Hill Farmstead (2020)

Maybe Mr. Hill is in cahoots with the state police and is trying to help generate some state revenue from the fines!

 

I hear that.

In NYC there was a multi-day gap between ordering people to stay at home, and suspending alternate side parking rules - hard for the local government to give up that cash money. C.R.E.A.M

 

Its the same as any of the other measures in place, it is an honor system. If people want to act like morons and falsify their responses to the questions while ordering, come from out of state and endanger the employees and residents of the NEK, they can. It would be giving a giant middle finger to HF, but you can do it. If procuring beer is that important to you, then it may be time for some self reflection.

They are relying on their customers to do the right thing.

 

I guess that’s why I’m confused. Because HF more than most breweries seem to have always understood that the honor system can’t be relied upon, so have historically taken extra steps / over-communicated to cover every possible base. Seems odd that they would now - mid-pandemic - leave it gray so as to allow people to easily bend the rules.

Also - not sure if “you” is meant at me or in the collective sense. If the former then I’m unclear how I could possibly have given off the impression that I would have any interest in gaming their system. Quite the opposite - as I’m sure you well know if you take your internet hat off.

 

I love Hill beer and obsess about it like anyone else here, but Jesus people, it'll be there after this is over. I'd like to be able to send my kids back to school in September without worrying about another outbreak because some nimrods just couldn't live without Anna bottles.

 

Sounds like CYA to me.

 

Hill is not immune to the economic nightmare all service industry folks are in right now, so perhaps the “gray” area of allowing out of state residents to pick up beer as long as they swear they have abided by the 14 day quarantine order is a nod to the reality that even Hill is not immune to the lack of revenue right now. Allowing only VT residents with VT IDs to purchase beer for (probably) at least the next month+ significantly hinders Hill’s ability to generate enough revenue to keep his staff fed. And who could blame him.

 

They could always send cans/bottles to MA like Alchemist and Lawson's (Double Sunshine and others) are doing. Not the same margin as onsite, but they could probably charge higher prices. I'd pay $15/bottle for Arthur in Boston, $22 for a six-pack of cans, etc.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if they do. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't anticipate that anyone will be in a position to host huge crowds of people at breweries this summer. If that's the case, and they need to move product, I think that makes a lot of sense.

 

Armsby Abbey indicated on one of their posts that they will be getting and selling Hill cans to go. I’d anticipate that would be it since they’ve been the exclusive seller of Hill’s beer in MA for awhile now.

Already been doing growlers to go.

 

If they charges 6$ a pop (I think this is what I read) for fox farm cans, whats the over/under they'll charge for HF cans. 8$ each?

 

i thought the fox farm stuff was $7/$28. So, likely in that ballpark depending on beer type/can size.

 

You're probably right about that, at least to start. But if HF wants to move a lot of product, they will have to go into regular stores at something close to "normal" pricing. There is a limit to how many people will pay $50 for a six pack of HF at Armsby (just making that price up), but the number of people who would pay $22 or even $25 for a six pack of HF DIPAS it much much higher, particularly if they distribute to the Boston market.

 

I've also always wondered just out of curiosity, do they have their own canning line or do they use mobile? I'd guess there own but that stuff just interests me.

 

I'm in no way advocating people head up to Hill. But, will it be there after this?

 

99.999% yes

 

I get all the consternation, I do, but I just don't see this as being a huge issue. Who the hell wants to drive to HF from out of state when they only have to turn right around and drive back? I know, some people do, but it really just can't be that many. I may be in the minority but I don't see them selling a ton of beer this way and they will soon start sending and/or shipping it. I would guess this is just the first step in opening things back up.

 

I think it was a good question for This thread they rely I would say mostly on travelers to Vermont. I don’t have proof of that other the license plates every time I’ve been. If people are advised not to travel, for months and months within the northeast that has to have a huge impact financially I would guess. I think that applies to any place that relies on travel for income.

disclaimer: I may have no idea what I’m talking about here, just discussion.

 

I too have no idea what I’m talking about, but just throwing some stuff around / total speculation. Relative to most/other breweries:

Pros

Presumably no lease to pay (though not sure the extent to which they have borrowed against the property to fund things)

Appear to be wildly successful in a relatively low cost area - hopefully they’ve built up a decent cushion

Cons

More reliant on out of staters

In-state shipping less useful with a population of a few hundred thousand. Vs somewhere like Suarez that is in a state of 20 million.

 

What we need is a hero who will take a U-haul up across the border into VT, camp in the back of it for two weeks to observe the 14 day Quarantine, and then fill it up with HF beer and sell in on the Massachusett's border. A two week stay in a U-Haul is looking like a more and more attractive option while I am trying to survive teaching remotely from home while also keeping my 6 and 4 year old kids from killing each other.