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 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 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

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

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

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

Holiday Gifts

Hey Beer-drinkin' brethren!

Just a few ideas for some sweet holiday gifting:
+ Hand-selected "Craft Brews" and "Around the World" 8 packs
+ Heather Ales "Historic Ales of Scotland" 4 packs - four different classic Scottish brews including the Heather Ale, Gooseberry Wheat Ale, Alba Scots Pine Ale and Elderberry Black Ale
+ Ommegang 750mL 3 pack with Chalice
+ Otter Creek 220z World Tour 3 pack with Pint Glass
+ Duvel 11.2oz 4 packs with Duvel Chalice

And what Holiday Party would be complete without some large-format beers?! You could be the coolest gal/guy ever, and be remembered all next year for the guy/gal who brought a HUGE beer to the Office/Family Holiday party! Check 'em:
+ Magnums (1.5 liters) of Gouden Carolus Grand Cru Blue, Gulden Draak and Anchor Chirstmas Ale
+ Jeroboams (3 liters!) of Samichlaus Bier and Stone Double Bastard Ale

This Holidazed Season is going to be the BEST Vermont has ever seen with all these new brews!
Cheers,
Jeff

PS> Closeouts on Heineken 7oz 6 packs ($3.69 +dep.) and Gritty's Vacationland 6 packs ($3.69 +dep.). Still a little Narragansett Bock left, too!