The Alchemist and Heady Topper: how a Waterbury brewpub changed Vermont beer
Photo: Alt Content, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Jen and John Kimmich opened The Alchemist as a brewpub on Main Street in Waterbury in 2003. John brewed a hazy, intensely hoppy double IPA called Heady Topper that developed a following among regulars.
In 2011 the couple opened a small cannery to package Heady Topper. Weeks later, Tropical Storm Irene flooded Waterbury and destroyed the brewpub. They chose not to rebuild it and focused on the cannery instead.
Lines out the door
Heady Topper, sold in 16-ounce cans that tell drinkers to drink from the can, became one of the most sought-after beers in the country. Beer rating sites ranked it at or near the top for years. Because supply was limited and distribution was mostly in Vermont, people drove for hours to stores on delivery days, and Waterbury and Stowe saw a new kind of tourist.
The Kimmichs deliberately kept production modest and distribution local. In 2016 they opened a larger brewery and visitor center in Stowe, giving fans a place to buy beer directly and making the brewery itself a stop.
The ripple effect
The Alchemist’s success, along with breweries such as Hill Farmstead in Greensboro and Lawson’s Finest Liquids, made Vermont one of the leading states for craft breweries per capita and helped define the New England IPA style. Brewery visits are now part of the state’s tourism marketing.
Beer sales across the industry have cooled in recent years, and some Vermont breweries have closed or consolidated. The Alchemist has stayed focused on a small range of beers, and Heady Topper remains the one most people ask for.
