Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
Hallmark has excelled with their original Christmas in July content this year.
Nothing is better at the holidays than visiting a local pub that makes you feel like family.
A Very Vermont Christmas transported viewers to Maple Glen, Vermont, and made them feel like they were part of the Mogul Joe’s family.
While this film featured the typical Hallmark holiday romance we’ve come to expect, it also delved deeper into themes of grief and community.
Hallmark has veered from typical tropes lately and has dealt with more meaningful messages. A Very Vermont Christmas felt nostalgic, and it helped that both Katie Leclerc and Ryan McPartlin have starred in Hallmark movies previously.
Why Was Mogul Joe’s So Important?
Mogul Joe’s has always made customers feel like family, which is evident from the beginning. The dollar bills all over the walls add charm and tell stories about where their customers have been.
Many local restaurants tell stories about their customers through their decor. A local restaurant near me hangs autographed wooden wine bottles along the wall, similar to those signed dollar bills.
These restaurants strive to form relationships with their customers so they become friends. Mogul Joe’s used to host Christmas festivities at the pub and collect gifts for needy children.
Since the owner and Joy’s dad, Joe, died a year ago, the pub had suffered financially, and it was difficult for Joy and her mom, Mary ( Joanna Herrington), to get into the holiday spirit.
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Joy’s ex-boyfriend Greg (John Forest) took advantage of their downfall and gloated that he could buy the pub to help. He then mentioned that he was hosting a Brew-Ski competition. Mary thought that could be their Christmas miracle to help them get ahead.
Their main problem was that Mogul Joe’s specialized in authentic craft beer from Germany and Austria. Typically, Joy didn’t brew beer from Vermont. She’d met a challenge.
Joy and Zac Formed an Instant Connection
Joy (Leclerc) and Zac (Ryan McPartlin) had an adorable meeting. While she was clearing her head on the slopes, he crashed into her because he couldn’t ski. She couldn’t help teasing him and gave him a beginner skiing lesson.
To her dismay, Joy learned that Zac was a Stoltz beer distributor for Frosty’s with Greg. Surprisingly, she didn’t blow him off and allowed him to come to Mogul Joe’s for a beer.
Joy and Zac made everything into an entertaining game, beginning with him identifying the flavors in her beers while blindfolded. Since he won, she owed him more skiing lessons.
After a few lessons on the slopes, he nicknamed her the “Queen of Diamonds.” While they started off cute and flirty, they both opened up about their relationships with their dads. Joy wanted to keep Mogul Joe’s running because her dad made everyone feel at home.
Zac became invested in Hoppy Holiday because he helped create it and name it. It was their beer.
They were so cute that Zac left Joy with many diamond gifts. They relaxed by the fire pit or went skiing.
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Things seemed perfect until Scholtz Beer demanded someone from their company win the Brew-Ski competition, and Greg’s jealousy reared its ugly head.
When Betrayed, Joy Struggled With Who to Trust
Since Geg had already betrayed Joy and stolen some of Mogul Joe’s recipes, it made sense that she assumed that Zac sold her Hoppy Holiday IPA to the highest bidder.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. Zac cared about Joy and protecting his reputation for doing the moral thing, while everyone at Stoltz Beer only cared if one of their beers won.
Initially, I wondered about Kevin’s (Ivan Cecil Walks) loyalty since he accidentally blurted out the secret ingredient when Greg was nearby and never confessed when Joy grew angry, thinking Zac was responsible.
However, Kevin proved his loyalty and usefulness when he went undercover to taste the Seasons of Spice at Frosty’s. He even snuck some out in an insulated coffee mug so Joy could compare their competition.
Hallmark is known for hosting mysteries, so it was entertaining that Joy used her detective skills to trap Greg and discover that he stole her beer recipe.
Greg was one of those exes who hated that Joy had moved on successfully without him and was now finding love again.
Joy realized how wrong she had been and spent the entire day looking for Zac to apologize.
This Film Focuses on Morals and Forgiveness
At the heart of “A Very Vermont Christmas,” the message was about doing the right thing and forgiveness.
Zac challenged his boss, Bob, to compare Hoppy Holiday and the imposter Seasons of Spice and make the right decision, or he would resign.
Bob generally cared about money, but he had some ethics underneath, and he didn’t want Zac spilling all the details.
While they won the Brew-Ski contest, Joy still refused to be involved with Scholtz and hoped that merely selling the holiday IPA would improve their sales.
Their customers came through for them because Kevin reached out to them, and many sent donations with their annual holiday cards.
This shows that if you treat your customers like family, they will return the favor when you need assistance.
Overall, this film was charming and the perfect opportunity to enjoy a spiced beer and snacks.
Over to you, Hallmarkies. Did you enjoy “A Very Very Vermont Christmas?”
Do you have a local pub that treats customers like family like Mogul Joe’s does? What is your favorite holiday IPA?
Did you enjoy Katie Leclerc and Ryan McPartlin’s connection? Would you like to see them in another movie together?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share them with us in the comments.