Focal Banger

If a bar/restaurant is allowing beer to be sold to go they're taking sales from places licensed to sell beer to go - breweries and beer stores. It's hypocritical that this would be happening as bars/restaurants in multiple states (according to the BA) are complaining about taprooms taking sales from them.

 

Reading the article it's quite clear the bars/restaurants are NOT complaining about taprooms selling beers to go. They are complaining that taprooms are acting as bars, selling for onsite consumption, but without the same regulatory hurdles a bar would have.

 

The bars/restaurants are licensed to sell on premises. They're complaining about taprooms legally selling on premises.

If those bars/restaurants are allowing off premise sales by their staff, sales they're not licensed for, but taprooms are, that's hypocritical.

I can't make it any clearer, sorry

 

Enjoyed it a couple of times in Burlington. Hell of a beer! Just ask the waiter if they'd wash the can for you and bring it home as a souvenir

 

I am going to be in Montpelier and Waterbury this Thursday. Where are my best chances to pick it up?

 

It's currently draft only, but you should find it at all of the usual bars for onsite consumption.

 

Cans only.

 

Sweet, thanks man.

 

As mentioned above, it's cans-only. Some places have it, but not always on the menu (Prohibition Pig, among others). Make sure to ask!

 

I had it at Ri-Ra in Burlington and the french restaurant on Church street, forgot the name

 

I had it this past weekend at The Bench in Stowe, and Hen of the Woods in Waterbury. I went into Blackback on Friday night and they had "just run out."

Excellent beer.

 

Green mountain inn has it too

 

Almost all/if not all bars and restaurants that get heady also receive a smaller amount of focal each week. Check alchemist or headyspotter.com for delivery days. Looking at "check ins" on other sites will help too

 

The last public sale of Focal Banger was in July of 2015. It was a charity fundraiser for the city of Barre. There was a 1 case per person limit with a total of 160 cases for sale.

Twelve total four-packs of Focal Banger were also sold to the public as part of a Hops for Hunger fundraiser at the Hunger Mountain Coop around Christmas time. The limited edition bag, which also contained Backacre, The Wind, Arthur, and a BA Foley beer, were sold for $125.

Everything that is currently hitting the trade market is coming from restaurant and bar accounts that are selling their beers to-go.

Personally, I have encountered at least four individuals (beer traders from this site) over the past few months who have successfully purchased Focal Banger to-go at Burlington, Waterbury, and Stowe area accounts, so I know that it is happening. What I cannot understand is why a bar or restaurant would jeopardize their account status with the Alchemist for the sake of making a few extra dollars on bootleg sales of cans to-go.

I would imagine that between Heady Topper and Focal Banger, many of these locations are blessed with the opportunity to make hundreds of extra dollars per week in sales simply by carrying Alchemist beers. Why ruin that connection and destroy your relationship with the brewery?

 

I would think it would be individuals working at these establishments, not the bars or restaurants themselves, that are selling the cans...

 

Currently enjoying one at the Skinny Pancake.

 

Did they give you a crazy look when you ordered a beer with your breakfast?

 

I was hoping to drink this next weekend in Waterbury/Stowe area. Anybody have a go to restaurant to get it? A place that one sell out?

 

Blackback pub in Waterbury should be a safe bet. They've always had it available when I've gone there, and their taplist is outstanding. And hey, if you for some reason turn up empty there, Prohibition Pig is right across the street and Blue Stone is around the corner... they all get it so between the three you should definitely be good!

 

Don't forget Reservoir! Also HotW def has it in cans. And heady on tap