New Year's Eve is fast approaching!

So if you're like me, you're starting to ponder which bubbling beverage you're going to end the decade with and which would best pair with a shiny-clean pristine 2010. Champagne? An Imperial Russian Stout? Coors light and Andre?

Hopefully not Andre... ::shudder::

I've got a few interesting suggestions to make this NY'sE special.

- Bosteels "DeuS" Brut des Flanders 2006: This is arguably one of the world's most unique beers. The brew starts in Belgium where it undergoes both its primary fermentation and then a secondary "conditioning" fermentation. After this conditioning the beer is shipped to France to be transformed by going through the same process as Champagne. The beer is bottled with a small plug of yeast and a starter for the yeast known as the "dosage." After capping the bottle it is aged on its side so the yeast can produce those tiny little wonderful champagne bubbles. During this process the bottle is slowly turned to coax the yeast down into the neck and then the arduous task of "degorement" takes place where they expel the yeast but trap the bubbles. Truly a delightful combination of toasty Champagne and rich Belgian Tripel/Golden Ale.

- Duvel 2008 3 Liter: If you show up to a party with this, it will establish your reputation for another whole year! Duvel is perhaps the tastiest and most accessible Belgian golden ale available in the US. Crisp, light and highly effervescent, this is a fine champagne substitute for midnight toasts. AND you get to pour it from a HUGE bottle!

- Gulden Draak 1.5 Liter: Wanna go big, but not $$$ big? Wanna drink beer but don't like golden ales? Gulden Draak, affectionately known as a "brown Tripel" (i.e. a strong, darker Belgian ale), is super tasty and full of more "warm" flavors like toasted nuts, caramel and toffee. The texture is fantastic with nice frothy carbonation and somewhat "wooly" mouthfeel - don't be afraid, that's a good thing!

Whatever you choose to do NY'sE, remember to hook-up a designated driver with some dinner, cash or the promise of driving them around sometime soon (you have to follow through with that)! DD's rock and hardly get enough respect. Cheers to all those dedicated DD's who keep us out of jail/caskets.

Cheers and Happy New Year!
Jeff

More limited items

This time the monks at Abbaye St-Remy have smiled on us and are sharing some of their world-class trappist brews with Vermont. Doesn't ring a bell? You might know them better by the name "Rochefort!" We've been blessed with a very limited amount of both the "8" and "10" to sit along side their "6." The "8" is on the shelves next to the "6" in the Trappist section and the "10" is in the Rare & Vintage Cabinet.

Happy Holidays and cheers,
Jeff

Limited goodies

Just one more quick update about some things you won't want to miss out on:

+ de Dolle Stille Nacht 11.2oz
+ Dogfish Head Olde School barley wine ale 4pks
+ Flying Dog "Raging Bitch" Belgian IPA 6pks

And a restock on
- Dogfish Head Festina Peche 4pks

Chin chin,
Jeff

Victory (PA) is finally here!!!

After a long long lonnnnnng wait, Victory Brewing is finally available in Vermont! Let's drink!

Victory:
+ Prima Pils 6 packs and 22oz
+ Lager 6 pk
+ Golden Monkey 6 pks and 750mL
+ Hop Wallop 6 pk
+ Hop Devil 6 pk
+ Wild Devil 750mL
+ "V 12" 750mL
+ Variety 12 packs
+ Old Horizontal 6pk
+ Storm King Stout 6pk

And more varieties to come just after Christmas! (...I'm drinking a tasty Hop Wallop right now...)
Cheers,
Jeff

Sean Lawson brings X-Mas to Winooski Early!

Sean "Santa" Lawson is making your holiday dreams come true! He just dropped off about 5 cases of his delicious liquids and they're all shiny and pretty and new, just for you! But act quickly...there's not much to be had!

Lawson's Finest Liquids:
+ Farmhouse Rye 750mL (only 6 bottles available!)
+ Big Hapi Imperial Black Ale 750mL
+ Chinooker'd IPA 22oz
+ 292 Ale 22oz (Hoptoberfest)

To make sure that more good little boys and girls (read Men & Women for legal purposes) get a chance to imbibe these liquidious nectar gems, we're limiting the Farmhouse Rye to 1 bottle per person and the others to 2 bottles each per person. Thanks for understanding and happy drinking/gifting!

Cheers,
Jeff

Seasonals and a Limited Collaboration

Hi hi hi, little droogies! Your ol' Narrator has scrounged up some new goodies for your gallouping pleasure!

New Arrivals:
+ Sierra Nevada & Dogfish Head Collaboration "Life & Limb" - Brewed with estate grown Chico barley (CA), family-farm Maple syrup (MA), and bottle conditioned with birch syrup (AK) (due to the limited nature of this release, 8 cases for the whole state, we're keeping them out back and you'll need to ask for it...reading pays off again!)
+ High & Mighty "St. Hubbins Dubbel"

Seasonals:
- Gouden Carolus Noel
- Achouffe N'ice Chouffe
- High & Mighty "Home for the Holidays" (oak-aged Belgian-style brown ale)
- Delerium Noel

Back in stock after being MIA:
- High & Mighty "Two-Headed Beast" Stout
- Duvel 2008 3 Liter!

Just Released into the Rare & Vintage Cabinet:
- North Coast Old Stock Ale 2008

Coming Soon:
- Victory Brewing (PA) (after many months of waiting, it's actually on it's wait to VT!)
- large-format Allagash Triple bottles
- Kriek de Ranke (limited)

Happy drinking, little droogies!
Cheers,
Jeff

Switchback releases Porter

Hailing all you Switchback fans! This week brings the first official release of their new Porter into the wild! I've been following the test-batches on this beer over the past year and they nailed it in the final release - a moderately roasted, medium-bodied dark porter. Think of it as a dark version of regular Switchback! Tasty and supremely drinkable.

It's only available on draft or in kegs, and only for a limited time. Just look for the red Switchback tap handle, and if your favorite bar doesn't have it, make sure to request it.

And if you're a real fan, call in your order to the Bevy and we'll get you a 13.2 or 5 gallon keg. 655-2620.

Cheers,
Jeff

New, oh yeh.

Some tasty additions to the Beer Room:
+ Widmer Cherry Oak Doppelbock (US)
+ de Glazentoren "Cuvee Angelique" (Belgium)
+ Hitachino Red Rice Ale (Japan)
+ Baladin "Super Baladin" (Italy)
+ Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Ginger Wheat (US)

New Vintage and re-stocks:
- Stone Double Bastard 2009 22oz and 3L
- Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous (Black IPA)
- Berkshire Brewing Cabin Fever

And some recent releases from the Beer Cave (located in the "Rare and Vintage Cabinet"):
+ Stone Double Bastard 2008
+ Stone Old Guardian 2008

Cheers,
Jeff

Rural Tennessee, home to "Tastfully Engineered Beer"

Howdy y'all! I'm on vacation right now in Northeastern Tennessee visiting my folks and of course priority number one after getting settled was to seek out local brews!

My first stop was "Libation Station," a beer and tobacco store in Johnson City, TN. This proves to be the best selection I've found in these here parts. Tons of micro brews from all over the country and craft imports from the four corners of the globe. The only hitch down here is that the state caps "beer" at 6% ABV, so a lot of the usual Belgians and strong ales are missing. You can read my full review of the store on BeerAdvocate.com.

Next stop, Depot Street Brewery in Jonesborough, TN. This seems to be the only micro brewery in the whole area. I first visited Depot Street a few years back and they've grown a lot since then. The building is still a small, almost shack-like structure right on the rail lines in this historic little town, but their production has grown to fill it right up. Besides being offered on draft at dozens restaurants and bars in the surrounding areas, they now have 4 beers available in bottles. You can pick up any of 6 or so brews in growlers at the brewery for $6 plus deposit. And they offer a great Customer Appreciation program - Buy 10 growlers, get 1 free and buy 20 growlers and get an insulated growler bag! After tasting all the brews, I think my favorite are the Roundabout Rye Stout and the Freight Hopper IPA (75 IBUs). I've posted full reviews of these on BeerAdvocate.com as well, user-name SFLpunk.

Since this area is so close to the booming and brewing mecca of Asheville, NC, I'm hoping that more breweries will start setting up shop here. The success of Depot Street and their Tastefully Engineered Beers is turning the heads and taste buds of folks who might normally just drink macros and they are paving the way for a fledgling beer culture. Just today they were hosting a meeting of the State of Franklin Homebrewers club featuring "monster" beer style mash-ups.

So next time you're in Tennessee, don't pass up the chance to seek out Depot's brews!

Cheers from Tennessee! I'll be back to work on Wednesday.
Jeff

For more info on Depot Street Brewery, visit their website.

Lawson's Finest Liquids

Just a quick heads-up, Sean Lawson delivered some of his delicious and rare beers to us this week! 4 styles available and they are located in the Beer Lock-Up. Don't hesitate, these'll be gone before too much longer!

Cheers,
Jeff

Bottled Brews from Around the Globe

Another tsunami of beer has flooded the shelves of the Beer Room! Some of these are among the most sought after, some the most expensive and some just down-right tasty! Lot's of limited items on this list:

Scotland:
+ BrewDog Atlantic IPA - 7 wooden barrels of Punk IPA were sent out into the Atlantic on a trawler, some strapped to the deck for the full "at sea" experience. The barrels were then blended and bottle conditioned . This is an experimental brew made to simulate the original English IPAs that traveled on the sea from England to India, aging and growing in character in those arduous and unusual conditions.
+ BrewDog/Mikkeller "Devine Rebel" - Barleywine ale, 1/4 of which is aged in Scotch barrels
+Inveralmond Lia Fail and BlackFriar

Belgium:
+ Scaldis Prestige de Nuits
+ Scaldis Noel
+ Cantillon Grand Cru, Organic Kriek and Classic Gueuze back in stock!

Norway:
+ Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout

Canada:
+ Dieu du Ciel! Aphrodite (a.k.a. Aphrodisiaque)

Australia:
+ Coopers Vintage Strong Ale 2009

USA:
+ Ommegang Adoration Ale 2009
+ Allagash Fluxus 2009 (brewed with sweet potatoes and black pepper)

And probably some I forgot!
Cheers,
Jeff

VICTORY for ROCK ART!

I just received a very short message from Matt at Rock Art that reads:

"VICTORY !!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE
POWER BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE

THE VERMONSTER LIVES AS IT HAS SINCE 2006!

satement soon, matt."

Congrats to the Rock Art Team and thanks to all the many thousands and thousands who came out to support them in their struggle!

More to come soon!
Viva la Vermonster!
Jeff

Oh man! The Beer Gods have smiled on Vermont...

The flood gates opened today and lots of beautiful delicious beer poured into the Bevy! Tons of new things from all over Europe, Japan and the US. Some of these are among my favorites of all time:

Netherlands:
+ Koningshoeven "Le Trappe" (Trappist) Dubbel, Quad and Isid'or (special release)

Belgium:
+ De Dolle "Oerbier" (Love it!)
+ Bosteels "Deus" Brut des Flanders (methode champenoise Belgian ale)
+ Bosteels "Kwak"

Switzerland:
+ Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes (BFM) "Cuvée Alex le Rouge" 2008

Italy:
+ Birra del Borgo "Té"

England:
+ Meantime IPA, London Porter and Coffee Porter
+ Wye Valley "Dorothy Goodbody" Stout
+ J.W. Lee's "Moonraker"

Japan:
+ Hitachino Espresso Stout, Lacto Sweet Stout, "Japanese Classic Ale" (IPA aged in cedar casks), and "Real Ginger Brew"

USA:
+ Kennebec "Sledhead Red"
+ Iron City and IC Light
+ American and American Light
+ Augustiner

Oh man. Time to get to work!

Cheers and Viva la Vermonster!
Jeff

Greg Noonan of VPB has passed away

Greg Noonan
March --- 1951 - Oct. 11th 2009.

I was very saddened to read last night on BeerAdvocate that Greg Noonan, founder, owner and brewer of Vermont Pub & Brewery had passed away. Greg's talent and charisma has reached thousands of craft beer enthusiasts, not only through his skillful and balanced brewing style, but also through the many books he authored on homebrewing. Everyone who met him has a story to tell about how kind, patient and helpful he was.

If you have a story to tell in his honor, you can do so here, at the BeerAdvocate.com forum, or on Facebook.com.

I raise my glass to you Greg. Cheers forever!
Jeff

News about Rock Art spreading rapidly

The news media is going to work on this story as it spreads outside just the local papers! The Boston Globe ran a story this morning, the Burlington Free Press picked it up, and the Rutland Herald ran one as well. The Facebook group to support Rock Art has passed 774 members and grows by the minute.

Boston Globe
Rutland Herald
Burlington Free Press

Viva la Vermonster!

New beers, closeouts and more about Rock Art

First, newly added:
+ Sam Smith Yorkshire Stingo (strong ale aged in oak, brewed in 2008)

Closeout deals! All half the original price or less!
- Stoudt's Double IPA 6pk
- Stoudt's Abbey Ale 6pk
- Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator 6pk
- Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat 6pk
- Troubador Obscura (stout) and Blond 4 pk
- Wittekerke Wit 6pk
- Blue Moon Honey Moon 12 packs

As for Rock Art vs. Monster, WCAX went to Morrisville and Winooski to cover the story on tonight's 11pm news. If you missed it, you can see it at 6am Saturday morning.

I've been on the phone all day burning up my cell minutes talking to everyone who will listen and even a few people who won't about protecting Vermont Independent Businesses. More businesses are getting on-board and it's good to see that others are willing to stand with Matt and Renee.

Cheers and Viva la Vermonster!
Jeff

Monster Beverages suing Rock Art

It's time to stand up and help out a Vermont company! Rock Art Brewery, based in Morrisville, VT, was served a "cease and desist" order from Monster Energy, a brand owned by Hansen Natural Corporation, on Sept. 14th. The order stated that Rock Art's "The Vermonster" brand is in violation of Hansen's trademarks. The document emailed to Matt Nadeau, owner and brewer, says the "...use and registration of the Vermonster in connection with beer will undoubtably create a likelihood of confusion and/or dilute the distinctive quality of Hansen's Monster marks."

This suit is the result of Rock Art filing for a national trademark for the term "Vermonster." The term was trademarked in Vermont in 2006, but with Rock Art's growing national distribution, they were looking to protect their beer brand. Monster's lawyers claim that they filed suit to protect their current national trademarks, their brand image, and to protect consumers from being confused by the labeling. Now, I'm not an art critic, but I am a consumer, and I find very few, IF ANY, similarities between the black can marked with a vibrant green "M" and the brown bottle depicting Kokopelli.

Lawyers consulted have said that Rock Art will most likely win if the suit goes forward, but at the risk of sinking thousands of dollars into legal fees. Their choice is either to lay down and let the Giant Corporation take away their right to call their beer "Vermonster," a term of pride for locals, or fight tooth and nail in court, possibly loosing their shirts and brewery in the process.

We'll be doing our part to send a message to Hansen. Tonight we stripped our store of all Monster related products and advertising, clearing out their dedicated cooler door and removing signage and displays. We will side with our neighbors and help them in their struggle in any way possible.

We'll be welcoming Rock Art to Winooski in early November for a free tasting and to rally the troops against this monster of a beverage corporation. (I hope I don't get sued for using the term monster so many times!)

Cheers,
Jeff

For more:
Seven Days
Stowe Reporter
BeerAdvocate.com
Facebook.com

Vertical Epic is in!

Hey all, we got in a shipment of Stone beers today including:
+ Vertical Epic 09-09-09
+ Cali-Belgie
+ 13th Anniversary

We also restocked on:
- Sierra Nevada Harvest 2009
- (Brooklyn) Post-Road Pumpkin

More goodies and some sweet deals coming real-real soon.
Cheers,
Jeff

Rare keg and glasses

It's a rare-kind-a-week at the Bevy. We just scored a 5 gallon log of Stoudt's Double IPA! At around $15 a six-pack, this beer is no slouch. It has a B+ on BeerAdvocate.com from user reviews and an A from "The Bros," as well as a 96/100 from Ratebeer.com users! If you love IPA's and you have a home system, you don't want to miss out on this one.

In rare-glassware, we received a very limited amount of Spaten Oktoberfest Willy Becker .5L glasses. And since 'tis oktober, I pulled in some other German beer mugs - .5L dimple mugs from Erdinger and .5L "barrel" mugs from Spezial Rauchbier.

Prost!
Jeff

Lots of news!

Ok, got a rather info-packed update, so I'll keep it simple:

Additions:
+ Clipper City Heavy Seas (MD) "The Great Pumpkin" Imperial pumpkin ale 22oz
+ Yanjing Beer (China) 6 packs
+ Flying Dog (MD) K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale 6 packs (First time available in VT!)
+ Bud Light Golden Wheat 6 & 12 packs

News:
+ The "Vintage & Rare" beer cabinet is open for business and stocked with goodies! It's in the Beer Room just to the left. You'll need to ask for assistance getting these delightful goodies out, so don't be shy. More beers will be added in the coming months as more of our "beer-cave aged" selections mature and we get in more rare items.

+ We've solidifying plans with Rock Art (VT) and Sierra Nevada (CA) for free beer tastings in the coming months. We're also in talks with Southern Tier (NY). More info to follow soon.

+ We received more Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse! I think we bought the last of this year's release.

+ Thanks to your support Weihenstephaner (Germany) should be available regularly from the distributor according to a phone conversation I had recently with our rep. at Total Beverage Solutions (TBS).

Cheers,
Jeff

Reading has its perks!

Following this blog has its perks, because you are getting the first crack at some of the rarest beer to come to Vermont in months. I got in about 24 bottles of Sierra Nevada's Chico Estate Harvest, a wet-hop beer produced exclusively from Sierra Nevada's Chico hop field. We're offering this up to our most loyal beer aficionados first and we're limiting it to one per person just so that we can spread the love as much as possible. It's a 24oz bottle, and I'll tell you, it's not as inexpensive as the regular Harvests, but it's damn good! To get a bottle, you'll need to stop in and ask for either me, Jen or George.

Click here for more about the beer.

Cheers,
Jeff

It's Harvest time!

The pumpkin beers are already flowing and today we started to receive Harvest and Wet Hop beers! Harvest/Wet Hop beers are brewed once a year, right after the harvesting of this year's hop crop to showcase the freshest hop flavors and aromas possible. These beers have recently been dubbed Wet Hop to differentiate them from other "harvest" (small "h") beers that are simple fall amber ales. The term refers to the practice of using wet, un-dried hop flowers or cones in the brewing process. The hops are picked, overnighted to the brewery in refrigerated trucks, and the beer is brewed within about 24 hours to capture the most flavor. The process must happen rapidly because hops are fragile and succeptible to mold and rot if not handled properly (read as "dried quickly").
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My favorite example of the style arrived Friday:
+ Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop Ale 24oz

Coming soon:
- Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Wet Hop 22oz

Other arrivals:
+ Southern Tier Harvest (a big, hoppy ESB) 6 pack
+ Ayinger Oktober Marzen 500mL
+ Sam Adams Coastel Wheat 6 pack

I love fall!
Cheers,
Jeff

Free Pint Glass Friday this week!

It's been a little while, but this week is going to be the next installment of "Free Pint Glass Friday!" Otter Creek will be helping us open our new tasting room and they'll be pouring some delicious samples of Otter Creek, Otter Imperial Series and Wolaver's! Join us this Friday (9/18) from 5pm - 8pm and get a free full-sized pint glass to take home with you.

And if that isn't awesome enough (it should be), we'll also be hosting our first liquor tasting on the same day! From 5:30pm - 7:30 you can sample 4 different liquors in a separate tasting area.

See you Friday!
Cheers,
Jeff

Return of the Griffin!

Finally! - McAuslan is back in Vermont after many years of being absent even though they're just across the border. No "Griffin" yet, but you might know their other beers better under the name of St-Ambroise. Just added:
+ St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout 4pk
+ St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale 4pk

And from our buddies at Rock Art, we're happy to stock their newest, the Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout! At 50 IBUs and 8% ABV, this is no headless horseman pumpkin beer. This is a true homage to pumpkin brewing in New England. It's not made to taste like mediocre pumpkin pie, with more spices added than malt, but rather the pumpkin is used for fermentable sugars and the beer can speak for it self. Oh, and did I mention the spruce tips used to add bitterness and aromatics? This is a pumpkin beer I can actually stand behind.

Cheers,
Jeff

Expanding the Bevy

Hey all! Sorry for my absence lately, I just moved into Burlington and have been without internet so almost two weeks - I know, right, how do I get by?

New in the beer room:
+ Cisco Brewers Captain Swain Extra Stout 22oz
And lot's of fall/pumpkin seasonals have arrived.

In other expansion news, we've started construction on our new isle and they're coming along swiftly! When that isle is finished we'll have a permanent home for hosting our free tastings as well as many many more wines and beers! Stop by and check it out, it's not hard to miss.

Cheers,
Jeff

Tax-Free and new brews

Hey all, just a reminder that the VT tax-free holiday applies to alcoholic beverages and you will save the 6% sales tax on any beer, wine and liquor purchases made today, Saturday, Aug. 22nd! Stop in and stock up for the rest of the summer barbecues, parties and general merriment.

New in this week:
+ Long Trail Imperial Porter 22oz
+ Harpoon "Leviathan" Saison Royale 4 pack
+ Shipyard Pumpkin-head
+ Otter Creek Oktoberfest
+ Wolaver's Pumpkin

Cheers,
Jeff

Back in stock!

Hey all, it's been about 6 months since these beers have been offered to us, but we snapped at the chance to bring some in. Enjoy (quickly) while they last. Hopefully we won't have to wait so long next time...

- Weihenstephaner Hefe and Lager 6pks
- Weihenstephaner Hefe, Dunkel, Kristallweiss, and Lager 500mL's
- Abbott Ale 4pk cans
- Wexford Irish Cream-style ale 4pk cans
- Old Speckled Hen 4 pack cans
- Tanner's Jack 6 packs

Sierra Nevada Torpedo is reportedly coming back in stock on Friday (8/21) and will be the last shipment before Labor Day. In other news, Merchant du Vin was out-of-stock on a few of their beers for our last order, resulting in a dearth of Rochefort, some Lindeman's Lambics flavors, and a few others. Hopefully we'll be getting a fill-in shipment and/or be offered more from the Rochefort line of beers in the near future. I've filed my request for these with the importer (Merchant du Vin) and you should too! Let them know Vermonters need their tasty(-iest) brews!

And in the "Rumor-Mill," I heard today from reliable sources that McAuslan (St. Ambroise) will be making a triumphant return to Vermont in the coming months.

Cheers,
Jeff

Fall is coming to the Beer Room early...

Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers have started to line our shelves as the breweries anticipate our ever-changing seasonal-influenced beverage needs. In-house now:
+ Pennichuck "The Big O" Oktoberfest 22oz
+ Smuttynose Pumpkin 6 packs
+ Gritty McDuff Halloween 6 packs
+ Beck's Oktoberfest
+ Spaten Oktoberfest

And more to come soon.

Prost!
Jeff

In this week and Victory coming soon!

A little late on the update:
+ Rogue (OR) Maierfest Lager 22oz
+ Southern Tier (NY) "Iniquity" 22oz (Imperial Black Ale)
+ Woodchuck (VT) Fall Cider 6 packs
+ Sierra Nevada (CA) Anniversary Ale IPA 6 and 12pks
+ Magic Hat (VT) Roxy Rolles (released as Fall seasonal this year with new recipe)

Also, I know I've been saying that Victory Brewing is coming to Vermont for over a year, and yes the newest delivery date flew by this week without a sign of Victory. They're finalizing their contract with their VT distributor and are hoping to ship to VT the first week in September. Cross your fingers!

And I got word today that De Dolle (Beglium) will be on it's way to Vermont before the end of the year!

In the meantime, you've got plenty of catching up to do. See you in the Beer-Room soon?
Cheers,
Jeff

One new one...

New:

+ Pennichuck Rust-Wagen Unfiltered Wheat 22oz

Got a tasting coming up with Otter Creek...details to follow soon!

Cheers,
Jeff

New DFH and others!

Firstly and forthwith I'd like to start by announcing that we have a Blow-out Sale going on right now on about 500 cases of beer! 6 packs of Widmer Drop Top Amber, Shipyard Prelude, Long Trail Hefeweizen, Harpoon Brown Ale and Shipyard Prelude 12 packs are all on sale at rock-bottom prices! We've also got a killer deal for you on Rogue Yellow Snow IPA and Double Dead Guy 1/2 barrel kegs! Stop by or call for details.

Added to the Beer-Room today:
+ Dogfish Head (DE) Chateau Jiahu 750mL
+ Dogfish Head Theobroma 750mL
+ Duboisson (Belgium) "Scaldis" Refermentée 750mL
+ Bard's Gold Gluten-free beer 6 packs are back!
+ Rock Art (VT) American-Belgo IPA 22oz

Plus we re-stocked on Old Rasputin XII, Stone 13th and Sublimely Self-Righteous!
Cheers,
Jeff

Liquor tasting this Saturday!

Hello all!

I know this is neither beer, nor carbonated-related news, but I'm extremely excited to announce that we will be hosting our first-ever Liquor tasting this Saturday, July 25th, from 2pm 'til 4pm! We'll be offering samples of Tommy Bahama White Sand and Gold Sun rums as well as Michael Collins Irish Whiskey. Please swing through and join us!

Cheers,
Jeff

Brewfest weekend surprises!

Hey folks, sorry about the late weekend update, but we've been busy as hell down here in Winooski, dishing up all kinds of goodies to thirsty brew-heads. Everyone is in town for the Vermont Brewers Fest and the beer is flying off the shelves -- don't miss out on these new goodies!

+ Stone (CA) 13th Anniversary 22oz (Imperial Red Ale)
+ Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale 22oz (Black IPA, originally brewed as 11th Anniv.)
+ North Coast (CA) Old Rasputin XII 500mL cork-finished (Bourbon-barrel aged) - Super Limited! Check my review on Beeradvocate.com
+ Sheepscot Valley Brewing (ME) Pemaquid Ale 22oz

Cheers,
Jeff

The Poles brew beer?

Recently one of our awesome customers brought me back a bottle of Polish beer that he buys down in Florida. He swears by this beer and says it's not for the uninitiated...at 8.7%, this Polish lager can put you down for the count. I brought it home and put it on ice until the moment was right. And that moment is right now. I looked over the bottle of Hevelius Kaper, brewed by Grupa Zywiec, makers of the delicious and dark Zywiec Porter. I figured, it's got a good pedigree, so let's see what it's all about. Poured into a tall pislner glass, the aromas of orange blossom honey and sweet candied pale malt fill the room. Taking a sip, I notice that sweet Polish lager profile instantly, but then things change rapidly. It gets spicy, and then a little hot from the alcohol, and then sweet again, only to change to slick, then spicy on the finish. Definately one of the most interesting Polish beers I've ever had, and I really appreciate the effort it took to get it to me. Thanks!

Besides the aforementioned Zywiec Porter, there's been some other really stand-out beers from Poland that I've found in my travels. On the somewhat lighter side was the Tyskie Gronie, a premium lager. It was one of the first Polish lagers that I've had that didn't have that characteristic "skunk-hops" flavor, possibly owing to the fact that it's in brown glass, not green. A tasty six-pack if you can find it.

And as a novelty, I'll mention the Okocim O.K. Beer. I bought a six pack (down in Florida) just on a whim, thinking that it was a funny name, and as things turn out -- it's an o.k. beer. Not great, not bad, just o.k. At least they advertise accordingly.

Hopefully we'll be getting some tasty Polish brews in Vermont soon - ahem, pay attention distributors!

Na zdrowie,
Jeff

New glassware

Hey folks, no new beers for this weekend, but got in some of Lawson's Finest Liquids glassware. We've got the shaker pints and the pilsner glasses in stock now and have made plans to stock some Lawson's beer just as soon as they have some extra beer to spare us. They're literally making one barrell at a time (30 gallons)! I'll let you know when we get some of their tasty brews in stock!

Cheers,
Jeff

New Dogfish Head beers

These just in:
+ Dogfish Head Sah'Tea 750mL (brewed with rye, juniper, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper!)
+ Dogfish Head Squall IPA 750mL (an unfiltered, bottle-conditioned imperial IPA)

Expecting Chateau Jiahu relatively soon.....

Cheers,
Jeff

First whack of B. United

Here's what came in today (Mon.):
+ Schlenkerla (Germany) Marzen, Urbock, Weizen and Helles Lager
+ Schneider (Germany) Original Hefe, Organic Edel-Weisse, "Brooklyner" Hopfen-Weisse, Aventinus
+ Reissdorf (Germany) Kolsch 4 pks
+ Uerige (Germany) Sticke Alt swingtops
+ Harviestoun (Scotland) Bitter & Twisted, Old Engine Oil, Ola Dubh "12"
+ Hitachino (Japan) White Ale 11.2oz

Don't forget to check out the B. United Welcome Event at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth Tuesday night! A lot of the beers above with be on draft!

Cheers,
Jeff

Limited and New

Well, the first whack of the new B. United beers is slated to arrive tomorrow (Monday). That should put some meat back on our bony shelves. Things won't be settled out 'til the afternoon, so hold off till then.

Here's what arrived Friday:
+ De Ranke Kriek (Belgium) - 12 bottles, that's it...maybe forever.
+ Smuttynose Baltic Porter (NH) Big Beer Series 22oz
+ Andrew's Brewing 6 packs (ME)
+ Kennebec Brewing 6 packs (ME)

And for the rumors portion of our tour:
- Victory Brewing (PA) is slated to arrive in Vermont sometime in July.
- 21st Amendment Brewing (CA) is all but locked up for Vermont distribution.

Dee dee deep. That is all.
-Jeff

New brews and more Torpedo

Starting to put more beer on those fresh new shelves!
+ Struise-Mikkeller (Elliot Brew) (Limited)
+ Dieu du Ciel Equinoxe du Printemps 12oz (Scotch ale with maple, limited)
+ Otter Creek World Tour Helles Alt 22oz
+ Shipyard XXXX IPA, Pugsly Series, 22oz
+ De Ranke Guldenberg 750mL
+ Sierra Nevada Kellerweis 6 pks and Southern Harvest Ale 24oz
+ Metolius IPA and Amber 22oz

Torpedo-heads: Sierra Nevada's Torpedo is back in stock...for the moment.

More new beer this Friday...

Happy drinking!
Jeff

Things, they are a-changing.

So some of you may have noticed that our Beer Room looks mighty empty again.....but here's the skinny. We came in this past Sunday and added a whole mess-a-new shelving to the room and moved all kinds of things around. Reason bein' we're expecting 100+ new beers sometime within the next month or so. Yup. 100+.

If you're a-tryin' to sample all the beers available in Vermont you've got about a week left before we make your choices really difficult, so stop in soon and see where everything is, grab a mixer-sixer and get to work already!

Yeehaw!
Jeff

Spring beer poll tally

Hey everyone, you voted and here's the results:

What style of beer is your favorite for Spring?
52% IPA/Pale Ale
16% Hefeweizen/Wheat/White ale
14% Lager/Pilsner
7% Stout/Porter
7% Kolsch/Altbier
2% Other

New and Gluten-free!

It never gets old! I love adding new beers to our collection. Here's this week's new additions:

+ Redhook (NH & WA) "Tripel" Limited Release 22oz
+ Samuel Smith (England) Organic Cherry and Strawberry Fruit Beers 16.9oz
+ St. Peter's (Eng.) Sorghum Beer (No wheat or barley)
+ Brooklyn (NY) Lager 16oz six-pack CANS! Just in time for summer outdoor fun!

Back from being MIA:
- North Coast (CA) Old Rasputin 4 packs
- Young's (Eng.) Double Chocolate Stout 16.9oz bottles
- McNeill's (VT) Warlord IPA 22oz

Salut!
Jeff

Support your local brewery

Hey folks, I know some of you are looking for ways to stay involved in the beer culture and I've run across a few websites that I think are good resources. Now, keep in mind that I'm not endorsing or necessarily agreeing with things that happen on their websites, I'm just providing you with the links.

That being said:
Support Your Local Brewery.org
Vermont Brewers Association
The Honest Pint Project
Beeradvocate.com
Ratebeer.com

Know of any others you find helpful? Post them in a comment below!

Cheers,
Jeff

A few new ones

Hear-ye beer-ye! All rise for the honorable Judge Nübrew!

+ Harpoon (MA & VT) Leviathan Big Bohemian Pilsner 4 pks
+Long Trail (VT) Pollenator 22oz (It's back after a long hiatus for their 20th Anniversary!)
+ Witkap Pater (Belgium) "Dubbele" 4 pks

Returned from MIA status:
+ De Ranke (Belgium) XX Bitter
+ Dieu du Ciel! (Quebec) Peche Mortel
+ Sierra Nevada (CA) Torpedo Extra IPA 6 pks

New glassware:
+ Carlsberg gold-rimmed pilsner
+ Moinette chalice (limited)
+ Shock Top Wheat beer glass

You may be seated.

Cheers,
Jeff

Vintage Update

I know some of you really dig on vintage beers, so I thought I'd let you know of a couple verticals we have going on our shelves:

+ Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2008 12oz and 2009 22oz
+ Allagash Victor 2008 & 2009
+ Allagash Victoria 2008 & 2009

Enjoy the awesomeness that is a vertical tasting!
Cheers,
Jeff

Brewest News

Here's your weekend update in 25 ounces or less:

+ Stone (CA) Levitation 6 packs
+ Wittekerke (Belgium) White ale 6 pack bottles
+ Wittekerke Rosé (w/raspberries) 6 pack cans (yup, cans)
+ Petrus (Belgium) Oud Bruin 4 packs
+ Petrus Aged Pale Ale 11.2oz singles
+ Leute (Belgium) Bokbier 750mL

These are all brand new to the state and we are the first store to stock them! I'm a personal fan of the Petrus Oud Bruin. It's a sour brown ale and is wonderful if you're into gueuze, flemish sour ales, or lamics. I'm looking forward to trying the Aged Pale Ale which I presume will also be sour.

UPDATE: Petrus Aged Pale ale is awesome! Check out my review on BeerAdvocate.com.

And a SUPER-Sized goody:
+ Duvel 3 Liter!

Come and get it!
Cheers,
Jeff

Limited glassware

Howdy folks! Just wanted to tip you on some limited specialty glassware that we got in recently. Some of these are really hard to come by without going to the brewery, so don't hesitate!

+ Rock Art "Vermonster" tulip
+ Dogfish Head snifter
+ Harpoon "100 Barrel Series" gold-rimmed tulip
+ Erdinger .5L dimple stein
+ Piraat tulip

Drink in style!
Cheers,
Jeff

New Additions to the Collection

Another edition of "What we added to our Beer Room." It doesn't ever get old! I love having this much space to add beers, but I gotta say, we're running out of room! I keep saying we're going to have to start hanging the beer from the ceiling.

+ Pennichuck Chief's Imperial IPA 22oz
+ Stone 2009 Imperial Russian Stout 22oz
+ Allagash Confluence 2009 (Super Limited)
+ Allagash Victor 2009 (Brewed w/ Cabernet grapes instead of Pinot Noir)
+ Allagash Victoria 2009 (w/ Chardonnay grapes)
+ Gritty McDuff's "21" IPA 6 packs
+ Rogue Capt. Sig's Deadliest Ale 22oz (India Red Ale)

For the Allagash offerings, we've amassed some verticals, so I've put stickers on the vintages that aren't dated clearly on the labels. We've done this to provide you with an awesome opportunity to try multiple years of the same brew at different ages. We've got lots of other precious vintage goodies tucked away in our "Beer Cave" that we'll be releasing periodically starting later this year. I'll definately post on here when I re-release things.

Got more goodies coming next week! I'll let you know what shows up when it's in-house, but I'll give you a hint: it's from Belgium!

Cheers,
Jeff

Federal Excise Tax on Beer Could Triple!

I would just like to bring this to the attention of our beer drinking friends. I just read about it and wanted to share ASAP:

Action Alert - Federal Excise Tax on Beer Could Triple: Click to Read Article

Do your part!
Cheers,
Jeff

Memorial Day Hours

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that the store will be open 10am - 2pm on Monday, 5/25 (Memorial Day) and the Redemption Center will be closed all day. We want to get out there and enjoy the beautiful weather and celebrate with our friends and family, too, but we want to make sure you have the time to grab last minute party supplies!

Cheers,
Jeff

Newest arrivals

Ok, you know the drill. Here's the newest goodies:

+ Dogfish Head Immort Ale 4 packs
+ Dogfish Head Festina Peche 4 packs (a personal favorite!)
+ BrewDog Paradox Imperial Stout "Smokehead"
+ BrewDog Paradox "Macallan"
+ BrewDog Paradox "Springbank"
+ BrewDog Chaos Theory IPA
+ BrewDog Storm (Islay whisky cask aged IPA)
+ Smuttynose Maibock 22oz
+ Cisco Brewers "Summer of Lager" 22oz

If you buy some of these, post your thoughts, opinions, etc in the comments section! I'm always really curious what you all like and don't like.

Cheers,
Jeff

New, Super Limited and Closeout deals

Hooray! We just got in a small, but stellar shipment of new and exciting brews! Check these out:
+ Fantôme (Belgium) "Hiver" 750mL - Super limited!
+ Cantillon (Belg.) Gueuze and Kriek 750mL - Limited
+ Dieu du Ciel! (Montreal) Rigor Mortis Abt 12oz - Limited
+ Otter Creek Imperial IPA 22oz
+ Olde Burnside (CT) Dirty Penny growlers
+ Olde Burnside Ten Penny Ale growlers
+ Olde Burnside Ten Penny Ale Reserve swingtop bottles
+ Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator 6 packs
+ Kona Brewing 6 packs

We've also got HUGE deals on some closeout beers like Modelo Especial 12pks, Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca 6 packs, Corona 6 pack cans, Smirnoff Ice Light 12 packs, Stoudt's Winter Ale 6 packs (a robust porter), and Berkshire Brewing Co. Holidale 22oz (Barleywine ale).

Don't miss out! A lot of these won't even make it through the weekend.
Cheers,
Jeff

Craft Beers at The Tavern in Essex Jct.

I recently sat down with Chris Benjamin, Food & Beverage Director for The Tavern and Butler’s Restaurant at The Essex Resort, to discuss what role craft beer is playing in the N.E.C.I. restaurants. Since the beer laws changed last summer, The Tavern has added a slew of new world-class brews to their menu and has made some interesting and bold changes.

Of their eight taps, only one of them is a macro, four are dedicated to Vermont-made beers, one is a nitro-tap, and one is open for the “Beer of the Month.” This month’s beer is North Coast’s “Pranqster,” a Belgian-style golden ale. The draft tower is stacked with lots of great options right now: Stone IPA, Switchback, Trout River Rainbow Red, Harpoon UFO, Long Trail Ale, and one of my personal favorites, North Coast “Old Rasputin” Russian Imperial Stout…on the nitro-tap!

Chris said they made a decision about 3 months ago to replace Guinness with Old Rasputin on their nitrogen-pushed line, and have run with it since then. The change has not been welcomed by all, though. “We’ve gotten a lot of angry comment cards,” he said. Jess, one of their bartenders chimed in, “We’ve had people threaten to not come back until we put Guinness back on.”

It’s a hard call for a bar to make: Do we keep a beer on one of our limited taps because it’s high quality and a fantastic beer even though we could easily sell more of another, mass-marketed beer? No decision has been made at this point, but I would really recommend going out there and having some Rasputin soon - It’s almost a religious experience on nitro-draft.

Despite the controversy over that nitro-line, Chris says they’ve been doing really well with their new “Specialty Beer” bottled offerings. The American Craft beers in large format bottles have been outstripping the imports about 5 to 1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 24oz, Allagash White Ale 750mL and Stone Brewing Smoked Porter 22oz are big sellers.

To help educate and guide their customers with choosing which beer will pair best with their Asian Shrimp Tacos or Beef Bourguignon, The Tavern has developed a Specialty Beer Menu. The menu offers pictures of the beers, reviews, ratings from BeerAdvocate.com and RateBeer.com, as well as suggested pairings. Chris and his team are seriously dedicated to matching beverages and food. The Tavern and Butler’s Restaurant both offer a huge wine list, over 800 bottles, and the servers are trained to offer pairing suggestions, a skill that easily translated to their new craft beer portfolio.

Our conversation inevitably shifted to how the beers are handled, and Chris assured me that all their beer glasses are hand-washed by the bartenders to avoid soap residue. Currently, if you order a beer, “Drifter Pale Ale please!” you’ll be served a full pint. You can request a 12oz pour if you’re of the mind, but those are your options. On one hand, it’s great because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a full pint of Old Rasputin before, especially not for under $6! On the other hand, the pint is not a great vessel for fully enjoying the bouquet of Pranqster. We talked about adding specialty glassware to the bar, and Chris said he’s considering going in that direction.

And despite the huge success with beers like Switchback and Stone IPA, which has been on tap since the beer launched in Vermont over a year ago, Chris says there are lots of obstacles in this area. “The Burlington crowd is mostly a martini and mixed drink crowd. And with 800 wines,” it’s tough sometimes to get people to pay attention to the beer. He thinks some of this has to do with the competitive pricing in the Burlington area. In Montpelier, it would be no problem to charge upwards $6 for a pint of microbrew, but up here, people just won’t have it. Good for customers, hard on the business. And this is really what makes questions like “do we keep Old Rasputin even though Guinness would outsell it?” even harder.

So what can you do? Head out to The Tavern at The Essex Resort (formerly The Inn at Essex), and check out some of these great new brews! I highly recommend the Asian Shrimp Tacos paired with a pint of Stone IPA, or the Long Trail Ale Battered Fish & Chips with what else but a pint of Long Trail, and have a 12oz pour of Old Rasputin for dessert. Tell ‘em Jeff from The Bevy sent ya.

Cheers,
Jeff

The Tavern is operated by The New England Culinary Institute and is located inside The Essex Resort & Spa, 70 Essex Way, Essex Jct., VT 05452. Call (802)764-1489 for more information.

Update on FMB tax proposal

According to the Vermont Grocer's Association Legislative Report for 4.24, the proposed tax increase on Flavored Malt Beverages (FMB's) has been removed from consideration. The proposed tax increase on Liquor (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc.) is still being considered. The Senate plans to raise the State Tax on liquor from 25% to 35%, which they expect will result in an addition $6 million in tax revenue. If you have not yet already, please consider contact the members of the Senate Finance Committee and/or your local Senator(s). Click here for their contact list.

The bill also contains a 25 cent per pack increase on cigarette taxes and will raise the ad valorem tax on cigars from 41% of wholesale to 92% of wholesale. Click here to read the VGA's full report.

Thanks for your support!
Jeff

Next in line

The closeouts are going fast, so don't miss out! The Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca has a "B+" on Beeradvocate.com and a "90%" on ratebeer.com...a super tasty Belgian white for warm days (like this weekend)!

Added to the Beer shelves this week:
+ Widmer Brothers Brewing "Drifter" Pale Ale 6 packs
+ Guinness "250th Anniversary" Stout
+ Magic Hat #9 bombers (22oz) - they're back!

Cheers,
Jeff

Long Trail Awarded Governor's Environmental Award

Yesterday, Earth Day, Gov. Jim Douglas awarded Long Trail's Eco Brew Program the Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence! The brewery was honored with this award for their continuing commitment to reducing their impact on the planet and finding new, exciting ways to save resources. Among their many accomplishments, the brewery has achieved a below average water consumption, uses recycled materials for packaging, sends their spent grains to local cow farms for food, has reduced their package sizes to use less materials, established a thermal energy recovery system in their brewhouse, all while using renewable energy sources and soy/vegetable based inks.

I congratulate all of the hard work that Long Trail has done thus far and look forward to seeing what new and innovating environmental initiatives are still to come!

Cheers,
Jeff

Closeouts and new beer and Tax Increase Update

Once again, back to offer you some great deals! We just got a shipment of Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca 6 packs and Rogue Ales "Yellow Snow IPA" 5 liter mini-kegs and we're offering them both at huge price reductions! The price is too good to put online (I know, I hate it when people say that), but the mini-kegs were previously $42 and they are now significantly less than half that! You won't want to miss out on this!

Also added to the beer room today:
+ Chang Beer (Thailand)
+ St. Louis Lambics are now available in a 11.7oz package

I also got an update on the Senate proposed Tax increase today from Jim at VGA. He wrote:
" The tax bill is H.442. The Senate Finance Committee is considering the FMB tax increase as part of that bill. They also starting looking at a cigarette tax and spirits tax hike yesterday. They may vote something out this week....The spirit proposal is to increase the tax from 25% to 35%. The cigarette is a 25 cent increase per pack and there is also an other tobacco products tax."

Please consider writing to the list of Senators in my previous post and urge them not to raise taxes on Liquor, Beer, Specialty Beer or FMBs.

Cheers,
Jeff

Malt Beverage Tax Increase being considered by Senate!

I just got an Action Alert from the Vermont Grocers' Association that I thought you should all read. According to the VGA's Legislative Report for 4/17, the Senate is considering raising taxes on soda, candy, water, beer, wine and liquor. Their immediate concern is over a huge tax hike on "Flavored Malt Beverages." You can read the Action Alert below. Please consider calling or emailing the Senators ASAP.

Thanks!
Jeff

Large Flavored Malt Beverage Tax Hike under Consideration by Senate Senate Finance Committee considering Malt and Liquor Taxes Calls & emails from retailers needed now!

Late Friday afternoon, the Senate Finance Committee asked their legislative council to draft a new tax bill that is expected to include increases in the state's liquor taxes and a dramatic increase in the excise tax on flavored malt beverages. FMB's include malt beverage products such as Mike's Hard Lemonade, Twisted Tea, Smirnoff Ice, etc. All malt beverages in Vermont under 6% alcohol (including FMB's) have an excise tax of 26 cents per gallon and a sales tax at retail (added two years ago). Malt beverages over 6% (specialty beers) and wine have an excise tax of 55 cents per gallon plus a retail sales tax. Senate Finance Chair, Senator Ann Cummings, recommended that the tax bill be drafted this weekend with the FMB tax as high as possible, possibly over $5.00 per gallon, a whopping 1900% tax increase. An increase of this magnitude on what is already a higher priced malt beverage will likely price them out of reach and force them off store shelves. The committee is returning Monday morning at 9:30 to resume their review of the tax bill. They may also consider other taxes, such as a new beverage tax depending on the juice content, tax on bottled water and a tax on snack food. It is very important to contact your state senator(s) and members of the Finance Committee ASAP and urge them to oppose new beer or FMB taxes on Monday. Senate Finance Committee Senator Ann Cummings, Chair, Washington County, acummings@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 223-6043 Senator Claire Ayer, Vice Chair, Addison County, cayer@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 545-2142 Senator Bill Carris, Rutland County, bcarris@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 438-5391 Senator Robert Hartwell, Bennington County, rhartwell@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 362-5757 Senator Mark MacDonald, Orange County, mmacdonald@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 433-5867 Senator Hull Maynard, Rutland County, Hull@sover.net, (802) 773-3000 Senator Dick McCormack, Windsor County, rmccormack@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 234-5497 A full list of state senators can be found at: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/districts.asp?Body=S Faxes can be sent to 802-828-2424 (must be addressed to a specific legislator). Messages can be taken at the Sergeant of Arms office M-F at 1-800-322-5616

Some limited new brews

Prost everybody! Got a couple updates:

+ Stone Cali-Belgique 22oz (their IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast) - 2 cases only!
+ Woodstock Inn "Kanc Country Maple Porter" 22oz
+ Peak Organic Pomegranate Wheat Ale and IPA 6 packs

And if you're reading this right now, you should jump in your car and rush over to the Bevy! The Free Pint Glass Friday with Harpoon Brewing is going on right now. It ends at 8pm, so don't miss out on your chance to try their newest beers on us!

Cheers,
Jeff

Newest arrivals and upcoming tasting

Hey kids. Got some new brew for you:
+ Dogfish Head Black and Blue 750mL
+ Dogfish Head Burton Baton Oak Aged IPA 4 packs
+ Southern Tier Hoppe Imperial Extra Pale Ale 22oz are back (limited)

Seasonal returns:
+ Sierra Nevada Summerfest 6 and 12 packs
+ Anchor Summer 6 packs
+ Tremont Summer 6 packs

Next Friday, 4/17, is the next Free Pint Glass Friday with Harpoon Brewery (VT & MA). Starts at 5pm and goes till 8pm. Our new totally awesome rep. Meghan will be on hand to pour their two new beers, UFO White and Leviathan Quad, plus more. You'll get to keep your full sized, specialty tasting glass as well!

And a quick note on some limited beers that are still in stock. A lot of these are the end of a vintage or are really hard to get, so don't miss out!
+ Stone 2008 Old Guardian 22oz (less than 1 case left)
+ Stone 2008 Imperial Russian Stout 12oz (less than two cases left)
+ Dieu du Ciel! We still have 4 of the 5 beers available, but supply is spotty with their importer and who knows when we'll get more.
+ Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale 6 packs
+ Rodenbach Grand Cru - Rodenbach is still in between importers and there's a limited quantity left in Vermont
+ Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Kaiser Blauw and Rouge 2008 (less than 2 bases each)
+ Gouden Carolus Cuvee Blauw magnums (1.5L) 2008 (6 left)
+ Samichlaus Dopplebock 3 liter - only one left!

Cheers and happy drinking!
Jeff

New Brews and Hill Farmstead

'Ello mates! New brews in this week from Scotland, Australia, Hawaii and Vermont!
+ BrewDog (Scotland): Punk IPA, Hardcore IPA, The Physics, Dogma, Rip Tide Stout, Paradox Imp. Stout in 1966 Port Dundas Cask, & Paradox Imp. Stout in Isle of Arran Cask. (Check out my reviews for Punk, Hardcore, and the two Paradox on BeerAdvocate.com or RateBeer.com - username SFLpunk.)
+ Coopers (Australia): Sparkling Ale, Lager, Extra Stout and Pale Ale 6 packs
+ McNeill's (VT) Ruby Ale (Extra Amber) 22oz
+ Kona (Hawaii) Pipeline Porter 6 packs
+ RedHook (WA & NH) Slim Chance Light Lager 6 packs

And I got in lots of solid specialty glassware today including:
+ Gouden Carolus chalice
+ Duvel tulip
+ Piraat tulip
+ Erdinger .5L dimple mug
+ BrewDog "Tokyo" pilsner glass
+ McChouffe chalice
+ Dogfish Head snifter
+ Dupont Biere de Miel tulip
+ Ommegang chalice
+ Allagash chalice
+ and more!

And finally today, I'd like to announce that Hill Farmstead, headed by Shaun e. Hill, is slated to start brewing hopefully later this year. Shaun is planning to release his Brett Saison, Pale Ale, Coffee Stout, Porter, and more in 750mL capped bottles. I've been messaging back and forth with Shaun all week about pricing and packaging and distribution. He told me today in a message sent from Denmark, that his fermenters should be shipping from the West Coast this week. He is currently the head brewer at the Nørrebro Bryghus brewpub in København. Shaun has also brewed at The Shed in Stowe, VT and Trout River in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I'm a personal fan of his Belgian-influenced style and look forward to the release of his Black Saison! I'll keep you posted as things move along.

Hope to see you in the store soon!
Cheers,
Jeff

Hop Rhizomes are in!

Hello all you Hop-Heads!

I was talking with Matt of Vermont Homebrew Supply earlier today and he showed me his huge bags of hop rhizomes! Rhizomes are essentially the root "buds" of the hop vine (Humulus lupulus) and are the way that you propagate hop plants. He's got about 10 different varieties and they're going out for sale tomorrow, he said, $5 each root. He told me not to wait too long, this is the time to start planning and planting!

So when you come into town tomorrow to grab your rhizomes from Matt and Anne, swing by and see what's new in the beer room. You'll need some brews to cool you off after all the gardening!

Also, I've got a killer new glassware cabinet and starting tomorrow it will be filled up with all sorts of specialty stems and chalices, goblets and snifters.

And lastly, NEW BEERS tomorrow! I'll post the list once I see what shows up.
Cheers,
Jeff

New In

Quick update:

Just added:
+ Long Trail Brewmaster's Series Double IPA 22oz
+ McNeill's "War Lord" Imperial IPA 22oz
+ Heather Ales "Grozet" Gooseberry & Wheat ale 12oz
+ Michelob Irish Red Ale 6 packs

And thanks to all who turned out to the Stone Brewing tasting! It was EPIC as promised.

Cheers,
Jeff

Oh sweet oaking...

The beer world is not exempt from trendy behaviors. You remember how acid washed jeans eventually turned into (artificially) dirty-knee jeans and now it's skinny jeans? Well, I've noticed that the brewing world has gone from Session ales to Imperial beers to Extreme beers and has most recently decided that Oaking any style of beer makes it better. The mantra has been "Add more hops, add more malt, add more everything," and that's still true. Our local brewers are jumping on that wagon - Rock Art's "Extreme Series," Long Trail Imperial Coffee Stout, Otter Creek Imperial Russian Stout, etc. But the national trend is now headed towards adding oak to everything. As I'm sitting here typing, I'm sipping on an Oak-Aged IPA! Who in their right mind would have guessed this two years ago? Oak has been applied to many beers, and of course, it's a historical brewing vessel, sure. We oak-age stouts to round out the edges and add vanilla notes without actually adding vanilla. Oak smooths over the rough edges of any poorly constructed product as well (read "cheap chardonnay"). But why are we oaking IPA's? Are we trying to smooth out the rough edges given by the huge over-addition of hops? It seems rediculous: Add lots of malt, add lots of hops to make a sweet but really really bitter beer, and ok, now put it into an oak barrel to smooth out all that bitterness that we added with all the extra hops.....

I'm not saying that experimentation is bad, though. I would never get to drink a Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron or a Schmaltz Lenny Bruce R.I.P.A. (Rye-IPA) if brewers didn't push the limits and use unusual methods or ingredients. All I'm saying is this: brewers should beware of following any brewing trend blindly to the extreme! Some things just make the beer more expensive, not better. There's a complimentary phrase in the wine world when a vintner uses oak in the right way: "judicious use of oak." Brewers, please take note.

I can't wait to see the world's first Imperial Oak-Aged Hefeweizen!
Cheers,
Jeff

Harpoon, Long Trail, Smuttynose and Sierra Nevada

As I'm sitting here sipping my freshest-of-fresh Harpoon Leviathan "Quad," I'm updating all my online accounts. I just did a review on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer for said "Quad" (a solid "B" score), and was browsing the News sections on BA to find a press release for Sierra Nevada. I guess they didn't give themselves enough of a headache by releasing a new year-round beer (Torpedo) which instantly went out of stock and is backordered virtually nationwide that they went ahead and announced another year-rounder! This one is going to be called "Kellerweis," an open-top fermentation Bavarian-style hefeweizen! I'm not sure if this means it's 86 for the current Wheat beer, but I would assume so. It's going to be released from the brewery in the summer of 2009. Not sure yet when we can expect to see it here in VT, but I'll let you know what I hear. Oh, and Torpedo left CA today headed to VT...should be back in our store next Friday. Reserve yours now, because the order coming is about half the size of the order the distributor placed with Sierra...a.k.a. it's going to run out again soon.

Smuttynose: Tomorrow (Friday, 3/20) we'll be getting the next Big Beer, their legendary "Imperial Stout." This is historically tied for my favorite stout of all time with Stone's Imperial Russian. I am so exicted, I can hardly wait!

Long Trail will launch it's new Brewmaster's Series Double IPA in the coming week or two. I can't wait. I've "heard" really good things about it...yes...heard.

Cheers,
Jeff

Unibroue and Otter Creek Updates

I spent some time chatting with our Unibroue rep. today and got a lot of answers for a lot of you. Here's what I found out from Richard:
- Quelque Chose is only brewed once every four years. The last time was in 2006, so if all goes according to tradition, the next batch will be released in 2010 sometime.
- Seigneuriale is being discontinued (at least in VT - couldn't tell if he meant completely). I've got two cases on order for tomorrow, so stock up if this is a big beer for you.
- Raftman is only available in the "Light Taster Pack," a limited release, and they do not have any plans to launch the 750's or 4 packs any time soon in the US.
- The 6 packs and 12 packs of "U" beers found in Canada will not be launched in the US any time soon either. Still have to take the treck up North for those goodies.
- Unibroue "18" will be released in Sept./Oct. this year. The Anniversary beer is usually launched earlier, but due to construction at the brewery and tight brew schedules, they needed to push it till later this year. The style is yet to be announced/decided.

As for my conversation with Rob of Otter Creek:
- The next Imperial beer to be released will be an Imperial IPA. It should come out either later this month or early April. They plan to keep the RIS going for a little while next to it.
- The "World Tour" series is on hold right now. The little Otter needed a break to spend some time at home and rest from his relentless tour around the world. He plans to hit the road again later this summer.

Cheers,
Jeff

New and Updates

Hello all. One new brew for you:
+ Southern Tier Gemini 22oz: A blend of 50% Unfiltered Hoppe and 50% UnEarthly Imperial IPA. This blend is more "balanced" than either on their own. Hoppe is really light in the body and malt content while UnEarthly has a lot of sweetness underlying the 153 IBUs. Put 'em together, and it's a great blend.

I just got back from Boston yesterday and I'm exhausted! I went down to a tasting hosted by Tigris beverage, the MA brokers for B. United, Artisanal Imports, Left Hand, Otter Creek and VanBerg & Dewulf (Dupont). I tried a good 70% of the near hundred beers being poured and found lots and lots of goodies. Very excited about Meantime IPA (England), De Ducato Verdi Imperial Stout (Italy), Alvinne Melchior (mustard ale, Belgium) and DeGlazen Toren Jan de Lichte (imperial white, Belgium). Hopefully we'll see some of these and many more in the near future!

Afterward, we hit a few places to sample some local fare and more IPA's...well, the IPA thing was my mission anyway. We had a few pints and some delicious fried pickles at Roadhouse (Brookline, MA) which was started by the same guys as The Publick House a few doors down. I gotta say, it was my first experience with a fried pickle, but man, it's weird, but freakin' good! Had a wonderful pour of Weyerbacher Double Simcoe Imperial IPA and a Victory Hop Wallop IPA. We left there, grabbed a cab out to Allston, and sat down in the oddly small Deep Ellum beer bar. People at the bar were drinking Miller High Life, but I ordered an Anderson Valley 21st Anniv IPA and was quite content. I had a long train ride back to where I was staying and I'll tell you, 7am came way, WAY too early the next morning. I had to get up and get back to good ol' VT.

If you're headed down to Boston, let me know, and I'd be happy to suggest some killer beer places, both shops and bars.
Good to be back. Cheers,
Jeff

Wow...new beers are serious!

It's been a really good day for Vermont in the beer department. I stayed late last night making room for all the new goodies that were coming in today, and I was still late leaving today. Man...there's a lot of new goodies. So here's the skinny, ya:

+ De Struise (Belgium): "Black Albert" Royal Belgian Stout 11.2oz (The only 24 bottles available for retail sale in the state.) SOLD OUT! (Sorry...)
+ Dieu du Ciel! (Montreal): Péché Mortel, Denière Volenté, Route des Épices, Rosée d'Hibiscus, Corne du Diable (single 12oz)
+ Southern Tier (NY): Unearthly Imperial IPA 22oz, Hoppe Imperial Extra Pale Ale 22oz, IPA 6 packs, Phin & Matt 6 packs, Hop Sun Wheat Ale 6 packs, Variety 12 pack
+ Isle of Skye "Black Cuillin"
+ Weihenstephaner (Germany): Original lager 500mL and 6pk, Hefeweissbier 500mL and 6pk, Kristallweissbier 500mL, Hefeweissbier dunkel 500mL
+ Greene King/Morland Brewery (England): Ruddle's County 16.9oz, Abbot Ale 4pk cans, Wexford Irish Cream-stlye Ale 4pk cans, The Tanner's Jack 6 packs, Old Speckled Hen 4pk cans and 16.9oz
+ Pennichuck (NH): Saint Florian Dopplebock Lager 1 liter, Engine No. 5 Irish Red Ale 6 packs

Back in stock:
+ Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 6 packs (Limited number, reserve some soon.)
+ Flying Dog Garde Dog 6 packs
+ North Coast Old Rasputin 4 packs
+ Pennichuck Backdraft Chocolate Porter 22oz
+ Hook & Ladder Golden and Brown Ale 6 packs

And we received a shipment of Arran Blonde and Dark from Scotland, but unfortunately they were past their code (out of date) so they had to go back. Bummer. Hopefully we'll get some fresh beer from them soon.

Ok, I think I got them all. Come and get it!

Cheers,
Jeff

Updates

A lot of news today. Here's one of my long update posts...not as long as last time though!

- Brooklyn Brewing tasting tomorrow...don't forget. 5pm-8pm Friday 2/27. Local 2 is in store and will be poured. More Monster 2007 is in stock (regular price).
- Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout will be back in stock next Friday. We're getting some of Southern VT's allocations.

- Fantôme and Cantillon beers were ordered but out of stock from the importer. G.Housen is going to try and order them again in March, I've been told. Keep crossing those fingers!

- Clipper City's "Heavy Seas" and "Oxford Organics" are supposed to hit our shelves tomorrow!

- Ommegang "Biere de Mars" is shipping tomorrow

- More Smuttynose Gravitation tomorrow

- Orkney Brewing has discontinued their "Dragonhead Stout." A sad day! I really loved the one case of that beer we got! Dark Island and Red MacGregor are back in stock now.

- Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA is out of stock from the brewery until early March...sorry. They didn't realize how HUGE it was going to be and have to tweak their brew schedule to make more. In the meantime, soak up some Bigfoot Ale! It's the highest IBU brew they make!

- Duvel "Green" is draft only right now, and there won't be any available to VT until way late in the year, if at all.

- Our Southern Tier order left NY today and is due to arrive in our store next Friday! And good news! The distributor has decided to stock it as a regular item! Thanks to you all for your interest in helping us secure this brand.

- No ETA yet on Weihenstephan beers...still waiting to hear.

That's all for now! Hope to see you tomorrow!
heers,
Jeff

I'm back!

Hey Gang,

I'm back from Beantown...considerably poorer! I spent LOTS of cash on delightful beers to bring home, much to my checkbook's dismay. Thus far I've only sampled a couple of my goodies, my favorite thus far being the BFM "Cuveé Alex le Rouge" (Switzerland). (Check out BeerAdvocate or RateBeer for my review, user name SFLpunk.)

The Extreme Beer Fest was EPIC! I had a fantastic time pouring for Stone, chatting it up with the locals and generally just BS-ing with the BA's. I sampled a lot of beer over the 10 hours I was there and here's a few things to keep an eye peeled for in your travels:
- Captain Lawrence "Rosse e Marorne" - an American red sour ale with red grapes added. Easily my favorite of the whole fest!
- Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout - Maple barrel-aged Chocolate Coffee Stout. A true breakfast beer if there ever was one!
- The Bruery "Saison Rue" - farmhouse ale with rye. Delightful!
- Three Floyd's "Dreadnaught" - Imperial IPA. Competing for my favorite Imp. IPA!
- I also sampled Bell's beers for the first time and thought they were outstanding.

It was exhausting, though...I got 5 hours of sleep, drove 4 hours, took the T for close to an hour, poured/drank high ABV beer for 10 hours, took the T home for almost an hour, drank half a beer and was asleep snoring on my friends' couch before midnight. LONG day! But someone has to do it, right?

Don't forget to join us this Friday for Free Pint Glass Friday with Brooklyn Brewing. Local 2 will be shipping Friday and you will be among the first Vermonters to taste and see the goodness of the brew! See you there!

Cheers,
Jeff

Newbies and EBF

I got a rare opportunity to go pour beer for Stone Brewing this weekend at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston, so I'm packing up my things and heading out tomorrow night after the Magic Hat tasting. It's going to be a beer-filled weekend for me! I hope to stop by Wine Gallery in Brookline on Sunday to round things out by using what's left of my money to buy lots of goodies to bring back up to Vermont! I can't wait. (I packed my Tylenol, ibuprofen and aspirin right next to my gallon jug of water.)

As for new beers at the Bevy already this week:
+ Pinkus Jubilate Dark Lager 500mL (Organic - Germany)
+ Westmalle Dubbel 750mL's (we've had the 11.2oz, but now we've got the 750's!)

On the subject of Westmalle and the trappists, I spoke with our Merchant du Vin rep (the people who import Westmalle and Rochefort) about getting more of the line up here in VT and she said they were one step ahead of me and were having a meeting with their distributor sometime this week. I really hope to see the triples start pouring into Vermont soon! I'll keep you posted.

I'm expecting some new beers tomorrow, but since I'm heading out right after work, you'll have to settle for my "anticipated" list instead of my "confirmed arrivals" list:
+ More Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 6 packs!
+ Samichlaus 11.2oz bottles!
+ Berkshire Brewing Raspberry Strong Ale 22oz
+ Rogue Kells Irish Lager 22oz
+ Floris 4 packs
+ Sam Adams Imperial Series 4 packs
And hopefully many more, but no one can be sure until we check in our deliveries tomorrow afternoon.

Cheers, and happy drinking this weekend. I'll see you on the other side!
Jeff

Tasting this Friday!

Hey everyone, don't forget that Free Pint Glass Fridays continues this week with Magic Hat! They'll be pouring some of their year-round tasties plus Hi-PA and the Poppy Agave Pilsner. We hope to have a surprise beer as well, but no promises there...you'll just have to show up and see! Try the beer, keep the glass.

Friday, Feb. 20th, 5pm-8pm.
Free and open to the public. 21+ with proper ID.

Cheers,
Jeff

New Beer

A couple new ones:
+ Harpoon 100 Barrel Series "Catamount Maple Wheat" 22oz
+ Magic Hat Lucky Cat 12 packs
+ Labatt "Heritage Brewmaster Series" Porter 6 packs

Returned from MIA:
+ Spanish Peaks Black Dog and Raspberry 6 packs
+ Southampton IPA and Altbier 6 packs (Double White is still MIA)

And we got what we think might be our last shipment of Unibroue "17" if that's up your alley. More Dogfish Head Red & White arrived today and is on the shelf. Sierra Nevada Torpedo is back in stock too. (Still waiting on more Bigfoot...don't forget to reserve yours today!)

Cheers,
Jeff

New Stuff confirmed!

Hey Gang,

I got over my sickness and went to work today. (Mostly to confirm what new beers came in!) So here's the official update list:
+ Rock Art "Belvidere" Big IPA 22oz (check out my review on BeerAdvocate.com or Ratebeer.com)
+ Sierra Nevada Big Foot 2009 6packs (super limited first delivery - will be getting more in the next couple weeks...but if you want it, put some on reserve!)
+ Dogfish Head Red & White 750mL (brewed w/ orange peel, corriander and pinot noir juice, aged in/on oak)
+ Anchor Bock 6 packs
+ Sam Adams Blackberry Wit 6 packs
+ Long Trail IPA & Blackbeary Wheat bombers (22oz)
+ Bud Light Lime 12pk and 18pk cans

Waiting on new things from Southern Tier and Weihenstephan, as well as some British beers that have been MIA for a long time.

Also, we did some decorating in the beer-room, so look around and admire our hard work next time you're in!

Cheers,
Jeff

Free Pint Glass Friday with Brooklyn Brewing announced!

So we've booked another edition of Free Pint Glass Friday with Brooklyn Brewery for Friday, Feb. 27th from 5pm-8pm! Patrick, our awesome and hardworking Brooklyn rep. will be in-store to tell you all about their tasty adult beverages and to hook you up with a free Brooklyn pint glass of your very own! It's free and open, but you can RSVP on Beeradvocate.com and Ratebeer.com, and Facebook so all your friends can see how cool you are and be jealous (or so they can find out about it too!).

I'm out of the office today, on account of I'm sick, so I can't really report on all the new beers that came in today. I know there's supposed to be new goodies from Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Rock Art, Long Trail, Bud, and some others, but I don't want to say for sure. I'll let you know ASAP.

Cheers,
Jeff

Allagash Tasting Tomorrow and new stuff

Tomorrow's the big day. Time to pour some BIG beers from our brothers and sisters in Maine. We'll also be offering Allagash glassware half-off! (Think $3 instead of $6!) Here's the anticipated line-up (may change, but we're pretty sure at this point):
-Black (Stout)
-Grand Cru
-Victor
-White
-Victoria

Hope to see you there! Shawn Dunn will be there, and he'll be disappointed if you don't come! And so will I. And so will Jen. And George will probably just shrug his shoulders, but we'll all know he's disappointed too.

As for new beers expected to arrive tomorrow:
+ Stone (CA) Old Guardian 2009 22oz
+ Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2008 12oz singles
+ Anchor (CA) Bock (22oz, I think)
+ Otter Creek (VT) World Tour "Mud Bock" 22oz
+ New Allagash (ME) glasses
+ Rogue (OR) American Amber Growlers (64oz)

Already in and new:
+ Grimbergen (Belgium) Blonde and Double 6 packs
+ Rogue (OR) Younger's Special Bitters 22oz

Dig. See yous tomarahs!
Jeff

Update on Southern Tier, New Beers, and Free Pint Glass Friday tomorrow

Ok, so we got some more reliable info on the Southern Tier pre-sell. It appears that the distributor is off the hook and it was all a situation of bad communication over a new product in the market. It looks like we'll be able to re-order Southern Tier products every 4 weeks or so at the beginning. If they are selling well, they'll re-order every two weeks. There's more to it than that, but I'm not sure what's public knowledge and what's inside business, so until I learn more, I'll leave it at that. Problem solved.

New brews:
+ Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA 6 packs
+ Sierra Nevada E.S.B. 6- and 12-packs (arriving 1/23)
+ Rogue Younger's Special Bitter 22oz (1/23)
+ Long Trail Small Batch Imperial Coffee Stout 22oz (1/23)

And speaking of Long Trail, don't forget that tomorrow, Friday, Jan 23rd, is the next Free Pint Glass Friday! Ryan will be on-hand to pour 5 of their standard ales plus the brand new, super fancy Small Batch Imperial Coffee Stout (release today, hitting shelves tomorrow). It's free and it's from 5pm-8pm with valid ID. Bring your friends...it's a great way to kick-off the weekend!

Hope to see you soon!
Jeff

PS> I'm now on Ratebeer.com as, surprisingly, SFLpunk (same as on BeerAdvocate.com)

Stone Brewing Tasting booked for March

Happy news indeed! I just wrapped up talks with Michael Saklad of Stone Brewing (CA) and we booked a tasting for Friday, March 27th from 5pm-8pm. We're trying to make it into a Free Pint Glass Friday event, but we're still working on that part. The important part is the beer, of course, and it'll be flowing for free!

Mark that calendar, dig?
Jeff

Updates on a lot of beers

So a long time ago, I started talking about all the goodies that were on their ways into Vermont...and about 1/3 of them actually showed up on schedule. The good news was, of course, that about twice as many beers showed up unannounced! So no problem, right? Wrong. I'm still waiting on a lot of breweries and Import porfolios and so are a lot of you. I'm going to try to answer a lot of the questions that I've been asked in the past month about when things are "supposed" to be coming. ::deep breath:: Here we go:

From Brooklyn Brewing (NY), "Local 2" will be released from the brewery in March and should make it's way up here soon after. "Black Ops," their Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel-aged stout, will be released "soon," but in PAINFULLY limited quantities...like 36 bottles for the whole state of VT. We'll do our best on this one. Maybe we'll have a lottery for dibs on it. Once I have it in-house, we'll revisit the subject.

Lagunitas (CA) was supposed to launch in Vermont late last year, but is looking to send their beers in early/mid-March.

Victory Brewing (PA) is the one I get the most questions about. It's only about 4 months late. There hasn't been any official word from the brewery in a while, but Scott Anderson at G.Housen suspects that they're looking at a March launch. If you want to help out, send some emails to Victory and tell them you'd like to see their beers here ASAP! Be polite and say please and thank you!

The B. United International Inc. portfolio has hooked up with G. Housen! No word yet as to when we'll start seeing things like Hitachino Nest (Japan), Birreira Baladin (Italy) and Ola Dubh (Scotland), but this is a HUGE accomplishment and will flesh out the Vermont beer selection with lots of obscure craft brews from all over Europe and Japan.

Artisanal Imports has finalized it's deal with G. Housen and their high-quality products should start arriving in early/mid-Feb. On that list is St. Bernardus, Urthel, Koningshoeven (the only Trappist brewery not in Belgium), and Deus (the champagne-method beer)! Can't wait!

The "Heavy Seas" and "Oxford Organics" series from Clipper City Brewing (MD) should start shipping to Vermont late Jan/early Feb.

Uinta Brewing/Four Plus (UT) held off on shipping because of liscencing fees with the gov't. They have to renew their fees in April, so we're hoping that the beer will follow shortly thereafter. They wanted to get a full year out of the fees instead of just the last few months. I understand their concerns and look forward to sampling the brews from this 100% wind-powered brewery!

And Left Hand Brewing (CO) is on the horizon, hopefully for 2009! Nothing official yet, but talks have been started with one of the VT distributors. So yeh. Good times.

Southern Tier (NY) has entered into a deal with one of our suppliers. But here's the catch: We were handed a Pre-Sell sheet for the Southern Tier portfolio of current offerings. I asked when the next opportunity would be to replenish supply and the word that came down the line thus far is that the distributor has no plans to re-order from Southern Tier. This is being pitched as a one-shot deal, and I find that completely unacceptable! I hope that this is bad information or that they change their minds, but if not, we might have to take the struggle to the streets! If you want to pre-order cases (cases, mind you) of Southern Tier beers, please send us an email or call the store.

Weihenstephaner (Germany) is also being offered now by the same distributor, and in the same fashion. So it looks like we'll have this really awesome beer for a hot minute and then things will be uncertain as to when we can restock. ::sigh:: Same thing, if you want to order solid cases of anything from Weihenstephaner, give us a jingle.

Sierra Nevada (CA) released their Torpedo IPA in 6 packs...we'll be getting them this coming Tuesday! Year-round release.

And lastly, from Stone Brewing (CA), the 2009 edition of Old Guardian (22oz) and some 2008 Imperial Russian Stout (12oz singles) are headed this way in the near future. Keep your eyes posted for these, because they are SUPER limited again.

This week we received shipments of Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout (22oz), Wolaver's All-American Ale (6-packs), Magic Hat Hi.P.A. (6- and 12-packs), Saranac Imperial IPA (6-packs).

And OH YEH! 800 cases of close-out beers and kegs will start arriving at the Bevy this Tuesday! HUGE deals, I mean H-U-G-E! Stop in to check that out.

I'm sure I forgot something, but that's a lot of info to process. Enjoy responsibly!
Cheers,
Jeff

Newbies and close-outs

A coupla heads-up for this week and next:

New already:
+ Wolaver's All-American Ale 6 packs (very tasty with a floral hop wallop!)
+ Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock 6 packs

New Friday:
+ Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout 22oz (Perhaps the best beer they've ever made! I'm sipping on one right now, and it's big and dark as night. A little bitter, a little creamy, but very dry on the finish. Brewed with brown sugah! How come ya taste so good?)

And starting on Friday and going into next week we'll be receiving a MASSIVE amount of tasty close-outs from the distributors. Everything from kegs of Alexander Keith's (CAN) to 30 packs of MGD (USA) to Ayinger Oktoberfest (GER) bombers! Keep an eye on the "Specials" page on the main website for details regarding pricing, etc.

Hurray for deals!
Jeff

Mardis Gras F.P.G.Fri. announced and SALES!

I know, this is getting ridiculous: another Free Pint Glass Friday was just booked for Feb. 20th, 5pm-8pm, with our new Rep. from Magic Hat, John. Same rules apply: stop in, try their newest odd notion, the newest seasonal and all the year rounders in a M.H. pint glass, and you my friend get to keep that pint glass! No strings attached...well, there might be strings of beads attached since we're going to be amping you up for the impending Mardis Gras weekend! Mark your calendars!

In other news, I marked down a few really tasty beers this week, just cause I'm a nice guy! Gulden Draak magnums are now $5 off and Three Philosophers 4packs are $2 off! Get 'em while they last!

And lastly, got in a really limited amount of Ommegang gold-rimmed chalices. $6 each and they're right by the front door with the other stems and pints.

Cheers,
Jeff

PS> New arrivals:
+ Blue Moon variety 12 pack (Blue, Full, and Pale Moons)
+ Smirnoff Twist has two new flavors that I already forgot...mango and something else tropical?

Next Free Pint Glass Friday announced!

Pending State DLC approval, we'll be hosting another Free Pint Glass Friday with Long Trail on Friday, Jan. 23rd. Come join Ryan Chaffin of LT from 5pm to 8pm to sample some of the awesome locally made brews from that Bridgewater Corners, Eco-Friendly brewery! More info to come.

Allagash tastings in January

The state of Vermont will be alive with Allagash tastings in January. To help celebrate the awesomeness of their delectable brews, we've added our own (pending DLC approval, of course). Join us Friday, January 30th from 5pm-8pm to sample some of the best that Maine has to offer! Shawn Dunn will be on hand and hopefully we can work out some sort of "free pint glass" thing again, but we're not sure at this moment what we can do.

You should support our buddies down at American Flatbread in Burlington and check out their Allagash night on January 13th. And there's going to be an Allagash dinner in town on the 19th, but I can't remember where. Anyone hear anything about this?

Cheers to Rob Tod and the whole crew at Allagash for making such awesome beers!

Hopefully in February we'll be having a North Coast tasting. Also coming up at some point are Free Pint Glass Friday with Long Trail, and I'd love to see Rock Art and Otter Creek sign up.

Cheers and Happy New Year!
Jeff