Tucked in the corner of historic downtown Fair Haven is a new brewery called Scotch Hill Brewing Company. Owners Jon and Rachel Meigs recently partnered with local musician and owner of A Sound Space George Nostrand, to put on a new music series that will spotlight local musicians looking for an opportunity to feature some of their original material.
George Nostrand played the first ever live music session at Scotch Hill Brewing April 29.
The series kicks off this Friday, May 6 with singer-songwriter and music teacher, Phil Henry.
“There are many bars and restaurants that host musicians whose mainstay is cover songs,” said Nostrand. “I know because I am one of those musicians. What we’re looking to do at Scotch Hill Brewing is create an atmosphere where artists can feel comfortable playing their own songs and not pressured to play the same popular cover songs, they often play just to make a living.”
Artists will be encouraged to play a mix of their originals and covers, with an emphasis on original material.
Nostrand, who worked for the Rutland Herald previously, started his business, A Sound Space, in 2019. A Sound Space is a combination rehearsal space, recording studio and video production company. As someone who has played many roles in the Rutland music scene, he brings connections to Scotch Hill that will help them to put on quality entertainment.
The Meigses are both big music fans and were excited to partner with Nostrand to bring music to their brewery.
“The timing was perfect,” said Rachel. “We had George play last Friday and it went really well. We had already started the conversation about having other musicians and his show just confirmed it for us.”
The Meigses transitioned to brewing after more than 15 years of working in the medical field, both wanting to try their hand at entrepreneurship. Together, they took Jon’s love of craft brewing and Rachel’s passion for historic preservation and created Scotch Hill Brewing Co. It took five years to plan and implement the brewery and restore the interior of the building, but they’ve created a beautiful, cozy space that welcomes patrons to sit, relax, drink great beer, eat amazing food and connect with those around them.
For the month of May, Nostrand lined up some of his favorite artists. He’s already reaching out to other musicians across the state.
- May 6 – Phil Henry
- May 13 – Breanna Elaine
- May 20 – George Nostrand
- May 27 – Krishna Guthrie
Scotch Hill Brewing is located at 71 Main Street Fair Haven. For more information visit: scotchhillbrewing.com.
