A Very Vermont Christmas

The story opens in Maple Glen, Vermont, where Joy Keough and her mother Mary are still grieving Joy’s late father, Joe, while trying to keep Mogul Joe’s afloat through the holiday season. Joe’s memory is everywhere in the pub, and Joy feels the pressure of carrying on his legacy after giving up her skiing career to come home. Greg Harris, Joy’s ex and a representative from Schultz’s rivaling corporate beer world, pushes the family to consider selling the business or at least embracing big-beer money, but Joy refuses to let her father’s recipes disappear. On the slopes, Joy collides with Zac Chase, a Schultz beer rep who is visiting town and clearly more comfortable in business meetings than on skis. Their awkward meet-cute turns into ski lessons, and their banter quickly reveals chemistry. Zac is surprised by Joy’s knowledge of beer, and Joy is surprised that he understands her attachment to small-batch brewing and local culture. Although she initially distrusts him because he works for the competition, he keeps showing up with patience, humor, and genuine interest. When Greg announces the inaugural Vermont Christmas Brew-Ski Competition, Joy sees a possible lifeline for Mogul Joe’s. She digs through Joe’s old notes and holiday memorabilia, revives the Christmas mug club, and starts developing a holiday IPA that honors her father while feeling new enough to compete. Zac helps by tasting the brews and offering honest feedback, and the two grow closer over ski lessons, brewery visits, and shared memories of family and loss. Their connection deepens as Joy admits that brewing is about community and nostalgia, not just science or sales. The romance and business stakes intensify when Schultz suddenly introduces a nearly identical seasonal beer, Season of Spice. Joy and Mary suspect a theft, and because Zac works for Schultz and has been spending time with Joy, he becomes the easiest person to blame. Joy accuses him of betraying her trust, especially after Greg’s earlier betrayal made her wary of anyone tied to corporate beer. Zac insists he had nothing to do with it, but the misunderstanding threatens their relationship and leaves Joy desperate to save the brewery before the competition. As the Brew-Ski showdown approaches, the truth comes out: Greg stole the recipe and passed it along, while Schultz becomes a pawn in the mess. Bob Salamano withdraws Season of Spice once the provenance is questioned, and Hoppy Holiday wins the contest. Joy initially turns down the distribution deal, choosing to keep Mogul Joe’s local and independent, and the whole town gathers at Christmas at Joe’s to celebrate the win, forgive old hurts, and honor Joe’s memory. In the end, Zac chooses Maple Glen over his pending Colorado move, Joy welcomes him into her life, and the movie closes on the community Joy’s father always wanted to create.