The Alchemist is closing its tasting room!!!

[sweetcell]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

A Difficult Decision

Posted on November 5, 2013

IMG_9688From the very first canning run of Heady Topper we have experienced a level of support and growth that none of us could have predicted. We had hoped our location at 35 Crossroad would be capable of handling the traffic, however with growth comes growing pains. In an effort to stay ahead of the curve we have made the difficult decision to close our retail shop and self-guided tour area. Effective November 15 the cannery will no longer be open to the public.

The good news is this will not affect our production levels. We will continue to distribute to all our current accounts but we are not adding any new accounts at this time. Alchemist and Heady Topper merchandise is available at our online store that we will be enhanced in time for the holidays.

Thanks for your continued support and patience with us during this transition. The support of our local community and the beer community as a whole has been both overwhelming and inspiring. As soon as we have further information, we will share it with you so please stay tuned for updates.

Thanks and cheers,

The Alchemist Family

from http://www.alchemistbeer.com/a-difficult-decision/

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

knew this would be happening soon...
That space is WAYY to small for the traffic they get daily.

Positive: Im sure this will help spread/distribute to most of the state now...


Now its time to stampede Prohibition Pig for the only heady on tap!!

EDIT: How is this newly implemented growler program going to work?

 

[Melana]

boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!


From http://www.alchemistbeer.com/a-difficult-decision/

nnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

 

[progmac]

i've always felt like that if i had a packaging brewery, the last thing i would want to deal with would be managing a bar ("tasting room"), too. if i was running a brew pub, it would obviously be a different story.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

i've always felt like that if i had a packaging brewery, the last thing i would want to deal with would be managing a bar ("tasting room"), too. if i was running a brew pub, it would obviously be a different story.

Have you been there?
Consists of 2 taps.
1 Heady 1 Celia

Not much to "run" but im sure this decision was 100% because of space.

 

[progmac]

Have you been there?
Consists of 2 taps.
1 Heady 1 Celia

Not much to "run" but im sure this decision was 100% because of space.

No, it was a general statement

 

[hellawaits77]

That stinks. Never went there, but living only an hour plus away, it was comforting knowing that if I ever truly needed some Heady, I could get it.

 

[tgmartin000]

Are you f'king kidding? I just bought plane tix last week. Also planning on hitting Hill Farmstead and Lawson's, so not all is lost, I hope.

Is it tough to get Heady in Burlington?

 

[Phunhog]

I have never been there but it seems like an very poor business decision. You are selling a product that people will literally drive hours for and you are shutting down the tasting room? All so that now you can take that beer and keg/can it and sell it to a distributor/bar....who then can mark it up and make the real money. There must be something more to this story. If the tasting room is too crazy then raise the price on pints....20 bucks for a pint of Heady! That should keep the tasting room crowd down and if it doesn't raise the price until it does.

 

[hellawaits77]

Are you f'king kidding? I just bought plane tix last week. Also planning on hitting Hill Farmstead and Lawson's, so not all is lost, I hope.

Is it tough to get Heady in Burlington?

No, it's not. You just have to be in town on the right day. Burlington gets deliveries on Wednesday's. I like to go to Beverage Warehouse for my Heady.

 

[DrPhunk]

I have never been there but it seems like an very poor business decision. You are selling a product that people will literally drive hours for and you are shutting down the tasting room? All so that now you can take that beer and keg/can it and sell it to a distributor/bar....who then can mark it up and make the real money. There must be something more to this story. If the tasting room is too crazy then raise the price on pints....20 bucks for a pint of Heady! That should keep the tasting room crowd down and if it doesn't raise the price until it does.

it all came down to traffic and neighborhood complaints...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/vt-beers-fans-trouble-neighbors-20804191

 

[davygoat2]

Give them some slack. It's been a tough road after the Restaurant/brewery got trashed. I'm surprised they brewed another in the same place. My Sis and Bro-inlaw both worked for them and Enjoyed their hospitality at the Pub, the Alchemist and the brewery, they've been slammed on canning day and even case limits probably didn't ease the pain of saying no to their customers. give them some breathing room and see what is down the road.
Peace!!

 

[sweetcell]

it all came down to traffic and neighborhood complaints...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/vt-beers-fans-trouble-neighbors-20804191

from that article:

"The couple plan to re-open the retail outlet as soon as possible and is actively looking for other locations in Waterbury, Kimmich said."

WOOHOO!!!

 

[tgmartin000]

No, it's not. You just have to be in town on the right day. Burlington gets deliveries on Wednesday's. I like to go to Beverage Warehouse for my Heady.

Thanks for the tip. I'll probably be in the area on a monday. We're driving up from NY, so I won't necessarily be in Burlington.

I'm really hoping I don't have to hit 20 liquor stores to find some. Severely disappointed.

 

[ross_daly]

I'm sure you could post here or on craigslist and pay someone to pick up and hold some for you. If time is more important than money, there are lots of college kids who would want to make a couple bucks.

That being said, If you aren't going to Burlington it seems like it'll get exponentially harder for you to get any.

 

[Flipadelphia]

It's amazing how limited distribution turns otherwise normal people into raving lunatics for a product.

I just had Heady for the first time last week. It's fine. Is it worth freaking plane tickets or hundreds of miles of driving? Hardly. It's just beer. It certainly didn't change my life.

 

[Nightshade]

I see this as a good thing for the brewery.

Your goal as a business should always to have demand exceed capacity at some point. This means you are being successful as long as you have attempted to keep up with the demand.

It does sound to me as though they have been seeing this demand for a while now, probably should have secured a new location 6-8 months ago, but in this economy you have to be careful you aren't betting on a fluke. I would guess by the time they realized just how steady the numbers were it was too late to secure a location without interruption of some kind.

 

[itsratso]

It's amazing how limited distribution turns otherwise normal people into raving lunatics for a product.

I just had Heady for the first time last week. It's fine. Is it worth freaking plane tickets or hundreds of miles of driving? Hardly. It's just beer. It certainly didn't change my life.

always want what you cant have.

 

[ScootersAle]

Are you f'king kidding? I just bought plane tix last week. Also planning on hitting Hill Farmstead and Lawson's, so not all is lost, I hope.

Lawson's has never had a tap room open. Hill Farmstead is a good visit, don't sleep on Lost Nation, which would be on your way from Waterbury <-> Greensboro. You'll pass by Rock Art too, but meh.

Is it tough to get Heady in Burlington?

I'm not sure how getting Heady will be once the increased distribution. But even now, if you are up during the week, it isn't hard. Facebook/Twitter is a good place to start for finding it. Winooski Beverage (just north of Burlington), Pearl Street, City Market, and Healthy Living are all good places to check. Lawson's is still the hardest to get, Warren Store(Warren), Hunger Mountain Coop (Montpelier), and Winooski Beverage being the only businesses that get deliveries.

The 3 bars in Waterbury always have good stuff - Pro Pig, Blackback, and The Rez.

Send me a PM if you have more specific questions, where to stay, etc etc

 

[ScootersAle]

Now its time to stampede Prohibition Pig for the only heady on tap!!

EDIT: How is this newly implemented growler program going to work?

Celia hasn't been on tap for a very long time. They sold off the 'brand' too, not too long ago.

Heady has [almost] always (at least since the cannery opened) been on tap at Hen of the Wood. Growler program is on hold, but they said to 'hold on to your growlers'.

 

[sweetcell]

latest on the re-opening of the retail location, from http://www.alchemistbeer.com/updates/:

Updates
Posted on November 12, 2013

Thank you, thank you, Thank You to all of our loyal supporters, friends and family as we face our newest challenge. We would also like to give a heartfelt thanks to our incredible staff—you have all done an amazing job rising above the nonsense and keeping your chins up.

Last week we made the decision to close our retail shop beginning November 16th. This decision was unplanned and prompted quickly to mitigate ongoing traffic issues and public access concerns. Each week our retail shop has become busier and more chaotic—too much for our physical location—and demand continues to grow.

We decided to post the closing as soon as we were aware of the situation. Although we did not have a lot of information to share, we understand that consumers and local businesses depend on our retail shop being open and we needed to get the word out.

Since closing last week, we believe we have found a new, larger space for our retail shop in Waterbury Center. The parking is adequate, traffic flow will be better and there is greater visibility for turning onto and off of Route 100. As soon as we confirm all zoning and public access regulations, we will begin working around the clock to get our new shop open as soon as possible.

In the meantime, while we are temporarily closed, we will be sending extra Heady Topper™ to our current accounts. Several large retailers will be selling full cases for $75. We have added two extra delivery trucks for the month. We will replenish accounts to the best of our ability until we sell out of Heady Topper™. We will have an updated ‘Where to Buy’ page on our website this week (hopefully by Wednesday). This page will include delivery days for both retailers and restaurants. We will also try to indicate which retailers will be selling full cases.

We hope to open our new shop before the holidays, but have a bit of work to do. Please keep in mind, we have never had a project NOT throw some curves. We will make every effort to open our new location as soon as possible. Until then, we will continue to produce the same amount of Heady Topper™ and we will work hard to make it available.

Q: When do you expect your new retail location to open?
A: Hopefully before Christmas.

Q: Where will I buy Heady Topper™ while your retail shop is closed?
A: At any one of our current authorized retail accounts. All distribution information will be updated this week. We will include delivery days and case price if available. We will also differentiate between retailers and restaurant/bars.

Q: Are you going to increase the price of Heady Topper™?
A: As always, our suggested retail price is $12.99–$14.99/4-pack. We have not increased our wholesale price since we started distributing over two years ago. If it’s overpriced, don’t buy it.

Q: Is my Heady Topper™ going to sit in a warehouse for a month before I get it?
A: Hell no! We will continue to sell and distribute everything we make. Heady goes into our refrigerated truck on the day it is canned. It is delivered that day. Our driver keeps a close and caring eye on Heady Topper™ inventory, ensuring it is always sold fresh at our authorized retail locations.

Q: Will you be sending beer to southern Vermont?
A: Sorry, no. We don’t want to expand distribution and then pull back in four weeks. We have been down this road before and it is confusing for our customers.

Q: What do I do with my new growler?
A: Hang onto it—we will figure something out. If you don’t want to wait and have no use for it, please return it to us. We will give you your money back. Please keep in mind, we sold those beautiful, stainless steel growlers at our cost of $15.

Q: What are you going to do with the upcoming seasonal beers that were slated for growlers?
A: Our next two seasonals will be available on draft at Waterbury bars/restaurants. We will give more information on these beers when they are ready to be released in the coming weeks.

Q: Were you bought out by [insert Brewery Name here]?
A: No.

Q: Has this all been some kind of sick marketing ploy?
A: Huh?

Thanks again to all of our supporters, friends, family and staff. We will keep you updated as we move along.

Jen & John

so individuals were complaining about the traffic, on the other hand businesses have become dependent on the traffic. and beer drinkers are going to complain no matter what because there isn't enough beer at the right place at the right time. poor bastards can't please anyone...