I’m giving you a peek at next week’s Beerspotter column about Captain Lawrence Captain’s Reserve Imperial IPA (spoiler alert: it’s amazing) because it illustrates how it pays to be an attentive beer shopper. Captain Lawrence is a talented brewery from Pleasantville, N.Y. that has just dipped a toe into the D.C. market just this month. (Update: It’s not available in Virginia or Maryland.) They’re small, and they don’t yet have the production to distribute here full-time, but every now and then a handful of bottles — so far, this double IPA and their Belgian-style Liquid Gold Xtra Gold — will trickle into a few stores.

How do you find out about these beers in time to snag them? Next time you’re at your local good beer store, take a second to chat with the staff — by and large, the folks at stores all around town are helpful, knowledgeable, and a good source of recommendations. I found out about these Captain Lawrence beers from Al at Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor — a simple question I asked led to a tour of his recent acquisitions and a friendly discussion with the lady behind the counter about why she couldn’t stand sour beer.

And before you ask: The Captain Lawrence Captain’s Reserve is currently at Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor and Rodman’s for about $7 for a half-liter bottle. DeVinos and D’Vines have it as well for a buck more.

Spotted it somewhere else? Let me know at beerspotter@gmail.com or on Twitter at @beerspotter.