Short answer: on Darling Hill in Lyndonville, Vermont, at the Wildflower Inn, every day of the year.
Edward, Hill Farmstead's Vermont pale ale, is our best-selling beer by a wide margin, and it is here every single day. Lawson's Sip of Sunshine, the flagship India Pale Ale from Lawson's Finest Liquids, is always here too. We pour both at both of our bars: the main restaurant bar, open 365 days a year, and Trailside, which sits directly on the Kingdom Trails. Hill Farmstead's brewery is 38 minutes west of us in Greensboro Bend, which makes this about as close to the source as you can drink it without standing in the line. You do not need to be a guest to drink here.
You can get an Edward without leaving the trail network
This is the part riders do not expect.
Trailside is not near the Kingdom Trails. It is on them, behind Rifugio, the bike shop in the red barn. Both beers are poured there. So you can roll up in your riding shoes, drink an Edward looking west over the valley, and be back on the singletrack in twenty minutes.
Or stay for the sunset. Most people stay for the sunset.
The two beers people actually drive for
Edward is Hill Farmstead's Vermont pale ale, from the Ancestral series they name after family. It is the one people mean when they say they are going to Hill Farmstead. It is also, by a distance, the best-selling thing behind our bar, and it has been for years.
Sip of Sunshine is the flagship IPA from Lawson's Finest Liquids, the Vermont brewery out of Waitsfield. Eight percent, loud with Citra hops, tropical and floral. It is the other beer people plan trips around.
Having both, all the time, in one place, thirty-eight minutes from Greensboro Bend, is the part visitors are usually surprised by. There is no line here and no allocation drop to wait for. There is a table, a view west, and a kitchen.
Hill Farmstead's
Harvest Festival of Ales and Lagers is the biggest beer weekend the Kingdom gets, and our full weekend plan lays out what to do on either side of it.
Two bars, both beers
The main restaurant bar is up the hill and open
365 days a year. This is where the year-round promise lives: Edward, Sip of Sunshine, dinner, the sunset over Burke Mountain from the deck, breakfast in the morning. Open on Christmas.
Trailside is the one on the trails, behind Rifugio's red barn, with espresso alongside the beer and seating that looks west over the valley. Same two beers. Trailside is seasonal and weather dependent, so give us a call at 802-626-8310 before you count on it.
Either way you are drinking the same thing. The difference is whether you arrive on a bike or on foot.
What else is behind the bar
At Trailside the coffee side runs the espresso classics: lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, cortados, and iced coffee for the warm days. Beyond Edward and Sip of Sunshine there are rotating drafts and hard cider, and lemonade and hot tea for the kids and the designated drivers.
The food leans healthy on purpose, because nobody wants to climb Sidewinder on a heavy stomach. Wraps, salads, chicken salad croissants, and a charcuterie board worth splitting when the whole crew rolls in.
You do not need to be a guest
Day riders are welcome. Park free, ride the network, end your day here. If you are renting or your bike needs attention, Rifugio in the red barn handles premium mountain bike, gravel and e-bike rentals, repairs, e-bike charging, and has a bike wash station.
And if you are here for the beer rather than the bikes, that is fine too. Plenty of people drive up from St. Johnsbury or over from Greensboro for dinner and a pint and drive home again.
The midweek secret
Here is what regulars know:
the Kingdom Trails on a Tuesday are a different sport. Empty trails, no wait at the bar, and better math on the room. Book direct and stay five or more nights and 15% comes off your entire stay automatically. Stay 15 to 30 nights and it is 20% off. Ride all day, walk to dinner at the Restaurant and Pub, and do it again in the morning. Dogs are welcome in select rooms.
In the autumn it is worth timing. Our week-by-week guide to
when foliage peaks in the Northeast Kingdom tells you which week the hillside turns.
Getting here
The Wildflower Inn, 2059 Darling Hill Road, Lyndonville, VT. Trailside is behind Rifugio, the red barn on the property. If you are on the Darling Hill trails, you are already close. Burke Mountain is 8 minutes away and Lake Willoughby is 26.
Want a bed at the end of the trail?
Check availability and book direct, or compare every room and building in our guide to
where to stay at Kingdom Trails.
Frequently asked questions:
Where can I drink Hill Farmstead beer in the Northeast Kingdom?
At the Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville, every day of the year. Edward is our best-selling beer. The brewery itself is 38 minutes west in Greensboro Bend.
Do you always have Edward?
Yes, every day. It is the best seller behind our bar and has been for a long time.
Do you have Sip of Sunshine?
Always. It is the flagship IPA from Lawson's Finest Liquids.
Do I have to be a guest to drink or eat here?
No. The restaurant and pub are open to everyone, 365 days a year.
Is Trailside open right now?
Trailside is seasonal and weather dependent. Call us at 802-626-8310 and we will tell you straight. The main restaurant bar up the hill is open every day of the year regardless, and it pours the same two beers.
Can I ride up to the bar?
Yes. Trailside sits directly on the Kingdom Trails behind Rifugio's red barn, and both beers are poured there. Riding shoes are the normal dress code.
Which bar has Edward?
Both of them. Edward and Sip of Sunshine are served at Trailside and at the main restaurant bar.
-The Wildflower Team
