Craft beer

[Hixter]

Good beer doesn't come in clear bottles.

[Hixter]

 

Longmont-based Oskar Blues, one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the country, announced today that it's rolled up industry darling Cigar City Brewing, bringing the Florida beer maker under the umbrella of Fireman Capital Partners, the private equity firm that also controls Oskar Blues, Michigan’s Perrin Brewing, and the Squatters and Wasatch breweries, both in Utah. The move may have also kept Tampa-based Cigar City away from Anheuser-Busch InBev, which was reportedly seeking to buy Cigar City as well. AB InBev has purchased seven craft breweries in recent years, including Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery. 

 

This puts “months of of acquirement rumors to rest,” Oskar Blues said in a statement. “The decision is driven by mutual irreverence, respect and desire to stay true to craft beer roots." "They are at a spot where they want to grow and need to grow," Oskar Blues spokesman Chad Melis tells Westword. "The demand is out there for their brand. It feels very similar to where we are at. If you want to grow, you need resources, but you want to do that without sacrificing your culture.

[lost highway]

Ratio is a cool place. The owner is a friend of a friend.

Scott, or one of the other guys? Small world, my band is setting up a show at that place!

 

Their saison is really good.

[Hixter]

Scott, or one of the other guys? Small world, my band is setting up a show at that place!

I assume it's Scott? My friends said that he's beloved in the Denver music scene. They've played shows there; they're in a band called Black Dots.

[lost highway]

Oh, Black Dots are great. Played a show with those guys a year or so ago.

[Hixter]

Oh, Black Dots are great. Played a show with those guys a year or so ago.

It sure is a small world. I've known Tim and Wade (drums and guitar) for ages. I try to make it to Denver for GABF and general merriment once or twice a year and we always have a fun time at shows and breweries. I don't want to leave Texas and I hate cold/snow/ice, but Denver would be at the top of the list if I had to move. The people seem very friendly there ... maybe it's the weed.

[Hixter]

At the airport for a rather ridiculous beer run. I'm picking up 2 cases of Heady Topper at the brewery tomorrow morning. It looks like it'll be snowing tomorrow; I'm suffering from a sunburn so I'll probably look like a freak.

[Chez]

^^^ I had a can of Heady Topper this week -- courtesy of my son who goes to school in NH.  Good stuff.

[Hixter]

Ready to fly home from Manchester, NH. May the beer gods smile upon me and keep the cans and bottles intact.

[knotgreen]

At the airport for a rather ridiculous beer run. I'm picking up 2 cases of Heady Topper at the brewery tomorrow morning. It looks like it'll be snowing tomorrow; I'm suffering from a sunburn so I'll probably look like a freak.

I was under the impression there were no can sales at the brewery....

[tinnitus photography]

I was under the impression there were no can sales at the brewery....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUY5QMvLxoA

[Hixter]

I was under the impression there were no can sales at the brewery....

It was a special arrangement. Very nice people!!!

[calvino]

I am guessing if someone is flying in from Texas to get it, most brewers would accommodate.

[knotgreen]

I am guessing if someone is flying in from Texas to get it, most brewers would accommodate.

VT is a craft beer destination. People fly in regularly. My assumption here is that the Alchemist was accommodating not because Hixter flew in, but because he was getting beer for a vet returning from Afghanistan... Which is awesome.

[calvino]

VT is a craft beer destination. People fly in regularly. My assumption here is that the Alchemist was accommodating not because Hixter flew in, but because he was getting beer for a vet returning from Afghanistan... Which is awesome.

 

I guess the whole destination thing makes sense - similar to whole wine tours that has been going on for long while now.

 

My local place still gets a kick out it when a "brew tour bus" stops in.

[knotgreen]

I guess the whole destination thing makes sense - similar to whole wine tours that has been going on for long while now.

 

My local place still gets a kick out it when a "brew tour bus" stops in.

Hope I didn't come off as curt in my previous response! Craft beer is big business in New England and in VT especially. Alchemist quit selling directly due to the insane traffic at their old brewery. There's a website (headyspotter.com) dedicated to tracking down cans, and stores that get some sell out quickly. Their new brewery, due to open this summer will sell cases to consumers.

[calvino]

No, not at all - I didn't realize Alchemist stopped selling directly out of their brewery or at least I still figured one could make arrangements to do so -- but of course then I guess everyone can say, "I am flying in from such and such place can I grab a couple of cases".

 

One of the these days I hope to make it up that way.

[tinnitus photography]

Hixter, if you didn't stop by Trillium while you were here, that's a damn shame.

[Hixter]

My assumption here is that the Alchemist was accommodating not because Hixter flew in, but because he was getting beer for a vet returning from Afghanistan.

I'm sure that was the case. I told my neighbor that she shouldn't even bother calling, but they were very cool. They let me wander around the brewery and were exceptionally friendly. They must be doing a roaring merchandise business, because there were huge stacks of shirts and stuff upstairs and they seemed to have a couple of people filling orders the whole time I was there.

 

The woman said that the new brewery was completed and equipment was being moved in "slowly but surely." 

 

Man, Vermont is beautiful. I'd only seen it in the summertime, but it's still quite scenic when it's gray, barren and snowing.

 

Hixter, if you didn't stop by Trillium while you were here, that's a damn shame.

I landed in Manchester after midnight, drove to the brewery at 7:30 AM, picked up a few bottles in Montpelier and barely made it back for my 3:00 flight. I have friends in Brookline and I hated to be so close without meeting up with them, but I'll do it another time. But I've already arranged for them to ship 12 bottles of Trillium's wares for my neighbor's return.

 

I almost melted down at the Southwest counter at the airport in Manchester. I was the only person in line and there was only an older woman behind the counter, but she processed me quickly and in a few minutes I was heading up the escalator. I was halfway up when she yelled at me, so I did the comical run-down-the-up-escalator thing and when I returned to the counter she informed me that one of my bags was 1 pound over the limit. I opened it up to remove a 1-pound hoodie and when she saw the case of Heady Topper she got worked up and told me that I couldn't pack beer in my luggage. She'd "never heard of someone flying with a suitcase full of beer" so I told her that she'd probably checked in hundreds of cases in the past without knowing it. I told her that I've flown with beer dozens of times, but she insisted that the cans might "explode" and make someone else's luggage stink of beer. I said that the same thing could happen if an old lady's bottle of perfume broke in transit, but she remained steadfast and called her supervisor.

 

The supervisor turned out to be a cool young guy and he high-fived me for flying home with 2 cases of Heady Topper. He said that he'd just returned from a trip to Florida with a case of Jai Alai and was planning a trip to San Francisco to bring back some Pliny the Elder. He apologized for the inconvenience and we had a nice conversation about beer as the counter clerk continued to fret about the possibility of my beer exploding. 

 

EDIT: All the cans and bottles survived the journey. The cans of Heady Topper were still cold from the canning line.

[tinnitus photography]

nice hear that your precious cargo was not rudely violated. coming back from SF, i forgot that we were not checking any bags and I had to leave a Pliny behind in the fridge. :sadface


i've never spent $26 (retail or otherwise) on a bottle of beer before, but i was kinda tempted:
http://www.trilliumbrewing.com/trillium-cuvee-de-tetreault-american-wild-ale

[Hixter]

i've never spent $26 (retail or otherwise) on a bottle of beer before, but i was kinda tempted:

http://www.trilliumbrewing.com/trillium-cuvee-de-tetreault-american-wild-ale

That sounds very tasty. I usually plop down $25 for Firestone Walker's anniversary beer, but I try to avoid the hype of expensive, limited release brews. I just can't see myself waiting in line or buying tickets for a special release when there are so many other great beers out there.

[PopTodd]

Had a great beer last night that I hadn't had before. And it was totally by accident.

I ordered a Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale, but the waitress messed up and brought me one of these instead:

Totally delicious. Wonderful stuff. A brilliant mistake.

[knotgreen]

I had an awesome weekend up in VT. We drove from Boston to Hill Farmstead (Greensboro, VT), and then over to Burlington. We were able to visit Burlington Beer Company and Fiddlehead, too. Had plenty to drink around Burlington, and am back home now rearranging the refrigerator to accommodate all of these cans and growlers!

 

We got a few cases of bottles, but I'm most excited for E., which is Edward (pale ale) fermented with brettanomyces, dry hopped with galaxy, and aged on stainless for four months.

 

[calvino]

Nice haul.

 

While watching Notre Dame loose last night, I enjoyed the below on tap. Nice Stone addition.

 

[tinnitus photography]

a friend gave me some BBC beer... the 'it's complicated being a wizard' or something that like. it was ok. i didn't like the Juxtaposition blond stout as much.