I live in Upstate NY and find the availability of craft beers in this state to be very poor. (very few MI, WI beers available). Hell, I cant even find Great Lakes. I'm thinking of making a beer run to a neighboring state( MA, NJ, CT) and wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions as to which state has a good variety/selection?
Where in upstate NY are you? Someone might be able to offer specific regional advice. The only resource I can offer you is www.seekabrew.com to compare beer distribution of neighboring states with NY. Hopefully someone can chime in with stores that carry Great Lakes or that feature a nice selection of craft in your area.
NY has some pretty solid distribution from great breweries. You could probably stay in-state and get what you need. Ever try DeCicco's? They have 5 locations in Brewster, Jefferson Valley, Cross River, Ardsley, and NYC. I have not been, but they all get phenominal reviews.
What beers are you looking for? If it's something like New Glarus, it's not distributed anywhere other than WI.
It all depends on where you are and what you are looking for. NY in general has much better distribution than CT and MA. If you are looking for CT (e.g. New England Brewing Company) or MA (e.g. Jack's Abby, Notch, etc.) specific beers then yes you need to go there. That being said some of the newer New York offerings are quite tasty and not available in CT, MA, or NJ. I am sure a few of us out here could help you find the best place to get beers from a specific brewery if you know what you are looking for or good bottle shops in various places.
