Mountain Peak

Zenbarn

By / Photography By | August 14, 2018
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The Vermont pork bánh mì at Zenbarn in Waterbury Center, Vermont.

Pull off Route 100 just north of Waterbury. Walk inside the red barn, find a stool at the bar, and peruse the menu. A few minutes later, you’re noshing on Vermont pork bánh mì and sipping a Gin and Chronic. Wait—what? This CBD-infused cocktail tastes like the best zippy lemonade… ever. Settle back and take in your surroundings.

A converted dairy barn with low ceiling and rough-hewn beams. Whimsical portraits of livestock. Salvaged barn doors; lights dangling from block and tackle pulleys. Stage floor covered in a Holstein-colored carpet. Amusing, not cloying. Behind the bar, a phalanx of bottles repping every Vermont distiller. The beer list—a Green Mountains Who’s Who, from revered names to a guy who produces one funky keg at a time.

“We’re committed to independent, smaller-scale producers,” coowner Ari Fishman explains. “If someone comes in and asks for a Bombay, we say, ‘Try Barr Hill.’ Our hyper-Vermont approach gets people’s attention and encourages them to try something new. There’s a good chance the person who made that beer or this spirit will come in for dinner or a show some night and support us in return.”

Ari had dreamed of opening a neighborhood bar. He still has the essay he wrote in middle school depicting himself like Sam of Cheers. After teaching out West, Ari moved back to Waterbury in 2012. At 35, he immersed himself in the Stowe food and drink world, working from barback to bartender, seeing firsthand the successes, missteps and all the craziness in between. “I worked my butt off, paid attention, listened and learned.” He and a buddy met landlords, considered leases, talked with investors. “We came pretty close and had some near misses. Then this place, which had been the Golden Horn East and Tanglewoods, came on the market in 2015, and we landed it.”

Enter Team Fishman

Ari’s parents, Susan and Stephen Fishman, own Stowe Craft Design and offered aesthetic guidance. “I was the general contractor while Mom obsessed over every design detail,” Ari says. “My brother, Noah, and Dad worked on the vision. We took the structure down to bare bones and Mom transformed it into a barn again.” Renovations took a full year, and to show their gratitude, the Fishmans had the names of all 65 contractors carved into the artisan barstools where patrons now sip drinks and contemplate the world.

Everything evolved serendipitously. Almost… Zen-like. Though Noah was finishing his MBA, the project’s scope and energy drew him in. “Ari was deep into the renovation, so I began to help with the business planning. We actually tried to avoid starting a restaurant. We put together a cohesive vision based on where we all were personally. Ari’s a very social guy and wanted a neighborhood bar. My work has always revolved around community development, sustainability and local food. My wife, Marlena, proposed the yoga center. And we all love music. It’s pretty fun for our parents to see us all pull this together.” Ari manages the facility and bartends when he can; Noah serves as general manager; Marlena coordinates the wellness studio and helps run the floor on weekends.

The barstools at Zenbarn in Waterbury Center, Vermont.
A cannabis cocktail at Zenbarn in Waterbury Center, Vermont.
Zenbarn is on the old Tanglewoods property in Waterbury Center, Vermont.
Photo 1: Belly up to the bar to “Eat. Drink. Be.” in one of the comfortable stools.
Photo 2: Sample a delicious Gin and Chronic.
Photo 3: Enjoy an outside view of the setting of Zenbarn located in Waterbury.

Cutting a Mellow Edge

Zenbarn was the first establishment in Vermont to offer CBD drinks in 2017. Now every Wednesday, they host Greener Drinks. “A good friend of ours, Daniel Giangreco of Vermont Cannabis Brands, developed the concept,” Noah explains. “He sets a pop-up table where he offers a variety of hemp-related products. It’s a great opportunity to talk and educate, just be present for people who may have questions.”

“We host a 420 Fest each spring,” Noah continues, “and we’ve done two Hemp & Hops dinners with Zero Gravity. There’s a natural synergy between hemp and hops since they’re from the same family. CBD can relieve pain and relax people, and that sets a good tone for a meal. Our chef, Mike Giffune, creates a five-course meal with CBD-infused dishes, and Paul Saylor, the lead brewer of Zero Gravity, curates a paired flight of beers. Paul talks about each course to enlighten people about the experience of flavors and tastes.”

Music is Zenbarn’s other claim to rising fame. “We’re able to present shows in partnership with some of our craft beverage purveyors,” Noah says. “Our front-of-house manager and I handle the music bookings. We’re attracting groups I never dreamed of: Nth PowerJacob Jolliff of Yonder Mountain String Band; Steady Betty, an all female rocksteady reggae band. Russ and Ray of Soule Monde teamed up with Bob Wagner and Josh Weinstein of Kat Wright’s band. They played our one-year anniversary party as Soule Indomitable, a mashup of the two bands. It’s amazing to see these phenomenal musicians playing right here in Waterbury.”

Zenbarn offers something for everyone—yoga and wellness classes, food and drink, music, a place to unwind. “The community support has been pretty heartening,” Ari adds. “People say they love what we’re doing. The first few shows we had, we were like, ‘Oh crap, how are we going to handle this many people??’ There’s a pent-up demand for something to do. We set up a beer garden out back with a fire pit, and we have disc golf and lawn games. We want to be a place where folks come by for drinks and food, catch some great music after a day of mountain biking or hiking.”

Ari’s moment of bliss? “We’ve just finished the big dinner rush, service went well, guests are satisfied, then the band kicks in. I can step away from the bar in the final set and hang with a Heady.” And Noah? “The convergence of people. That’s the whole Zenbarn vision, the yin-yang balance of wellness and fun. This is part of what drew us all back to Vermont—having the opportunity to build community.”

Stowe Craft Design | @stowecraftdesign
Zenbarn | @zenbarn
Vermont Cannabis Brands | @vtcannabisbrands
Zero Gravity | @zerogravitybeer
Mike Giffune | @giffune
Nth Power | @thenthpower
Yonder Mountain String Band | @yondermountain
Steady Betty | @steadybettyvt
Soule Monde
Kat Wright’s band
Soule Indomitable

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