Saturday afternoon on the patio. A Lawson's Finest Liquids tap takeover, a brat plate, and live music from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. That is Beer & Brats at Union Underground, and it slots perfectly into the Manchester Food & Wine Festival weekend on Saturday, May 23rd.
The ticket covers two pints of Lawson's pours, bratwurst, German potato salad, and red cabbage bites with cheese sauce. A rep from the brewery will be on hand, pouring pints and talking about the beer. A local guitarist plays through the afternoon.
We stopped by Union Underground earlier this spring to scout the patio and shoot a few photos. Now the brats might be served on May 23rd, but the bacon cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, and Asian salad all pair perfectly with some Lawson's right now.
Union Underground and Lawson's have worked together before. They've collabed on trivia nights at the bar, and last summer they shared the bill at the Manchester Bluegrass Festival. "We just have a good rapport with them," Sara Kimball, who runs Union Underground with Nate Brown, said.
Sara's pitch for the event is that it rounds out the festival schedule. The festival as a whole caters to a bit more polished aesthetic, and they wanted something more casual in the middle of the day to help balance it. Nate framed it differently: different festival partners run what they are good at running. The farms host pasture walks. Union Underground hosts a killer patio and great beer.
Saturday is the busiest day on the festival schedule, and the lineup pairs naturally. The Pasture Walk and Cheese Tasting at Woodlawn Creamery in Pawlet runs from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Sip, Savor & Stroll at the Southern Vermont Arts Center wraps at 2:00. Beer & Brats opens the patio at 3:00. Hildene's Food & Wine Pairing starts at 4:30. Pick what works best for you and your crew, and you're going to have a blast.
Memorial Day weekend also marks Manchester's unofficial summer kickoff, and Union Underground is leaning into it. Live music runs three days a week on the patio all summer, with a full event calendar through the season. Saturday's session is the first, and not to be missed.
Tickets are on Eventbrite. Patio opens at 3.
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Grab tickets to Beer & Brats on the Patio
See the full festival lineup at vermontfoodfestival.com
Must be 21+ to consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
