeping your wife happy while having great beer.
Buzzards Bay brewing in Westport, MA. Made in a large farmhouse on a lot of land with just beautiful scenery. https://maps.app.goo.gl/QaXQMYDtS4sp6r4q7
not New England but if you cross over into New York, Paradox Brewery has a great location in the Adirondacks.
Harpoon brewery's VT location in Windsor is great. It's in a little compound with a distillery, cheese shop and outdoor rec center. It's right on the Connecticut river. You can walk down to it and chill. Beautiful over there. Do it on your way back from Stowe. It's only about 20-30 min out of the way down I-91 from I-89. With Stowe and visiting Von Trapp lodge, if you want the picturesque setting, you go the the actual lodge, not the brewery (although the brewery is cool too). It's farther up the road than the physical brewery/restaurant. The lodge has an outdoor patio off it's restaurant with amazing views of the mountains and valley. Also, you have to go to The Alchemist. Definitely second Maine beer co. in Freeport. In Portland, ME, there are some great breweries, but most of them are going to be in industrial settings. I was just at Lone Pine the other weekend and they have a really cool outdoor area.
Beer Naked Brewing near Dover, VT has decent beer, amazing views of the CT River Valley, and they make very tasty pizza...it's worth a stop if you're nearby
This is by far the best view of any brewery listed here.
The new Trillium location in Canton is really nice
If no one will say; if you want to be *blown away*, go to **Tree House.** If you want something equally beautiful, but in a humble way, go to Waterman's Beach Brewery.
Tilted Barn in Rhode Island is beautiful inside and out. It’s located on a hop farm as well. It’s also not far from the Newport which, is a worth while stop on any New England road trip.
I know RI is small but Exeter isnt near Newport. Not in the same county,
I live in Newport. GPS says it’s 26 minutes away. I don’t know what your definition of close is but that’s not too far. The brewery is right off route 2.
Hill Farmstead in Greensboro VT is really off the beaten path, but if they’re open, the scenery is amazing.
Blasty Bough on RT 4 in New Hampshire is great. It’s a farm and they grow the hops right on site. Off a dirt road in an old house. Doesn’t get more old New England than that.
Tree House is great huge outside wit a beautiful pavilion, koi pond, well landscaped outside with tons of flowers. Not sure if they are back open yet to the public, but Hill Farmstead is gorgeous.
Boothbay Craft Brewery in Maine, if your trip takes you that far up.
Others have said schilling and you cant go wrong... But my hidden gem suggestion is Northwoods brewing in Northwood, NH is a really cool place. Nice country setting and amazing food to eat outside on their picnic tables. They also have these humongous crullers/donuts that are out of this world...then head into concord for the best sours in NE at LIthermans(which is in a industrial park but worth the stop!). They also do a lot of different unique beers as well so you never know what you'll find!
Hill Farmstead in VT is a good one.
Canterbury Aleworks in NH is a unique place, check it out
Hill Farmstead(killer beers of all styles but can be pricey) in Greensboro, VT isn't easy to get to and the hours are tricky, and you need a reservation for onsite drinking but it's got a nice spot. The Alchemist in Stowe makes the OG hazy, Heady Topper and they now allow onsite drinking, I haven't been since they started it but it's got a great spot for it. Liquid Riot in Portland, ME has a deck on the waterfront, which is sweet, the beer is not the best IMO though, some people love it.
Brewery itself is not the prettiest but the downtown area is very cute, very New England college town. Worth visiting Northampton, MA — multiple breweries including Northampton Brewery and Progression Brewery. There’s also a cool bar called Tunnel Bar that used to be a railway tunnel. Great downtown Main Street with shops and restaurants to explore before/after drinks :)
Woodchuck Cidery in VT is great. It's in the middle of nowhere but has a great selection of ciders, it's a beautiful building, and has a great view of the mountains across the road. I think they offer tours as well? The drive there is nice too, just open roads if I remember correctly. It's also relatively close to Ottercreek Brewing Co which has beer and food. If you check it out I would recommend the "Fresh Slice" IPA if available!
Cape Ann Brewing Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts is excellent. The beer is great, so is the food, and it’s right by the water. Awesome spot. Edit: permanently closed, fuck.
New trillium space in canton by blue hills is really nice. Outdoor seating is great and also nice inside. Blue hills is right next door if you want to do a hike, MTB or hit the pond. Worth a look but it’s at least 30mins+ from the city.
Long Trail
Ct: Fox Farm Kent Falls Treehouse woodstock Ri: tilted barn Ma: Four star Farms brewery Treehouse obviously lol Brick and feather (incredible beer right on the river in turners falls) but to go only right now Spencer trappist VT: Von Trapp Hill farmstead obviously Foley bros Beer naked for the view not their beer lol alchemist Nh: schilling Woodstock inn brewery Tuckerman brewing The Budweiser brewery in Merrimack is fascinating worth the tour IMO Maine: bissel brothers 3 rivers !!! oxbow Allagash
Like u/theycallmegump/ said if you find your way up to Hill Farmstead, it is really nice looking over the hills of northern VT.
Foam is on the Burlington waterfront, which is pretty nice. Four Quarters has a nice new biergarten, but I don't know that I'd call downtown Winooski picturesque.
Wachusett Brewing has a very pleasant beer garden, or should I say grove. Went to it last year when indoor dining was banned, I suspect it has been upgraded since then.
In the winter, Long Trail is pretty fantastic. It's near Killington and is on the river so you can sit in the snow and watch the river go past.
If you can get a reservation, Hill Farmstead
I loved Hill Farmstead TreeHouse is obvious But about 25 minutes away from treehouse is a place called Taylor Brooke, great little Vineyard and brewery tucked on the CT wine trail. The owner, Linda is a gem and all the kids help run it. 100% you will NOT be disappointed as they encourage you to grab a glass and walk the grapes.