If you're an obsessive Top 250 ticker like me, you've probably noticed the distressing rise in IPAs on the list. (Distressing because trading for IPAs sucks and old IPAs suck and IPA are disproportionately draft-only.) I was hoping to try to compile a list of what formats they are all available in, and their availability. Here's the list, with what I know / believe. Please help fill in the gaps or correct my mistakes. Hill Farmstead (lots) - Growlers at brewery, occasional kegs The Alchemist Heady Topper - canned, year-round, VT only Russian River Brewing Company Pliny The Younger - DONG (CA, OR, Philly, anywhere else?) Russian River Brewing Company Pliny The Elder - bottled, year-round, CA distro only(?); draft in a couple other states. Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine IPA - Bottled, intermittent, VT only Toppling Goliath Brewing Company King Sue - Rotating. Bottled once(?) Toppling Goliath Brewing Company PseudoSue - Regularly available in bottles. Kern River Brewing Company Citra Double IPA - Available in bottles a couple times a year, brewery only Surly Brewing Company Abrasive Ale - Canned, yearly, MN distro Maine Beer Company Dinner - Rotating. Bottled twice(?) Bell's Brewery, Inc. Hopslam Ale - Yearly (winter) release Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub Permanent Funeral - rotating?? Tree House Brewing Company Julius - Rotating, growlers only, plans to can later this year. The Alchemist Focal Banger - Occasional cannings (2 or 3 times?) Alpine Beer Company Nelson - regularly bottled Columbus Brewing Company Columbus Bodhi DIPA - ??? Alpine Beer Company Hoppy Birthday - growlers once or twice a year? Stone Brewing Co. Stone Enjoy By IPA - limited shelf beer The Alchemist The Crusher - occasional cannings (twice?) Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub Dreadnaught IPA - year round? Toppling Goliath Brewing Company Sosus - rotating? Ballast Point Brewing Company Sculpin IPA - shelf beer Lawson's Finest Liquids Sip Of Sunshine - ??? Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon Hop JuJu Imperial IPA - growlers regularly available? Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness - occasional growlers Alpine Beer Company Duet IPA - regularly bottled Alpine Beer Company Keene Idea - ??? draft only ... maybe a DONG? Alpine Beer Company Bad Boy - occasional growlers Lawson's Finest Liquids Triple Sunshine IPA - bottled once (?) New England Brewing Co. Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA - ??? Pipeworks Brewing Company Citra - rotating bottles Boneyard Beer Company Hop Venom Double IPA - regular growlers Maine Beer Company Lunch - year-round bottles Lagunitas Brewing Company Lagunitas Sucks (Brown Shugga Substitute Ale) - shelf beer New England Brewing Co. Gandhi-Bot Double IPA - canned (availability?) Alpine Beer Company Pure Hoppiness - rotating growlers Boneyard Beer Company Notorious Triple IPA - growlers 3-4 times a year Russian River Brewing Company Blind Pig IPA - year round bottles Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's Otter Creek Brewing / Lawson's Double Dose IPA - ??? Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Double Jack - shelf beer New Glarus Brewing Company Thumbprint Scream IIPA - ??? bottled once but intended to be regular? Societe Brewing Co. The Pupil - rotating growlers Surly Brewing Company Furious - year round cans Surly Brewing Company Wet - annual cans La Cumbre Brewing Co. Project Dank - ??? La Cumbre Brewing Co. Elevated IPA - canned (distro?) Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - bottled. shelf beer? New England Brewing Co. Coriolis - ??? Kuhnhenn Brewing Company Kuhnhenn DRIPA (Double Rice IPA) - ??? Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Masala Mama India Pale Ale - ??? Stone Brewing Co. Stone RuinTen IPA - annual bottling? DC Brau Brewing Co. On The Wings Of Armageddon - year round cans? Stone Brewing Co.Stone Ruination IPA - shelf beer Pipeworks Brewing Company Galaxy Unicorn - rotating bottles Victory Brewing Company DirtWolf - limited shelf beer Odell Brewing Company Myrcenary Double IPA - shelf beer Trillium Brewing Company Congress Street IPA - ? Dogfish Head Brewery 90 Minute IPA - shelf beer Wicked Weed Brewing Freak Of Nature DIPA - ? Boneyard Beer Company RPM IPA - year-round growlers Wormtown Brewing Co. Be Hoppy - bottled? Bell's Brewery, Inc. Two Hearted Ale - shelf beer Lawson's Finest Liquids Triple Play IPA - ?
WW Freak of Nature is currently tap/growler only. They're talking about canning it in the future, but no definite timeline on that yet from what I've heard/read.
Alpine Pure Hoppiness is regularly bottled Alpine Exponential Hoppiness is not growlers, very limited bottles, brewery only
Abrasive is canned in the winter. Bodhi is brewery only. Dreadnaught is whenever they feel like making it. DRIPA is brewery only OTWOA is whenever they fell like making it
Having been at the Top 250 myself, it's been both frustrating and fun. I managed to knock off all of Alpine's with the last being Exponential Hoppiness thanks to solid trade partners in SD. Here are some info to the best of my knowledge throughout my hunt. Russian River Brewing Company Pliny The Elder - bottled, year-round, CA distro only(?); draft in a couple other states. - I've seen bottles surfaced in Denver. One of my friends on FB posted info about a bottle shop selling it. Toppling Goliath Brewing Company King Sue - Rotating. Bottled once(?) - Bottled twice Kern River Brewing Company Citra Double IPA - Available in bottles a couple times a year, brewery only - Usually lottery, last batch was distro'ed locally Columbus Brewing Company Columbus Bodhi DIPA - ??? - Growlers only, but sold outside of the brewery Toppling Goliath Brewing Company Sosus - rotating? - I see increasing availability, just my sense though Lawson's Finest Liquids Sip Of Sunshine - ??? - Frequent bottling in the past few months Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon Hop JuJu Imperial IPA - growlers regularly available? - Bottled once as far as I know Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness - occasional growlers - No growlers, bottles only and limited. Released twice this year Alpine Beer Company Keene Idea - ??? draft only ... maybe a DONG? - Usually DONG, but from time to time they do fill growlers Lawson's Finest Liquids Triple Sunshine IPA - bottled once (?) - Correct, and brewer's comment suggests it may be once a year New England Brewing Co. Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA - ??? - Growlers only New England Brewing Co. Gandhi-Bot Double IPA - canned (availability?) - Seems to be once every 2-3 months Alpine Beer Company Pure Hoppiness - rotating growlers - Regular bottle line up. Duet, Nelson, and PH are there 3 frequently available bottles; however, 1 of the 3 is usually out whenever you get to the brewery. Boneyard Beer Company Notorious Triple IPA - growlers 3-4 times a year Russian River Brewing Company Blind Pig IPA - year round bottles - I believe they no long distribute bottles, even in CA. It's available on draft at bars/states where Pliny the Elder is distro'ed to, but more frequently (at least that's the way it is in Philly) Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's Otter Creek Brewing / Lawson's Double Dose IPA - ??? - Bottled once. A new batch should be out soon La Cumbre Brewing Co. Project Dank - ??? - Bottled a few times already La Cumbre Brewing Co. Elevated IPA - canned (distro?) - I got my Elevated cans from a trader in TX who said he can get it easily Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - bottled. shelf beer? - Shelf Kuhnhenn Brewing Company Kuhnhenn DRIPA (Double Rice IPA) - ??? - Growlers only outside of Kuhnhenn (i.e NY/NYC area). DONG at Kuhnhenn (according to their website) Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Masala Mama India Pale Ale - ??? - Growlers only, not sure if available outside of brewery Stone Brewing Co. Stone RuinTen IPA - annual bottling? - I don't believe this annual, timing seems random DC Brau Brewing Co. On The Wings Of Armageddon - year round cans? - Rotating/periodic cans. Recently hit distro outside of DC area, but limited, all the way up to Philly. Kegs also makes its way as far up as Philly. Trillium Brewing Company Congress Street IPA - ? - bottles (I think bottling is recent)
Regarding bottles of Pliny the Elder in Denver & Colorado, we absolutely get it here. It's very limited, but it hits stores here about every 4-6 weeks, most stores get 3-5 cases and its usually sold out within hours. So we "get" it, but it's not that easy find...
Okay. Washington and Oregon used to get bottles, but RR pulled out of WA entirely last year, and stopped sending bottles of Pliny to OR last month, although apparently we will still get kegs. (When we did get bottles it was the same thing... about once a month, each store would get a case or two, it would vanish immediately.)
Are you sure King Sue was bottled twice? I swear it was made twice now, but they only bottled the second batch.
Bingo. Everything I've read/heard/know it was draft and growler only first batch. Limited bottles w/ distro 2nd batch. Probably more bottles 3rd batch which I hope comes sooner then later. This is sad that I've learned this much about these beers...just sad enough that I'm going to go drink a few now! Kern Citra: from what I know it is a ticketed annual brewery-only pickup, with the exception of selling bottles and small distro in Kern County from leftover bottles from event. Hop JuJu: bottled winter release. Occasional growler release Blind Pig: bottles now brewery-only. Stone RuinTen: anniversary beer that turned into annual/seasonal release. New Glarus Scream IIPA: seasonal bottled release, part of thumbprint series. No idea if they will keep it around or make an annual release. Surly Wet: WAS an annual release, no WET this year. Victory Dirtwolf: definitely not "limited" where it is distro'd, shelf beer Trillium Congress Street (and Fort Point Pale Ale): bottled at least a few times with plans for regular bottling and more availability. Wormtown Be Hoppy: canned with hopes/plans for regular/larger releases. Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai: scheduled to be available year round but has seen 3 limited releases so far this year, looks like quarterly release.
So I compiled the info so far into this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pVkliZnNOU2DqFHjTJDcMjiuWgXK5quXFkmm0OLjtSk/edit?usp=sharing Please keep adding comments!
Since it made it into the spreadsheet I thought I tell you definitively that Bodhi is not brewery only. They do not even have a tap house (they are not affiliated really with the restaurant). That said, it is very easy to find it around Columbus on draft for a pint or growlers. It sounds like it makes it way to Cleveland fairly regularly and hopefully with the soon to be expansion, the rest of the state. If you are trading for a growler(with someone from Columbus), have the person wait until Ohio Taproom has it because they do counter pressure growlers.
Make a friend in Houston for lone pint yellow rose; getting bottled now but available for growler fills around the area.
