DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2021)

I hope VA sees better allocations this year, but yeah DC (and usually MD) always seem to get a wider array of variants.

 

Even worse, if you look on their website, they seem to be increasing the price of old variants that they couldn't get rid of the last few years

 

Speaking of Whole Foods, is H street bar just shut down permanently? I remember trying every 2019 variant on tap there but their untappd menu hasn't been updated since March 2020. Any other spots that may have variants on tap?

 

I stopped by the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods a few months ago and their growler station/coffee bar was also shut down. I'm not sure if they ever reopened it since the pandemic started. I haven't seen any posts about tap events happening anywhere for Friday.

 

Saw ~6 cases of BCBS at Filling Co in Brambleton (they have a really good beer selection for a gas station). Looked to be 3 variants, Original, Cola and Cherrywood...unsure on pricing or limits.

 

Not sure where in VA you are, but up here in NoVA the three TWs I called got all 7 of the BCBS varietals. I was completely shocked, since we tend to just get regular and one or two variants every year.

 

Any chance you went to check to confirm this? I went to the Springfield location and they had the ones mentioned by Slack. 14, cherry wood, and cola were limited to 1pp.

It's possible they sold out of others before I made it there (around 1), but would definitely be surprised if the others would've been that widely available based on recent years. I did see K1 in Arlington had the double barrel variant though so who knows.

 

I can confirm that the Fairfax location had all 7 variants. I got there right as they were opening and was 16th in line. They had at least 3 cases of Blanton's, 150 and DB (all 1pp) and all the other variants were 3pp, with cases stacked high. I'd be surprised if Fairfax got that much and other TW locations got shut out on any variants.

 

I can also confirm something similar at TW Mclean. I got there too late to get Blanton, but got all the others (except Cola by choice). Not sure when Blanton sold out, but I was there around 9:30.

 

Good to know for future years that the rarer variants are circulating around here. Probably would've been scared off by the price tag on those ones anyway.

 

For what it’s worth.

I went to K1 Friday morning, they had all four variations, then two people who were together started cleaning up, I didn’t get any.

Today, at Costco the had the base and three variations, not many, I passed.

 

Saw an IG posted that Crafted in Haymarket is shutting down on 12/21. Kind of an outpost, but they had some good beer, and the guy was good about responding.

 

It is also in direct violation of DC law:

§ 25-743. Tie-in purchases prohibited. (a) A manufacturer or wholesaler shall not require, directly or indirectly, a retailer to purchase any type of alcoholic beverage or other commodity in order to purchase any other alcoholic beverage. (b) A licensee under an off-premises retailer's license shall not require, directly or indirectly, a consumer to purchase any type of alcoholic beverage or other commodity in order to purchase any other alcoholic beverage.

@DammitMike

 

Wow, I don't know anyone that actually participated in this, but if you know where to direct this to, it looks like they still have the requirement listed on their website.

https://www.hopcaskandbarrel.com/wi...Brand-Cafe-de-Olla-Stout-2019-2019-w0696580qy

"RULES

We will only have 12 bottles total of each of the three specialty variants:

(150 Reserve Stout / Blanton's Reserve Stout / Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout)

If you want ANY of those three variants, you must purchase a total of SIX(6) Bourbon County beers of ANY KIND. You can mix and match if you'd like. Some items are limited, and some items have limits per person to ensure enough people have a chance to get what they want.

The three variants listed above will be raffled off to the first 36 qualifying customers who purchase a minumim of SIX(6) bottles. We will draw the names of those first 36 customers and ask them, in that order, which ONE BOTTLE they would like to purchase. This is the way we feel is fairest and will give a maximum amount of people an opportunity to have one of this year's top-tier variants.

No one is required to buy six bottles if they don't have interest in the top-tier variants. No one who buys six bottles is required to buy a top-tier variant. If we have extras, we may offer additional bottles to previous customers.

We expect that we can't release your pre-sale until Black Friday, but if we get a green light sooner we will let you know."

 

Lock them up!

 

Dominion got a couple of beers from Surly yesterday. The Axe Man (formerly Todd the Axe Man) seems to be sold out, but there is still Abrasive available. I had an Abrasive last night, and it was excellent if you like big, bitter 9% West Coast IPAs, which I do.

 

The Brew Shop in Arlington had them when I went a few days ago, I picked up both. The Axe man is a shadow of what it used to be (had it on tap at the brewery a few years ago, and purchased multiple 6-packs years ago), sad.