Speedway at Trader Joe's! What?!

Maybe Alesmith can make one of those TJ special releases / anniversary beers. Perhaps a Speedway variant made with one of the better TJ coffees (becoming a smaller and smaller list these days it seems, but I'm sure they could find one or two that are tasty in Speedway).

 

I purchase Wine for a TJ's in Va. In return I work the beer buyer and a lot of the distributors. I have discussed the company's strategy with the "higher" ups and I and can we are all working very hard to get better beer. The company as a whole wants to focus on the most local breweries as you said. We are VERY limited in what we can order but have all been working closely to see what would work best in our limited selection. Whole Foods has more wiggle room for sure which is frustrating but we are slowly getting there.

 

Right on. We do carry some special beers from Firestone and Unibroue. Maybe soon we'll see some Peaberry Speedway or Chocolate Rain with Raspberry Waffer Cakes?

 

What city is this in? California is big bro! My TJ's is a joke in Modesto.

 

My TJ of choice sits 5 miles from the Alesmith tasting room. For me, what they have is mostly irrelevant, but I like the statement it makes.

 

Pretty stoked on the Ken Schmidt beer that incorporates Candy Cane Joe Joes as an adjunct.

 

Any chance the beer can be put in a refrigerated cooler next? Not looking to start a 'does it matter if beer warms' tangent/thread hi-jack, it's more along the lines of wanting to drink something I pick up once I get home...

That said, this thread has me looking forward to my next trip to the grocery store!

 

I have been pushing for this for my store for quite some time. I think it might be more up to individual Regionals rather than a company wide stance to not have any beer in coolers. Although I haven't seen any in any TJ's I've been to.

 

I have never seen any cold beer at any TJs store either. Corporate policy for whatever reason.

 

The Costa Mesa store has a small cooler. I picked up a couple fresh Alesmith IPAs from there the other day.

 

Then I stand corrected.

 

The Woodland Hills store also recently expanded into an empty space next door and put an open shelf cooler with some beers on it. I don't think it currently throws any of the 750s/22s on it though.

 

They also carry a couple from Iron Fist. They had Palate Wrecker last year but they said the prices were too high this year to carry them... or something like that. At least they have Sculpin year-round.

 

San Diego

 

I was at the TJ's in Aliso Viejo yesterday and they had the following new stuff:

Stone Ruination
Stone SSR
AleSmith Speedway
AleSmith IPA

Didn't see Sculpin, but would welcome it (especially if they price the bomber cheaper than the 7.99 I see everywhere else)

 

My TJ's in Oceanside is about 100 yards away, I just bought Alesmith IPA that was bottled 3.23 so I have a few chilling down now. I moved here in October and they've always had Green Flash, Stone, Firestone, but now I'm seeing more other San Diego beer there which is great. Ballast Point, Iron Fist, etc.

 

It'd be nice to get some Green Flash up in Trader Joe's I work at in Brea.

 

Just tonight I was looking online to see where I could buy some Speedway Stout and wasn't finding anything reasonable so thought I might make a little road trip to the Alesmith brewery in San Diego. And then I had to go shopping for lunch food tomorrow and was very pleasantly surprised to find this at my local TJ's in San Clemente - yay! Bottling date is 4/11/13. Happy, happy, happy.

 

WOMACK!

 

Was in my local Trader Joe's this morning and found Loakal Red for $7.99. In case anyone is interested.