Steve Koenemann

Montbeerlier, VT 05602

This is a story of two successes at once, sort of like a piece of tasty candy with a yummy center. The first of these, the “tasty candy”, has to do with an event which occurred recently in my home town of Montpelier, VT. On May 1^st of this year the Three Penny Taproom (TPT), located right on Main Street downtown, celebrated its first year anniversary in truly GRAND style… with Montpelier’s very first beer festival… a Montbeerlier Festival. I have lived in and around the Montpelier area for nearly 40 years and, though some of those years were prior to my appreciation for craft beer (but I am not saying exactly how many years), I do not remember there ever being a public event dedicated solely to the enjoyment of beer… and it has been a long time coming (just saying).

I am certain that some of you from larger, more densely populated areas… Montpelier is the nation’s smallest state capital at only about 7,700 residents… would see this as an insignificant event hardly worth mentioning. However, nothing could be further from the truth in this case. The event was held in a small (less than 100 yards squared) parking lot owned by another store in back of the TPT’s storefront location. The event was attended by an estimated (by me) 750 people. Not big you say… figure that if they were all from Montpelier, this would represent nearly 10% of Montpelier’s total population. They were not all from Montpelier, of course, and more likely hailed from the entire northern part of New England and even some from southern Quebec, Canada. The event featured 12+ casks of beer from quality brewers all over the US… Stone, Stoudt’s, Otter Creek, Hill Farmstead, Trapp Family, Zero Gravity, Berkshire Brewing, Lawson’s Finest and Smuttynose. As a matter of fact a couple of the brewers offering these beers accounted for 4 of the 6 medals won by Vermonters at the recent WBC 2010 Competition (see Vermonters Take WBC by Storm for details). By just about any measurement you want to apply, this was a very successful event and one that the TPT hopes to repeat annually… Bravo!

WBC medal winner Sean Lawson (tan hat)

More importantly, the “yummy center”, has to do with the overwhelming success of the Three Penny Taproom as a small business in this small Vermont community. Unlike many other parts of the country, the “taproom” as a business model is a very new arrival in the Vermont marketplace. There have always been bars here, of course, but TPT was really the first to carve out this niche in any kind of an organized way… and they did so in tiny Montpelier, rather than one of the more populated regions of the state… and they started in tough economic times… talk about your risk takers!

The TPT "Boys" hustling for the crowd

Owners Scott Kerner, Wes Hamilton and Matt McCarthy have all “kicked around” the Central Vermont business scene for years… Scott has worked as a bartender at various locations in the area for more than 14 years, Wes (among many other skills) was one of the founders of the Langdon Street Cafe (another downtown Montpelier business) and Matt actually worked as a brewer for The Shed in Stowe. Together the three of them bring what are, apparently, the right mix of skills and talents to make this business not just simply prosper, but boom! The TPT has become a true phenomenon in the Vermont beer scene. As “they” will tell you, imitation is the highest form of flattery and as you scan the local Vermont papers you might be able to count as many as 6 other businesses advertising themselves as having a “taproom”. The use of that term, not to mention the capabilities that that word implies, did not exist prior to the appearance of the Three Penny Taproom and most of these “copycats” have appeared within the last 6-9 months. I think that this is sure sign that the TPT has hit the nail on the head and set a very high bar for these other establishments to meet. Perhaps the surest sign that the TPT has hit its stride is the fact that the Montpelier chapter of Rotarians holds a once-monthly “beer meeting” at the TPT for a couple of hours during a “Thirsty Thursday” evening… even the “good old boys” of the local Montpelier business community like the TPT!

TPT's "Mr. Beer", Scott Kerner

I believe that competition from these “look-alikes” is a wonderful thing and that this can only help to expand the beer market in Vermont, a market which has been notorious in the past for the limited selection of beers available within its borders. Taprooms, like the TPT, which cater to the growing crowd of craft beer drinkers in this state, which both like and are accustomed to drinking high-end and, sometimes, hard to obtain brews, will provide some much needed momentum to the craft beer movement in Vermont and, perhaps, across much of northern New England.

In addition to becoming a successful business monetarily, the TPT also does what every successful business must; support the community that they live and work in. Events surrounding Earth Day, local charities and many other causes are all apart of the overall appeal of this business community member. Scott, Wes and Matt have paid their “dues”, probably long before founding the Three Penny Taproom, and it is refreshing to me to see all of their experience and hard work come together in the form of this highly successful venture. I truly look forward to the next Montbeerlier Festival… not only for the good time and the great beer, but also as an affirmation that my favorite Montpelier watering hole will likely be around for another year. Thanks guys… I love your place!

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Username (required) :
Email (required) :
Web Site :
Comment :

CAPTCHA Code *