Spotlight On Beer and Wine
The Beer & Wine Department at the Brattleboro Food Co-op is on the rise as Pete Kenney, who wears many hats at the BFC, including Beer & Wine Department buyer, invests his time and energy into growing the department into a real destination for locals and visitors alike. In the year and a half that Pete has been in the buyer role, Beer & Wine has quickly seen increased sales due to his careful balance between respecting what is traditionally carried in this department and his commitment to bringing in fresh, new products. Pete sees it as one of his main missions to remain educated about the rapidly changing worlds of beer and wine. We are grateful to have someone with such a keen eye to the future at the helm of this department.
Vermont has an incredible history of groundbreaking brewers and makers, much like the cheese industry, with an amazing concentration of unique and high-quality local options. Vermont is widely cited as being the birthplace of the New England IPA, known for its hazy, typically unfiltered, juicy, fruitiness, meant as an answer and counterpoint to bitter West Coast IPA styles. The style was first produced in Vermont in the early 2010s and gradually reached palettes nationwide. Would we be a responsible co-op if we didn’t carry as many of these local legends as possible? We think not, so Pete honors this rich heritage of Vermont brewing by bringing in a wide selection of local beer options in the New England IPA style, as well as many others. We love supporting the creativity and ingenuity of local producers and, similarly to other departments at the Co-op, we are happy to give smaller producers a jumping off point and a place to shine. This regional differentiation, history, and local creativity is part of what makes coming to a place like the Co-op so special.
In terms of wine, Pete takes great care to provide value options to Co-op customers, so everyone can always walk in and find something appropriate for their budget, but he also has a deep interest in wines produced using regenerative and organic farming practices. Industrial viticulture (the study and practice of cultivating grapevines), which relies on heavy plowing and often-times harmful chemical pesticide use, leaves soil carbon-depleted. Regenerative farming aims to build soil health and retain carbon, which positively impacts plant health and pest resistance. We have a real focus on local in this section, as well, but Pete also brings in wines from interesting regions throughout the world made by companies that align with our Co-op principles.
Along the lines of dedication to fresh, new products, you might notice an entirely new section in the department. Pete has brought in a really compelling selection of NA spirits, mixers, and dealcoholized wines. If you are interested in bitters, botanicals, and just overall interesting flavors in cocktails or mocktails, there has never been a better time to come to the Co-op. We are very much here for the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic options and are more than thrilled that recent mocktail workshops here at the Co-op have filled up so quickly.
Pete is always learning more about this industry and works with distributors large and small, national and local, every single day. It is an investment of time, made all the more impressive by the fact that he fills roles in multiple departments at the Co-op, but it’s worth it to continue offering a strong selection with excellent value to Co-op shoppers.
