New England Brewing Co (August 2015)

NEBCO is in an interesting case, the name has existed since 1989, the current incarnation since 2001. They have come up in a time where three tier was king. There was no self distribution; they have demand from the distributors they have to meet; that if not met they risk their ability to push out kegs and the sheer volume of Sea Hag. Now the environment is different; there is the cult following of the beer geeks that would love to be able to get everything at the brewery all the time. They have a line they are dancing between the old school and new school methods of getting beer into customers hands.

I personally think the greatest thing they have done is introduce the fat ten-er series; usually there is something new every couple weeks that makes the trip more than worthwhile. I feel like this was directed towards their regular visitors; which I truly appreciate. I am probably in the minority on the late posting tap lists. I don't go to NEBCO for a specific beer. Just walking in the door makes me happy; if late posting of tap lists keeps the lines down a bit I am all for that.

Their brewhouse growing from 15bbl to 30bbl will help with the capacity they can push out; but will it ever mean they have FBD, Coriolis, Supernaut and Gandhi on at the same time... I doubt it. But it will mean more G-Bot cans going out to the state and hopefully it always being on at the brewery.

 

Isn't the plan, sell all the beer they make? Last time I checked my locals, no regular Gandhi in months, Hag is regular but only a couple cases, and 668 now and then. It doesn't seem like beer hangs around long at the brewery. Lots of places have at least Hag on tap.

Yes, I would like more of the beers above, but it seems like they are focusing their resources on Hag while trying to keep up with other beers as they install new capacity.

btw, they haven't had to open distribution to South Carolina to sell all their beer unlike others.

 

I think they have put in more effort since the renovation. The renovation itself helped a big issue. Now they are able to fill growlers quicker, and make it a overall better experience for their customers. They also announced FBD a few days ahead of time (which was pointless because most of their regulars expected it to show up anyway) one of the most common complaints on social media is they wait till last minute to announce stuff like ducks. Matt did a AMA on reddit, and he was also on a local radio show after the reno. All this stuff tells me that they are trying to step up their game. They started a new instagram account to help keep customers informed on what is pouring. Just this week when they released weiss trash they had a seperate line for cans only, i don't think they have ever done that before. They have been around awhile, and a good relationship with the distributors has kept them in business for a long time, so that is probably their number one priority when it comes to their brew schedule for the time being. Hopefully they will have more flexibilty when they expand, and i think everything they have been doing lately has been in preparation for that. Treehouse is a whole different animal, so it is hard to compare the two, but i am sure the guys at nebco have been paying attention to the success of breweries like TH, trillium, other half and taking their business models into consideration with the upcoming expansion. It would be really cool to see nebco doing more special releases, and brewing beers like FBD, locust, coriolis, etc on a regular basis. Be careful what you wish for though! I personally get sick of the lines at treehouse, i am a frequent visitor, but it can be a pain in the ass dealing with the wait times and all the hype. Thats why i love being close to nebco and being able to get in and out quick with great beer. I also love the fact that they don't announce certain things until last minute. I know it inconveniences alot of people, but it is great for locals and their regular customers. I guess what i am saying is be patient, it seems like they are working on things to accomadate us and the "new school way of getting beer to customers" as @threephase put it perfectly.

 

The new system is definitely better for tasting and growlers. Communication has been a bit better, but still needs work imo. I guess overall, I'd like to see stuff like Hag, 668, Pils, etc be removed from the tap lineup cuz they're so accessible around he state. But, we'll see what comes. They're great people with great beer. I guess I'm overestimating their brewing capacity.

 

A lot of the more popular breweries prefer to cater to their local supporters. Announcing the tap list hours ahead of time attracts all the whale chasers and trophy hunters. Last month they announced FBD a few days ahead of time and the line was basically halfway to the New Haven green by 1:30.

 

^^Exactly. And then you saw growlers of FBD for sale - and being auctioned - all over the place. Many people lined up just to be able to trade and/or sell.

That made me laugh. Well done.

 

I am planning on a NEBCO trip tomorrow -- their website is under construction so where can I get a list of their available cans/bottles? Is it draft only?

 

Growlers only.........Check Facebook for updates.

 

If you're not on Facebook then Instagram. They update that regularly and you don't need an account to view it.

https://instagram.com/taproom_at_newenglandbrewing/

 

Thank you! Do they not can a lot?

 

They currently can Sea Hag (sometimes difficult to find in stores), Gandhi Bot (always difficult to find in stores), as well as 668. However, none are sold at the brewery. This past week they did their annual Weiss Trash Culture can sale at the brewery but the last few 4 packs were sold today.

 

Do you have any recommendations for bottle shops that might have some NEBCO? Specifically closer to the Boston area? I am willing to drive into CT.

 

The only cans you are going to find anywhere are Sea Hag and 668. Gandhi is nearly impossible to find, even if you are a regular in multiple shops. Amity right down the road from NEBCO usually has pallets of Hag that were canned days before.

 

What is the growler limit?

 

3, but they said that may go up in the fall.

 

I'm not sure if it's worth it to drive up 1hr and 30 mins from Boston. I appreciate all of the responses, still mulling my options. Was really hoping I'd be able to get cans.

 

Check the list in the AM. If they put on something like Locust Reign or Gandhi, it is worth the drive. Hag is fantastic too but I think you would be able to find that simply by hitting a bunch of package stores as you cross into CT.

If you do head down, between the brewery and Amity Liquors you should be able to go home with 3 growlers and a case of Hag.

 

Do they generally list stuff Saturday mornings or is it just a "whatever we have from this week" type of deal?

 

Check at 10:45 ish and they will say what they have on tap for open. Probably the same as today but sometimes, like a few weeks back, they throw on something special for a Saturday. 2 weeks ago that was Coriolis.

 

We wouldn't get there until close to 3 o'clock. Do you think it'd be worth it if they posted something new? We'll be at Tree House.