The Alchemist is a family run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPA. John and Jen Kimmich originally opened The Alchemist as a 60 seat brew pub in the village of Waterbury in 2003. After eight years of success and growing popularity, they decided to open a small production brewery. Today The Alchemist currently operates two breweries in Vermont and distributes Heady Topper and Focal Banger throughout the state.

The Alchemist – Waterbury

In early 2011 we built the Alchemist Cannery, a 15 barrel brewery and canning line, for the production of our flagship IPA Heady Topper. The first cans of Heady Topper rolled off the line just two days after Tropical Storm Irene demolished The Alchemist Pub and Brewery. Today, we move all of our beer weekly in a concerted effort to provide the freshest, hoppiest packaged IPA on the market. Heady Topper is brewed only in Waterbury, Vermont and is distributed throughout the state. Our Waterbury brewery is not open to the public. However, we distribute a portion of Heady Topper to our Stowe brewery and Visitor’s Center for retail sales and tasting. 

The Alchemist – Stowe

Opened in July 2016, this state of the art facility was designed to be as low impact as possible while providing us with enough space to serve our community and the growing number of beer tourists to Vermont. Our second year round beer, Focal Banger, is brewed in Stowe as well as seasonal beers that rotate throughout the year. The Alchemist Brewery and Visitor’s Center in Stowe provides samples of beer for tasting, retail beer sales, merchandise and a fun, educational experience.

Action Plan to Dismantle Systemic Racism in our Community and Beyond

The Alchemist is committed to investing time and money in strengthening our inclusive and equitable business practices, while supporting inclusion, diversity and equity in the public sphere. As a certified BCorp, this has been central to the success of our business – from inclusive and creative workplace practices to public policy advocacy. But, we can do more. We must. And we will.

Following is an ACTION PLAN that we have designed in collaboration with Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity. This plan may evolve over time, and we may make mistakes as we go, but we are going to leverage our power and work together with community partners to help build an anti-racist society.

Vision

The Alchemist aspires for everyone to live and thrive in an anti-racist society.

The Alchemist Action Plan outlines how we will leverage our social, human, political and financial capital to contribute to the dismantling of white supremacy and systemic racism. As a certified BCorp the investment of these critical resources is central to the success of our business. We know that leaning into this work challenges us individually and collectively as an established brand.

Our plan focuses on three areas of strategic interest:

1. Ensuring anti-racist education in our public schools
2. Strengthening our brand position within the multicultural marketplace
3. Positioning Vermont as a desirable destination for consumers of color

Anti-racist education

The Alchemist is staking out a long-term position to ensure Vermont public school students benefit from an anti-racist curriculum. One component of anti-racist education is student exposure to the history of white supremacy combined with the rich history and accomplishments of diverse, marginalized peoples. Our future workforce currently resides in our public schools, if they come to us steeped in anti-racist education they will provide the cornerstones for an inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist workplace.

In March 2019 Gov. Scott signed into law Act 1, An act relating to ethnic and social equity studies standards for public schools. Due to COVID-19 the Work Group mandated by the legislation was unable to submit its report on how it was organizing itself to fulfill the legislations’s mandates. We will monitor the release of their report and integrate its findings into our anti-racist education initiative.

Starting with the schools attended by our employees and their school districts we will advocate for the implementation of the radical reimagining of the school curriculum; for the school boards to provide adequate funding; for anti-racist professional development for educators, administrators and support staff; and for the elimination of disciplinary policies and procedures that disproportionally effect students of color. We will underwrite

• Cultural enrichment programs that feature artists, authors, speakers, and musicians of African, Asian, Latinx, and Native American heritages. (e.g. bring Stowe Jazz Festival groups to local schools).
• Tickets and transportation costs for families of color in financial need to attend multicultural arts events in other Vermont towns.
• Stipends for residents of color to read books to elementary school students that feature characters of African, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American heritages.
• An annual essay competition for tenth grade students on a topic related to anti-racism/racial justice. Grand prize will be a trip for the winner and one parent/ guardian to either the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC or The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice Montgomery, Alabama.
• An increase in our foundation’s scholarship awards to Vermonters of color and New American students to 25% in 2021.

We will serve as an ambassador to encourage other BCorps and businesses to engage in similar advocacy work for the school children of their employees and underwrite cultural enrichment programs that foster cultural humility and anti-racist attitudes.

Strengthening brand position

The success of our business growth directly depends on our ability capture the attention of racially diverse consumers. We will expand our marketing efforts to include the micro targeting of our products to affinity groups of color, particularly outdoor enthusiasts of color. Likewise, in order to advance our vision of an anti-racist society we must increase our charitable investments with organizations working to dismantle white supremacy and structural racism. We will …

• Brew signature beers to raise funds for racial justice projects such as Black is Beautiful in collaboration with Weathered Souls Brewing or People Power to benefit the ACLU.
• Pay tribute to the Black trailblazers and leaders within the craft beer community all year long – not just during Black History Month.
• Continue to host the Stowe Jazz Festival.
• Launch a micro targeting campaign to affinity groups of color, particularly outdoor enthusiasts of color.
• Seek out opportunities to partner with organizations such as the National Brotherhood of Skiers, the National Black Marathoners Association, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Clubs, Major Taylor Bicycle Clubs, among other groups.
• Seek out opportunities to get coverage in the minority online, print, and broadcast media.
• Explore Juneteenth sponsorship opportunities with the Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, Vermont, a site on the Vermont African American Heritage Trail.
• Host a tasting event for the Vermont Professionals of Color Network.

Positioning Vermont

While many of our employees were born in Vermont, many people who call Vermont home (nearly 60%) were born somewhere else. As we access more diverse marketplaces we increase the likelihood of individuals with more diverse backgrounds to consider claiming Vermont as home. We are cognizant that in order to convince out of state persons of color to join our Vermont workforce we must first sell them on Vermont.

The manner in which we welcome and include our new neighbors is going to be key to sustaining community and economic vitality in the coming decades. We will…

• Underwrite the expansion of www.iamavermonter.org to include central Vermont.
• Update our recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention practices. Update our policies to strengthen inclusion and equity.
• Create and maintain database of minority vendors.
• Promote cultural tourism to the Vermont African American Heritage Trail.