New Sours, Smoke and others!

Hello Sour- and Smoke-heads, listen up! Two very limited brews for you:

*A super-small amount of the 2003 De Cam Oude Lambiek was recently released and we scored all 5 cases that came to VT, thanks to our friends at g.housen, Tigris Beverage and B. United! That's only 30 bottles and they're going fast!

*We also scored the only case of Schlenkerla Eiche Oak Smoke Dopplebock to come to Vermont! All the other Schlenkerla brews are smoked using Beech wood, but this special beauty is smoked over oak. This is a very limited release and is usually only available on draft.

Also added:
+ Hanssens Oude Kriek 750mL and 375mL
+ Hanssens Oude Gueuze 375mL
+ Thornbridge Jaipur IPA
+ Thornbridge Kilpling South Pacific Pale Ale (Nelson Sauvin hops!)
+ JW Lees Manchester Star Ale
+ Birra del Borgo Re Ale Extra (IPA) 375mL

Cheers,
Jeff

Vintage Releases!

Just wanted to put out a post about what we released from our Beer Cave into the Rare & Vintage Cabinet:
- Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary "Fritz & Ken's" Stout
- Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary "Charlie, Fred & Ken's" Helles Bock
- Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary "Jack & Ken's" Black Barleywine Ale
- Rogue Double Dead Guy 2008
- Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine 2008
- Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2007, 2oo8 & 2009
- Stone Old Guardian Barleywine 2008 & 2009
- Southern Tier Krampus Imperial Helles Bock 2009

Lots of great goodies for the Holidays!
Cheers,
Jeff

New Adds!!!

Brand new babies:
+ Dogfish Head My Antonia 750mL
- more Dogfish Head Theobroma 750mL's
- more Dogfish Head Bitches Brew 750mL's (SOLD OUT!)
- more Dogfish Head Burton Baton 4pk
+ Rodenbach 750mL
+ Rodenbach Grand Cru 750mL (and glassware!)
+ Boon Kriek 750mL
+ Boon Framboise 750mL
+ Boon Gueuze 750mL
+ Palm 6pk (and glassware!)
- Southern Tier Krampus 22oz
+ Rogue McRogue Scotch Ale 7oz
+ Southern Tier Oak-Aged "Cuvee 3"

Sam Adams/Weihenstephaner Infinium SOLD OUT before it even arrived at our store. We had WAY more people on the wait list than bottles to fill the orders with. Sorry...hopefully next year they will brew more!

Cheers,
Jeff

Vintage Release This Friday, Adds, and other things

'Tis the season for gift giving and buying something special (sometimes for yourself, of course!), so it's time to open up the doors on our Beer Cave and release some goodies into the Rare & Vintage Cabinet! Starting Friday morning you'll see vintage goodies from Stone (Imperial Russian Stout and Old Guardian *see below*), Brooklyn Monster, the last of our Rogue Old Crustacean 2008 and bottles from the Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Series! As with all our vintage releases, these are first come, first served.

And for a couple new adds:
+ Olde Burnside (Ten Penny) Father Christmas 1 liter swingtops (in the cooler on the top shelf, same door as the growlers)
+ Stella Artois 750mL cork & caged bottles
+ Heineken 5 Liter Mini-keg gift set with 2 glasses
+ Lake Placid Winter 6 pk
- Southern Tier Krampus 22oz
- Sam Adams Perfect Pint glasses are now back in-stock

And a couple updates:
- Dogfish Head Bitches Brew is scheduled to arrive in our store this Friday
- Still no exact ETA on Sam Adams/Weihenstephaner Infinium, sorry!
- Brooklyn Monster arrives soon!
- more sour beers Friday

** Stone Old Guardian and Imperial Russian Stout Update - As some of you might have already read/heard, Stone will not be brewing these beauties in 2011 as we now know them. They have started a program called "Odd Beers for Odd Years" and will brew Belgo-versions of these classic monsters in 2011. As these are my 2 favorite Stone beers, and I suspect some of you will agree, we have purchased all the remaining inventory from our supplier! If you'd like to read more about this, check out the BeerAdvocate.com thread here. **

And if you're looking to give the gift of beer this year, why not make it even more awesome with a nice specialty glass? Check out our overflowing selection of pint glasses and specialty glassware up front by the registers! We also have gift sets that come with a glass on the gift rack between the registers.

Hoppy Holidays! (...I know, a beer pun, right?)
Cheers,
Jeff

Limited Release updates

Just wanted to give you folks some updates on a few limited releases:

- Anchor Christmas 6 packs and 1.5L magnums are due to arrive tomorrow, Friday, 12/9

- Dogfish Head "Bitches Brew," as seen on the Discovery Channel show "Brewmasters," should be arriving any day now.

- The Sam Adams / Weihenstephaner collaboration "Infinium" is on order and should be arriving next week. This is a very limited release and we have started a wait-list. Not sure about pricing yet.

And a couple keg notes:
- Hill Farmstead Edward Pale Ale 5 gallon logs now back in-stock
- Wolaver's Ben Gleason's White Ale 5 gallon logs $39 + dep on close-out!!!
- Limited amounts of Sierra Nevada Celebration 15 gal. kegs and 5 gal. logs available in-stock

And finally, more goodies coming to the Steals & Deals Room soon!

Cheers,
Jeff

Free Pint Glass Friday this week with Harpoon!

Come in this Friday night for Free Pint Glass Friday with Harpoon! We'll be sampling their brand new 100 Barrel Series Oak Aged Dunkel, the brand new Leviathan Barley Wine, as well as their IPA, Munich Dark, Chocolate Stout and Winter Warmer. 5pm-8pm (12/10/10)

And just in case you can't wait to try them this Friday for FREE, we've already added the following to the Beer Room:
+ Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Oak Aged Dunkel
+ Harpoon Leviathan Barleywine Ale

See you Friday!
Cheers,
Jeff

New Adds and VT events

Ok, a few came in under the radar this week, so here's the update:
+ Trout River Boneyard Barleywine 6 pks
+ Rock Art Black Moon Black IPA 22oz

And returning from MIA status:
- Well's Banana Bread Beer 500mL and 4 pks
- Well's Bombardier 500mL
-Southern Tier Choklat 22oz

And of course, the A-B steins are in stock now. Lots of Holiday action going on in the beer sector, don't miss out on your favorite winter warmers!

And if you're free Saturday, make your way down to The Alchemist for the first-ever bottled release of Heady Topper DIPA at 11am and/or to The Warren Store for a Lawson's Finest Liquids tasting from 2-4p.

Happy drinking!
Cheers,
Jeff

Closeout Kegs and Adds

Got some goodies in for "Black Friday" -
- Wolaver's "Ben Gleason's White Ale" 5 gal. kegs - $39 + dep. (save $30 off the normal price!!!)

And some adds:
- Southern Tier "Oat" 22oz (got 10 cases and they're going fast!)
+ de Dolle Dulle Teve ("Mad Bitch" Triple) 11.2oz

Cheers!
Jeff

Stone Lukcy Basartd Ale

At 10am Monday morning (11/22) we'll officially have the newest special release from Stone Brewing: "Lukcy Basartd Ale!" This is a blend of Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard and Double Bastard that was then dry-hopped! I gotta tell ya, I tried this one and it's friggin' amazing! Won't last long at all, so don't hesitate!

Cheers,
Jeff

Liefmans adds

Just for propriety, here's the adds:
+ Liefmans Goudenband 750mL
+ Liefmans Cuvee-Brut (cherry) 750mL
+ Liefmans Fruitesse 750mL
- Long Trail Hibernator

And a whole bunch of new Steals & Deals!!! Don't wait!

Cheers,
Jeff

Free Liefmans Tasting Today! (11/19)

Sorry for the late notice, but we've been trying to put together a beer tasting on the fly and are receiving our first shipment of Liefmans today, Friday Nov. 19th and will be sampling them from 6pm - 8pm for FREE! Liefmans is a renowned producer of both fruited and unfruited sour beers in Belgium and we're happy to have them in our portfolio! And to pour them for you, the dedicated patrons of fine potables!

Hope to see you later!
Cheers,
Jeff

Sierra Nevada Sierra-bration!

Happy 30th Anniversary Sierra Nevada!

If you didn't go down to 3 Penny Taproom on Monday night and didn't make it to The Farmhouse Tap & Grill tonight you should be bummed and ashamed! Both had great turn outs for their tap-room takeovers!

I imagine that there's still some left-overs that need cleaning up so get in gear Thursday night and go drink some amazing Chico brews!

The Farmhouse had all 4 30th Anniversary beers, a keg of 2007 Bigfoot and 8 other brews on draft, so get on it already!

Cheers,
Jeff

Winnimere is at the Farmhouse

I feel like cheese and beer go hand-in-hand in Vermont, and I'm a big proponent of both. I drifted on down to The Farmhouse Tap & Grill in Burlington tonight and lo-and-behold they had Jasper Hill Winnimere as a special! This is a White Whale of a cheese for me. I first tried it about 3+ years ago at the Publick House Provisions in Brookline, MA (just outside Boston) and remembered it as being the stinkiest cheese I've ever smelled - washed in a lambic made by Shaun Hill (at the time) and wrapped in Birch bark - it was absolutely pungent. But on the palate it's super creamy and rich, delightfully delicate and beautiful.

And tonight I caught up with my Moby Dick - and it was every bit as good as I remembered it! It pairs beautifully with the 2010 Stoudt's Winter Ale (a hoppy red) and fought nicely with the Stillwater Cellar Door (wheat ale with sage).

This is a limited release from Jasper Hill and it won't be around for ever. If you like stinky delicious cheeses, get on down there and tell 'em Jeff sent ya!

Cheers,
Jeff

Stone Arrivals & others

Finally! It's a month and two days after the release of the 2010 Stone Vertical Epic, but it's now on our shelves!!!

Added:
+ Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10
- Stone Double Bastard 2010 22oz & 3 Liters
+ Victory Yakima Glory 6 packs
- Dogfish Head Chicory Stout 6 packs

Upcoming releases from our Beer Cave in the next month:
- Brooklyn Monster Ale 2009
- Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine 2008
- All Four Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary bottlings
- Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser Blauw/Blue 2008

Cheers!
Jeff

Other mid-week arrivals!

Two more adds mid-week:
+ Long Trail Brewmaster Series Centennial Red 22oz
+ Abita Christmas Ale 6 packs

Cheers,
Jeff

Sierra 30th #4 has arrived!

Announcing the arrival of the final beer in the Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary collection: "Our Brewers Reserve: Grand Cru! This is a special blend of Sierra Nevada's most highly acclaimed beers: Oak-aged Bigfoot Barelywine, Celebration Fresh Hop Ale and fresh Pale Ale. After the blend, the beer was generously dry-hopped.

I know I'm really excited to try this! It sounds amazing!

Cheers,
Jeff

New Guinness and others

It's finally in Vermont! The US release of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout 4 packs have hit our shelves! It's a damn-tasty, drier, slightly more bitter and stronger (ABV-wise) version of the classic Guinness. This is the version that was typically only available in Jamaica and Africa and is brewed in Ireland, unlike a lot of the Guinness that we normally see which comes out of Canada.

We also received a shipment of Young's Double Chocolate Stout in a 4 pack of bottles.

And a draft update from my stop at Bluebird Tavern tonight - Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine Ale, Hill Farmstead Twilight of the Idols (coffee, cinnamon, vanilla and bourbon-ed porter), Smuttynose Vunderbahr Pilsner, Dogfish Head Pangaea, Trapp Helles & Dunkel, Ommegang Abbey, Allagash White, Switchback, & Scaldis Peche Mel (a personal favorite!). Stop in and have a pint and tell 'em Jeff sentcha!

Cheers,
Jeff

Sierra Celebration and Vintage release

Two new adds to the beer room. One to the shelves:
- Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2010 6pk, 12pk and 24oz

And one to the Rare & Vintage Cabinet:
- Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine 2009

Cheers,
Jeff

Stillwater reaches Vermont!

You've tried them at The Farmhouse (or at least you should have!) and now we've got them! Stillwater Artisanal Ales are now available in Vermont!

+ Stateside Saison
+ Cellar Door (brewed with wheat and sage)
+ Autumnal (German sticke alt meets saison)

All 750mL, all delicious, all limited!

Cheers,
Jeff

New adds and Closeouts!

Happy Halloween Weekend everyone! Got a few new goodies and some bad-ass additions to the Steals & Deals Room!

New:
+ Scaldis Noel 250mL bottles (12%, no spices!)
+ Scaldis Prestige 2009 750mL
+ Trout River Knight Slayer Imperial Stout 6 packs

And for super-awesome Deals:
- Rogue Double Dead Guy 2008 & 2009 750mL's...1/2 price!
- Rogue Imperial Younger's Special Bitter 750mL black swing-top's...1/2 price!
- Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat 6 packs $4.99 + dep.!!!

And although it's not beer, it's got bubbles:
- Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose $4.99! (Reg. $10.99!)

Have a happy, scary, relaxing, ridiculous, spooky, lazy, confusing, pretentious and satisfying Halloween weekend!

Cheers,
Jeff

PS> Monday marks the Vermont arrival of Stillwater Artisanal Ales - go to The Farmhouse Tap & Grill for the official kick-off party on Monday night!!

Lawson's Finest Liquids

It's 8pm on Wednesday night and I just received 2 cases of Lawson's Finest Liquids to coincide with the event at The Farmhouse (HOP-TOBER). I'm putting it out in the lock-up right now and it'll have to be first-come first-serve, one bottle of each per person just to spread the love around to more people.

+ Lawson's Knockout Blonde
+ Lawson's Big Hapi Black IPA

Come and get it!
Jeff

Weekend Update

Hello everyone out there in cyberspace and thanks for reading! I've had a lot of you stop by lately and thank me for keeping up this blog - but I want to thank you for reading it! Glad to know I have so many readers! Cheers to all of you!

We got a few things back in stock this weekend and one new add:
+ Otter Creak Alpine Black IPA6 and 12pks
- Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
- Lots of local winter variety packs are now in stock

And we received 30 cases of Dogfish Head 60 and 90 Minute IPA's - some of you might have noticed that there has been a dearth of DFH products lately and this is due to the brewery being over-sold and not being able to keep up with demand. Our supplier managed to get a special truck sent up with a little bit of these beers on it for us and hopefully by the time they sell through, DFH will be back in the groove. Both are super fresh being bottled only a couple weeks ago. If you've never had 90 Minute this fresh - you absolutely must try it! Splendid!

A couple other beers have been having supply issues so if you see a spot that's been empty every time you come in, it's probably due to lack of supply not lack of attention. I order everything that we're out of twice a week in an attempt to fill up those empty spots.

Have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Jeff

Lake Placid is Back!

To all of you who take the ferry across the lake to get good ol' Lake Placid brews - stop by the Bevy first! We just got our first shipment of beers from them in over 2 years! Right now we've got the Ubu Ale and their IPA (formerly "Frost Bite Ale") in 6 packs but hope to get more varieties soon. I'll keep you posted!

Cheers,
Jeff

Adds a-plenty

Got a lot of goodies this weekend, including a refill for the "Steals & Deals" Room.

Two from last week that I missed and both are Charitable Brews:
+ Harpoon Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale 6 packs ($4 per case go to the VT Food Bank)
+ Abita S.O.S. ("Save Our Shores") Pilsner 22oz

And from this week:
+ Gavroche 750mL & 4 packs (my review on BeerAdvocate)
+ 3 Monts Grande Reserve 750mL (my review on BA)
+ Silly Saison 4 packs
+ Scaldis Peche Mel 11.2oz singles (now on draft at Bluebird Tavern! A must have!)
+ Wittekerke Framboise 6 packs
+ Troubador Magma Tripel IPA 4 packs
+ Harviestoun's Ola Dubh Special Reserve "16"
+ Marston's Pedigree English Pale Ale 16.9oz
+ Hop Ruiter 750mL (private label beer for Vanberg & Dewulf brewed at Schelde Brouwerij)
- Allagash Hugh Malone 2010 release 750mL

And for you sour beer fans: two breweries that have been gone from our shelves for over 2 years will be coming back very soon. Don't want to spill the beans yet, but you'll be excited!

Cheers!
Jeff

PS> Go drink that Peche Mel at Bluebird Tavern...seriously good stuff!

Hill Farmstead's Autumn Harvest Festival

This Saturday I made the 72 mile trek from Burlington up to Greensboro Bend to attend Hill Farmstead's Autumn Harvest Festival along with many other dedicated beer drinkers. As I'm driving out the dirt roads to the brewery, I'm starting to wonder how many people are going to make this long drive on an over-cast and chilly day. Not a single car on Taylor road in front nor behind me. But as I round the last bend and crest the hill, I see about ten cars parked in the clover-laden field. "Oh good!"



"I should have worn boots," passed through my mind as a I off-road up to the beer tent. I get my HF wine glass and tickets and rocket right over to the Edward cask conditioned with home-grown Cascades - what a great way to take the chill off!

As I mingle about, we're all shivering and shaking hands - some folks drove up from New Jersey to visit, a lot from New Hampshire and Massachusetts too, and of course the VT contingent of hardcore craft supporters. It's all smiles and toasts, a glass of Ephraim (triple IPA, or IIIPA as I'm going to start dubbing it) and I'm convinced to buy a $20 growler of it. We take turns waiting in the growler line, holding each other's places while glasses are refilled and we get to know each other a little bit.

I chatted with Anders Kissmeyer while sampling the three versions of Fear & Trembling - yes, a philosophy reference - and decided that although I love bourbon-barrel brews, I agree with him that the French Cabernet barrel is my favorite. I love the red berry notes swirling around with the black smoke and cream-like carbonation. All thoughts of wearing boots and long pants have long since faded from my mind.

A quick glance at the local purveyors of meats, cheeses and stews, but I've got business to do and must get back to Burlington to work the closing shift at the shop. I thank Shaun for his hospitality - he is perhaps the epitome of a Generous Host - tried a bit of the Phenomenology of Spirit collaboration dark saison (yes, another work in philosophy) and had to pack up my purchases and make the long drive back.

Besides the high level of craft in the Hill Farmstead beers, what I was most impressed with was how casual the event was. There was a bluegrass band plucking away and people from far and wide mingled at HF's first-ever bottle release, politely conversing, laughing and shaking hands with perfect strangers. This is how Vermont does business.

It was hard to pull myself away from the idyllic scene, but people back in B-ton need beer tonight and some one has to sell it.

Cheers,
Jeff

For my reviews of Hill Farmstead's beers, check out BeerAdvocate.com (username SFLpunk).

Two adds:

Two newbies for the weekend:
+ Buffalo Water Bison Blond 6 packs
- Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest 750mL's (This year's release is certified Organic and is SUPER limited).

Hope to see some of you tomorrow morning up at Hill Farmstead for their Autumn Celebration!
http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/35798
http://hillfarmstead.com/wpblog/about/upcoming-special-events/

Cheers,
Jeff

2 adds

Just a couple adds:
+ Hofstetten Hochzeitsbier von 1810 (an Austrian "Oktoberfest" style brew)
- Narragansett is back in 16oz cans!

Cheers,
Jeff

Rogue Whiskey and Adds

I am proud to say that Vermont can be added to the list of states that have Rogue's Dead Guy Whiskey! It's sold through our Liquor Outlet side and retails around $35 for a 750mL bottle. It's made with the same 4 grains that are used to brew their Dead Guy Ale and is "Ocean Aged in Oak for 1 Month." We got in 24 bottles and they will most likely go fast, especially with Halloween just around the corner. Who doesn't want to sip on some Dead Guy for All Hallow's Eve?

In other add news:
+ Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider (Super limited run)
+ Stone/Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair "San Diego County Session Ale" Collaboration
+ North Coast "Acme" IPA 6 packs

Come and get some!
Cheers,
Jeff

Adds and Trappist glassware

New brews and new news:
+ Victory Moonglow Weizenbock
+ Victory/Stone/Dogfish Head Saison du BUFF (this is the version brewed at Victory)
- Brooklyn Oktoberfest 6pks
- Southern Tier Pumking 22oz
+ Abita Pecan Harvest 6pks
+ Abita Amber 6pks

And a little news about the Saison du BUFF trilogy: We've already got the Stone version, the Victory one showed up today, but the Dogfish Head one will not be making its way up to the Burlington area. It is however going to be available in limited parts of Vermont South of here. The problem is that it is a very limited batch for DFH and they only had so much to go around. You might be able to contact g.housen distributing for information as to where you can go buy it, but I personally don't have that info. Sorry for the bad news -- but at least we got the Victory and Stone ones!

And we finally managed to score a very small amount of Trappist glassware! Stop by and check out the fancy glassware cabinet at the front of the store.

Cheers,
Jeff

Big weekend, lots of ADDS!

When it rains, it pours - but unfortunately, it still hasn't rained for real yet! This heat be damned, we're making our coolers work double time to keep the beer cold!

Lots of new goodies for this holiday weekend:
+ Dogfish Head Bitches Brew (Imperial stout) 750mL
+ Mikkeller Simcoe Single Hop IPA
+ Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Tripel .5L
+ Weihenstephaner Festbier 6 packs
- Southern Tier Harvest 6 packs
- Allagash Fluxus 2010, Victor 2010 and Victoria 2010 releases
+ Original Sin Cider 6 packs

And I'm proud to introduce to Vermont one of Florida's finest microbreweries: SAINT SOMEWHERE from Tarpon Springs, FL. We're secured three of their fine, Belgian-style brews:
+ Saint Somewhere Pays du Soleil (Saison with Palmetto berries and whole Hibiscus flowers)
+ Saint Somewhere Saison Athene (Saison with chamomile, black pepper and rosemary)
+ Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina (a cross between an Abbey Dubbel and a Saison)

And all of them are bottled with a dose of wild yeast for a little funky deliciousness!

Loving life!
Cheers,
Jeff

New Lambic!

Just got in Drie Fonteinen (3 Fonteinen) Schaerbeekse Kriek! We were luck to get almost all of what came to Vermont and I'm super psyched to have this in our Rare & Vintage Cabinet.

This Kriek, made with the rare Schaerbeekse cherry, has a *100* rating on RateBeer.com and an *A* on BeerAdvocate.com. I won't lie to you, it ain't cheap - but this is probably the only time we'll ever see this beer in our state.

Cheers,
Jeff

New Rogue beers and Le Trappe (not The Trapp)

Got some weekend adds for yas,
+ Rogue Brutal IPA 22oz
+ Rogue "John-John" Hazelnut Brown aged in Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum barrels

Koningshoeven is back in stock but it's under the Le Trappe label. Don't confuse this with the Vermont brewery Trapp Lager - totally different.

Cheers!
Jeff

New Adds

Just a few:
+ Zatec Dark Lager .5L
- Berkshire Brewing Co. Oktoberfest 22oz
+ Stoudt's Gold Helles Lager 5 gallon keg (1 in stock!)
+ Hill Farmstead Edward IPA 5 gallon keg (extremely limited supply!)

Cheers,
Jeff

Seasonal Adds

A few new seasonals came in today:
- Smuttynose Pumpkin 6pks
+ Magic Hat Hex
- Magic Hat Hi.P.A. (returns for a short while!)

Cheers,
Jeff

Adds and Seasonals

Newly added to our lovely shelves:
+ Harpoon Triticus Dark Wheat Wine Ale 4 pks
+ Magners Cider and Magners Pear 19.2 oz
- Rock Art Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout
- Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout 22oz
- Wolaver's Pumpkin 6 pk
- Lots and lots of Oktoberfest beers including Spaten, Otter Creek, Harpoon and others

Back in stock after being MIA:
- Orkney Skullsplitter
- Orkney Dark Island

Cheers,
Jeff

Sierra 30th Anniversary NEW release

Sorry for the late post, busy weekend! We just received the third release from the Sierra 30 series:
+ Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary (#3) Jack & Ken's Black Barleywine Ale 750mL (brewed with 100% Cascade hops)

And we got two more cases of the second beer in that series:
- Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary (#2) Charlie, Fred & Ken's Imperial Helles Bock 750mL

The labels are really close in color so make sure to read the labels and pick up the right one! For more info on this series, please visit http://www.sierra30.com.

And further more, Sierra's new Fall seasonal, Tumbler Brown Ale, is really quite tasty! Hoppy an roasty...great beer from a great house. Sierra Nevada 12 packs are on sale this month, so have at it!

New IPA's and more Steals & Deals!

Lots of goodies this weekend:

After long last, the much anticipated new release from Southern Tier, 2XIPA 6 packs are now in stock and ready to rock. This is a new Double IPA from S.T. that stacks up in attitude between their regular IPA and their Un*Earthly Imperial IPA. Love it. Get some! (Also on draft at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill).

Furthermore, another new(-ish) Imperial IPA from Rogue, the XS Imperial IPA 7oz bottles have arrived and are located in the Rare & Vintage Cabinet due to their small stature. Big beer, small bottle, smaller price tag than before. How could things get any better, you ask? Well, Rogue also sent us 750mL's of their newest Double Rogue - Double Chocolate Stout!

Seasonal additions:
- Otter Creek Oktoberfest 6 and 12 pks
- Magic Hat Night of the Living Dead Variety 12pks

And something completely strange:
+ Coors Light 5.7 Liter "Home Draft" mini-keg-type-thingys They actually look like a propane tank or incendiary device! Weird.

And if those weren't enough reasons to love us, we restocked our Steals & Deals Room today:
- Grimbergen Blonde and Double 6 packs $3.99 + dep. (Reg. 11.29!)
- Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout 22oz and Quercus Vitus Humulus 22oz $2.99 (Reg. $5.99!)
- Sam Adams Cream Stout 6 packs $3.99 + dep.
- Smirnoff Ice 22oz $0.99! That's Ninety-nine cents!

And oh, yeh - one last thing:
CLOSEOUT KEGS!!!!
- Sam Adams Noble Pils 1/2 barrels
- Otter Creek Kolsch 1/2 barrels
- Wolaver's Coffee Porter 5 gallons
- Beck's 1/2 barrels

Call or stop by for keg pricing! These won't last long!

Whew. That was a lot of work. Hope to see you soon!
Cheers,
Jeff

New McNeill's beer from Brew Fest

Only one add this weekend:
+ McNeill's Dark Angel Imperial Stout 22oz

It was debuted at the VT Brew Fest and is in limited quantities. I'm pretty sure we're the first store to receive any and the supply is very limited.

Check out my review on BeerAdvocate.com

Cheers,
Jeff

The Perks of Reading

Hello there folks! As I've said before, reading has its perks! If you'd like to go to the Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ this Sunday, July 25th from Noon-5pm at their Windsor, VT brewery, just give me a call at the shop and I'll put some tickets aside for you! These are tix to get you in the door, but the food and beer are sold a la carte by the various contestants and Harpoon respectively. I had some friends go last year in my place and they had a blast! Said they ate THE best BBQ they'd ever had!

To learn more, please visit the events page on the Harpoon Brewery website.

If you'd like some, call 802-655-2620 and ask for me.
Cheers,
Jeff

Lawson's Finest Special Release

Yup, it's exactly what it sounds like! We're getting a special shipment of Lawson's Finest Liquid's and will be releasing them at 1pm on Sunday afternoon as a conclusion to Brew Fest activities! This beer is extremely limited and will be in super-short supply. We'll be debuting a brand new beer that was brewed for the upcoming Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival and there might (will) be one of his famed IPA's too...

There will be a bottle limit and no reservations, sorry. You'll have to be at the store to purchase it. Just trying to make it fair, ya know?

Cheers,
Jeff

PS> Thanks Sean!

Places to drink après-Brewers Fest

So lot's of folks heading to Burlington for the Vermont Brewers Fest this weekend and I've been getting a lot of questions about where to head for great drafts après or avant, so I compiled two lists:

Brew-pubs (have their own beers and maybe others'):
- American Flatbread Burlington Hearth (Zero Gravity Brewery), St. Paul Street, Burlington
- Vermont Pub & Brewery, College Street, Burlington
- Three Needs Brewery & Taproom, College Street, Burlington
- The Alchemist Pub & Brewery, Waterbury

Beer Bars and Taprooms:
- The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Bank Street, Burlington
- Bluebird Tavern, Riverside Ave, Burlington (between downtown Burlington and our store!)
- Das Bierhaus, Church Street, Burlington
- The Scuffer, Church Street, Burlington
- Monkey House, Main Street, Winooski

Check out BeerAdvocate.com or Ratebeer.com for reviews of any of these fine establishments!

Cheers,
Jeff

Adds and Previews for Brew Fest

Yo.

We got in some killer "Adds" yesterday and here's what they are:
+ Stone 14th Anniversary "Emperial IPA" (sic) - a badass IPA brewed with English ingredients and Stone's stones, so to speak...
+ Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale 12 pack CANS!!!
+ Reissdorf Kolsch .5L bottles

And some previews of the CrAzY vintage releases to coincide with the Vermont Brewers Festival:
- Vintage Duvel 3 liters
- Some Allagash goodies
- Something that rhymes with "Mami-chlaus"
- Lots of aged Stone brews from our Beer Cave
- Ghost Beers (aka from defunct breweries)
- Maybe a Rogue beer
- And something from Quebec

You'll have to stop by the store starting Friday afternoon to check out all the releases, though. It's all being timed with the Fest - and will be replenished until we're sold out. No reservations, no holds, sorry. First come, first get.

Want to drink some bonzer beers on draft while you're in town for Brew Fest? Stop at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill - killer line-up this weekend including vintage brews and hard-to-find rarities like Scaldis Peche Mel and North Coast Old Stock 2010.

Cheers and have a safe Brewers Fest!
Jeff

New Lambics and More Steals!

An exciting, albeit HOT, weekend at the Bevy!

Today we got the first shipment to Vermont of Hanssens Artisanaal Lambics! And we are the only retail store in the state that has them!
+ Hanssens Oude Gueuze 750mL
+ Hanssens Lambic Experimental Cassis 375mL
+ Hanssens Lambic Experimental Raspberry 375mL

These beers are limited in quantity and will go fast, especially with all the out-of-town collectors that are coming up/down for the Vermont Brewers Festival.

And for exciting "Steals & Deals Room" news, we received 4 pallets (= a lot!) of closeout beers today from New Zealand:
+ Monteith's Original Pale Ale 6 packs
+ Monteith's Pilsner 6 packs
+ Monteith's Black Ale 6 packs
All 1/3 the normal price! They're moving fast already, in fact we sold two cases before we even had all the beer stacked in the S&D Room!

Stay cool out there!
Cheers,
Jeff

New Adds

Fresh off the truck:
- Flying Dog beers are all back in stock, including 10 cases of their "Raging Bitch" Belgian-style IPA 6 packs! This beer is a personal favorite. Check out my review on BeerAdvocate.com.
+ Tiger Beer 6 packs (Thailand)

And if you've been waiting to stock up for the Holiday Weekend on Steals and/or Deals, don't wait much longer! The Otter Creek Pale Ale 6pks ($3.99 +dep.) are almost all gone and the others are going quickly too!

Cheers and have a safe weekend (i.e. DD's, people!).
Cheers,
Jeff

The "Heads-Up" post

I've fallen off doing posts like this because "other stores" have been using this blog as a resource (totally cool) to snipe limited releases (not cool). However, I'm posting a "heads-up" on a few things:

- Vintage Release: To coincide with the Vermont Brewers Festival (7/16-7/17) we'll be releasing and re-releasing a bunch of goodies into the "Rare & Vintage Cabinet." First come, first serve - no reservations - gotta be here to see it - kind of thing.
- We'll be receiving a shipment of super-cheap closeout beer next Friday (7/9) if all goes well, effectively filling the "Steals & Deals Room" with more tasty cheap micros.
- More sour beers will be coming to Vermont. Can't say what yet - don't want to hurt our allocation, but check back soon for more details. In the meantime, check out the Ommegang/Liefman's "Zuur" which is in stock now and VERY limited.

Oh, and we're having a Rum Tasting tomorrow/today (Fri., 7/2 from 6-8pm) - FREE.
Cheers,
Jeff

Carl's Beer of the Week project

Next time you head to the Beer Room, check out Carl's new project, the "Beer of the Week" display. Carl and I put it together to highlight an epic beer every week with a full-length review and description. It's right in the center isle to the right - big chalk board, can't miss it.

Right now being featured: Trappiste Rochefort "10".

Cheers,
Jeff

Another "First," a new "Steal" and new adds

I don't mean to make you jealous, but as I write this I'm sipping a Saison Rue from The Bruery. No, it's not available in Vermont, sorry. Picked it up at Julio's (see previous post). Super tasty, A+ really. Read my review on BeerAdvocate.com.

So we're first in the state AGAIN with a new brew:
+ Ass-Kisser "Kick Ass Ale" Double IPA 22oz (brewed at Rarh Brewing in Texas)

Other adds this weekend:
+ Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Pott's Landbier 22oz
- Achouffe Houblon Chouffe 11.2oz bottles
- more Ommegang/Liefmans "Zuur" collaboration

And the newest "Steal" and/or "Deal"
- Otter Creek Pale Ale 6 packs $3.99 + deposit!!!!

And as Tracy Morgan once said, "Stay word."
Cheers,
Jeff

ABITA hits Vermont!

I'm proud to say that we are the first store in the state of Vermont to stock Abita Beers (Louisiana)! You can find their fine products on our shelves and in our coolers, ready to go today!

Here's what we got:
+ Turbodog 6 packs (American-style strong brown ale)
+ Purple Haze 6 packs (Raspberry Wheat beer)
+ Jockamo IPA 6 packs
+ Party Pack Sampler 12pk (2 bottles each of the above and 2 bottles of their Amber, Wheat and Pale Ale)
+ Abbey Ale 22oz
+ Andygator 22oz (Helles Dopplebock)

Come one, come all! It's already cold!
Cheers,
Jeff

Limited Releases from Stone and Sierra

Got in some super limited releases from two of California's best breweries:
+ Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary (#2) "Charlie, Fred & Ken's Bock" 750mL's (WAY limited!)
+ Stone / Dogfish Head / Victory Saison du BUFF (brewed with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme) 12 oz bottles

Also back in stock:
- Stone Cali-Belgie(-Belgique) 22oz

Cheers,
Jeff

Badass Beer Run!

For the past few weeks I've been itchin' to take a short trip and had decided either to go to Montreal or head South to Boston with the intent of stocking up on some hard-to-get brews. I had to weigh out the pros and cons - Montreal is full of beers I've never even heard of (pro) but every time I make a beer run across the border I get SUPER searched and detained...apparently they don't like the answer "Making a beer run" when they ask what your business in Canada is (con). Boston is twice as far (con) but I don't need a passport and I know people who live down there with extra couches (major pro)!

So Boston it was. I enlisted the company of Carl and the plan was to burn down after work on Sunday, crash in Boston, get up wicked early and fight morning commute traffic out to Westboro, hit up Julio's Liquors, and speed like hell to get Carl to work at the Bevy by 3pm. Plans for couches collapsed right before we left and we resolved to go ahead with the plan and just sleep in the Julio's parking lot (sleeping bags and all).

And here's were "Linchpin" Petey comes in - he overhears our falling apart plan and exclaims "My folks live right in Westboro!" So with Petey on board, we pack up my rig and started the trek...with a quick stop at the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, of course!

Couch surfing, homebrews and Highland Park 18yr and all the sudden it was morning and time to get rolling. We pulled in right as Julio's opened their doors and started off with a shopping cart.

Now I'm gonna start a new paragraph so this sinks in - This is the beer mecca of the Northeast! Three solid beer enthusiasts lost, wondering aimlessly through isle after isle of beautiful shiny beer bottles from all over this planet. Long story short, we needed a second cart and a lot of cash was deposited in Mr. Julio's bank account. Highlights included two custom-made brews designed specifically for Julio's, one by Smuttynose and one brewed at De Proef; Mikkeller Black Hole (Rum barrel-aged stout with coffee, vanilla and honey), a Famille Dupont 1998 Pommeau (blend of calvados and unfermented apple juice), a few 2008 Avery Samael's oak-aged ale, Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA and He'Brew's R.I.P.A. on Rye (Lenny Bruce aged on Sazerac 6 barrels)!

The moral of the story is this: if you go anywhere within a few hours drive of Westboro, MA, you need to hit up Julio's Liquors! And tell Tom I sent ya!

Cheers,
Jeff

Accidental Ageing

I'm sitting here late night watching the replay of the UK vs US in the World Cup and I'm digging through my fridge looking for something lower in alcohol to drink when I discovered a gem that George set me up with - a bottle of High & Mighty Sono Distrutto Espresso Stout (4.5%) bottled July 30th 2008!

Now, normally I would never have aged this on purpose. It breaks two of my cardinal rules for cellaring beers: First, it's lower than 8% ABV, and Secondly it's a coffee beer. I've never had much luck ageing coffee-infused beers. I feel like the acidity from the coffee winds up breaking down the hops and making the beers loose and messy.

All that being said, this accidentally-aged brew isn't half bad! It has very little carbonation and smells like cherry-infused coffee. The palate is surprisingly bright and crisp, with very little bitterness. Lots of coffee flavor, but very little mouthfeel and light bodied at best. I'm impressed with its ability to hold up for almost 2 years, but do not think that it's better for the journey. I'm just surprised that it hasn't fallen completely apart. Well done, Will Shelton!

Cheers,
Jeff

New OREgasmic brews and news!

Well, if that didn't get your attention, I don't know what will! New adds this weekend:
+ Chatoe Rogue "OREgasmic Ale" 22oz (Limited Release)
+ Victory Sunrise Weissbier 6 pack (Seasonal)
+ Peak Organic Summer Session Ale 6 pack
+ Molson "X" 8.2oz cans 8 pack
- Anchor Summer 6 packs
- Cisco Brewers Summer of Lager 22oz

Back from MIA status:
- Gritty McDuff's Brown and Pub Style 22oz bombers

A few updates about some other brews:
- Manchester Brewing, the people who brought you the Peppermint Stout and others, has closed up shop and will no longer be available. And I'm sorry to say that we do not have access to any remaining inventory. **UPDATE** I reached out to the brewers at Manchester and he says they did close for a few months, but have re-opened on a "slow schedule" but did not elaborate further. My guess is that we won't be seeing the beers in VT any more either way.
- Koningshoeven (Trappist) is changing their labels to be inline with their European offerings. These beers will soon (2 weeks) be available under the brewery's true name "La Trappe" - not to be confused with Trapp Lager of Vermont. We do still have some of the remaining Koningshoeven bottles on our shelves, but these won't last long and have become instant collector's items. Don't hesitate to stash some in your cellar as these beers will all improve with a few (maybe 10) years!
- Heavy Seas and Oxford Organics, both sub-labels of Clipper City Brewing, will no longer be available for sale in Vermont. We still have a little of each left in-house but will not be able to re-order any more.
- And finally - some GOOD NEWS: We got the official word today that Abita Brewing Co. will soon be available in Vermont! These are the fine folk from New Orleans that brew such tasty numbers as Turbodog, Purple Haze Raspberry Wheat and Jockamo IPA! We can't wait!

Cheers!
Jeff

New Beer and New (Again) beer guy

So this weeks "adds" involve the return of my main-hombre Carl to our beer department as well as some nice beverages. Carl is "wise beyond his beers," impressively knowledgeable about rare, exotic and ridiculously hard-to-come by brews and I'm glad to welcome him back to the team for the Summer months! You can't miss him - dude's super tall!

As for new beer adds:
+ Rogue Imperial Younger's Special Bitter 7 ounce bottles (OR)
- Harpoon Big Bohemian Pilsner (MA & VT)
- Kriek de Ranke (Very Limited, Belgium)
- Duvel 4 packs with a Duvel tulip glass! (Belgium)
- Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat (PA)

And back from MIA:
- Negra Modelo 6 packs (Mexico)
- Heather Ales Historic Ales Variety 4 pack (Scotland)

Stop by and say "Hi!" to Carl this weekend! He doesn't know I'm writing this about him, so maybe it'll confuse him if everyone just suddenly knows his name!....

Cheers,
Jeff

New Beers

...Insert funny/relevant opening comment here...

Now, on to the good stuff:
+ Brooklyn Sorachi Ace 750mL (Single Hop Saison with Sorachi Ace hops)
+ Harpoon IPA & Summer 12pk Cans!!!
- Shipyard Prelude 5 gallon logs - CLOSEOUT - Priced to Move!

Still got plenty of "Steals & Deals" including kegs, 6 packs and lots of good wine (think "K" Milbrandt Syrah for less than half price!)

Stop in and stock up for the Holiday Weekend!
Cheers,
Jeff

Lawson's at Farmhouse Tap & Grill

Tonight starting at 5pm, Sean Lawson of Lawson's Finest Liquids will be at the brand new Farmhouse Tap & Grill in Burlington to chat and share his fine fine liquids. Big Hapi is going up right at 5pm so don't miss out!

Cheers,
Jeff

Facebook

Keg Specials

A couple goodies I forgot to mention:
- Saranac Black Forest 1/2 barrel kegs...1/2 price!
- Shipyard Export Ale 5 gallon logs...save $25!

Cheers,
Jeff

New, new, new.

Right to the chase? Oh, yeh baby!

New adds:
+ Southern Tier Mokah (Imperial stout with coffee and chocolate!)
+ Southern Tier Heavy Weizen (Imperial wheat beer)
+ Isle of Skye Wee Beast
+ Brew Dog Punk IPA and Hardcore IPA 4 packs (new recipes)
- Brew Dog Punk IPA and Hardcore IPA 22oz (new recipes)
+ Woodchuck Raspberry (you demanded it, we got it!)
+ Woodchuck Summer
+ Four Loko 12% ABV energy drink-type thingys

More of's:
- Cantillon Gueuze
- Fantome Printemps & Saison
- Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double

More closeouts in the "Steals & Deals" room:
- Hop Hound 6 packs $2.69 +dep.
- Saranac Irish Red 6pks
- Michelob Irish Red 6pks
- Redhook Treblehook Barley wine ale $3.99 22oz
- Shipyard Pugley's Series 22oz $2.99
- Shipyard Pugley's Series 4 pack gift pack $10.99 (Reg. $24.99)
- Harpoon Brewer's Choice loose case - Save $5 off the regular low-low price!

Cheers,
Jeff

Happy American Craft Beer Week!

Oh, yes good patrons of Craftily Constructed Creations of Carbonated Concoctions, 'tis American Craft Beer Week once again and time to show your support for those who Artfully render your delicious libations.

Now this is no mere ploy to get you to come in and shop, oh no! dear friends and brew-patriots! This is a call for all of you to reach out to your favorite craft brewers and give them a slap on the back, a high-five, a hoot, a "Like," a "Tweet," and to say thank you to them for what they do! They are truly artists, struggling against the giants to get their hand-made beers into your glass.

So this week, make it a special point to order a Hill Farmstead, a Rock Art, a Trapp Lager, an Otter Creek or a Wolaver's, a Magic Hat, a McNeill's, perhaps a Trout River or Harpoon, an elusive Lawson's, a Switchback or a pint of Long Trail. Make a trip to the Alchemist, the Bobcat Cafe, Three Needs, American Flatbread Burlington Hearth, Madison or Norwich Inn, the Shed or Vermont Pub. Or if you live in the Burlington area, stop in the brand new Farmhouse Tap & Grill and sample a number of these fine Vermont-brewed craft beers all (responsibly) in one sitting!

I tip my hat to all you Publicans, all you Brewers, all you who make Vermont one of the best beer states in this nation! Happy Craft Beer Week!

Cheers,
Jeff

http://www.americancraftbeerweek.org/

Holy-limited-beers-batman!

Um, so, yeh. I feel like posting this on the internet violates some unspoken beer-geek law about not telling people when super-secret/limited brews hit the shelves. But I never did like laws and I say, "Screw 'em." Here we go:
+ de Struise Black Albert 11.2 (Belgium)
- Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast 500mL (Denmark)
+ Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch (Weasel) 500mL (Denmark) - SOLD OUT
+ Trois Musquetaires Doppelbock (Printemps 2009), Weizen Imperiale (Ete 2009), Rauchbier & Kellerbier 750mL's (Canada)
+ Nogne O Imperial Stout 500mL (Norway)
+ Cantillon Iris 2007 750mL (Belgium) - SOLD OUT.
- Cantillon Gueuze 750mL (Belgium) - SOLD OUT
+ Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double 500mL (Canada)
- Monk's Cafe now available in 4 packs
+ Shipyard Wheat 6 & 12pks

And added to the Steals & Deals room:
- Otter Creek Kolsch 12 pks ($7.99 + dep.)
- Killian's Irish Red 6 pks ($3.99 + dep.)

I know why you love us...it's because of our massive beer list. I know - you don't have to be shy. It's only natural.

Cheers,
Jeff

New and More Steals & Deals

We got in a couple new brews and we re-stocked our "Steals & Deals" room with lots more goodies (and there's more to come)!

New Adds:
+ Victory Whirlwind Wit 6 packs
+ Rogue John John Juniper (aged in Gin barrels)

New Steals & Deals:
- Rogue Santa's Private Reserve 6 packs and 22oz
- Stoudt's Winter 6 packs
- Heavy Seas The Great Pumpkin 22oz
- Magic Hat Howl 6 packs

Cheers,
Jeff

Weekend Update

Sorry for no Friday post. Got pretty busy around the shop what with two tastings and the nice weather.

I've got two goodies for you:
+ Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2010 is now in stock!

And have I got a deal for you!
- Wolaver's Pat Leavy's All-American Ale 6 packs are on sale for $3.99 plus deposit! That less than 1/2 price! Here's a quote from their website:

"Pat Leavy's All-American, brewed with Oregon-grown organic hops and American organic malts, is named in honor of hop grower Pat Leavy.

Frustrated that organic hops had to be shipped in from overseas, we set out to find a more local source. Pat Leavy agreed to grow organic hops for our brewery and this All American ale is brewed with his organic Fuggles, Goldings, and Magnum hops.

The beer is a highly drinkable amber ale with delicious hop flavors and aromas."

And I think it's pretty delicious too!
Cheers,
Jeff

Ghost Beers

Some beers just have unfinished business on this earth and can't pass on to that big redemption center in the sky just yet. We have a few ghost beers haunting our shelves. The "deadest" beer on our shelves right now hails from the now defunct Pennichuck brewery: Saint Florian Dopplebock Lager 2008. For whatever reason, I was able to order some more of this beer even after the brewery closed their doors.

Another ghost, and this one is "pun-y" for sure, is from Rogue: Double Dead Guy 2008. It's twice as dead and just as collectible. I've got some in my personal collection and am stoked for it to mature.

One last one - Stone is just releasing their 2010 Imperial Russian Stout tomorrow, but I still have those creepy 12oz bottles of the 2008 release, the ones that were originally done for the Japanese market. Come in tomorrow afternoon and grab two brews, two years apart and taste the ghastly goodness!

These beers have all been stored properly and are ready to drink or cellar further. Don't miss out on the chance to fulfill these beers and let them "pass on" to the other side.

(Ok, I know it got a little weird, but thanks for sticking with me.)
Cheers,
Jeff

Lawson's Finest Liquids

Hiyo!

We got in a tiny amount of Lawson's Finest this week and it's going fast!
+ Permagrin Rye Pale Ale (a personal favorite!)
+ Crooked Cabin Brown Ale

We're asking a limit of two bottles of each flavor per person just to spread the goodness around to as many folk as possible. Thanks for understanding!

Cheers,
Jeff

HUGE Blowouts and Limited items!

Gotta make this short and sweet! We have an ENORMOUS amount of closeout beers right now! Check the "Steals & Deals Room" for things like:
- Bourbon Cask Winter Ale
- Black Dog beers
- Virgin Islands Ale
- B&J Mojito coolers
- Mike's Hard Tea
- Shipyard Prelude and Pumpkinhead
- Gouden Haven
- Amadeus
- St Landelin La Divine and Noel
- La Goudale
and MANY OTHERS!!! Prices are so low, I don't feel comfortable writing them here, so stop on by!

And for you dedicated readers, if you come down today after 4pm we will have some special beers stocked out back. You'll need to ask for them (aka I'm giving you readers first crack at it before it hits the shelves):
+ Lawson's Finest Liquids
+ Dogfish Head Burton Baton
+ Dogfish Head Immort Ale

Other adds:
+ The Porterhouse Oyster Stout (Ireland)
+ Ommegang Tripel Perfection
+ Koningshoeven Tripel 4 packs

Cheers,
Jeff

New Adds and Glassware

It's been a while since I've done a Glassware post. I've been working hard to get in more rare and unique stemware, goblets, tulips, snifters and other brewery endorsed vessels and they're finally coming in. Here's a list of some notable glasses:

+ Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock
+ Dogfish Head snifters
+ Pinkus .5L Hefe glass
+ Ayinger .5L Willibecker glass
+ Kwak 1/4 yard with stand
+ Lindemans Lambic flutes
+ Lawson's Finest Liquids pilsner glass (Limited)
+ Unibroue .5L Willibeckers
+ Stiegl .5L glasses
And of course, many more! Check out the glassware cabinet up front between the registers.

As for the beer room:
+ McNeill's Tartan Ale
+ Scaldis Triple 750mL
+ Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB (Delta hops)
- Rochefort "10" is back in stock
- Schneider beers back in stock
- Schlenkerla beers back in stock

And if you haven't heard, we're running some AWESOME sales on some tasty items! A couple of the beers in the Rare & Vintage Cabinet are on sale including the remaining bottles of BrewDog's Atlantic IPA and Scaldis Prestige de Nuits. But the biggest sale of all right now is on SIERRA NEVADA 6 PACKS! $6.99 plus deposit...oh, and yeh, it includes Torpedo!

See you soon.
Cheers,
Jeff

VT winners in World Beer Cup

I just want to send out our congratulations to The Alchemist, Lawson's Finest Liquids and Harpoon for bringing home medals in the World Beer Cup! The Alchemist nailed a Gold Medal in the Gluten Free Beer category for their "Celia Saison." Harpoon was awarded a Silver Medal for their UFO Hefeweizen in the American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast category. And Mister Sean Lawson himself grabbed Bronze for his Maple Tripple in the Specialty Beer category.

Congrats to all the winners (but especially the Vermont ones)!

Cheers,
Jeff

Links:
WCAX
World Beer Cup
Lawson's Finest Liquids Blog

Another reason we're the best!

Just in case you need one more reason why we're the hardest working beer store in the state, we grabbed another beer not otherwise available:

+ Sinebrychoff Porter (Finland) - A world-renouned Imperial/Baltic-style porter!

We're the only store that has any and there's only 24 bottles to go around...well, 22 really if you're picking up what I'm laying down...

We also added two Kolsch brews:

+ Stoudt's Karnival Kolsch 6 packs

+ Otter Creek Spring Ale Kolsch 6 and 12 packs

One other note - lots of people are asking about Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2009 22oz...they are all gone! We just placed our pre-order for the 2010 release which will be along sometime in the next few weeks. We do still have plenty of 12 oz 2008 Vintage IRS in the meantime.

Cheers,

Jeff

New Adds

Too nice to sit in front of this computer for long, so just a short update:

+ Samichlaus Classic 2009 (Austria)
+ Wingwalker Amber, Lager and Pale Ale 6 packs

Restocked on Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA 6 packs!

And for those of you who also drink wine, you should stop in and check out the "Steals & Deals" room. We stocked it up with some "Killer" deals today!

Cheers,
Jeff

Southern Tier rules the world!

Well, I bet that subject got your attention. And rightly so. Southern Tier has proved to be one of the best breweries to come out of NY state, release one exceptional brew after another. This week we have been blessed with two Never-before-seen-in-Vermont heavy hitters:
+ Southern Tier jahva (Coffee Stout)
+ Southern Tier Oak-Aged UnEarthly (oak-aged Imperial IPA)

Both of these are limited releases and won't be around for ever. Don't make the same mistake that a lot of people did with the Ken & Fritz Ale and put it off 'til the weekend. (The Sierra 30th is all gone, by the way...sorry!)

Also just added to ye olde Beere Roome:
+ Lucifer 750mL (Brewed by Het Anker, the same folk who craft Gouden Carolus!)
+ Harpoon Leviathan Imperial Red Ale 4pks
- Allagash Odyssey (Jan. 2010 release)

And coming soon, a limited crack at Samichlaus Classic 2009!

Cheers,
Jeff

Limited and Only Here items

Howdy partners!

Yeh, I'm not sure why I'm using cowboy lingo, but maybe it's because I'm so darned excited about these new cattle...er, beers! Hot damn!

We're currently the only store in the state of Vermont offering Sea Dog's "Riverdriver" Hazelnut Porter 6 packs! You asked for it, we got it. But the trick is, we can only get it every so often, so don't hesitate too long.

Sierra Nevada released their first 30th Anniversary Collaboration Ale today, "Fritz and Ken's Ale" is now in stock and very limited indeed. It's a big, 9.2% ABV Stout brewed by Ken of Sierra and Fritz of Anchor Brewing. It's already going fast; sold two cases since it arrived 3 hours ago.

Ommegang also released a limited brew today. "BPA" or Belgian Pale Ale is a dry-hopped, 5.8% ABV brew in 750mL bottles.

Other adds:
+ McSorley's Irish Black Ale 6pk
+ McSorley's Irish Pale Ale 6pk
- Dogfish Head Red & White and Black & Blue are back in stock

Hop(e) you have a rip-roarin' weekend, partner!
Yahoo!
Jeff

Plain and simple

New adds:
+ Rogue Chatoe Rouge Single Malt Ale
+ Rogue Imperial Red 7 ounce bottles
+ Urthel Saisonniere 11.2
+ Urthel Hop-It 750mL
+ Moosbacher Lager, Kellerbier, and Schwarze Weisse swing-top .5L's
+ 3 Monts Golden Ale 750mL

And it's back - the SUPER rare release from Unibroue: Quelque Chose! Don't miss out!

The real deal...

Since I counted the beers a week and a half ago in the beer room (850), we've already added another 25 or so, and today I added another 10! Running out of shelving again...

+ Rogue Double Mocha Porter 750mL
+ Old Suffolk Ale (Greene King Brewing, England)
+ Victory Baltic Thunder 22oz
+ Affligem Tripel & Dubbel 750mL (Belgium)
+ Czech Rebel (Czech)
+ B.B. Burgerbrau Dark (Czech)
+ Murphy's Irish Red 6pk (Ireland)
+ Curim Celtic Wheat 4pk (Carlow Brewing, Ireland)
+ Fischer Blonde (France)

Back in stock:
- North Coast beers including Old Rasputin, Red Seal, Scrimshaw, and Pranqster
- North Coast Old Stock 2010 release

Happy (Burlington) Mardis Gras!
Cheers,
Jeff

Bigfoot Sightings

Checking in with updates on Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Sightings this week:
- Monkey House, Winooski (draft)
- Das Bierhaus, Burlington (bottles)
- Ruben James, Burlington (draft)
- American Flatbread Burlington Hearth, Burlington (draft)

Also, while you're at Flatbread, try the Old Ale. I've been really digging this style lately, malty, somewhat sweet, low in carbonation - perfect for long sipping sessions in cold weather. The Zero Gravity version is super tasty and less sweet than North Coast Old Stock Ale, if you're familiar with that one. Say "Hi!' to Alison and Chad for me!

Cheers,
Jeff

New Vintage Brews and others

The Rare & Vintage Cabinet is all full up at the moment! I had to make room for 6 new vintages of George Gale & Co. Prize Old Ale: 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1998 and 1996! Just wonderful. And we're the only store to stock any! Most of these are extraordinarily limited, so don't hesitate too long. The older vintages tend to sell-out first.

Also added this weekend:
+ Southern Tier Back Burner Barley Wine Ale 22oz (Limited Run)
+ Genesee Bock Beer 12pks

And a big thank you too all those who showed up to the Harpoon Tasting last night! A rousing good time had by all! More tastings coming up, check the main website for dates and times.

Cheers,
Jeff

Vintage, Cask Aged, and LOTS of New!

HOLY-it's-raining-beer-batman-COW! I spent most of my day pricing, organizing and putting up brand new goodies, some of which are super rare. We received a whole slew of back-vintage J.W. Lee's Harvest and Cask beers and are the only retail store in Vermont that has any! Tasty (and supremely ageable) brews!

Exclusives:
J.W. Lee's -
+ Harvest Vintages 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, & 2008
+ Lagavulin Cask Vintages 2005, 2007 & 2008
+ Port Cask Vintages 2005, 2007 & 2008
+ Sherry Cask Vintages 2005, 2007 & 2008
+ Calvados Cask Vintages 2006 & 2008

New Additions:
+ Beer Here "Dark Hops" Hoppy Black Ale (Denmark)
+ Mikkeller Tomahawk Single Hop (Denmark, brewed at De Proef))
+ Mikkeller Amarillo Single Hop (Denmark, brewed at De Proef)
+ Mahr's Pilsner (Germany)

Restocks & New Vintage:
- Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2010
- Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, Oro, Blanca and Bam 750mL's
- Spezial Rauchbier (Germany)
- Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel
- De Ranke XX Bitter

Enjoy the goodness that is beer!
Cheers,
Jeff

B-town's very own German Ski Chalet

This past Saturday night my-coworker Adam and I ventured forth in to the frigid cold to check out the newest beer spot in Burlington. Down at the bottom of Church St., past Manhattan Pizza but before Big Daddy's Pizza stands the newly constructed, 3 story beige-stone-faced Das Bierhaus. The first thing you notice is that there's no front door. A black iron gate bears a sign in German announcing to enter through the alley, something common in Montreal but rarely found in Burlington. ID'ed and on up the stairs, we headed to the Ski Chalet-themed 2nd floor bar. This place is packed with boisterous and happy young professionals. This is no college bar, but a respectable and clean establishment. And who do we find sitting at the bar but our co-worker Andrew! We ordered .3L Ayinger Celebrators from Colin behind the bar and set about enjoying the ambiance.

Before too long we were chatting with proud owners Nick and Chad. Nick explained that he wanted to bring a bit of the Alps to Burlington, which proved to be somewhat difficult. Sourcing delicious wurste and hand crafted suds were not readily available locally. After a lot of set backs, Nick and Chad forged ahead establishing connections with importers, distributors and all manner of beer-o-philic folks. And I'm glad they did!

I've always been a fan of the Germanic approach to beer and have long felt that most people haven't been properly introduced to how amazing German beers can be. For many years, the only beer people knew from German resembled Beck's: pale, crisp lagers in green bottles. But there are so many other styles unique to Germany that Das Bierhaus is introducing to the Burlington area: smoked beers, weizen doppelbocks and kolsch just to name a few. You can order draft beers in three traditional sizes, .3L, .4L and .5L and will have them delivered to you in the proper glassware.

My Celebrator gone, I moved on to the illustrious Schneider Aventinus and fell in love with it all over again. Delicious and creamy, smooth yet textured, it was what some would call a "religious experience."

Long story short, this place is great. If you love beer (and/or sausages), you should pay Das Bierhaus a visit and explore some exotic yet traditional suds. (I've included the current beer list below.)

Prost!
Jeff

"Die Draft Liste"
Lagers: Becks, Spaten Premium, Weihenstephan Original, Ayinger Celebrator.
Ales: Reissdorf Kolsch, Weihenstephan Hefeweiss, Erdinger Hefeweiss, Schneider Aventinus.
"In der Flasche" (bottles)
Includes selections from Schlenkerla, Pinkus Organic, Uerige, Franziskaner, Weihenstephan, Schneider, Duvel, Sierra Nevada, Stoudt's, Victory, Stone, Dogfish Head, Haproon, Long Trail, Otter Creek/Wolaver's, Rock Art and Sam Adams.

Adds

Newest digs (+) and Seasonals (-):
- Southern Tier Gemini 22oz (50/50 blend of Unearthly Imp. IPA and Hoppe Imp. Extra Pale)
+ Manchester Brewing Over-Regulated Ale 22oz (Very Limited!)
+ Long Trail Pale Ale (new brew!)
- Long Trail Coffee Imperial Stout (2010 release)
- Wolaver's Pat Leavy's All American Ale (2010 release)
- Harpoon Celtic Ale
+ Budweiser Select "55"
+ Margaritas by Mike's (Lime, Raspberry and Peach flavors)

And we cornered the last of the '09/'10 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout in Vermont for your drinking pleasure!

More to come!
Cheers,
Jeff

Cross your fingers!

If all goes well with the world of shipping and receiving tomorrow, the following tasty items will be in stock on our already awesomely full shelves:
+ Rogue John John Ale (Dead Guy Ale aged in Dead Guy Whiskey barrels)
+ Urthel Hop-It (Belgian IPA)
+ Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet
+ Koningshoeven Quad 11.2oz bottles
+ Manchester Brewing - Emperor Norton's Peppermint Stout, Emperor Norton's Cinnamon Stout and John Thomas Red Ale 22oz

And a restock on:
- Southern Tier Krampus

And, if all continues to go well, we'll have lots of new (new to VT) goodies in about 2 weeks!
Cheers and happy drinking!
Jeff

Big Foot is in!

Sierra Nevada Big Foot Barleywine 2010 6 packs are in! We also scored a 1/2 barrel of the 2010 Big Foot! Don't wait too long...

This one will age for YEEEEEAAAARRRRRRSSSSSSS!

Cheers,
Jeff

More Newbies

This just in:
+ Sierra Nevada Glissade 6pk, 12pk and 24oz
+ Chimay "Blue" (Grande Reserve) and "White" (Tripel) 11.2oz singles and 4pks!

Also, I'd like to put in my request now with Jim Koch and the Boston Beer Company for Vermont to receive some of the new collaboration between Sam Adams and Weihenstephaner (Germany)! We want the beer! (Thanks in advance, Jim!)

Cheers,
Jeff

New additions

It's been a little bit since we've added some things, but we've got some new brews for you to sample:
+ B.B. Burgerbrau (proud to bring you this Czech lager, and we're the only store in the state that has it currently!)
+ Otter Creek Solstice "Session Ale"
+ Southern Tier Choklat (Stout brewed with Chocolate - Limited Release)
+ Mac Jack Cider (VT)

And back in stock after a long period of absence:
- Wells "Banana Bread Beer" (England)

Happy drinking!
Cheers,
Jeff

Big Foot is coming!

Hello all,

It's that time of year when our thoughts turn towards mythical creatures hiding in densely wooded areas, only making appearances to people with out-of-focus cameras, and what we can do to celebrate. I know we all celebrate "Sasquatchia" and this year it will be held in mid-January. If you'd like to get the traditional ceremonial beverage, Sierra Nevada Big Foot Ale, we're now accepting pre-order wish lists. Just stop by or give us a ring at 655-2620 and let us know how much you'd like.

And as the traditional toast goes, "May the monsters be hairy, the camera in focus, and the beer be cold for your family's Sasquatia!"
Cheers,
Jeff