Lovers of craft beer have probably heard of “Sip of Sunshine,” and famously know the IPA couldn’t be found anywhere in the Granite State despite its origins in neighboring Vermont.
Lawson’s Finest Liquids out of Warren, Vt., will begin shipping the flagship beer to New Hampshire next week. The first “Sips” should be available for purchase at the Concord Food Co-op starting Thursday, according to a company Tweet.
“I think it’s going to be a hit,” said Co-op operations manager Nick Schneider.
Lawson’s is headquartered in Vermont, but “Sip of Sunshine” is now brewed at Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford, Conn., and is being shipped to New Hampshire through Vacationland Distributors. Schneider said the Co-op is trying to get 10 cases for the first shipment, but that all depends on availability from the small brewery.
“We don’t have a huge beer department in the store so space is definitely at a premium,” Schneider said. “We expect that this one is going to be a home run.”
At the Co-op, a four pack of 16-ounce cans will sell for $15.99. Other locations that sell “Sip of Sunshine” often set a limit on the amount of beer each customer can purchase per day as demand is much higher than supply. Schneider was unsure if a limit was going to be set at the Co-op.
Talk to anyone who loves beer or poke around online and it’s clear how popular “Sip of Sunshine” is. Rivaling the famous “Heady Topper,” also from Vermont and brewed by The Alchemist, both beers are incredibly hard to find and highly sought after.
In a rapidly growing and highly competitive craft beer market, other brewers in the area had a lot to say about “Sip of Sunshine” coming to New Hampshire.
Michael Hauptly-Pierce, owner of Litherman’s Limited Brewery in Concord, said he heard about “Sip of Sunshine” coming to the state from his beer distributor. He also hosts a podcast about beer called “The Tap Handle Show,” and is self-admittedly very opinionated about beer.
“It’s been sort of a big deal in the industry just because it’s been a beer that’s driven through New Hampshire for so many years without stopping here,” Hauptly-Pierce said.
But he said he’s skeptical about how well the beer will do in New Hampshire.
“I think that there was a point in time where it was an iconic, classic beer, and I don’t know that that time is now,” he said.
He described “Sip of Sunshine” as an “intermediary” from which New England style IPAs were born. At its prime, he said it was one of the most renowned beers around. He believes with other breweries entering the market, it isn’t as much of a “shining star” as it was, as competition has risen to the challenge.
“I think it’s going to probably be a hit for a while and they’re going to go to 15 percent of what their initial fill rate was and they’re going to kind of settle into a stasis. I’m sure it’s going to steal shelf space from all of us,” Hauptly-Pierce said. “I think in three months when the buzz dies down, no one is going to be hunting for it. No one is going to call the Co-op asking if they have it.”
Hauptly-Pierce said he doesn’t want to discredit the quality of the beer. He said it’s really good, but doesn’t think it holds as much weight in the craft beer community as it used to. He said some stores in Vermont have it sitting on their shelves for a while and because of that, Lawson’s is branching out to new markets.
Henniker Brewing Co., owner Dave Currier said he hadn’t heard about the new beer being sold in New Hampshire but welcomes the competition. He said he agreed with Hauptly-Pierce that the major question now is how much shelf space there is, calling it another issue in the industry.
“I welcome the challenge to be able to put quality beer on the streets of New Hampshire,” Currier said.
While he recognizes the “very heavy, very strong competition” for the brewers in New Hampshire, he said it’s all about the customer. Having many options of beer in the stores makes “it very exciting for the drinkers.”