Emma Arian, Executive Director, Vermont Brewers Association
“The Vermont Brewers Association’s mission is to promote and strengthen the culture of craft brewing in Vermont through marketing, education, and advocacy for Vermont-made beer.” –Emma Arian
The Vermont Brewers Association will turn 30 next year. This organization advocates for all aspects of Vermont beer, from marketing to events to education for brewers and consumers. I sat down for a conversation with Executive Director Emma Arian who has the amazing job of visiting as many Vermont breweries as she can. Some people have all the luck!
Okay, so we all know Vermont has become a beer mecca. How did our brave, little, and obviously thirsty state earn that reputation?
Emma Arian: Because Vermont beer is simply incredible thanks to our amazingly talented and creative brewers. It all started with Greg Noonan who kicked off the craft beer scene in 1988 with his Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington. Then The Alchemist, Lawsons, and Hill Farmstead became real magnets for craft beer enthusiasts in the mid to late 2000s, and that inspired a slew of other breweries to get started. Now we have nearly 70 breweries of all sizes, from nano to large-scale operations such as Burlington Beer Company, Rock Art, and 14th Star. People know that Vermont means high quality, so if you’re going to start a brewery here, your products have to be top-notch in order to survive.
Tell me about the work of the Vermont Brewers Association.
EA: The VBA was founded in 1995 by Greg Noonan who helped create legislation that allowed brewpubs to exist. Legislation remains one of our primary focuses. Our mission is to promote and strengthen the culture of craft brewing in Vermont through marketing, education, and advocacy for Vermont-made beer.
Set the stage with some stats.
EA: We have 60 craft brewers registered in the association and several more are in the process of getting licensed. Vermont has the highest ratio of breweries in the nation: 15.6 breweries per capita. Another fun fact: adults 21 years and older consume an average of 20.1 gallons of beer annually in Vermont!
BEER AND VERMONT
What are some of the challenges facing the industry?
EA: Craft beer is faced with competition from other products on the market: hard seltzers, ready-to-drink canned cocktails, and legalized cannabis. It’s similar to all the different types of nut- and plant-based milks on the market: every product is competing for consumers and retail shelf space.
Can there be too many excellent Vermont beers? Is there a market saturation point?
EA: No way! People are always looking to see what new beers our brewers are creating. Our brewers have built this incredible community of collaboration rather than competition among themselves. Brewery A will reach out to Brewery B if they need hops or to split a canning order. Everyone is willing to help out each other and are psyched when new breweries open. Every brewer was new at some point so there’s a real culture of help out the new guy or girl.
What drew you to this role as director of the VBA? And what’s your connection to brewing itself?
EA: I graduated from University of Vermont in 2020 with a degree in community entrepreneurship and food systems. I interned at the association in 2019 and then came back in 2022 as marketing and promotions manager. I transitioned to director in December 2023. As for beer, I’ve worked at a taproom in Milton on weekends for the last three years; that’s taught me about flavor profiles, ordering, and distribution.
What are some of your responsibilities as director?
EA: A huge part of my job is traveling around the state meeting brewers, trying their products, and figuring out what resources they need and how the VBA can strengthen their brewery. I love that this is a real people-centric role. Plus, we have an amazing board of directors who are all brewers, and three of the four members of the executive committee are women. Kara Pawlusiak, of Simple Roots Brewing, is VBA president, and I really appreciate the value and direction she gives to the VBA.
Revelers raise their glasses to toast the end of another glorious day at the Vermont Brewers Festival.
Talk about the Vermont Brewers Festival slated for July.
EA: The 31st annual festival will take place on July 19 and 20 at Burlington’s Waterfront Park. The event takes place over two days with 50 breweries, including some from Montreal and Canada, 8 local food trucks, large-scale games such as beer pong, jenga, and cornhole. There are three tasting sessions on Friday evening and Saturday, and something new this year, a Fermentation Tent Experience with presentations and tastings of fermented foods, including beer, sourdough, cheese, and kimchi. It’s a cool educational opportunity to learn and experience the fermentation behind all these fermented products. The Vermont Brewers Festival is unlike many others that are put on by distributors. Here, the owners and head brewers will be in the tent pouring their own beers so craft beer enthusiasts get to meet their hero brewers. Brewers will be making collaborative pilot batches with other brewers, many with local farm ingredients. The festival is a huge collaborative effort and so much fun for the community. Proceeds from the event help fund the VBA and allow us to do our work supporting all the breweries in our association.
Explain the popular Passport Program and Beer Trails.
EA: Every member of the VBA is part of the Passport Program app, which is both a paper and digital map program that connects craft beer enthusiasts to more than 60 breweries around the state. It’s wildly popular—we have more than 20,000 active users! You can collect a stamp at each location and after you hit a certain number of stamps, you earn merch. We even have a leadership board that lists the names of folks who have visited all the breweries in the Passport Program. On our website, we offer self-guided beer trails that connect breweries by region. Or you create your own trail by clicking on the breweries you want to visit, and the app will generate a map to guide you.
Vermont Brewers Association board of directors gathered at Burlington Beer Company. From left to right: Heather Kraemer, Bob Grim, Emma Arian, Nina Hurley, Kara Pawlusiak, Terry Thompson, Sean Pagano, Joe Lemnah, Hannah Goldman. Missing: Geoff Sewake.
Any aspects of the Vermont beer scene that we might not realize?
EA: Vermont is known for being environmentally conscious and generous. Many of our breweries are committed not only to making incredible beer but they’re also dedicated to being supportive community members. Most breweries give back a portion of their sales to local organizations that fall in line with their own missions. I think that’s pretty awesome.
Final words to share with our readers?
EA: I’m really proud of the quality of our beer. You could take a lot of shortcuts in the process, but Vermont brewers are dedicated to brewing the highest quality beer using the best ingredients, including local when possible. Our community of brewers consistently hold themselves to the highest standards possible, and that’s reflected in the amazing range of beers they produce. Cheers to that!
Come celebrate the Vermont Brewers Association 30th anniversary at the Brewers Festival on July 19 & 20. Meet the brewers responsible for the world-famous beers we all know and love
5 rapid fire questions for EMMA ARIAN
Breakfast today?
I made a smoothie: almond butter, spinach, pineapple, milk, and protein powder.
Favorite childhood meal?
Orange Kraft mac and cheese, with cut-up hot dog circles drizzled with ketchup. It was our babysitter meal, the only time we were allowed to eat junk food. Total bribery to be nice.
Cake, pie, or cookies?
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. No nuts.
Guilty pleasure in food or drink?
A homemade shandy—whatever lager I have in the fridge with lemonade. Food would be poutine.
Late night or pre-bed snack?
Malted milk balls.
