Heady Topper

16 oz Heady Topper can
Customers are urged to drink directly from the Heady Topper can.

Heady Topper is a double India Pale Ale brewed by The Alchemist in Waterbury, VT. It is unfiltered and contains 8% ABV, with hints of citrus flavors. Unpasteurized, it is kept refrigerated by authorized retailers until point of sale.[1] As of December, 2015, it was rated the fifth best beer in the world by Beer Advocate,[2] and has been described as "a complex web of genius."[3] Sold only in limited production,[4] it sells out within seconds or minutes of being released.[3] As of the beginning of 2013 production was 1200 cases a week with plans to expand to 1800 during the following summer. Heady Topper is well known throughout New England even by people who have never had the opportunity to drink it. It is common for people to travel long distances in an attempt to obtain Heady Topper beer from retail establishments in Vermont. The beer is sometimes referred to as "The Heady" by regular followers of The Alchemist brewery.[3]

In November 2013, The Alchemist closed their retail shop citing traffic and public access issues, with plans to move to a larger space close by.[5] As of August 2015, no retail space had been opened, but a second beer from The Alchemist - Focal Banger, an American IPA - was in distribution. [6]

History

John Kimmich came to Vermont in 1994 to learn the craft beer industry from Greg Noonan. He worked as head brewer at Vermont Pub and Brewery in Burlington, VT., where he met his future wife, Jen.[7] Together they opened The Alchemist as a brew pub in Waterbury in November, 2003, with Heady Topper an occasional offering.[7][8] After customers began illegally taking Heady Topper offsite, Kimmich began bottling the ale.[8] The Kimmich's started the production brewery in August 2011, and the same month Hurricane Irene destroyed the pub.[3] Despite no marketing effort outside of Vermont, it grew in popularity through personal recommendations and craft beer websites.[1]

Pricing

Heady Topper costs $80.70 for a 24-pack case, and retails for $5-8 per 16 ounce can at bars.

References

  1. 1 2 Fountain, Kristen (2013-08-01). "Heady Topper hits the black market". Waterbury Record. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  2. ↑ "Beer Advocate, Heady Topper Review".
  3. 1 2 3 4 Noel, John (2013-04-22). "Heady Topper: Heady Topper IPA a Vermont sensation – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  4. ↑ Dzen, Gary (2013-05-20). "Heady Topper to Boston? Maybe not". boston.com. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  5. ↑ "The Alcehmist Blog". Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  6. ↑ Beer Advocate
  7. 1 2 Pollak, Sally (2012-03-02). "Vermont Brews: The Alchemist transformed floodwater into Heady Topper". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  8. 1 2 Kimmich, John. "CraftBeer.com The Alchemist Pub & Brewery". Retrieved 2013-08-31.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, December 10, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.