2012 in a nutshell

Hi Folks!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

It's been VERY busy at the Bevie...let's take a moment to reflect -

1) of the many limited beer releases, two took the cake.  Switchback finally released bottles for retail, and Westvleteren released a limited amount of their coveted XII.  The latter  - we've received dozens (if not hundreds) of phone calls since the release on 12.12.12 with many different takes on the name Westvleteren.  (Westy; Westletrn; the Saint Sixtus beer; that monk beer; the Belgian beer you can't get.)  We opted to take reservations via Facebook and the response was overwhelmingly positive.  The former - we sold over 500 cases on the first day Switchback was available and continue to sell out within minutes of every delivery, and while it remains a limited and hard-to-get item, it's still a wonderful thing to see such a high demand for a local brewery.  Speaking of which...

2) the demand for The Alchemist's Heady Topper knows no limit.  As with Switchback, we continue to sell out sometimes within thirty minutes of our delivery.  (Many regular customers remember when our HT supply would last through the weekend.  Now it doesn't even last a day.)  That said, it is only a matter of time until they finish their expansion and are able to deliver more beer.  Keep your fingers crossed.

3) Vermont breweries continue to impress!  We've discussed Switchback and HT already.  Hill Farmstead, Lawson's Finest Liquids, and Bobcat Cafe & Brewery continue to send us amazing and innovative beers ranging from raw wildflower honey saisons to double IPAs with new NZ hops to a barrel-aged sour stout.  New breweries continue to pop up, including our friends at Foley Brothers Brewing in Rutland County and the in-works Burlington Beer Co.  Old standbys keep pushing forward with new offerings, including Otter Creek's Russian Imperial Stout, Long Trail's Imperial Pumpkin, Harpoon's Rich & Dan's now in 6 packs, and more.  It's a reminder of how lucky we beer lovers are to live in a state where the bounty of good beer is endless.

4) beyond Vermont, our tiny little store (ha!) is buckling under the weight of the MANY breweries that have started distributing in Vermont!  Ballast Point; Alesmith; Goose Island; Breckenridge; Boulder; Three Heads; Element; Mystic; Jester King; and more!  We've also been fortunate to receive a wider variety of breweries from the Shelton Bros and 12% Imports.  Beer Here; 8 Wired; Nils Oscar; Nogne O; Haanbrygerreit; Evil Twin; etc, and a larger supply of Anchorage, Mikkeller, Jolly Pumpkin, and more.

What does this mean for 2013?  Looks like more of everything, breweries, beer, limited releases, and the such.  For now, keep your eye out for Lagunitas Sucks and Green Flash Palate Wrecker, coming very soon to a warehouse near you.

Lastly, one of our esteemed beer representatives asked me what breweries I would like to see distributed in Vermont.  Good question, esteemed beer representative!  I have my wish list but I'm curious what you guys want.  What breweries would you like to see distributed here in 2013??  Maybe...if you keep your fingers crossed...it'll happen:)

Until next time (and hopefully sooner),
e