Brewery Profile

McNeills Brewery

For many years, a visit to Brattleboro’s beer scene could include a stop at the fire truck red building on Elliott Street across from the local fire station. From the street, McNeills Brewery did not necessarily read like a large commercial operation; its hand-painted mural, bold sign, and compact frontage were part of its character. Inside, visitors found a small bar and taproom shaped as much by conversation as by the beer itself. Ray McNeill was central to that atmosphere, often anchoring the bar or greeting patrons, and the place became known locally as a community fixture rather than a polished destination built for passing traffic.

Travelers in southeastern Vermont often look for stops that feel tied to a town rather than separated from it: walkable downtowns, informal bars, local regulars, and places where the room matters as much as the list of pours. McNeills fit that kind of itinerary. It offered a break in Brattleboro for people moving through the Connecticut River Valley or spending time in the town’s shops, restaurants, and arts venues. The experience was not defined by a catalog of visitor amenities in the usual brewery-tour sense; it was more about being in a distinctive room, in a distinctive building, with the founder’s presence strongly woven into the identity of the place.

Prospective visitors should know that McNeills Brewery is no longer operating. Its run ended on December 2, 2022, when a fire destroyed the building and killed Ray McNeill, who lived in an apartment above the brewhouse. Because of the structural damage, the building was demolished the following day. There is therefore no taproom to visit, no current bar service to check, and no on-site amenities to plan around. For those interested in Brattleboro beer history, the former Elliott Street location remains part of the town’s recent memory, but any practical brewery visit now requires looking to other current businesses in the area.

McNeills Brewery operated for decades as a community fixture in Brattleboro, Vermont, known primarily for the unique atmosphere cultivated by its founder, Ray McNeill. Located in a distinctive fire truck red building across from the local fire station, the brewery housed a small bar and taproom on Elliott Street. The structure, which featured a hand-painted mural and an ostentatious sign, often obscured its true size from the street. Ray McNeill, who frequently anchored the bar or greeted patrons, was central to the establishment's identity, fostering a convivial environment that attracted both local residents and visitors seeking respite in the southeastern corner of the state. The brewery's run ended abruptly on December 2, 2022, when a fire destroyed the building, resulting in the death of McNeill, who resided in an apartment above the brewhouse. Due to the structural damage, the building was demolished the following day.

Website available

90 Elliot St, Brattleboro, Vermont, 05301-3269

Phone: 8022542553

Website: https://allaboutbeer.com/ray-mcneill-of-mcneills-brewery-remembered/