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Orem’s Diner on Danbury Road in Wilton, Conn., on March 9, 2020. The owner of Orem’s Diner, Demetri Papanikolaou, also belongs to the group of owners that runs Twelve Gods Brewery and supports the proposed ordinance change.

WILTON — The town of Wilton is a small step away from approving an ordinance amendment that may allow craft breweries to retail alcohol in Wilton. The final decision rests in the hands of the residents of the town and will be made soon.

In August, the trio that owns the Twelve Gods Brewery in Wilton, which is currently a distribution-only business, submitted a request to the town’s Board of Selectmen. They have asked to consider an ordinance alteration that would enable a brewery in the town to retail the beer on-produced for both consumption on the premises and takeout.

Post a public hearing which was well received on the proposed adaptation, the town’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously at a meeting held on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 19, to allow the ordinance alteration.

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The final step will be a vote by the public at a Special Town Meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Wilton High’s Clune Center auditorium on 395 Danbury Road.

Residents will also have another chance to speak up on the issue before the vote is taken. For the proposal to be approved, a minimum of 50 Wilton registered voters must be present at the meeting, with a simple majority vote needed to pass.

“There seems to be no opposition at this point; the town is ready for this,” First Selectwoman Toni Boucher said. “Restaurants in town are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages. But Twelve Gods Brewery doesn’t sell food, so it doesn’t fall into the category of a restaurant.

“Breweries are not addressed in the current town ordinance. Everyone who spoke at the public hearing had positive things to say and made good arguments for it. I see this as a positive move,” said Boucher, who took over as first selectwoman in December.

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The legal notice from town poses the question: Shall the proposed amendment to Chapter 8, Article I of the Wilton Code of Ordinances, “Sale of Alcoholic Liquor” adopted by the Board of Selectmen on December 19, 2023, be approved?

The proposed amendment would allow breweries that have received a brewery permit from the state to manufacture and sell beer in the town of Wilton for on-premises and off-premises consumption; establish hours of operation for on-premises retail sales that are the same as those in restaurants in town; and set hours for off-premises retail sales that are the same as those for package stores located in town.

Four members of the public spoke at the Dec. 19 public hearing, with Demetri Papanikolaou, one of the owners of Twelve Gods Brewery, summing up what everyone said and adding his experience as a brewery owner.

“This is a unique opportunity for our community; it aligns with the values of making Wilton a special place to live,” said Papanikolaou, who also owns Orem’s Diner in town. “Endorsing this ordinance change will allow breweries to contribute a fair amount to our local economy and open things up for job creation.

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“Craft breweries are known for their unique flavors and creative expressions adding to our cultural landscape,” he said. “It’s a step toward nurturing a vibrant and inclusive community. They are social hubs that bring people together, creating a new space for community gatherings and fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.”

If the town votes to approve the ordinance change to allow breweries to sell their products for consumption on and off premises, the breweries must follow the state and local hours for such sales. In Wilton, the local law limits the sale of alcoholat the end of the day to one or two hours earlier than the state law, depending on the day.