Hermit Thrush Brewery

Hermit Thrush has some of the best sours I've tried across the country, which is great since that's all they do! We brought food in from nearby and tried out a variety of different beers. Everything we tried was so good that we bought several canned options to take home. The bartender was also a highlight, making us feel welcome and providing awesome recommendations. I would recommend specifically visiting this area to try Hermit Thrush.

SOUR BEERS ONLY!! I felt a little strange starting with that, but most of the negative reviews are from people who went to a sour beer brewery and don't like sours. . . . I absolutely loved this place. Favorite brewery by far. Tons of different sour options. Lots of beer to go. Super friendly staff. No food here, but they were cool with me bringing my own food. Thanks all! Can't wait to come back.

Hands down they have the best sours! They have all sours, so if you are a lover of sour beer, this is your place. The beer slushy was awesome. Definitely will be back and highly recommend a stop there if you are in the area.

An absolute MUST TRY for sour beer fans and connoisseurs. The slushie was a *revelation* and every beer I sampled (and had full pours or cans of) was exceptional. One of my favorite breweries in America and among the very best in the Northeast/New England. Simply outstanding.

Sour beers can be hard to come by, but here at Hermit Thrush Brewing… they are ALL sour and they are ALL amazing! The energy here is accommodating and uplifting, making any flight combination of their MANY drafts a great time. Menu here is limited to only nuts, but they do allow outside food to be brought in (BYOF). They also have a wide selection of cans available for to go purchases!

A wonderful warming atmosphere, with games. An attentive bartender. A very good tasting. The overall experience is great, but if you want to purchase beer to go you best be prepared for a BIG check. Check out my pictures.( zoom in on cost) My favorite beer (In a tasting) for a 4 pack is $76. Really...does anyone out the buy 4 beers for $76??? If yes, please comment!! Maybe this was a joke...I never asked. But look at the price board. Besides the inflated prices for 4 packs it's wonderful.

Don't listen to these low rating reviews - if you are dumb enough to go to a Sour Brewery and give they 1 star, because you doesn't like sours, you review should be ignored. Hermit Thrush is a must see if you like Flanders Region (Lambic) Sours. The beer, staff, and tap room are great! Try a tasting for $7 and find your favorite.

Some of the most creative beers I've tried. It's an all sour brewery, but with such a variety of types. Such strong but nuances flavors (especially in their new slushy beers - something we didn't know could exist). We had raspberry gin barrel aged saison, guava agave lime sour, and several other beers. We also bought 8 different tallboy sours to take home and try. The service was fantastic too!

I read that they closed for good in April Sorry to have learned this but at least I found out before going there

Hermit Thrush is permanently closed, a couple months ago. Adding a few more characters so you can get this message lol.

Awesome little spot! The bartender was super friendly and really funny, lots of random knowledge. Be prepared, everything is sour! But very well done. You definitely need to stop in and give this place a try.

Hermit Thrush tasting room is my favorite place to visit in Brattleboro. I come here every winter for tasting of their sour beers. The brewery focuses exclusively on sour beers, which is quite unique, and the bold decision of the owners to work with wild yeast is admirable to me. There are usually 20 or so sour beers available on tap and one can order 4oz to taste which is perfect. There are also cans good for purchase as singles or 4 packs. The bar staff is super friendly too. Tasting the sour beers fermented using wild yeast at Hermit Thrush reminds me of the Belgian Lambic beers, say when visiting Cantillon in Brussels.

I am a sucker for sour beers, and Hermit Thrush was heaven for me. If you're ever passing through Brattleboro, this is a great stop to pick up some beers for home or the road. Some of my local beer shops in NYC carry their stuff, but it's definitely cheaper in person. The person who I was chatting with at the counter was extremely helpful in helping me make sense of their extensive offerings - my only regret is that I didn't have more room to fit more beer in my bag on the way back home into NYC. Can't wait to come back!

I am a gose person in terms of sour beer choice so Hermit Thrush Brewery is not my cup of tea. I really wish that some one told me how sour ale tasted like so I wouldnt come and order so many beers and wasted it all. Sour ale is bitter, nothing compared to the gose and bit on the wine side of sour-ish ale. I personally am not a fan. But i know people cant resist to visit here because they have great food options and great service. Everyone in Vermont is nice and NICER. Overall: 4 stars.

My favorite beers are sours. While in Brattleboro over the weekend, I knew I had to make a stop at Hermit Thrush Brewery since all their beers are sours. This is a very small brewery, but they have a big selection on tap or cans to go. My friend and I decided it would be best to get a flight, so we could try a few options at a time. Unfortunately, if you're getting a flight you can't choose what to get, they give you four fixed samples. I wasn't particularly impressed by any of the four. The four sours were Athenaeum, this is a light yellow, citrus not very memorable and not much of a standout. Party Jam Tangerine, this one was the best pick. It's a rich orange color, and a sharp tangerine kick. Maybe if I didn't have the others I would have enjoyed it's palate better. This one stands out in it's sourness. Supah Rye is another non standout. I really don't have much to say about it. It's more of an ale then a sour to me. Mushroom Hunt is a sour brown ale. It was ok. Again I wasn't impressed by it. At this point Hermit Thrush has left me with a sour taste, and not a good one. Until we decided to stop by their merchandise section and here we met Ben. This is where we tried their sour slushies! Yum, so refreshing and delicious! I also tried the absolute winner of my samplings Sunset Lake - Grapefruit and Rosemary! It looks like white whine! But it tastes like a dream! Maybe because grapefruit is one of my favorite fruits! Ben is an absolute gem! He didn't want me leaving feeling sour about Hermit Thrush, instead we discussed and sampled some of the best! This totally changed my view of the place. Just looking at all the fruity names I'd love to try more from the Party Jam line. That was my favorite from the flight I received. Some of the individual cans have a higher price tag then others, as high as $18. Others are more reasonable. This place is worth stopping by, it is so colorful and eye catching. I would most certainly not get a flight, but instead find Ben, and he'll offer you the best suggestions.

As avid sour fans, Hermit Thrush Brewery was on our list of activities for our VT getaway weekend. So glad they recently opened outdoor seating a few weekends prior! They recommend reservations as they have limited seating so be sure to call ahead! We brought lunch from nearby Vermont Country Deli and couldn't wait to taste some sours! Our server, Ben, was an absolute delight! So personable and helpful as we decided what to drink. We've had their sours many times before back home, so I was looking forward to trying something new. Unfortunately, they aren't doing tastings at this time but they DO have slushies! Your other option is their cans. The slushies were amazing and such a fun treat! Definitely recommend! We came early on a Sunday afternoon and were the only ones there for some time. We had great conversations with Ben and other staff. Of course, we had to go home with some cans and other goodies. We can't wait to come back post-COVID when we can visit the taproom and get a flight to try them all! YES, they're all sour. Cheers!

I came here on my friend's recommendation on a quick weekend trip to Brattleboro. Now I'm the one to highly recommend this brewery, especially if you love sours. I ordered online for pickup and the whole process was super easy. They're located right in the town center. I was a little bit taken aback by some of the prices, but if you order online you can always pick out the more affordable options. The 2 beers I tried were both amazing. Really great and friendly service. There's also a cute outdoor beer garden area if you want to hang out here. Definitely come here! Quintessential Vermont.

CALLING ALL SOUR FANS! This is such a unique brewery experience in that all of their beers on tap are sour beer. Yup, ALL of them. Even if you are not a sour fan, I'm certain you'll be able to find one that is palletable to you. The place is the type of brewery I like... Lay back, rustic charm decor, lots of wood, with self serve games that can entertain your party for hours. We came here on a quiet Monday night, so it was just us. The bartender was very nice and knowledgeable about all of the beers and gave us good recommendation on which beer to try. We were ambitious and between the 3 of us, we were able to try 16 out of the 23 beers. I never knew there are so many varieties of sour and really enjoyed tasting majority of them. They range from sweet & tart to bold & oaky. Some would even put some hair on your chest! We learned 2 new games here... Gravitas! (Rock stacking game) and Skittles (bowling with spinning wooden peg). Definitely try them out! They have beer to go in cans if you like any of them.

I'm rating this brewery solely on the experience and vibe. Though I'll comment on the beers, I really have no business doing so, as I'm more of a martini lover than a beer drinker. On a spur of the moment daytrip to VT, we spent the afternoon noon exploring a few shops on Brattleboro's awesome Main Street. It was too early for dinner so after consulting my "possibilities in Brattleboro" list, we stopped into the Hermit Thrush brewery. It is an awesome little spot just up the street from Main with street parking as well as a ticketed lot right next door. It was 2 pm on a frigid Friday afternoon and we were the only group there along with a few singles. We sat at the bar, not my favorite when with another couple for ease of conversation, but we nabbed the corner and it was awesome! Almost as awesome aaa our server, Ben who honestly made the experience the 5 star rating I'm giving it. The Hermit Thrush, named for the VT state bird, serves only sours. I literally had no clue of that walking in, but a brewery lover might want to be aware of that. I'd only tasted a sour beer one other time and wasn't a fan but you can order 2 oz tasters here and flights, so what better way to give this experience a try. Ben who was very knowledgeable about the sour levels and overall taste experience pointed out several selections he thought those in our group would enjoy. The four of us each opted for the 4 beer flights. Looking over the menu, I knew exactly what my husband would enjoy as he typically goeS for the highest Abv option: in this case the Rowdy Monk at 14.5%. For him, it was the definitive winner in his flight! Out of my choices, I liked Sour #9 the best as I liked the fruity complement. My cousin, a bourbOn lover, enjoyed the Foudre Reserve which Ben recommended upon hearing of her enjoyment of bourbon. Both of the guys liked the Rowdy Monk best! During our visit, we were regaled with many interesting VT and beer/ sour facts which made it a great daytrip experience. Our server had a winning personality: friendly, smart and quickwitted. The interior has an industrial/ minimalist vibe with several chalkboards of sour facts and info. There are counters along the windows for seaTiNg and several hightops. I did spy a few games. The serving glasses were goblet style ... honestly I'm going to rate those since I love a great tasting glass!! Yes they were perfect with a nice logo embellished in gold. Pretty classy! We had dinner plans but they also offer a grilled cheese menu if you needed a bite to eat with your beer. Overall it was a great experience. Though not a beer drinker, I've been to many breweriies in my day and I'd put the Hermit THrush Brewery in my top 3. It's definitely worth a stop if only to try the sour experience! A must stop if you're visiting Brattleboro.

This brewery is tiny and very Vermonty. They don't serve full pours, but you can get a flight of 4 tastes as well as buy cans and growlers to go. There are two sides of the tasting board: the lighter beers on one and the heavier, barrel-aged on the other. It's a bit more expensive to taste the aged ones, but you can mix up the varieties as you please to create your flight (2 pours from each side of the board came out to be $8 total). The majority of Hermit Thrush beers are quite sour. From the light side, I tried the Brooks Brown, which I found to be just alright, and the Minty Friar, which was very refreshing and not overpoweringly minty or sour. From the dark side, the Dark at 4:30 is very nice and balanced, and the Rowdy Monk is tart, fruity, and deceptively alcoholic. The space is lovely with large windows, a long bar, and a small gallery with local art in the back room. The two female staff members working that Sunday afternoon were friendly and helpful; they gave us some extra tastes for free when we were deciding which packs to buy. At Hermit Thrush, sour beer lovers will go crazy, and the rest of us will still leave mighty pleased. Get your Vermont on at this unexpectedly great find in quaint Brattleboro.

Their niche is only sours which limits it a bit but was a very cool place to hangout for one beer.

"Tart at Heart" Sour brewery !! Love it. Had 12 beers in the tasting room -10 were sours. I really enjoyed the Dark @ 430. Our host Ben was great. Funny and attentive. Place itself has a really good vibe. I don't usually give 5 stars but I like Sours and this place was perfect.

First things first, Brattleboro is the cutest town and I highly recommend stopping by if you are going up to Vermont. Second, this brewery is great! I did not realize that they only serve sour beers but it was definitely worth it to stop in and give a sample. We did the flight and asked to try every beer they had on tap, because YOLO am i right? The guy behind the bar was super friendly, passionate and knowledgeable and let us know that all the beers are brewed with local hops which I think is super awesome. He brought over the beer to where we were sitting and made sure to check in on us as we made our way down the line. The space is warm and inviting and just a good place to come in and warm up and hang with the locals.

I was purchasing some beers in Amherst, MA, (one of them was a can of beer from this place) when the gentleman working informed me that Hermit Thrush Brewery was just an easy 40 minute drive away in Vermont. I didn't realize how close we were to Vermont and since my sister & I love sour beers, we thought we would take the trip up North to check it out. We figured we could make a little evening out of it and stop at the brewery, and grab dinner somewhere. The brewery is quite small. It sits along a steeper street, and it doesn't have outdoor space. The inside is small, only a few places to stand with your beers, besides the bar. However, it was very charming inside. There's a long horizontal window that stands above the bar that allows guests to see the beautiful mountain above Brattleboro perfectly. They sell cans to-go, as well as a ton of local art. After talking with the gentleman who was working, he let me know that Matt is the owner of the brewery and his mom and dad make some of the beautiful art that is on display and for sale in the brewery. My mom and I loved the felt art and we both made purchases. Here is a summary of the beers I tried: Party Guy- Really sour brew. Almost too sour, without a ton of other flavors complimenting it. 3/5 Cassis- Really strong barrel-aged sour brew. Black currant was present in the flavors, but it was a little too strong for me to really enjoy. 2/5 Scott Farm Cascade- I really loved this brew. Sour + hops = love. One thing I really loved about this brewery is that they use a ton of ingredients from local farms- they list every place they support at the brewery and sometimes on the cans as well. 4/5 Fou D'or- One of my favorites. Golden ale, with a sour kick at the end. Delicious. 4/5 Fish In A Barrel- Super strong. This beer was aged in chardonnay barrels and you can taste that quite well. Wasn't my thing. 2/5 Green Street Sour IPA- My favorite of the bunch. Sour IPA, with tons of delicious flavor and perfectly balanced. 4.5/5 Other things to note: -All of the beers are sour. So if you don't like sour beers, you won't like it here. -Brattleboro is adorable. I highly recommend making time to check out the town when you visit this place.

Top notch sour beers! I made a stop here while passing through with friends on our way to Burlington. I was traveling with brewer friends who knew some of the staff, and we were treated with such great hospitality. We tried the whole lineup, and I left with a 4-pack or Dark at 4:30 and Po Tweet. They have a no-frills taproom that is still cozy and inviting. It was a perfect detour, and I left having so much more knowledge about sour beer. Kudos and respect to this great place!

It looked promising. A brewery with a good assortment of tastings. The server was perfectly nice and explained the tasting options. We wanted to like it. Maybe it's me (and my companion). I see many 4 and 5 star ratings. I've tasted enough and have even brewed my own. Belgian, German, Czech, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Irish, Canadian, English, and a long list of American crafts. The flavor descriptions on the board used words like "sour" and "sauer". Maybe sour is a new trendy flavor that's become really popular. We did not order any beer that was described as sour (or sauer). Maybe we just happened to walk in on "sour night". Everything we tried was SOUR. We tried four different beers and did not like a single one. One, in fact, was worth one sip only.

I was so excited for Hermit Thrush Brewery - I love sour beers. You can do a flight of 4 for $7 or buy individual tasters for $2 each. I found it especially interesting that many of their beers were barrel conditioned in wine barrels (one in a gin barrel); it was a nice chance to try something different. The entire experience was ruined by the awful service. I feel so much better reading that other Yelpers encountered the overly rude, snotty, awful brown haired woman at Hermit Thrush Brewery (and it wasn't just us). She made me feel like a stupid inconvenience (there were two other people drinking), both with her snotty responses and a fairly steady "I am so much better than you" glare. I couldn't get out of there any faster. It's a shame that this is the kind of person you meet at a decent brewery otherwise - I know if I ever returned and saw her behind the bar again, I'd turn right back around and walk out the door.

Best sour selection I've ever seen! Their alight sour is East drinking but still had a good punch, itsoured was very malty and tasty. They also had the first sour seltzer I've seen and was great. Our waiter Ben was so passionate and well informed on their beers! Just wish it was closer!

The IPA is dead, long live the Sour. Hermit Thrush has gotten ahead of the game with a beer lineup exclusively featuring sours, and excellent ones at that. It's a concept that some are afraid of (multiple people walked out after asking about it when we visited, lol), but absolutely worth a try. We tried out a few like the gin barrel saison, a 'hoppy lemonade' ale, a Belgian sour, and a few others. Unfortunately I'm not too great with the names, but the good news is they've got plenty of different recognizable styles that may suit your taste (lagers, saisons, hoppy styles, fruity infusions, etc.). You'll definitely taste tart acidity with each sip, but without the overpowering aftertaste that often accompanies other sour beers. The brewery storefront is suitable for smaller groups. They are very dog friendly! Hermit Thrush also has some games and a pool table if you choose to stay awhile. Word of warning, though, the beers are very expensive to take home. Most run $9+ per can. I totally understand that good ingredients and a small operation can drive up the price, but my wallet is still hoping they can bring the numbers down a bit.

If you like sours, THIS is your place. I cannot stress that enough. I love sours. The staff was super friendly and I couldn't ask for a more chill, comfortable place to have ad rink. Why the 4 stars? I didn't buy any beer to take home because some of their prices were outrageous. I can see their limited stuff being expensive, but $19 a can? (16 oz cans, mind you). Look, I've spent $50 on a single bottle of Dark Lord once so that's not my issue, but the price for their regular fruited sours were also pretty high. Literally my only issue, but hey we all gotta make business. I can't fault them for that at all.

Delicious beer, friendly service. Yes, they are mostly sours BUT they are all so unique tasting. I had a dark one, a clear one and the slurpee/slushy, that was AMAZING!

This brewery specializes in SOUR BEERS. If you do not like sours, you WILL NOT LIKE Hermit Thrush. Have we gotten that out of the way? Good. Great. Look, I dont want to be a That Guy, but I liked sours before they were cool so finding a brewery that specializes in my type of beer is like going to Disneyland. They got bourbon barrel, vermouth, blueberry, very sours, wine barrel, something like a gruit, herbal flavors, and so on. In fact, they have 40+ different types of sour-ish beers. Like I said, Disneyland. Anyway we interacted with several employees. They were both lovely people and almost weirdly knowledgeable. It was like beers AND an education about brewing at the same time. Two warnings: the flight is reasonable ($9 or $13, depending on your beers), but the individual cans are expensive (up to $19!). Second, they don't serve food. This is a problem, because you will want MORE delicious beer and you probably should have planned ahead, huh? Anyway, 5*, would visit again.

Sours! There's nothing like sour beers, especially when they are brewed by people who know what they're doing and the folks at Hermit Thrush know what they're doing. The space is a little confusing to me. It's not what you think of when you hear "brewery". I mean it is... they brew beer there... and you can get beer to drink. But there's no food, no bathrooms and I don't believe you can get full size beers. Just the small flight-sized pours. It's a little weird because you want to sit at the very awesome bar and taste, but you might also want a full pour. And with that you're probably going to want food. And a place to pee. But instead you can have a few tastes and fill a growler or buy cans but it's not a real hang out place despite the fact that the space and the bar are just begging for it. For a five star experience, go taste, then go out to lunch or dinner elsewhere, and then come back and get your cans or growler(s). Hopefully they expand and put in a bathroom - I'd be happy to bring in food from elsewhere, they don't need a kitchen. But the current setup could definitely use some work.

We had a great time trying the sours at Hermit Thrush! The bartender was knowledgeable and easy to talk to. We tried a variety of yummy sours and enjoyed the ambiance of the brewery. We will definitely be back!

Awesome service. Knowledgeable staff. Really good sours. 10/10 recommend. Coming back when the gin barrel sour is on tap.

What an amazing selection of sours! I've recently gotten into the sour beer thing and this place does not disappoint. If you don't like sours, too bad... that's all they have :) Super into local suppliers and great prices. $7 for a flight and growlers for $3 and $5 for the jug itself. DOGS ARE ALLOWED

Great brewery specializing in sours, with a beautiful tasting room and very knowledgeable staff that clearly love the art and craft of brewing. I recommend grabbing a flight, or better yet, grabbing a friend and ordering a sample of everything - you won't be disappointed! Growlers and cans of most drafts are available, and the prices are reasonable. Hermit Thrush is definitely worth a visit!

If it wasn't for Covid, I would have tried their beer before buying a 12 pack. I bought a 12 pack of Party Jam and I couldn't really taste the fruit, just pure sour.

Two words: Bad vibes. I visited a few weeks ago and have been sitting on writing my review because it was honestly such a weird, and uncomfortable experience. I also really hate writing poor reviews, but I feel obligated to warn others based on our experience. We arrived to the tiny tasting room, with about four other patrons inside trying beers. I thought it was such a quaint little place and really did enjoy their decor (this is where the star came from). The brunette/blackish haired woman behind the bar (seemingly the only employee there that day) truly ruined the experience. When she finally did acknowledge us, we let her know we would be ready to order a flight. She looked our way as if annoyed, nodded, then turned and continued to carry on a rather lengthy conversation with another couple at the bar as if we never said anything at all. We waited, and waited, and waited a very unusual length of time. I think it is wonderful to converse with your patrons and I believe you SHOULD, but this was especially awkward because we had just (politely) let her know we were ready, and she outright ignored us. Hard to describe, but we felt like our presence offended her and she wanted us to leave. I wish we had. Feeling like we had no other choice, my boyfriend ordered a flight. I don't usually prefer sours, so this was a special stop for him and I sipped a little of each flight. While none of them were good in my opinion, there was one absolutely horrid option that can only be described as tasting like dishwater? Soapy/dirty tasting is the only way I can describe it. It was undrinkable. I wish I remembered the name of that particular brew. We drank, paid and left as quickly as we could. I REALLY hate writing bad reviews and I rarely do unless I feel very strongly about something. I wish the service was good, because despite my feelings on their beers, being treated kindly and a cool atmosphere would have been enough for a 3 star review. It really tainted an otherwise lovely visit to Brattleboro.

Small brewery right off the Main Street in Brattleboro. Casual vibe with awesome service from very knowledgeable and friendly bartenders :) A must visit in Brattleboro!! Only thing holding this review back from a five-star rating was lack of any snacks :(

Nice variety of sours. Not enough seating and it was very hot in the place (needs better air flow). Otherwise staff is very attentive and friendly. Would recommend.

My husband and I have been frequenting Hermit Thrush since they opened a few years back. We have always adored the beers, as they are dynamic, intriguing and set the tone for great sour styles. Unfortunately, my review is 2 stars due to the horrendous "service" we received today from a very unpleasant brown-haired woman behind the bar. Besides my husband and I, there were only six other people in the establishment, and each of them were already situated with their beers in hand. My husband asked her two questions, and she met each with incredibly rude responses that made us feel stupid for asking about the prices about the cans and the tasting flights. With each question she just pointed to the board and stated "they're right there", and in a pretty nasty tone of voice. Meanwhile, I was sitting at an empty barstool while my husband looked around the tasting room, with my ID out, trying to make eye contact with this woman to order a beer. She never greeted me, and instead served two people before me who already had had beers. Even when I mentioned politely that I had been waiting to order before the two other customers she ignored me and walked away. It's really disappointing that this woman is acting as the face of an incredible brewery, because she has deterred us, longtime customers, from wanting to go back. If I were her supervisor, I would want to know about this incident because she's clearly due for an attitude adjustment.

I did not have any of the issues with service that were reported by others. Though I did not get served by a woman fitting the description either. I don't recommend stopping by for their sours unless you have no experience with the style at all. The main reason I give this brewery two stars is the general quality of their beer. I travel around the country to visit breweries for sours and the complexity of the beers is not remotely where it should be to warrant the prices. For a brewery to charge $8 a can up to $17 a can for the grand cru I expect something more resembling the quality of Hill Farmstead or at least half as good. I've had the sours from Trillium, and their barrel aged beers are much more in line with what you would expect. I could barely taste any fruit in the fruited sours that I tried. In general most of the beers were thin, lacking in barrel character, and far too subtle in tartness. If this is your first experience with sours, it can be a decent introduction but it doesn't come close to the complexity that makes the beer worth the prices they charge. So to the reviewers who said they got an education in sours from visiting Hermit Thrush, I say "You know nothing." $7 a flight seems like a good deal except they are 2oz pours. Add to that the extremely expensive cans and it makes little sense. If you are a serious beer nerd looking for another Hill Farmstead, Dieu du Ciel, Trillium, Jester King, De Garde, Suarez Family Brewery or similar level of sour you will find nothing resembling them here. Even the now defunct Green Flash Cellar 3 blew these guys away easily with the sours I enjoyed from them. I had planned on writing a blog about this place after visiting but I think the public is better served by sharing this review on Yelp.

Three stars for Hermit Thrush because I think they should be called Sour Hermit Thrush of Hermit Thrush Sours or something instead of their formal title... all the beers here are sour beer. I'm sure if you enjoy (or are ambivalent to) sours you may like or even love this place... I, unfortunately, have the pallet of an 8 year old and couldn't really enjoy anything at this place. The location is cool and the staff was awesome - visit here for sour beer! Steer clear if you fear your tastebuds puck-eer ing (I ran out of rhymes).

A sour beer lover's paradise! The biggest selection of sour beers I have ever encountered. The perfect vibe for a chill night with friends. There are games to play to add to the fun. Our bartender, Ben, was great and made us feel right at home. The Rowdy Monk and Jolly Abbot were delicious- just watch the alcohol percentage, cause you certainly won't be able to taste it! Overall highly recommended for anyone in the area who loves sours and a nice ambiance.

Amazing selection of sours! Delish! Our server/bartender was friendly and very knowledgeable about their beers.

Hipsters, beer fanatics and indie college kids would love this! I loved it too and I'm none of those. It's a low key beer place where you can taste beer and buy some to go. It's a small room and not much seating. One or two video games. The lady behind the bar seems shy, doesn't talk much and you need to say hi to her first, in order for her to make eye contact and get your order. Overall great beer, cool atmosphere, some nice pottery but a bit of a "cold" feel from the servers.

So as everyone says and the brewery is constantly saying, they only brew sours. Which are good and worth trying even if you think you don't like them. Service is very friendly and eager to curate a selection for tastings and show off their beers. Variety is astonishing, maybe about 3 dozen cans? It is NOT cheap, even accounting for the fact this a boutique craft brewery in VT. Perhaps some of the four-packs are about what you would pay in your local packie (in New England), but the singles (which is really the best way to sample so many complex beers) start at $5 and go up to double digits.It's probably just about worth it for the hospitality. If it's nice outside, sit and combine your quaff with a dish from the Thai takeout sharing their space. If you want to sit inside they also stock a couple of their brews down at River Garden. Definitely one of the more unique brewery experiences I've had, and definitely more memorable brews vs. the other brewery in town (Whetstone).

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Awesome ambience and really nice bar tender. We came in right at closing and he was nothing but gracious and welcoming! PO TWEET is my favorite; Immediately bought 2 four packs then ran to the coop and bought more. This is a brewery so it is tasting only, no full glasses. Hoping this changes in the future because it would be such a fun place to hang out!!!

Pretty solid! I exclusively drink sours, and had recently picked up a can of Brattlebeer, so I was super excited to visit. Hubs and I both got a flight and a few additional tastings. I was hoping to get a growler of Brattlebeer but it's only canned, so I picked up two 4-packs ($32 each!) since it was cheaper than buying cans in a store. Overall, I enjoyed the beers I had (Tall, dark, & handsome; Supah Phunk #7; Fou d'or; Fish in a barrel; Grosseille). I've had Cassis before and wasn't super fond of it, so I skipped that one. Overall, my favorites were the tall/dark/handsome and Fou d'or and Grosseille). They only do flights/small pours as the bartender said they must serve food in order to do full pours. The bar stools are really uncomfortable, but overall, the beers are nice. There was nothing I wanted a growler fill of, but they're easy-drinking sours. Hit the nearby Brattleboro co-op and get some local cans.

Awesome sour beer in a cool looking location with friendly service. I've been here twice in a few months and love the rotating selection of beers for tasting. A great stop in a cool ass town.

Fantastic brewery! We tried all the sours and they were fantastic. Loved the grilled cheese as well. The staff was so friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back!

If you are a sour fan like I am, Hermit Thrush is great for a visit. People are friendly and knowledgable. No bathroom and no pours - just samples and growlers.

My girlfriend and I felt unwelcome as soon as we walked in. I was really looking forward to trying this place and went in with high hopes. The bartender hardly looked our way despite being 2 of 6 people in the entire place. I tried to place an order for a flight but she continued to carry on a conversation for 5 minutes with two other patrons, despite letting her know we had been ready to order. In the end, the beer was average. There was one particular variety that was undrinkable, it tasted like soapy water. I love sour beers and was really excited to try them based on other reviews. I don't think we will visit this place again.

These guys have a great taproom and a really nice variety of beers. Try the Cuvée! The SIPA too. Can and growlers. Easy to get to and park. The only downside I see is that they don't have a bathroom. You can use the public ones down the street which is fine. Definitely stop in. You'll be glad you did.

Probably the best sour beer I've ever had. Tried a bunch of different ones and can't wait to go back. It's a small brewery-don't know how packed it gets but not many people when I went. Wait staff was also super friendly.

I think I'm in love. Until recently I never heard of Hermit Thrush but a local Brattleboro bar had their Silly Friar beer on tap. I ordered a pint and that was the start of a beautiful brew-mance. If this beer is classified as silly then call me Mr Goofy. I understand Hermit Thrush claims their beers to be sour beers, but I didn't think Silly Friar tasted sour at all. On the contrary I found it to be quite smooth with no aftertaste. It had a refreshing lemony taste to it. I could drink that stuff 24 hours 7 days a week.