One in 8,200 Where the personalities of Middlebury proper are celebrated Green Mountain native Buxton forges relationships at Two Brothers

Author: Amanda Cormier

Andy Buxton never minds keeping his varied posts behind the bar - part nurse, part psychiatrist, part trivia master (he likes to combine local knowledge with pop culture references), part friendly conversationalist.

He especially loves his job on days like today, when the raw wind and slight rain don't tempt him away from Two Brothers Tavern and toward his other passions: fishing, target shooting, hunting and softball.

"As a kid, I was always building fires and forts, always outside," he said. "The only thing I don't like about this job is not being able to be outside."

Growing up in Orwell, Vt., he spent his time divided between the outdoor activities of a typical "Green Mountain boy" and playing music. When a need for employment led him to leave home at 19 and take up bartending in Middlebury at what was then Angela's Restaurant, his focus drifted away from music and into the hospitality business. After nearly 10 years as a bartender, he hopes to start his own business at some point in the near future.

"I enjoy making people happy," he said. "You never know what's going to walk through that door. You can be up against a nice woman going through a divorce and losing her children, or a person who has a problem with alcohol and needs guidance. We all help each other here."

That sense of common purpose is what kept him in Addison County, never feeling wanderlust to live beyond the state's borders. It's also what has kept him in health. Last year, when Buxton was uninsured and battling a kidney stone, bartenders asked regulars to donate a few dollars here and there to help him pay for treatment. Within a few weeks, they'd raised $1,500. Buxton is looked after, here, and knows that if the "mortgage, marriage and kids" paths ever cross in his life, he'll want to keep them here, too.

"I love exploring, but this is my home," he said. "Vermont will be where I die, no doubt. Native Vermonters are not afraid to put their nose to the grindstone and work hard at their passions - like the two brothers [who founded the Tavern]. I'm not scared of change. I'm happy."