MONROE, CT — Raise a glass to Tess and Mark Szamatulski.

The Monroe business they own and operate, Veracious Brewing Company at 246 Main Street in Monroe, will be seven years old on June 6. But the brewery is closing just shy of that anniversary, pouring its last lager on Sunday.

Landlord and neighboring business Biometrics, a medical equipment manufacturer, will be expanding into the brewery space next week.

And really, that's just fine with Tess. She and her husband began in business together 32 years ago, and are delighted to no longer have to work weekends, even if they won't be kicking back completely. Mark will be shifting to cybersecurity, and Tess has plans to write a cook book.

Tess told Patch the brewery "got a really good deal" from their landlord that enabled it to provide a proper severance for their employees. The couple has made plans to sell off their tanks and assets, and is even shuttering Maltose Express, the home brewing supply store that spawned Veracious. That operation is the largest of its kind in the state, according to its website.

Local craft brewers are big business across the U.S., if not so much in Monroe after Sunday. Despite the pandemic, more than 9,000 breweries operated in the United States in 2021, a 6 percent increase from previous year.

In 2020, small and independent brewers contributed $62.1 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the trade industry group Brewers Association. Local brewers provided more than 400,000 total jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs directly at breweries and brewpubs, including service staff at brewpubs.

Those are heady prospects for young people just beginning their beer business, but Tess warns wannabe brewmeisters hopping on the hops bandwagon to start small.

"Make sure you have good solid recipes, and make sure you have a good variety. Instead of having all IPAs, you should have a good variety of different beers. So there's something for everybody when they come in."

Human beer lovers aren't the only Monroe residents who will be missing Veracious come June. The brewery is famous for its dob friendliness.

"Because dogs are a big part of people's lives," Tess explained. "To socialize with them, and to bring them in here, it just makes us happy. We've had everything from a huge Great Dane to a little chihuahua. As long as you're well-behaved, you're welcome here. It's an amazing environment."

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