Vermont Business Magazine St Albans has a strong, well-deserved reputation as Hockeytown USA, and now Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse will bolster that distinction with an upcoming outdoor hockey tournament on St. Albans Bay.
Mill River Brewing BBQ & Smokehouse (MRB) and the Town of St. Albans will co-host the First Annual Mill River Brewing Classic adult hockey tournament on St. Albans Bay during the weekend of Feb. 12 and 13, 2022. All proceeds will benefit the upgrade and restoration of the historic Stone House at the St. Albans Town Park on the bay.
Sixteen teams will compete in two leagues: competitive (fast-paced) and casual (more relaxed). Games on Saturday start at 8 a.m. and end at 3:45 p.m. Games on Sunday start at 8 a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m. (Playoffs on Sunday start at 11 a.m.) Spectators are encouraged. There is no charge.
There will be music throughout the weekend, and Mill River Brewing will have beer and food for sale on-site.
Mill River Brewing and The Town of St. Albans constructed a rink and boards in the park for the tournament and for future use by the St. Albans Skating Association (SASA). The rinks will be available to the public; town officials are still developing a schedule.
“Since its inception, Mill River Brewing has strived to become active in initiating and supporting community projects,” said David Fitzgerald, co-owner of Mill River Brewing, located on 10 Beauregard Dr., just off Lake Road in St. Albans. “The projects we continue to pursue have a payback in some way to the community that supports us. We are excited to support this Hockey Tournament and the efforts that St. Albans Town has put into renovating the Stone House at the Bay Park. Hockey plays such an integral part of the history of St. Albans. We wanted to tap (pun intended) into this energy for support of the Town’s initiative!”
For the last few years, St. Albans Town officials have cited restoration and upgrade of the Stone House as a priority. The Stone House is the centerpiece of the St. Albans Bay Park and was built in 1933 by a Civilian Conservation Crew workforce.
“St. Albans Town is lucky to have motivated businesses like Mill River Brewing, who go above and beyond to support our community,” said John Montagne, parks and facilities manager for the Town of St. Albans. “How lucky we are to have such a supportive board who recognizes how important these outdoor activities are to our community. It’s been a pleasure working with such a motivated group of people.”
MRB opened in July 2017 with less than a handful of in-house brews on tap. Today, MRB is distributed throughout Vermont through Calmont Beverage and Fitzgerald Distribution. MRB is also a full-service restaurant — with a Tap Room — that features local food.
The media is invited.
For more information on MRB and its mission, watch this short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOiXEyIUaoE&feature=youtu.be
On the Web: millriverbrewing.com.
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillRiverBrewing/