Hill Farmstead, what does it take?

I'd bet you could make something like those turn into some HF.

 

I've had a tough time pulling most anything from Vt, but I think your on the right track with Stouts that are not distro into Vt. I'd check seekbrew to see what they don't get and go from there, but sours and stouts would make more sense than dangling Pliny as an example into an area that has some of the best hoppy brews in the world. HF is tough it's remote, gravel road, long slow lines, getting on winter, makes it a bit tougher .

 

Coming from someone (myself) that has had a great array of HF. My best advice to get HF you have to make the drive. I make it a rule for myself to only trade HF for HF. For example if I go up and its a 2 case limit on Anna and someone else goes up and its a 2 case limit on Clara do an even trade 1:1 2:2 3:3 etc.

 

He

He'll ya, very nice. HF is tough it's like 45 minutes from Waterbury on twisting roads, 45 from Montpelier , the last few miles aren't paved, 4 growler limit per Person per trip thru the line. Lots of time and money , but damn I'd love to have a growler of Susan or Ephraim too.

 

Where in upstate ny are you?

 

3 growler limit. Also its just over an hour from Montpelier and same goes for Waterbury.

 

Not the way I drive. It's been not quite two years since I've been but I bought 8 growlers then, long way for 3.

 

Limit 3 each time you get in the line. You can get in the line as many times as u want

 

The line moves so slow and depending on the day you'd have to dedicate it to nothing but doing laps. Amazing beer though and well worth the drive and wait. If there's a beer genius this guy is it.

 

this is an important consideration.

i was up two weeks ago. traffic and weather kept me from arriving before 11.50 on a saturday and the line (tx to leaf peeping, alchemist sale, etc.) was nearly 4 hours for growlers. when i was done, the line was still out the door (e.g., to the door is 2 to 2.5 hours), so probably close to 3 hours.

bottom line: a second trip in line isn't always possible/rational.

shaun and his crew (tx, phil!) are great and i highly recommend the trip, especially if you can fold other elements of the VT experience into your journey.

i tend to share my bounty from said trips, but i also understand that some hold it quite dear. IMO, beer karma is real. personally, i've experienced amazing generosity on BA from people who receive a HF growler unannounced.

 

I work in albany.

As an aside, it's not 4 hours one way from there. More like 3:30-3:45.

But I'm unclear, if you're driving to waterbury for HT why not continue on to HF? Seem like a wasted opportunity to me.

 

Is there a good route from Watertown to Waterbury that doesnt include going thru canada or around The lake

 

This^. I usually spend 5+ Hours at HF getting back in line to share with friends and family and great BAs

 

Watertown NC?

 

Ny,, my sons in Ft Drum,

 

Well. First of all there's no easy way from Watertown to anywhere, lol. Has he made the trip before? He's going to have to either drive around the Adrirondacks, or through them, which is probably worse than the Vermont part of the drive.

Off the northway, I forget the exit, you can take a car ferry across Lake Champlain if you don't want to go around it. Ex ferry itself takes about a half hour and brings you basically just south of Burlington. It leaves on the hour so you have to time the trip, but will shut down for the winter months.

Exit 27 or 28 I think off the Northway will bring you to a bridge that crosses the lower most part of Champlain.

The hardest part of that trip I think is getting from Waterbury past the mountains. There's no road that runs straight through the Adirondacks from Waterbury to the eastern part of the state.

Hope that helps.