Saw this on Beerpulse today, did a search and did not see a post about this as of yet. Flower Power shall be here shortly it looks like. Ithaca Beer expands distribution to DC, Maryland, Virginia with Premium Distributors Posted on January 30, 2014 at 12:45 pmby Press Release Press Release: (Ithaca, NY) – Capitol City craft beer drinkers make ready your hoppy palates for Ithaca Beer! Ithaca Beer recently inked a deal with Premium Distributors to bring Ithaca Beer to the DC metro area (Virginia and Maryland included) starting in February. Ithaca Beer will launch into the market with Flower Power India Pale Ale in bottle and draft, followed up by its seasonal beers starting this summer and Excelsior! 750mL series beers including White Gold and Anniversary ales. “We wanted to move in the DC area for quite some time now. We first needed to get our brewery infrastructure running smoothly and rock solid so we could handle the volume of adding DC, yet still grow in our current markets,” muses Ithaca Beer Founder, Dan Mitchell, “we like to take care of each market before we add more.” Since 1998, Ithaca Beer has grown from a small microbrewery with only local delivery to a 20,000-barrel(and still growing) brewery distributing beer all over the Northeast, Ohio, and now DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Fall 2012, Ithaca Beer opened doors to its brand new brewery, Taproom and beer garden. More expansion in is the works for early 2014, which will allow for upward growth to 40,000 barrels.
As an NJ resident who loves their beers, I'm happy many others can enjoy this great brewery as well Flower Power was pivotal in turning me on to IPAs. It's the east coast version of what Two Hearted was to many.
Mmmmm Flower Power. Definitely not the best choice for distributor, though. Oof. Hopefully Ithaca doesn't get buried.
It is really bizarre. There is a lot of money in MoCo. Liquor prices are the best around. I think the logic is "preventing underage drinking" - which if you think about it, is the only last challenge to teenagers for things they aren't legally allowed access too with the internet existing. So all their focus probably goes to figuring that out anyway.
Last few days, I've been seeing totally reasonably priced Stone Enjoy By 2-14-14 in Montgomery County, MD. I've seen it as low at $8.49. The rumor is that Stone (possibly Lagunitas as well) are starting to ship directly to retailers now in MoCo. I don't have all the facts if some can chime in with some knowledge. Previously, nothing was reasonably priced except maybe some Heavy Seas and DFH. Direct shipment to retailers would hopefully do an "end around" on the Department of Liquor Control (DLC - Montgomery County, MD). The mere existence of a government agency buying beer on my behalf, storing it in a warehouse and controling distribution to beer stores is enough to turn a bleeding heart liberal into a raging tea party activitst.
Ithaca makes some great beers. Fresh Flower Power? Of course! And their barrel aged sour sours are damn tasty too. Can't wait to see it in HoCo. I bet the Max's kickoff will rock no doubt.
Somehow in my travels in MoCo, the only things that have seemed reasonably priced - even at Gilly's - are Stone bombers. Don't know why.
I did come across Enjoy By for $10 and Heavy Seas Siren Noire for $11 at a store near my house in Germantown, one of the few purchases I have dared to make in MoCo in the last several months. That same store, however, had early batch 6-packs of Sucks for $17. I think I grimaced out loud as I casually walked away from the stack that will inevitably sit collecting dust for a few more months.
I saw Sucks for 20 a year ago at Gilly's I believe. Needless to say, I did not buy. Also Lag IPA for 14 is absurd.
I have heard that about Gilly's as well regarding Stone, but have not bothered to stop in there for a long time due to their outrageous prices. Like @nightfly said above, Stone must be selling directly to retailers or something to keep prices as low as we have been seeing.
Don't even ask for their growler fill prices. Most people on BA in the US would go into shock. They claim to be "competitive within the market".
