Calmont Beverage Company was founded and started in 1941 by Silvio and Nevio Semprebon along with Gino Berini. To slack the thirst of Vermont’s unique community of Italian granite quarry workers, the brothers brought barreled California wine to Vermont, via rail, and bottled it here under the Calmont brand name (a contraction of California / Vermont). With the birth and growth of the ski industry after the World War II, Calmont shifted to distribution of fine wines from Europe , New York and California. Early suppliers included: S.S. Pierce, Julius Wile, Cucamonga, Hans Kornell, The Taylor Wine Company, H. Sichel Sons, and Louis Latour who traveled to Barre by train in 1946 to present his portfolio which, at the time, included Domaine de la Romanée Conti and other now legendary Burgundy estates. Our first beer brands included Hampden Ale of Millimansett, MA, Ballantine Ale of Newark, New Jersey, and Schlitz “the beer that made Milwaukee famous” which was the top selling brand at that time.