Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery

Waterfront Restaurant and Brewery proudly pouring some of the best craft beers in New England, alongside a locally sourced, inspired pub-fare menu. Come see why we’ve been called “One of the Best Places for a Beer in Vermont” and “Vermont’s Best Beer Bar.”

When we opened the Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery in 2012, we started with a 3.5-barrel (108.5 gal) brew system located right in the restaurant on Bridge Street. It was hard to believe that we could produce over 1,000 kegs of our beer each year from our tiny little brewery, and almost every drop of it sold right on site, at one of our bars or in our bier garten.

However in the summer of 2019, we started brewing in our brand new 15-barrel (465 gal) production brewery on 39 Frost Street in Brattleboro, and a bigger brew house means more Whetstone beer is available to fill your bellies! As of now, we have 4 fermenters which allows us to have upwards of 1,890 gallons of beer fermenting at one time, and we plan to expand our production in the future. With this new system, we are also now able to produce enough beer to expand our house draft taps at the restaurant. Also expect to see more Beer-To-Go in crowlers at the restaurant and at the Frost Street brewery, as we’re now able to produce more than ever!

The beers that we produce regularly are our Flagship “Whetstoner” Session IPA and it’s bigger brother “Big ‘Stoner” Vermont Double IPA. Our beers are also available in crowlers in limited releases which take place on Friday afternoons. You’ll also find our Flagship Big ‘Stoner, Off the Rails, Mug Life and Hot Ticket in regular rotation. Most of our other beers fall into our “Nonconformist” series, because…

We are an experimental brewery – each brew is extremely unique and typically incorporates something that is non-traditional. We publish all of our process and recipes on our website and, with the exception of the flagship beers, we never brew the same beer twice.

We’re not looking to be the next household name, we’re interested in figuring out more about the magic that happens in the brewing process, making some delicious beers along the way. Believe it or not, there’s still a world of unknowns in brewing science. With a microbiologist on hand and a combined 30 years of brewing experience, we take pride in “brewing differently”. We hope that you’ll enjoy our creations and appreciate the variety and complexity of the experimental batches we produce.

History

We’d like to think the Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery idea came out of many long discussions, deep thought and careful design. In reality, the whole plan was hatched on a late summer day in 2011 over a chance beer at nearby Harpoon Brewery.

The partners in this endeavor, Tim and Amy Brady and David Hiler, all live and base their businesses in Brattleboro, Vermont. However, many of their various hospitality consulting jobs were not only out of town, but out of state. So, despite the close proximity of their homes, the three found themselves spending time together only when they were in cities such as Anaheim, Atlanta, Charleston and Little Rock, where they would take time out from whichever conference they were attending to seek out the local brewpub.

It was on one of these out of town meetings that Tim and David hit upon the idea of the Whetstone Station. Unknown to each other at the time, Tim was seeking a new challenge after successfully operating their Bed and Breakfast and craft beer bar, Forty Putney Road for the past five years, while David was hoping to find something closer to home to allow him more time with his family. Tim and David were lamenting the loss of the Riverview Café in Brattleboro, a fantastically located restaurant well known for its spacious deck, spectacular views and Vermont Fresh cuisine, which had gone out of business a year earlier. Brattleboro offers numerous boutique and specialty stores, live music, farmers markets and The Latchis, a downtown 30-room Art Deco hotel and 750 seat theater. The location on Bridge Street, at the base of downtown and across from the Amtrak station, is near all of it and provides both an accessible spot for a quick bite or a welcome respite after a long day of work or play. They both hoped someone would buy it who could do it right. Tim thought Brewery. David was thinking Restaurant. At that moment they realized who the right people might be.

With the help of the local community, the Brady’s and Hiler set about the task of remodeling, revamping and revising the former run down cafe into a newly designed, industrial themed, brewpub and casual dining spot. Today the Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery features an unparalleled array of house brewed, regional micro-brewed and international beers complemented by a fresh and unique menu with an emphasis on small plates, comfort foods and grilled dishes, made using local products whenever possible. All offered in a high-ceilinged dining room or on two outdoor decks overlooking the Connecticut River and beyond to Mount Wantastiquet.

7 years later we’re humbled by the support of the community both near and far. We’ve expanded our business to include our amazing Bier Garten, a Campground, Inn and Entertainment center a new Food Truck operation and soon a new production brewery.

We’re proud to be part of the vibrant town of Brattleboro, Vermont, known as the gateway to Vermont, a warm and welcoming small town with a distinctly cosmopolitan feel.

We’d like to personally welcome you to our town and to our restaurant and brewery. We look forward to showing you why we wanted so much, to come home.

Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery is an independent craft brewer.

Inside the dining area at Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery in Brattleboro, Vermont