BERNARDSTON– After about a decade of serving beers, Rich and Geneva Pedersen of Hitchcock Brewing are ready to pour their last pint.

The husband and wife team are retiring, and the South Street brewery’s last day will be Thursday, Aug. 29, from 4-8 p.m. A new brewer is expected to take over the facility in the future, they said.

This is technically the second retirement for the couple, who opened Hitchcock in 2016 after retiring from 30-year careers in IT and medicine. Rich had been a home brewer his whole life and purchased a property in Whately, where they began growing hops and converted an old alpaca barn into a brewery.

“I’d been a home brewer for most of my life and won a few competitions, and thought maybe I could do this,” he said.

The Pedersens grew their business and kept brewing in their backyard barn until a space opened up in Bernardston in 2019.

Pedersen said he has loved every minute of running the brewery, from booking bands and interacting with customers to cleaning and setting up the bar at the beginning of the day.

“I get to do what I love everyday,” he said. “It sounds corny, but there really wasn’t a job here that I didn’t love doing.”

A few of his favorite memories tie back to making the beers, especially Hitchcock’s Nice Rumpkin Ale. He looks back fondly on going to local farms to pick up pumpkins and butternut squashes, then gathering with family and friends to roast them before turning them into a delicious brew.

Rich said that in addition to beer, he has a passion for music and loved setting up a venue and bringing in local bands.

The community has been a huge part of Hitchcock’s success. Rich said that whenever he brought in a big band, the community would show up and pack the brewery, but even on smaller nights with less-known musicians, he could always depend on his regulars to come in for a drink. He added that talking with his customers and getting to know the regulars and their families was always a highlight of his day.

“Right from the beginning our motto was local beer for local people,” Pedersen said. “We brewed styles that were keeping the community in mind, so beers that were accessible and not overly powerful. We brewed lots of different styles for lots of different tastes.”

He added that in addition to his customers, he had to thank the town of Bernardston, the Selectboard, and every town administrator that helped them along the way. The town was incredibly supportive, helping with permitting, licenses and more.

“I couldn’t say enough positive things about working with Bernardston,” he said.

He added that he had to thank his staff for their work and support over the years.

The couple have loved running the brewery, but are looking forward to retirement and spending their days enjoying their various hobbies, particularly travel.

While Hitchcock is closing, Bernardston residents and other nearby beer enthusiasts will not have to look for a new place for their local ales, as the owners have sold the facility to another brewery. Rich was unable to share the name of the brewer that will be moving in, but said he had complete faith that the brewer would take good care of the facility and the community that has supported Hitchcock for the past decade. Likely, the brewery will be closed for a short period while the new owner works out permits and licensing.

“I’m hopeful and very pleased that we’ve found the right pairing,” he said. “I think they will also be good for Bernardston and this venue, and with luck, things will pick up right where they left off, but with a new person at the helm.”

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or at mschofield@recorder.com