Underneath Orem’s Diner, the nearly institutional Wilton eatery, Sakis Panolis is working to perfect the recipes for beers he and his partners hope to produce at Wilton’s first brewery and taproom.
“I outgrew my homebrewing kit in my mom’s basement, so I came down here now where I have a much bigger system, a one-barrel system with four fermenters and a bright tank,” Panolis said while explaining the various pieces of eq
uipment that can turn grains and herbs into refreshing beer.
Panolis has partnered with Demetris Papanikolaou and Rafael Rodriguez to expand the operation and grow their vision into something potentially transformative for the town.
Papanikolaou who in addition to serving as Managing Director for Twelve Gods Brewing is the current president of Orem’s Diner, said he has long known Panolis.
“He’s been working for me pretty much since he was 16 years old and he’s expressed an interest in brewing and distilling from a very young age,” Papanikolaou said, noting that both Panolis’s interest and the brand’s name referencing the Greek Pantheon stem from the heritage the two share.
“Traditionally in Greece a lot of people brew their own beer, distill their own alcohol, make their own wine. It’s something that he did growing up with his family and he wanted to pursue that passion,” Papanikolaou said.
The partners envision including a tap room where people can congregate and buy beer, alongside a beer garden where food trucks will be able to serve meals and snacks to create a welcoming atmosphere for the Wilton community to enjoy.
Standing in their way is the town of Wilton, or at least Prohibition-era laws still on the books.
Panolis is legally only a home brewer for the time being. The highly professional packaging design on each can he produces indicates it is a sample, not for sale.
This is because Wilton was one of the last three municipalities in Connecticut to have laws banning the sale of alcohol. It was only in 1992 when the town went from “dry” to “damp” and permitted restaurants to sell liquor, and the first liquor store only opened in 2010.
Each change required a campaign by a local business owner who was dedicated to serving the community, according to Panolis and Papanikolaou.
“A lot of residents in Wilton express their dissatisfaction with having to drive to Ridgefield when they could have something to call their own here in town,” Panolis said. “We know Wilton. We know the residents and we want to stay here. A lot of people have asked us ‘why don’t you give up and try to open somewhere else in the surrounding towns?”
“Yeah,” Panolis allowed, “that would be easy to do. But honestly, we really want to be here and give it a shot.”
Panolis and Papanikolaou both expressed frustration with the recent delay of a vote to change the regulations.
“At this stage we are putting all of our efforts into changing the town ordinance,” Panolis said. “We were set with a special meeting in order to vote for January 6 but that got postponed to the general meeting in May. The town cited reasons that they were worried that we wouldn’t have the required turnout of 50 people.”
Both noted that the distinctions between brew pubs (which can serve food and brew beer but only in limited quantities) and breweries with tap rooms (which can brew and sell unlimited amounts of beer, but cannot sell food necessitating nearby food trucks) were also the source of confusion among many people, particularly given overlapping and sometimes contradictory town and state laws. They saw risks in the approach taken by others attempting to brew beer in town that might allow them to open sooner, but with less legal clarity.
Yet the partners also expressed confidence that they will be able to reach their goal if they can weather the red tape, a view also shared by Wilton First Selectman Toni Boucher.
Boucher, a 40-year resident of Wilton recalled the days when Bring Your Own Bottle was the only way to have wine during an evening out. She said that the composition of the town had changed since those days, as had attitudes.
“We’ve had an influx of individuals who are coming from larger cities, and they’re accustomed to that [convenience],” Boucher said. “Some of the old guard have moved away so there’s a younger residential base now.”
“From the town government standpoint they have tremendous support,” Boucher added. “And from the man or woman in the street, they all light up when you mention the idea. I don’t foresee a problem. This just has to be done in as good a fashion and ironclad as possible.”
Boucher indicated she believed 12 Gods Brewing would be able to accomplish their goal once it is put to a vote at the next annual town meeting, which will be scheduled this coming May.
“All I can tell you is that they are highly supported,” Boucher said. “It is something that we all, including myself, want to have happen.”
