The Alchemist (July 2016)

I realized and edited, but still with so many days + distribution I just don't see it being as bad.

 

Based on a comment from Friday (320 sales in first 2 hours open), Alchemist appears to be allotting enough Heady & Crusher for maybe 400-500 allotments a day (8pp each), although I'd love to get a better number from the brewers. It seems like showing up before 1pm, even on a busy day should get you a full allotment, but you may be waiting 20-40 minutes.

 

If they can keep up that level, I think in the long term they'll be fine, crowd-wise. It's when you have to line up before open or risk missing out that things start to get self-reinforcingly nuts.

Fixed allocations per day and the same limits every day are both smart moves. I know Tree House will sell every drop they brew for the foreseeable future, but I wish they'd adopt a similar strategy to spread out demand.

 

So at this point does anyone have a rough idea on when people need to show up by in order to get a full allotment of beer? I am just trying to plan my route for a run to Alchemist and Hill Farmstead Friday and keep going back and forth on which place to go to first.

 

Definitely go to Alchemist first, you can be out by 11 if you plan it right, then be to HF when they open at 12.

 

I think demand/excitement is so high now because they just opened and it's a holiday weekend so lots of people in the NE area are able to drive up for this. I was in line today and there were lots of families and children, more so than any other beer release I've been to. So that tells me lots of people came during their vacation week. That's not gonna happen as much later in summer or certainly in fall.

That being said, it was a great experience going today. Staff were great and experience was seamless. Got in and out within 10 minutes but I was in the first few people in line. They got a nice set up where they let a few people in at a time in groups. You first grab your free tasting of one of the 3 beers, then sip on that while you wait in line for the retail cans. It's a beautiful facility. I hope one day they allow tours.

 

Darn, I'm going to be arriving on a Saturday mid-afternoon, leaving Monday. No brewery cans for me. Oh well. It'll be cool to see the brewery anyway. I'll plan it better next time.

 

Leave earlier?

 

Just called the car rental place and it looks they're flexible about the pickup, so this might work! Then again, it's Beer Fest Saturday, so it might not.

 

Plan on going Thursday and Hirt Hill Farmatead too. Trying to figure out times/line times for both. Any info would be greatly appreciated

 

We went on Thursday for the soft opening and had a great time. Also had family go today who got there at 11am and were out in 45 mins, which is less than we waited for a less crowded soft opening. Not too bad.

We were at phish in Saratoga this last weekend and there was a bunch of heady being sold in the lot as well as these sweet heady topper grateful dead shirts. Grabbed a few for
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199544395/heady-topper-grateful-dead-steal-your

 

Got in line today a few minutes before 11 and was out just after 12. My wife stopped by around 3 and they told her that they sold out of Crusher and HT around 12:30, moved to 4 4 packs of FB until about 2 and then stopped completely. I'm up here for the week so will stop by again and report back, but I would recommend getting there by 11:30 this week if you want the mixed case option.

 

That's an ok shirt... but have you seen the Heady Tweezer shirts lol? I got one last year and my fiance is rip-shit every time I wear it in public.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hea...=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=kVioDGeRqYr2TM:

 

we did this on saturday. We got to Alchemist at 1030 and were maybe 40-50th in line, they opened 10 minutes early and we were out by 11:15. We did lunch at Pro Pig and then headed to Hill Farmstead - got there at like 1:30 and were out by 2:30.

I would recommend doing Alchemist first since they open at 11 and Hill opens at 12.

 

It says the beer fest is July 15th-16th. Where are you guys seeing that it starts the 9th?

 

15th & 16th is correct.

 

Wow, I'm reading some of these comments and I'm surprised by the snarkiness displayed by some folks.

I waited in line last Friday and it really wasn't that bad. I got what I came for and I can't complain.

That being said, the attitudes of some of these folks really bothers me. THEY JUST OPENED!!! Don't be so judgmental from the get-go!

 

They might have just opened but this isn't their first rodeo.

 

If someone shows up later and there are no cans are there still samples available?

 

Yes. I went there last night after the beer was sold out. It was a pleasant experience with generous samples. All three beers are available for samples.