Alchemist Releasing Focal Banger Cans & Petite Mutant 3/21

We are happy to announce that our Focal Banger artwork has been finalized and we will debut our new cans on March 21, 2015.  We have planned a special release party for the debut of these cans as well as our 2014 batch of Petit Mutant.

During the past year, we have sold our special release beers at ‘pop-up’ truck sales.  This was a great way to sell our limited batch beers to our fans without having federal label approval, which is needed for distribution to our retailers.  These sales have been a lot of fun for us.  They have helped us stay connected to our loyal customers since the closing of our pub and, subsequently, our retail shop.  However, as we experienced with our tasting room, each sale has become busier and busier.  Our last truck sale in December was a great deal of fun and an overall success, but for the first time, several of our customers walked away without beer.  Moreover, our neighbors in the village of Waterbury were not happy with the increasing turnout we were experiencing at these sales.  It was requested that we discontinue sales at this location due to parking and crowd issues. In light of these changes, we are switching things up.

Our release party for the upcoming sale of Focal Banger and Petit Mutant will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the ECHO Center on Burlington’s Waterfront.

Ticket prices are $125—inclusive of tax and service.

This price includes:

1)  1 Mixed Case:  4 four-packs of Focal Banger, 2 four-packs of Petit Mutant

2)  1 Commemorative glass

3)  2 Pints of draft Focal Banger

4)  Tasty snacks and lite bites

5)  Live music

We have 300 tickets to sell.  After much discussion, in an attempt to make this fair for everyone, we have decided to approach this ticket sale using the lottery method.  For the next 24 hours, until noon on Wednesday, anyone can visit this link and purchase up to 2 tickets.  The name on the credit card used must match one of the names provided.  ONE TRANSACTION per person only!  Duplicate names or credit cards will be removed from the lottery.  Again, these tickets are NOT TRANSFERABLE and proper ID will be required at the event.  Once ticket sales are closed, Freshtix will randomly generate a list of transactions that will total 300 tickets.   Everyone will receive an email confirming that your transaction was, or was not, randomly selected.  If your transaction was NOT selected, your credit card will be refunded in full. The refund takes 3-4 business days to complete processing. If your transaction WAS selected, you will have to complete a quick RSVP— providing us with the name and birthday of your guest.

We understand that some of our biggest fans may miss out on this sale.  We apologize in advance.  However, please know that we are one step closer to making Focal Banger available on a regular basis through normal distribution channels. We look forward to the day when we are able to finally open the doors to our new, planned Visitors Center in Stowe, making it much simpler to obtain our beer. We would also like to send a big thanks to Ball Metal Corp for expediting the printing of these cans in time for the release.

So, now for the beer.

The big reason we planned this event, was for the debut of these sweet, sweet cans. We have been working really hard this past year putting together the label for Focal Banger. Once again, we worked with Dan Blakeslee. His ability to translate our ideas into a reality is second to none. It is with great pride that we have this official release of the artwork; first run cans…pretty cool.

For those of you not familiar, Focal Banger is an American IPA that was first brewed at the old Alchemist Pub. We have been brewing it on a limited basis for the last year and selling it at our truck sales. Focal Banger will continue to be produced on a small scale until our new brewery is built in Stowe.

The recipe went through some evolution over the past year and has now settled into its   own. We use the most beautiful Mosaic and Citra hops from Oregon to present the intense flavors of tropical fruit and citrus. The malt is a blend of British and German varieties. The result is a crisp, refreshing hop experience that will keep you coming back for more.

We are also excited to offer this year’s batch of Petit Mutant. It is an American Brett Ale fermented entirely with a wild yeast known as Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. It is re-fermented with as many Vermont grown cherries as our farmer can provide. The fruit addition is augmented with whole cherries and high quality fresh juice from King Orchards in Michigan. All of those whole cherries add a unique profile of almond and cherry pie. The absence of souring bacteria allows the tart character of the fruit to shine through. The end result is an extremely dense cherry character that plays off the rustic esters produced by the unique strain of yeast. This beer has been aged to perfection over the last seven months and is ready to drink immediately. We know you will be tempted to age some of this, but we would not have released it if it needed more aging. The cherry character is intense and juicy, and will only diminish with time.

This is the tenth year of brewing Petit Mutant, and it is definitely our favorite batch to date. The strain of yeast is the same one we have been using for the last eight of those. It has survived through thick and thin, with a flood in between. We think it is just starting to hit its stride…. There was a pretty strong cherry crop this year, allowing us to almost cover our needs with local fruit. Our farmer has planted many more trees for us, and we should be using his exclusively within a couple more seasons. With that said, we could not have been happier with the fruit we sourced from Michigan’s King Orchards. They are a bunch of great people selling an amazing quality of fruit. We are also very pleased with the canning process on this batch. It is a challenge getting the parameters right for such a different beer, but our incredible brew staff rose to the challenge.

You’ve got questions? We’ve got some answers.

Q:  Why will my credit card be charged before lottery?

A:  It was recommended by our ticketing company to curb fraud.

Q:  Is there a wait list?

A:  Yes—the lottery will randomly generate a wait list of up to 50 people.

Q:  What happens if I use my mom’s credit card to purchase my ticket?

A:  The name on the credit card used MUST match one of the names provided with each ticket purchase. In this case, you need to bring your mom.

Q:  Is it possible that I get a ticket, but not my buddy?

A:  Not if you register for two tickets, win the lottery and follow the directions to RSVP with your buddy’s name and birthday.

Q:  My name was picked.  How do I know where to park or pick up my ticket?  I’m nervous.

A:  Don’t be.  We will follow up with more details prior to the event.

Q:  What if I get a ticket but then get sick before the event?  Can I give my ticket to a friend or sell it?

A:  No.  If that happens, we will refund your ticket immediately and offer it to the first person on our wait list.

Q:   Will I be charged a service fee if not selected?

A:  You will be refunded in full if not selected. You will not be charged a service fee.

Q:  Can I bring my kid(s), dog(s)?

A:  No.

Q:  What if I have more questions?

A:  If you have questions about the lottery process, please contact Freshtix: 678-701-6114. If AFTER you’ve contacted Freshtix, you still have questions, you can email us at [email protected]