When Lost Nation Brewing opened in Morrisville in 2013, it quickly carved out a place in the New England beer canon with its beloved gose, Vermont Pilsner and Mosaic IPA session beers. And thanks to its prime location between the Alchemist brewery in Waterbury (now Stowe) and Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend — not to mention its full lunch and dinner menu — the biergarten soon became an essential stop for beer tourists. Lost Nation’s beers proudly displayed its tagline: “We who wander are not lost.” However, in recent years, some have worried that the brewery is wandering too far. Since stopping production a year ago, the brewery has been haunted by rumors of a sale, which was confirmed when the business was listed in May 2023. The company’s future looked bleak. Technically, Lost Nation is still for sale, though owner Allen Van Anda is prioritizing finding an investor to build the business with him. Meantime, he’s bringing new life to the Morrisville spot, sparked not by its beer but a new focus on food, entertainment and community. While that change of direction may surprise some, Van Anda knew the intoxicating heights of the craft beer boom wouldn’t last forever. “I remember saying, ‘This is not sustainable,'” Van Anda said. “I mean, guys driving up from Massachusetts to spend $500 a weekend on beer? But we rode the wave, and it was fun.” That wave crashed in 2020 when COVID-19 hit. But even before the pandemic, consumer trends that once worked in Lost Nation’s favor were changing. Hard seltzer became a thing. Ditto hard cider and ready-to-drink cocktails. In 2021, according to beer industry website Brewbound, national craft beer sales declined for the first time in years, even as general alcohol consumption surged. The pandemic also crippled the service industry. Finding employees was a challenge, and patrons weren’t going out as much or traveling as far. Lost Nation’s nadir came in 2022, when it halted beer distribution and Van Anda and original co-owner Jamie Griffith parted ways. (Van Anda declined to elaborate on why.) Lost Nation’s last batch of beer was brewed in January 2023, and by May the company was up for sale to recoup its losses. Meanwhile, its staff had dwindled from 48 in 2021 to six. But Van Anda, 46, a pensive guy with an easygoing demeanor, still had a couple of aces up…