I am going to be staying in CT from 12/22-12/29 and am seriously considering making the drive up to VT. Hopefully some locals can help me out. With Alchemist closing the brewery to the public how hard is it to get Heady Topper? I would like to get a full case to make it worth my drive. HF has some great bottles available right now, what are the chances they still have those bottles next week? How crazy will the lines be with it being around the Holidays? Any where to find Lawsons? If any one can help I'd appreciate it. Alternatively if any one is making a trip up there and will be in CT, RI or MA over the Holidays and is willing to pick stuff up for me let me know and we can work something out.
Getting a case of HT that week will most certainly be difficult. Check their site and arrive on delivery day. If I had to guess, all those HF bottles will be gone or in short supply come next Thursday. Make sure you car has snow tires and isn't 2wd if you plan to go up to HF.
I'm making the same trip, with the same goal in mind: 1-2 cases of Heady, lots of HF, Lawsons too. I'll be going on Friday the 27th, hopefully that is a good day to do it. We'll see, I guess.
Don't forget to save a little love for the un-hyped VT beers. I'd suggest Grateful Hands out of Cabot VT. After a stop at HF this summer, I stopped by their tasting room (a tiny garage brewery attached to the side of a tiny house) and was pleasantly surprised after an unpleasant, dare I say overhyped HF experience (long lines, solidly good but not life-changing beer on their taps and shelves that day). No hype, no line, but surprisingly great beer from Grateful Hands! Find 'em at the Hunger Mt Co-op in Montpelier this time of year - tasting hours on hold for the winter. Today I'ma be that troll who suggests there's life beyond the HT/HF/LF holy grails. And don't forget a stop at the Norwich Inn or McNeill's on the way up/down! Hooray for ALL Vermont beer! For Lawson's try his local general store, the Warren Store in Warren, VT (Thursday delivery), or Hunger Mountain Co-op (Friday delivery). Camp out there (early) with the faithful holiday beer pilgrims.
Getting a case of Heady will likely require waiting in line somewhere, and expect 2-3 hour wait at HF (are only open on the 27th and 28th). I also cant imagine Damon / BoT / Twilight will last long, especially Damon. Looks like Anna is on the shelf now, so there's that!
More Everett is coming I think? Goto Hunger Mountain, they seem like a good bet...have no idea about next week or a friday. Friday is tough. Multiple cases? You'd have to be there before the truck and then you're competing with...who knows how many others...making sure they have it for in-laws...it's priceless gold to keeping them relaxed and quietly sluggin heady. but, i digress. Lawson's on Friday? I say skip it and check the tap list. Instead of a bottle @ HMC (unless you happen upon one) pops up, I'd look for it on tap. They were running 8 lines in Waterbury (Prohibition Pig) a week+ ago, they still show a few on tap. Or ThreePennyTaproom. At either place your beer tongue will freak out and be happy...the food is great too! EAT EAT. Sounds weird, but HF is definitely your best bet but it's gonna be packed. Although if you hit the stores who get it on Friday, you might get some heady.
I wouldn't say unrealistic until retail, but next week? Just might be extra tough is all. I think Stowe area is the Friday delivery and I'm not sure who in Stowe sells cases. I don't know what days the Alchemist is *not* delivering on or how they change their drops when there's a holiday. Maybe ask/post again early next week to see if there's a delivery update. I think it's more unlikely you'll find Lawson's because I have crap luck getting to HMC before others. Keep an eye on Hunger Mountain Coop and after you score, goto three penny tap to celebrate! Good luck. Cheers.
Stowe Beverage retails cases in Stowe. Expect long waits at Hill Farmstead and to not get a ton of beer for your wait. You may get lucky on Port Damon but I'd be BoT and Twilight will be gone. Anna will be plentiful. +1 on the rec of Grateful Hands, although I've had some bad experiences with their bottles. Get growlers, the beer is damn good!!
I stumbled upon Fiddlehead right outside of Burlington, and I'd suggest hitting them up if you're in the area at all. Attached to a dope little pizza shop, their IPA is fantastic. All of the one-offs I've had are spectacular too. Highly recommended.
+1 on fiddlehead, sorry to to be an a**hole but who really needs a case if heady, the shelf life is short (IMO) grab a few four packs and enjoy , Lawson's is at the farmers market this weekend so My bet is they may have a smaller/ no release Christmas week .
Assuming you get a case, and drink a can a day, its gone within 30 days of canning! And thats if you drink it all yourself, and dont share with family / friends. I dont think its THAT unreasonable
Not unreasonable at all. It took me under a month to drink and share my case, and it was perfectly good at the end of the run; not the slightest bit aged or worse. OK, so I've been contemplating this same trip, basically. My wife and I aren't visiting family for the holidays, so we figured we may as well take a brief vacation up there. Drive up on the 27th, stay Friday and Saturday nights. Thing is, I know I probably won't be able to get Heady, and my previous trip up there didn't turn up anything else VT specific (some great brews, but no Lawson's et al). I'm OK with waiting at HF on Saturday morning, even if it's mostly just for growlers and Anna. Here's our alternative trip, though: do Maine instead, hit Allagash on Saturday and Maine Beer on Sunday. No chance of getting the great VT beers, but I also wouldn't have to worry about the availability of HT/HF/Lawson's/et al. Based on what everyone's saying re: HT availability (and what I expected), looks like the Maine trip might be the safer bet. Ideas?
The case+ of heady is so I can bring a hefty amount back to Texas and repay some favors. I was planning on giving a four pack to the staff of each beer store I frequent down here, which would mean 3 four packs. A friend of mine down here wants a four pack or more too. My mom and I would like about a half case to drink on our own (we could do a 4 pack a day together easily), and I'd like some to drink on my own once I get back down here too. And the "short shelf life" is drastically overstated. I've had month+ old heady and it's still fantastic. I'll be sure to check out Fiddlehead while I'm up there.
I've done both many times and while I enjoy HT and HF without compunction, I would still recommend the Maine trip. Lots of stuff to do in Portland depending on what you and your wife like to do. You can even head up to Oxbow if you want that pastoral, out of the way feel. Make sure you check Allagash's website for available on the tour, they tend to fill up fast. I'm sure even more so during vacation times. Enjoy your trip either way!
Do make sure you have an appropriate car/vehicle for HF. Travelling anywhere in New England has been tough recently I hate to think what the small rural roads to hill Farmstead are like at the moment. and if you do Portland we have found Bunker Brewing to be a fun place to visit
your best bet is to hit up these places on Friday/Saturday - http://alchemistbeer.com/?page_id=123&day=5
