Burlton Vermont Pub & Brewery to Close Nov. 14 After 38 Years

The Vermont Pub & Brewery at 144 College Street will stop serving customers on November 14. The closure comes just days after the establishment marks its 38th anniversary. The business announced the decision on Monday via a social media post.

The post stated that the brewery has struggled to reach necessary business levels since 2020. The owners said they no longer have the resources to wait for improvement. Greg and Nancy Noonan opened the pub in the fall of 1988. At that time, only 11 brewpubs operated in the United States.

Vermont law had banned brewpubs since Prohibition. Greg Noonan and the late state legislator Bill Mares drafted the changes that made the model legal in spring 1988. The business helped establish the local craft beer industry. Notable brewers such as John Kimmich of Alchemist and Glenn Walter of Three Needs worked for Noonan in the mid-1990s.

Noonan died of cancer in 2009 at age 58. His business partner Steve Polewacyk operated the restaurant and its 14-barrel brewery afterward. Longtime employees Elise Pecor and brewmaster Scott Gawitt now co-own the business. The owners did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the closure.

Pecor previously detailed operational challenges to Burlington business owners and Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak in August. She described the difficulty of keeping the patio safe and staffed. WCAX-TV reported that Pecor said a person defecated on the patio for three consecutive days. She noted that foot traffic has dropped 20 percent from last year, a period she described as already difficult.

Emma Arian, executive director of the Vermont Brewers Association, posted a tribute on Monday night. She stated that telling the story of Vermont craft beer requires starting with the Vermont Pub & Brewery. She added that the people who carried the business forward are part of its legacy alongside Greg Noonan.

Customers can visit the brewpub for beer and food specials in its final days. The establishment will serve its signature beers, including Burly Irish Ale, Forbidden Fruit, and Handsome Mick's Irish Stout, until the end of service on November 14.