Heady distro to Boston -- not looking good

I gotta wonder how much of this is turning into a catch-22. People regularly mule Heady down to MA by the carload, and tons of tourists are picking some up on their trips. If people didn't do that, or they put some strict limits in place, there probably would be plenty to send down to MA.

Though I suppose they have no reason to bother with distribution if people are doing it for them...

 

Eh. As much as I like HT, I'm not looking forward to $25 4-packs when they hit the Boston area - and the subsequent jockeying it would take to get it, as it will surely disappear the moment it arrives at a shop.

IMO the current situation is fine. Enough for VT locals & for those willing to journey to VT (at the correct time, that is).

 

Do you mean $16 4-packs? That's what I paid at Liquor World when it was legally for sale here.

 

It's cute you think that would be the norm.

 

When was that? Must have been a freak event. You're fooling yourself if you don't think the price will at least be double the VT retail if / when HT is regularly sold here. Hell, if <inferior> MBC Lunch can sell like wildfire for $7 per ~ 16 oz, HT should garner the same.

 

I truly love the fact that three incredible breweries are only a few hours drive away in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, and I feel lucky that I live so close to them.

I have no interest in fighting whale hunters over scraps in a big concrete jungle. As stupidly romantic as it might sound, I adore my infrequent jaunts up to Warren, Waterbury and Greensboro to load up on liquids that make me weak at the knees.

Leave it for sale in Waterbury, I'll make the trip.

 

There were one or two shipments of HT to MA. Not sure of the exact date.

 

I've got no reason to believe the price would go up. Are you the beer buyer at Liquor World?

 

Are you a beer buyer in MA?

 

Alchemist distributes to Massachusetts and NJ. They just have people who do it for free.

 

Pretty much what I said in another thread it's our own faults it isn't in ma more for better or for worst.

 

What's the word on getting into Southern VT?

 

A few places got it last year and $16 was the highest I seen, different story in bars though.

 

$16 a 4-pack would be worth it. Even $25 isn't overkill. My last haul to Waterbury in gas alone for a case ran $4 fuel per can. Thats $28 a 4-pack and that doesn't include the bed and breakfast, multiple stops at the restaurants and all the other site seeing I had to include to make this beer haul a family vacation lol.

So in summary, unless you buy 6 cases to reduce the cost per can to $0.75 a can, $15 a 4-pack (don't forget to add ice into that cost too) you better just hope you have friends who frequent and absorb the travel cost like i did and sell it to you for $12.

That's just my $0.02

 

When I saw it it was broken up into singles for 6 each, which was the same price I saw it at when it was brought down illegally. Maybe you guys just frequent better stores than I.

 

What this guy said... When I bought three cans legally in MA when the first shipment came down, I paid $6, $6, and $7. I'm not particularly good at math, but I think when you multiply that by 4, you get more than $16. Liquor World is known for having relatively good prices anyway.

On the other hand, I've bought cans "illegally" at liquor stores since then and paid as much as $10 for a can.

So yeah - if there was ever distro, if you think it wouldn't be $25 a 4 pack, you're kidding yourself.

 

I'd agree if things were like they were a year or two ago. But now you're just fighting with those same whale hunters over scraps up in VT. Heady basically requires a mid-week mid-day trip at this point. Hill Farmstead limited releases are a nightmare, and even a normal Friday/Saturday can see extremely long growler lines. Lawson's market releases are probably an even bigger nightmare, and even just getting their regular stuff on a normal week requires aligning a sun dial with a decoder ring and the Warren Store to time it correctly.

I wish it went back to how it was, where I could spend a very leisurely Saturday hitting up HF, Heady, and Lawson's. But if we're not going to get that, may as well start thinking about serious expansion/distro. Otherwise these fantastic breweries are only going to continue to grow in popularity, and their beers will be harder and harder to get.

 

At the time, I asked around a bit, and the highest for stores I saw was $20. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see $20 as the de facto MSRP, but I don't think $25 would happen unless everyone did it. The gouging stigma would hurt a store's reputation.

 

I am sure some stores would hit $20, Liquor world as mentioned was 16, Kappy's at Wellington Circle had singles for $3.50 or $4 I can't remember which.