Marblehead Brewery Bid Fails Select Board Alcohol License Vote

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A 3-2 vote of the Marblehead Select Board in awarding the one open wine and malt beverage license open in the community could spell the end to a North Shore brewery's attempt to expand to the town.

Hopothecary Ales, which operates a brewery and taproom restaurant in North Reading, had sought the license as part of a taproom and restaurant expansion to the former Eaton Apothecary site at 31 Atlantic Avenue, but the Select Board instead voted in majority to award the license to the Marblehead Hotel for an 11-seat room at 264 Pleasant Street.

Select Board members appeared to struggle over not being able to award both licenses, but ultimately voted in majority to go with the hotel, with Chair Moses Grader saying his deciding vote was based on the hotel already being an established business in town.

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Select Board he could explore a state exemption for a site-specific license that could allow the brewery to open, but then would not be able to be reissued by the town. But Hopothecary Ales representatives indicated that their lease on Atlantic Avenue was contingent upon the approval on Wednesday night and that an additional prolonged process to go through the state would not work for them.

Hopothecary Ales owner Steven Gabardi said plans were in place to remodel the space and open the taproom in as soon as three months if the license had been granted.

Select Board members Jackie Belf-Becker and James Nye voted in favor of the Marblehead Hotel's bid, while Erin Noonan and Alexa Singer voted for Hopothecary Ales.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)