Bells coming to NJ this summer

This is fantastic news! Two Hearted is a great beer! I can't wait. NJ is becoming a hell of a beer state, in the past like two years we have gotten Cigar City, Pipeworks, Half Acre, and now Bells! Man it feels like yesterday that I use to trade for some of theses brews!

 

Hunterdon is on their game when it comes to keeping outlets well stocked. I am on the river, and can drive 2 or 3 miles and get Bells, but 2 or 3 blocks makes it a lot easier.

 

I might be wrong but I thought I read it here, that Bells would never come to NJ? Great news though!

 

Would love to find that thread to find out what the thoughts behind that was.

 

I think it was something about Larry Bell disliking Hunterdon or the distribution system in NJ. I could be wrong though.

 

HA! found it, in this thread. hope i copied it right.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/bells-in-nj.343312/#post-4145617

"Larry bell hataes hunterdon.. take it for what you will"

 

You nailed it. I was in southern California when Bells landed a few years back. It was just a couple years too late. Their beers are solid and I loved trading for them years back, however the local competition can easily keep up these days and Bells will sit on the shelf. Maybe not Black Note, however it won't be long before we are neck deep in 6 month old Two Hearted.

 

Hunterdon has always been great in our area. Our local shops could call them directly while I was standing there to inquire about getting something, to which they looked into it almost immediately.

 

Beer wishes can come true!

 

Well, Hunterdon is now wholly-owned by Sheehan Family Companies, which also owns the distributors they picked for VT, ME, NH and parts of MA. Looks like they've already worked with Sheehan-owned distributors in NY, WI and KY...

 

This thread feels so retro

 

I assume this will be like when Cigar City starting distributing to NJ. At first there will be a wave of people excited and then most of it will end up sitting on shelves. There is just too much good local beer now.

 

Eh, Two Hearted is pushing $13 a sixer here, but maybe that is just greedy Shangy's overcharging their accounts. I pass it by very often nowadays, it's usually many months old.

 

A few years ago I would have ran to the store for Two Hearted. Sad to say now I can hardly keep up with the best local options.

 

totally agree, my first thought when I saw this news was eh who cares. There's so much good beer out there and so much of the national stuff just sits. I mean it will be nice to get hopslam as I've never had that, but other than that I really don't care about Bell's being in NJ with all our other options.

 

As someone who works for a distributor in NJ, I'm very torn on Bell's.

On one hand, you have an established, very reputable brand with deep pockets and a solid portfolio of excellent beers. The initial launch will no doubt be a total success as the area will welcome them with open arms out the gate.

On the other side, you have a brand that is entering one of the most ravenous feeding grounds in the country. NJ has become almost oversaturated with upcoming breweries in the last several years and while not all of them are all-time, the amount of great beer outweighs the mediocre. The likes of Twin Elephant, Carton, Kane, Conclave and Magnify are keeping people out of bars and away from liquor stores with their on-premise and to-go offerings.

A decade ago, Bell's in NJ would have been a slam dunk. In 2018, the game has changed a bit as the local scene has truly emerged unlike anywhere else putting a hurting on the national brands.

 

Poor Poor Shangy's, gonna lose a lot of business from this.

 

Hopslam at home. Let that sink in

 

To be fair this argument can be used for any beer that is sold in stores. Im guessing you too were implying this on any bigger brewery as well. But let’s not forget that this forum and the haze bros are a very small portion of beer drinkers in NJ. I think we tend to forget that on here. I do agree there is just too many good beers available from local places nowadays. I will buy my share of six packs of two hearted and Oberon for sure though and I can’t wait to.