Jen came over , we went into the back alley , and she had the first can . She popped it open , we each chugged half , and then she had to get back to work . It was this big , anti-climactic thing .”
He continues : “ When I finally got out of there … every time I get to this part , I get choked up … and got back to the brewery , there was a line of people out the door buying Heady right off the canning line . Everyone was a mess , muddy and shellshocked . It was just so satisfying . We knew everyone was going to go home or wherever they were able to go , sit down , and enjoy a Heady .” Amid tragedy , sometimes the smaller things in life , like sipping a top-notch beer made by hard-working entrepreneurs in your own community , can provide a moment of delicious calm and a needed sense of stability .
Though the pub was ruined , they realized how lucky they were to have the brewery and canning facility operating . They poured all their money into it and focused solely on increasing production . Happily , they were able to hire back all the available employees they lost from the flood within a year . Without Jen ’ s bold idea and John ’ s full support to open this second brewery , the Alchemist might not exist today . Timing is everything . But would they open a second pub again someday ?
The Beer Café at Stowe
The success of their canning and distribution operation ultimately led to the opening of the Stowe Brewery and Welcoming Center in 2016 . This time , they opted out of the restaurant model and decided to focus on providing a beer café for their customers . “ It ’ s about great beer ,” says John , “ but it ’ s also about the place , the experience . That ’ s what our goal is here with the beer café that Jen put so much effort and thought into . We get that awesome interaction with our customers , sharing a beer together and just talking , without the
Contact The Alchemist Brewery for a tour
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