The Alchemist (2020)

Yes—when you purchase it at the brewery.

 

Re: conversation about our taste buds adjusting to Heady... I’ve had a million juicebomb ipas and none is as good as heady IMO... Only IPAs that come close are Hill Farmstead (Abner, Ephraim, and Double Citra, to name a few) and Other Half 4th anniversary. Heady is #1 in my book.

Re: Heady in NJ... woohoo!!!

 

I think they got three cases of each.

 

was referring to the above post quoting $13.50

 

I know.

 

Bridgewater Wegmans, get it!

 

The Mrs went and got 1 4 pack! Focal Banger was gone though.

 

Same for me with Focal yesterday. Congrats on scoring! I may head back today for 1 more 4pack if it's still there.

 

My wife said she called and they said there were 4 4 packs. When she got ours, there was only 1 left. That was 3 hrs ago.

 

Agree. Its a testament to that beer, and Focal for that matter, that there still isn't anything out there exactly like it in the age of haze. Its still as good, and unique, as ever.

 

focal is amazing too, I prefer heady but both are great

 

I held off anyway. Too many ipas in the fridge, I’m hoping we get another drop in nj later and I can head back for freshies.

 

I’m hoping so as well to try and get focal banger.

 

Looks like they are opening back up this Friday for Curbside pick ups..

A few observations:

>Apparently they are not hard-lining out of staters from essential beer runs as Hill is requiring.
>Selling off "unfresh" beer at a discount.
>They continue to expand distribution in new areas but specifically NOT Maine or NH

From FB post:

Temporary and Long Term Distribution Plans:

We made the decision to cut back on our production early on. However, since our beer is on a 5 week cycle, we still had to distribute our full production yields for the first 4 weeks of the “shelter in place” order. This was a big challenge for us- like many craft breweries, we depend on our local restaurants and bars for much of our distribution. Also, along with our staff members, we collectively made the decision not to open for curbside sales. We decided to focus on production and distribution in an effort to minimize human contact.

In the last 7 weeks we have sent beer to several new markets in an effort to maintain freshness. We have sent our beer to Massachusetts, New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Rhode Island and California. In every case, we were able to get our beer on shelves within one week of canning. This took a tremendous amount of effort- both on the part of our team, our distribution partners and ultimately retailers.

We will continue to rotate our distribution on a weekly basis. So, if you live in New Jersey or Massachusetts, you should see our beer on shelves every 4-5 weeks or so. This strategy allows us to maintain freshness, but also minimize our impact on other craft breweries that are struggling to survive.

We have had lots of inquiries from our customers in New Hampshire and Maine. One customer joked “what are we, the ugly child?” The answer is no. Frankly, we are doing our best to send our beer to markets with strong population density. We know our beer can be easier absorbed in Philadelphia or NYC than it can in Portland, Maine.

Upcoming Curbside Sales:

As the state of Vermont loosens the stay-at-home order, we are gearing up for our first weekend of curbside sales, starting on Friday, May 15. Stay tuned to our social media- we will have our online ordering form up, details about ordering and picking up, as well as a video with tasting notes from John, available by Thursday, May 14.

In the meantime, here is a quick Q & A with some basic information:

What are the days and hours of curbside sales?

Our first weekend of curbside pickup will be Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17, from 11am-6pm. After that, we will be open for curbside pickup Thursday-Sunday, 11am-6pm until further notice. Our goal is to be open 7 days a week by the end of June.

What will you be selling next weekend?
We will be selling Heady Topper, Focal Banger and also a mixed case of IPAs to include Crusher, Rapture, Ouroboros and Holy Moly. 100% of the proceeds we collect from the mixed cases will go to The Alchemist Opportunity Fund. All of this money will go directly towards educational scholarships for graduating seniors.

Will there be limits on Heady Topper and Focal Banger?
Each person may order up to eighteen 4-packs, or three cases, of Heady Topper and Focal Banger each.

May I buy a single 4-pack of Rapture or Crusher?
No. The mixed case will include two 4 packs of Crusher, two 4 packs of Holy Moly, one 4 pack of Ouroboros and one 4 pack of Rapture. These cases will be $60 plus tax and deposit. No substitutions.

Why is the mixed case so inexpensive?! Is it old?
These cans are not old, but they were packaged for on premise sales in March before we shut down our retail shop. They are all delicious and still relatively young, but are not consistent with our long standing commitment to sell the freshest IPAs on the market.

 

Question for out of state traveling at this time. Will there be a problem coming from CT next week to go to Brattleboro? I noticed there was a 14 day quarantine for VT. I wouldn't want to be breaking any rules coming up to buy beer then leaving.

 

I'm amazed at how many people are going out of their way/out of state for beer when there are so many good breweries out there delivering to your doorstep. To each their own, but it has never been this convenient (and probably never will again). I guess it gives ya something to do?

 

Technically, if you are coming into the state for non-essential travel, you need to shelter in place for 14 days upon arrival. I think the governor has a press conference later this week where he is expected to loosen restrictions associated with the stay at home order.

 

One could argue that the Brattleboro Food Co-Op has better shelfies than any shop in Connecticut. Also, I would like to see a list of the "so many good breweries out there delivering to your doorstep" in Connecticut.

 

I have seen this mentioned a lot but are we sure it applies to a day trip with a few stops? I think of it more as a guideline for people planning to stay there beyond the 14 days.

 

The large signs at the bridges between NH and VT say "If you are staying" on the bottom. The governor has specifically said that those who "normally" shop at grocery stores/gas stations/etc. in VT can continue to shop at those locations. (just as a piece of information, not regarding whether or not you are supposed to go to VT for beer).