Dans un brouepub loin de chez vous	Les nouvelles du spore	Mon TOP 25	La remise des gloutons	In a far from you

McNeill's Brewery 90 Elliot Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 Tel.: (802) 254-2553 Open Monday to Thursday from 4pm Friday to Sunday from 2pm		Distance from Montreal: 394.1km Intercity Transporter: www.vermonttransit.com Bus Terminal: 1108 Putney From the terminal to the pub: 4.3km Local Transporter: Brattleboro BeeLine

No brewery gives me as much emotions as Ray McNeill's, and no city gives me as much emotions as the charming small town of Brattleboro and its 12,000 inhabitants. Located in Vermont's south-eastern corner, this city, which was founded in 1724 (making it the state's oldest town), offers an incredible architecture with its three-storey red brick buildings. This is a city where time seems to have stopped in 1967, with its many used books and records stores, and clothing stores from the sixties, and this is why we shouldn't be surprise to see signs saying: "Disarm Iraq, then USA"!

As for the pub, it makes me melt each time I visit. Located in an old fire station, it offers a funky decor with its lion head, its giant clock, its giant chair, and several objects from various breweries. This pub is also a true "public house" where the customers prefer the bar to the tables in order to chat it up with other customers.

One of these customers is the eccentric, yet loveable, Alfred Hughes, who has a very good knowledge of the beers. Alfred is very easily noticeable because he has a strong sense of the spectacle with his extravagant costumes in addition to his Tom Waits voice, his Mick Jagger mimics, and his Grace Jones personality. Another remarkable person is Steve, one of the bartenders. This Gene Wilder clone is very obliging and I've quickly noticed that we had the same musical tastes, 'cause Steve plays extremely soft records like Neil Young's Harvest Moon or Norah Jones' Come away with me, well rendered by those superb Boston Acoustics loudspeakers, which contributes to the pleasures I experience during my visits. You'll also possibly be able to meet the very enjoyable Hugh Keelan, Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic, who handles french as well as the baton. And I wouldn't want to overlook the very great kindness of the remainder of the staff like Krista, KC, Harland and Otis.

Alfred Hughes	Hugh Keelan

A Brattleboro artist, William Hays, made these portraits which represents Alfred Hughes and Ray McNeill. William Hays: "Alfred is the local drag queen and a dancer. I asked him to come in costume to the sessions. He did. The masks are mostly from my collection and are references to Alfred's personality. Ray owns and operates McNeill's pub and brewery in Brattleboro. He is responsible for some of the best beer this side of the Atlantic. Along with that, he plays a mean cello."

The brewery crafts as many as 40 different varieties of beer, almost all of British inspiration, and many of them could easily be regarded as the best beer in the world, because they are absolutely remarkable. In spite of the industrial quantity of hops that is used in their making, these beers remain superbly balanced thanks to the vigorous malt support.

There are generally 15 beers on tap as well as 3 beers on cask, the most regular being the Extra Special Bitter, Dead Horse IPA, and Duck's Breath Bitter. These cask beers are called "real ale" in England because they are neither filtered, nor pasteurized, nor pushed by carbon dioxide during the service. This "non-intervention" makes it such that these beers preserve all of their flavours and gives them a mouthfeel so smooth that you will have the feeling of drinking a cloud. You can recognize these beers by the "beer engine", a long vertical lever that the barman must pump to get the invaluable liquid.

If you can't get to Brattleboro, the second best place to taste McNeill's beers is without a doubt the Muddy Waters, at 184 Main in Burlington, which always have 3 of their beers on tap.

McNeill's kitchen menu is very limited but offers a delicious choice with a remarkable platter of nachos bathing in a salsa created by Ray himself, which brings out flavours of olive oil and goat milk cheese, in addition to a brand new Chicken Blackbean Burrito, and some absolutely divine lebanese sandwiches from the Sarkis Market, situated at 50 Elliot, a few steps from McNeill's, the falafel sandwich being irresistible. It is also possible to bring your own food.

All this to say that McNeill's is, for me, the best brewery and the most beautiful brewpub in the world. "On the roller coaster ride, that my emotions have to take me on... "

To savour

An interview with Ray McNeill about Vermont's beer market.

A fantastic article, "Master of the brew", from the Rutland Herald about Ray McNeill.

Another interesting article, "This brewer's sounds and suds are sweet", from the Boston Globe.

A real jewel from Andy Crouch: The Ray McNeill Interview.

The Sponge Awards

This section aims at honouring the beers which have received my perfect score of 4 sponges at least once during my last 4 visits at that brewery. However the score also takes into account all of the tastings of these same beers during these last 4 visits.

Ol' RingWorm Ale   

A majestic beer, of incredible smoothness. A happy marriage of caramel and alcoholic warmth, making this gem so soothing.

Alle Tage Alt Bier   

Very smooth with hazelnut and caramel flavours on a beautiful bitterness.

Extra Special Bitter      

Served in cask, this beer is also so creamy that it feels like it was nitro-dispensed. Nice apricot flavours on a beautiful bitterness. It's smooth, smooth, smooth!

Dead Horse IPA      

Served in cask, this beer is a much less bitter version of the Extra Special Bitter.

Bucksnort Barleywine   

An exceptional marriage of grapes, caramel, apricots and alcohol.

Pullman's Porter   

Beautiful flavours of roasted barley with hints of chocolate and hazelnuts and a beautiful bitterness in this beer which, at its best, can be astounding, overwhelming, and exceptional.

Ruby Red Ale   

Without a doubt the best beer in the world. A beer with incredible hops, with hints of vanilla, hazelnut, and caramel.

Exterminator Bok   

A nice marriage of red berries and alcohol with a nice caramel finish.

Tartan Export Ale   

A sublime marriage of caramel and smokey notes.

Oatmeal Stout     

An industrial quantity of chocolate, hops and smokey flavours.

Updated on August 19, 2006