![]() Therefore, it is understandable that The Alchemist wants to reserve as much coveted beer for fellow state residents and members of its community as possible.When it comes to IPAs, I am typically the guy that immediately wants to start talking about New England IPAs. To put that in perspective, Fiddlehead Brewing Company, another Vermont craft beer staple, can produce over 50,000 barrels of its IPA annually, per The Burlington Free Press. It is important to remember that The Alchemist brewery is still only able to produce 9,000 barrels of Heady Topper per year. So, any further expansion outside of Vermont most likely won't arrive anytime very soon. Up until then, its 30-mile radius of distribution only included Lamoille County, Mad River Valley, and Burlington. Plus, the statewide distribution of Heady Topper only started in 2019, according to Stowe Reporter. As of now, distribution out of state is few and far between, but, who knows, maybe more expansion is due sometime soon. The Alchemist and Heady Topper have expanded multiple times within its lifespan, from its small beginnings as a pub and brew to opening the cannery, to building the current brewery in Stowe. Today, the New England-style IPA is more popular, and Heady Topper remains the best in its class. With the immense success Heady Topper has achieved, this new style was inevitably followed by other brewers. ![]() Kimmich says that he had been brewing hazy IPAs with his mentor, Greg Noonan, for years, and wanted to educate beer drinkers that beers did not have to be crystal clear or be able to last for months unrefrigerated. Kimmich explains that the cloudy appearance of Heady Topper was never intentional, it was simply the result of getting the intense aromas and flavors he sought to attain. According to Kimmich in an interview with Vinepair, many customers at the original brewpub complained about the beer's murkiness, which, as Kimmich describes it, is comical to think about considering it the most common IPA style today. In fact, when Kimmich first started brewing and selling Heady Topper, there was quite a bit of resistance to this unprecedented beer style. Nowadays, curbside pickup is the bread and butter of The Alchemist and Heady Topper, which draws people from all corners of the country, and sometimes even the world, for a fresh four-pack.īefore Heady Topper, there was no such thing as the New England IPA. Through its two locations, The Alchemist brews and distributes all of its Heady Topper, and Focal Banger, throughout the Green Mountain State, along with the rare shipment outside of it. ![]() Finally, in 2016, the Kimmichs were able to open a full-scale brewery and visitor center in Stowe. Meanwhile, The Alchemist began selling its coveted canned beer in pop-up shops to long lines of dedicated customers. However, the inventory of canned Heady Toppers survived, which became the life fuel of The Alchemist.įrom there, the Kimmichs focused on their new brewing and canning facility and began distributing Heady Topper locally to bars and restaurants. The damage to the pub and brew was so great, they were forced to shut down. ![]() Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Irene proved detrimental to The Alchemist, as well as most of Waterbury and the state of Vermont. ![]()
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