cave sale

I didn't think either were boring at all.

 

I guess we'll have to disagree on that one, when I call a beer unique its usually because I cant find anything actually positive to say.

 

I for one had never had Schwartzbier. So it was new and unique to me.

 

I'm too busy this Saturday and Sunday so I guess I'll miss out on those rare whales, but I sure wish I could go. There're a couple of other non-Brewfest events I'd love to go to this weekend too.

As far as the Bevie goes, I think they have a tough job catering to both locals and the ever increasing stream of beer tourists. I don't have much opportunity to make the hour-long round-trip drive down there for beer releases, but I do enjoy their great selection when I'm in the area.

As far as the homebrew competition, I participated and thought it was well done for a first attempt. If they do it annually, I'm sure it will get much better all around.

 

Screw the "releases" and planned sales, better to just put it on the shelf when you get it and STFU.

 

They posted what's being released this weekend on their FB page. Grateful, because I can skip it. But people visiting from away may find it convenient for "one-stop shoppng." I rarely shop there now due to it being magnet for visiting beer-trekkers - got a big ol' target on its back now!

 

Why? So is The Farmhouse wrong for storing vintage kegs? Is the Mule Bar wrong for putting together an event? They are trying to draw money from outside Vermont. Is that wrong?

I would never see a Cantillion or 3F on the shelf in CT. Hell they don't even put SOS on the shelf here. You need to know someone who knows someone

 

Sounds like a real 'advocate' here. yikes.

 

Interesting post..( some Pr for the locals??) take out the lawsons and Heady and 95% of the other stuff is sitting on the shelf if at places in burlington... I wonder how many bottles of the Sunday releases they have?

 

I get the real reason is to get beer-tourist butts in the door with the special stuff and give them a lot of VT beer to bring home...... But come on guys, put all 8 cases of KBS out and not 4 then treat it like you only got a few.. Oh well, can't win them all.

Did find it interesting they mentioned how they do everything they can to bring these beers to locals..

 

I don't follow your logic here, all of the local bars are offering alternatives to the brew festival at different times. Many locals skip the fest and go to those events. Nothing like the hoarding at Bevy.

 

My logic is multiple businesses have held inventory for some time in order to generate a town wide fantastic event. Has the Bevy overhyped. Yeah probably, but I am just surprised by the way the Bevy is the one getting the flack here. Won't all those same tourists drink up all the kegs at the bars too. I know I will be . I shop the Bevy 4-6 times per year and each time I enjoy the experience. They seem to have solid communication and seem to have adjusted to some of the requests of their regulars.

I probably won't do the sale too much of a pain in the butt and yes no guarantees. I will probably go to the Bevie some time else during the weekend and see what other non-hyped VT beers are available.

 

I've had a mixed experience at the bevy over the last few years. Over the last year, I think it's gotten worse. I don't go to buy Heady or Lawson's, usually just other local VT beer or imports that I can't find at other local stores. Usually those imports have a inch or two of dust covering the bottles and are sitting on the floor pushed back and under one of the shelves there for a few years, but at least they have the beer.

If I ask the guy at the counter, he normally blows me off with a "I don't know" answer - Usually asking where/if they have a specific style of beer (usually not a common style) that I've already spent 30-45 minutes searching for in the store. If I happen to see someone that works there that's over 35 or a manager/senior staff, then I've gotten good interactions with them and they seem to go out of their way to help me find some hard to find style of beer.

I've also had a lot of friends who say they've also had bad experiences there over the last year or two especially concerning the local homebrew club. We usually request some empty boxes so we can sort the homebrew bottles for the local competition, but the guy we sent to bevy was basically told to "go away" by the staff at counter. We've gotten empty boxes there for years, except this year, so we had to rush out and ask other local stores who gave us more than we needed in a day's notice.

I rarely go to bevy anymore, except when hunting for a hard to find style for BJCP training. Even then having to buy American Light Lagers or cheap German\Mexican\etc Lagers (for the training class), you'll get snickers, snide remarks, and heckles from people waiting in line for Heady.

I find that my local bottle shop has expanded their selection, has a growler station, and has all of the same local beer (except Lawson's, which I don't buy anyways) without lines and without any hassles or flack from the person behind the counter or those waiting in line for Heady. If a new beer is release by a local (small) brewery, it's usually at the bevy first. However, I just wait a couple weeks for the next batch of that beer and that second batch usually makes it to my local bottle shop.

 

Is there a time of year when VT is not swamped by beer tourists? You get the skiers in the winter, leaf peepers in the fall and outdoors people in the summer. Living on the Maine coast I certainly understand your frustrations with being overwhelmed by vacationers - my town goes from 10,000 people in winter to over 50,000 in the summer but at least we get a break because no one wants to visit in the winter.

Locals know which back roads to take and what restaurants/stores/markets are far enough off the beaten path that tourists won't visit in droves. In my mind places like Beverage Mart serve an important purpose - they draw all the tourists in and leave the smaller stores off the beaten path relatively calm for the locals.

 

Vermont gets so little Cantillon & 3F, the majority of the "little stores" never see them. Same for most other limited release stuff.

Honestly I welcome all visitors to our state and almost everyone of them comes for the high quality beer brewed in VT. Heck, they can probably get the limited stuff easier back home.

 

And here it is....Being Sunday is the best pick of the litter this is highly locals focused...good stuff

http://beveragewarehousevt.com/home...chedule-vermont-brewers-festival-information/

FRIDAY, JULY 17TH, 10:00a BEER CAVE RELEASE
10a RELEASE OF: LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS – LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES – LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION #2
14TH STAR / MAKE THE CUT HOMEBREW SALUTE YOUR SCHWARZ 2015
CIGAR CITY GOD OF FEAR 2015
DEL BORGEO L’EQUILBRISTA 2012
DOGFISH HEAD OLDE SCHOOL 2011
DOGFISH HEAD OLDE SCHOOL 2012
DOGFISH HEAD OLDE SCHOOL 2013
DOGFISH HEAD OLDE SCHOOL 2014
DOGFISH HEAD RAISON D’EXTRA 2014
FOUNDERS BACKWOODS BASTARD 2014
FOUNDERS BIG LUSCHIOUS 2014
HERMIT THRUSH JOLLY ABBOT 2015
JW LEES HARVEST ALE 2008
JW LEES HARVEST ALE 2009
JW LEES HARVEST ALE 2010
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES 2015
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS 2015
LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION #2 2015
LOST NATION GOSE CANS 2015
QUEEN CITY HEFEWEIZEN 2015
SIERRA NEVADA BIGFOOT 2010
SIERRA NEVADA BIGFOOT 2012
STONE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT 2015
~ ~ ~

SATURDAY, JULY 18TH, 9:00a BEER CAVE RELEASE
9a RELEASE OF: ALCHEMIST HEADY TOPPER – LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS – LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES – LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION #2
14TH STAR SAISON 2015
14TH STAR / MAKE THE CUT HOMEBREW SALUTE YOUR SCHWARZ 2015
8 WIRED C4 DOUBLE BROWN STOUT 2015
ALCHEMIST HEADY TOPPER 2015
ALLAGASH MATTINA ROSSA 2015
ALLAGASH MIDNIGHT BRETT 2015
BROOKLYN BLACK OPS 2014
BROOKLYN K IS FOR KRIEK 2015
BURLINGTON BEER CO. STRAWBERRY WHALE CAKE 2015
EVIL TWIN IMPERIAL BISCOTTI BREAK 2014
FOLEY FORGOTTEN 2014
GREEN FLASH SILVA STOUT 2015
HERMIT THRUSH BRATTLEBEER 2015
HERMIT THRUSH FARMHOUSE TRIPLE 2015
HERMIT THRUSH GREEN STREET SIPA 2015
HERMIT THRUSH JOLLY ABBOT 2015
JACKS ABBY BA FRAMMINGHAMMER 2015
JACKS ABBY BA FRAMMINGHAMMER COFFEE 2015
JACKS ABBY BA FRAMMINGHAMMER VANILLA 2015
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES 2015
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS 2015
LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION #2 2015
LOST NATION GOSE CANS 2015
LOST NATION PILSNER 2015
LOST NATION THE WIND 2015
NORTH COAST OLD RASPUTIN BA 2015
OFF COLOR DINO SMORES 2015
OMNIPOLO HYPNOPOMPA 2015
QUEEN CITY HEFEWEIZEN 2015
STILLWATER ARCANA 2015
STILLWATER KY FOLKLORE 2015
STONE BOURBON BARREL AGED ARROGANT 2015
STONE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT 2013
STONE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT 2014
ZERO GRAVITY CONE HEAD IPA 2015
ZERO GRAVITY GREEN STATE 2015
~ ~ ~

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 9:00a BEER CAVE RELEASE
9a RELEASE OF: ALCHEMIST HEADY TOPPER – LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS – LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES – LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION #2 – LAWSON’S SPRUCE TIP IPA – LAWSON’S MAPLE TRIPPLE
14TH STAR TRIBUTE IPA
14TH STAR / MAKE THE CUT HOMEBREW SALUTE YOUR SCHWARZ 2015
ALCHEMIST HEADY TOPPER 2015
BURLINGTON BEER CO. STRAWBERRY WHALE CAKE 2015
FIDDLEHEAD SECOND FIDDDLE 2015
FOUNDERS KBS KENTUCKY BREAKFAST STOUT 2014
FOUNDERS KBS KENTUCKY BREAKFAST STOUT 2015
HERMIT THRUSH JOLLY ABBOT 2015
HERMIT THRUSH PARTY GUY 2015
LAWSON’S MAPLE TRIPPLE 2015
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE BOTTLES 2015
LAWSON’S SIP OF SUNSHINE CANS 2015
LAWSON’S SPRUCE TIP IPA 2015
LAWSON’S SUPER SESSION 2015
LOST NATION GOSE CANS 2015
LOST NATION MOSAIC 2015
QUEEN CITY HEFEWEIZEN 2015
~ ~ ~

SUNDAY 9a BEER CAVE RELEASE – 1 BOTTLE PER PERSON FROM THIS SELECTION:
CANTILLON OR FONTEINEN OR TILQUIN
~ ~ ~

SUNDAY 9a BEER CAVE RELEASE – 1 BOTTLE PER PERSON FROM THIS SELECTION:
INTANGABLE ALES JUXTAPOSE
PIZZA BOY BLACK SOUR
PIZZA BOY BLACKBERRY SOUR
PIZZA BOY RASPBERRY SOUR

 

Sweet. I predict a large number of happy and hung over beer tourists lining up at 6 AM Sunday morning!

 

How slammed is it?

 

Yesterday one of the employees told me there was 300 people there at open. I drove by this morning at 8:30, the line looked like it ran around and behind the behind for almost the whole length of the building. So ya its been pretty slammed.

 

The Cave Sale was worth checking out. I picked up some fresh IPA's, a Maple Tripple, and some shelf Cantillon.

There were a couple of things that I skipped ($9.99 a bottle for '14 BCBS and '14 and '15 KBS) and one sour that I missed out on, but overall not a bad haul for a two hour wait in line.

I should note that while waiting outside in line, The Bevy passed out free water bottles and Dunkin' Donuts coffee and Munchkins to their patrons. It was a nice touch.