The Alchemist Heady Topper - At 7 weeks old it’s still better than 99% of the stuff out there.
A Quick Trip to VT to Stock Up for the NCAA Tournament
Next Thursday through Sunday are always 4 of my favorite days of the year, but I expect the 24 hours we just spent in Vermont will rank right up there. We hit the Warren Store, Hunger Mountain Coop, Hill Farmstead, Alchemist, Prohibition Pig, and Farmhouse Tap & Grill in a whirlwind tour. Feel extremely lucky to come back with the all 3 pf the staple VT double IPAs highlighted by my first ever Lawson’s Double Sunshine.
The Warren Store was our first stop and my heart initially sank when I didn’t see any gold foil in the beer cooler. My wife smartly pointed out the 3 partial cases of Lawson’s on the floor and things got significantly better.
At Hunger Mountain we were greeted by a dolly full of fresh Heady Topper. We picked up a couple 4 packs as insurance in case they sold out before we made it to the cannery. I also stocked up a quite a few non-VT bottles that we don’t get in NY, but I didn’t have time to organize a traditional haul photo. Will just have to filter them through over the next couple months.
We made our usual stop at Bragg Sugarhouse for a maple cremee and a few other items on our way to Greensboro.
Our time spent at Hill Farmstead was great as always. We arrived just after 12 and there were only 3 cars in the lot - almost glad we missed the Norma madness. We were in an out in less than 45 minutes, but by the time we left there was a decent crowd especially for a Friday. Just waiting in line, talking with Phil, Kerrie, and Dan was a great time. Even though only 5 of the 6 taps were filled there were a lot of old favorites and a new Society & Solitude to look forward to.
We then made our way to the Alchemist with a short stop for some cider and donuts. There was plenty of Heady Topper left late Friday afternoon thanks to the recent expansion. The actual production floor is noticeably more crowded than our last visit in September.
We had a quick lunch at Prohibition Pig, made our way to Burlington, and eventually had dinner at the Farmhouse, but both those probably deserve their own updates.
