Coming in for a quick trip 11/9-10. Going to be by Tree House in Charlton and Woodstock. Is there anywhere to get The Alchemist nearby? Bonus: I’m staying in Southbridge. Does anyone have any food recs? I went to nearby Armsby Abbey last time and loved it. Thank you!
In CT, Heady/Focal probably show up 5-6 times a year. Not surprisingly, it goes relatively quickly. It's going to be dumb luck if it times up with your trip.
Keep an eye on this thread, when it does show up in CT it usually gets posted here pretty quickly. Good Luck! https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/whats-on-the-shelves-connecticut-2025.679455/
Good food in Southbridge will be a tough sell. The town is pretty tired. 85 Main in Putnam CT (close to Woodstock) is pretty good but it won't top Armsby. Food is great but the tap list is not their strong suit. Another highly regarded spot in Worcester is Deadhorse Hill. A bit more upscale than Armsby. Superb, high quality food. Decent tap list. Alchemist will be a tough find outside VT, and completely unpredictable. Best bet, if you had time, would be to head over toward the I-91 corridor/Brattleboro. That would put you squarely in Tree House Deerfield territory if you wanted to take in another location. There's a food co-op just outside of Northampton which seems to get Alchemist fairly regularly. Plenty of spots in and around Brattleboro should have it, including the food co-op downtown.. The Woodstock location is stunningly beautiful but only about 8 tap selections. usually 4-6 can options. No food to speak of. Deerfield has many more taps to offer. Tree House pizza on sight
To echo darkandhoppy - "downtown" Putnam CT is small but pretty cool. There are several bars, coffee shops, and this giant antique store. When I take people to TH Woodstock I generally hit Stomping Ground for food and they have a decent tap list. Then walk off the booze for a bit hah.
For perspective I didn't see any Alchemist beer in CT until the pandemic. I do pay $18 or more price regardless if I can get it in CT.
It sounds like you're not planning on coming through RI, but, for what it's worth, I've seen both at Nikki's Liquors and High Spirits in Providence.
Even if they don't have stuff from the Alchemist, they'll definitely have stuff from Tilted Barn, which, if you like the Alchemist, will also be a brewery you might be into. And the two stores are like a mile apart, so it's pretty easy to hit both.
Boston area just a couple weeks ago. Seemed to be more Focal than Heady this time for whatever reason.
I agree, last CT drop was June (my couple cans left agree with me!). Down here in Fairfield County, I cannot recall a drop that was not more Heady than Focal. Talking to the beer guy at my main place, it has been usually at least 2:1 Heady.
From the What’s on the shelves Connecticut? (2025) thread: @smutty33 Heady Topper/Focal Banger Total Wine Milford- 6-7 cases of each… 9/15, 9/16…$16.99
