The Alchemist, Stowe
In 1994, a 23-year-old John Kimmich packed his life in his car and drove from his home near Pittsburgh to Vermont. His goal? To learn the craft of brewing from the master Greg Noonan. A year later, Greg appointed John as head brewer in his Burlington Vermont Pub & Brewery. But even more important than achieving that position?
He met Jen Mailly, who also worked at the renowned pub. Love at first sight, and the couple married in 1996. Together, this dynamic duo established The Alchemist in 2003, a 60-seat brewpub in Waterbury where John cranked out dank IPAs including a little beer known as Heady Topper. Vermont’s craft beer scene has never been the same.
The silver and black can that started a craze. Photo: Shane Rumrill
The reason for their success? “We’ve followed our gut for the last 20 years, and it seems to lead us to our next stage,” John says. Or as Jen puts it, “We built The Alchemist around our values and tried to stay true to ourselves. The standards that earned us our Certified B Corp rating in 2017 have always driven our decisions: community, sustainability, and the environment. Our goal has been to make this business profitable enough to sustain our employees with a livable wage and benefits while giving back to the community.”
The Kimmichs never dreamed how the public’s unquenchable thirst for their fresh, unfiltered IPAs would transform the business into a small empire. The Alchemist opened a production facility in Waterbury in 2011 and a second brewery and retail shop in Stowe in 2016.
A phalanx of stainless steel brewing tanks at The Alchemist in Stowe
Post-Covid, Jen redesigned the space into a vibrant, funky café filled with psychedelic art and groovy beats. “Art is hugely important to us, so we’ve always supported local artists and offered space for them to display their work,” Jen says. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, The Alchemist released an augmented reality app that brings the brewery’s artwork on cans, coasters, and murals to life, helping connect viewers to the artists. Seriously cool and slightly trippy.
The Stowe café has 20 beers rotating on tap that you can’t buy elsewhere, an enticement to taste fresh pours—as if you needed a nudge. Up to eight varieties of canned beer are available—including Heady Topper, Focal Banger, Skadoosh (an American IPA), and Luscious (a British-style Imperial stout)—with new releases each month. Just Say Gay returns for Pride month in June, in a rainbow-on-black can. “This beer represents what we stand for and shows solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community,” John notes. A portion of the sales goes to programs in Vermont that support LGBTQ+ organizations.
The Alchemist Foundation, another philanthropic commitment the Kimmichs started in 2016, provides scholarships for local youths in the Route 100 corridor from Warren to Eden. “We find it most impactful to focus our efforts on the communities where we live,” Jen explains. “Human connection is the most important thing to us. We’ve created this world that just feels right, surrounding ourselves with like-minded, forward-thinking people.”
The Alchemist produces special releases each month available only at the Stowe café and retail shop. Photo: Shane Rumrill
John concludes, “Life is brief, hectic, and crazy. All you can do is channel and emit a positive vibe that you want to see in the world and hope it coalesces into something bigger than you as an individual.”
Words of wisdom from a true alchemist.
