2015-11 Olde Burnside Brewing Company

We had occasion to visit the Olde Burnside Brewery in East Hartford, CT for a fundraiser on Saturday.  Olde Burnside is responsible for putting together Pipes In The Valley which takes place in September at the RiverWalk Park in Hartford.
The evening was grand.  It was a quintessential New England Fall night with crisp temps, a couple of good fires and plenty of great beer.
The hit of the night for me was the Double Red - a rich, smooth, heavy ale just right for the evening.

We'll enjoy many more beers from this great, local brewery!


www.oldeburnsidebrewing.com

2015-07 Fiddlehead Brewing Company

Fiddlehead Brewing Company in Shelburne is one of the true highlights of any Beer Adventure in Vermont.

Their Fiddlehead IPA is literally amazing.  I’m not a religious guy, but Matty O is truly directed by a higher power.  I often hear a choir of angels somewhere in the background when enjoying a Fiddlehead IPA!  While there's a new beer on tap about every two weeks at the brewery, they always have the IPA.

The brewery doesn't have a tasting room per se...everyone just hangs out in the lobby and the barkeeps provide samples, fill growlers, etc.  The back wall of the lobby is glass so you can see the guys hard at work - crafting the next amazing offering from Fiddlehead.

If you're hungry and want to relax and enjoy a few beers, the pizza joint next door has a BYOB policy and you'll find lots of Fiddleheaders hanging out there.

Definitely a must on any brew tour through Vermont.

Cheers!


www.fiddleheadbrewing.com

Fiddlehead is part of the Vermont Brewery Challenge put together by the Vermont Brewers Association.Check out the program at www.vermontbrewers.com.

2015-07: Switchback Brewing Company

Switchback was a great visit…I had low expectations based on what was apparently a very old bottle of beer that someone gave me. I was very pleasantly surprised by both their offerings and extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff as well as the comfortable atmosphere.
A word of advice:
DON'T PARK ON THE STREET UNLESS YOU'RE IN A DESIGNATED PARKING ZONE!
We were able to park in the brewery parking lot but saw several tickets being issued to folks who parked on the street to access the water.

On to the beers!  Switchback's flagship ale is awesome!  It's a naturally carbonated, unfiltered ale that is robust but finishes clean...leaving you to want just one more sip.  We enjoyed a flight and settled on the Switchback Ale and then the Dooley's Belated Porter and a Roasted Red Ale.  All were terrific.

Several of Switchback's beers are unfiltered and naturally carbonated which is a nice differentiation from most other breweries these days.  I don't want to sound to uppity, but the mouthfeel of a naturally carbonated beer is VERY different from most of the force carbonated beer we drink.  It's great to experience and enjoy.

www.switchbackvt.com

Switchback is part of the Vermont Brewery Challenge put together by the Vermont Brewers Association.Check out the program at www.vermontbrewers.com.

2015-07: Vermont Pub and Brewery

Casualties of a visit to The Vermont Pub and Brewery in Burlington, VT. 

Highlight of the visit was the Bombay Grab IPA.

They offer flights of 4 beers.  No brewery tours.

Cheers!


www.vermontbrewery.com

They are part of the Vermont Brewery Challenge put together by the Vermont Brewers Association.Check out the program at www.vermontbrewers.com.

2015-07 Von Trapp Brewing

We started our day at 10:00 AM at the Von Trapp Lodge with awesome egg sandwiches and a flight of 4 lager beers!  The views from the lodge are amazing.  Unfortunately, while the beer is great, the brewery itself won’t open to the public until sometime in 2016. Still, the wait staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The Dunkel Lager was a favorite as was the Golden Helles.

Von Trapp is part of the Vermont Brewery Challenge put together by the Vermont Brewers Association.Check out the program at www.vermontbrewers.com.

Cheers!

2015-04: New England Brewing Company

Definitely not the most enjoyable brewery visit we’ve had and we won’t be visiting again!  We checked the website (which I’m not even going to list) and discovered Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA.  Sounded like a perfect way to ring in the wonderful Spring weather we’re experiencing.

We made the 40 minute drive to New England Brewing Company.  The parking lot was empty but we could see a couple folks in the tasting room.  Upon entering the tasting room we greeted the barman and said we couldn’t wait to try the Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA.  He laughed…literally laughed at us.  He then went on to tell us that its a limited release beer, is gone as soon as its produced and the next production run wouldn’t be for several weeks.

I explained that the website shows its on tap at the brewery.  He laughed again and said he and the website development/hosting company were having a “financial disagreement” and the website hadn’t been updated in almost a year.  He then went on to tell us the only way to keep up with them is on Facebook.

The beers they had on tap were not spectacular.  The folks working the bar didn’t care if we were patronizing them or not.  Don’t waste your time!

2015-04: Broad Brook Brewing Company

 Awesome beer...awesome people!  B3 is a fantastic small brewery located in East Windsor, CT.  They focus on lots of german-styled beers but their Hopstillo IPA is a must have.  Definitely one of best kept secrets around.

For me the Hopstillo IPA and the Rough Guy Rye IPA were highlights.  I have to admit though, the Pink Dragon Wit was an enjoyable experience as well.

Check out their website for details on what they have on tap at the brewery.

Cheers!

www.broadbrookbrewing.com

2015-03: Shebeen Brewing Company

A nice visit to Shebeen Brewing Company in Wolcott, CT - home to the Cannoli Beer.  I have to confess, the Cannoli Beer wasn't for me, but it seems to be a big seller down in NYC according to the volunteer who gave us the tour.  We very much enjoyed our flight of 6 beers. They have a good Irish Pale, a good Turbo IPA (a double IPA) and an awesome Bacon Kona Stout which I believe has been renamed to JavaPig Stout.

The brewery is small and staffed mostly by volunteers - we enjoyed hanging out and talking beer with "Beast" who was filling kegs during our tour. The tour was OK.  Unfortunately our tour guide wasn’t very knowledgeable about the chemistry of beer and provided some inaccurate information along the tour but all-in-all was an enjoyable afternoon.

The beer hall is very comfortable and a nice place to hang out and chat with folks (although its in two separate sections).

If you're in the area, its definitely worth dropping in for a flight.

They're currently brewing on a 30 barrel system and have plans for distribution through Connecticut and eventually New England and New York state.

Cheers!

www.shebeenbrewing.com

2015-02: Firefly Hollow Brewing Company

Just Awesome!  Fantastic beers with a lot of character and individuality…just like their brewmaster.

The facility in Bristol, CT is comfortable and was packed the night we went but the barkeeps kept the lines moving. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.  We showed up with our own picnic supper but the folks who gave us their table left their cheese and sausage for us…so we shared with others.

This is a “Highly Recommended” from us and we’ll definitely be back soon.  If you do get a chance to chat with Dana or Rich, take it!  Dana has one of the most well developed palates I’ve come across and his beers represent!

Highlights are the Cone Flake IPA and the Toadstool Oat Stout.

At last check, they weren't doing tours, but it's still a cool, hip, funky place to hang out and have some great beers.

Cheers!

www.fireflyhollowbrewing.com

2015-01: Lawson's Finest Liquids

Finally!  Connecticut has access to Shawn Lawson's beers.  Lawson's Finest Liquids is contract brewing a couple of beers through Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, CT.

While availability is limited, Sip of Sunshine and Super Session #2 can be found at local restaurants and pubs.  Definitely ask your favorite bartender if they have it.

We were fortunate enough to hang out with Shawn for the CT debut of Sip of Sunshine at McLadden's in West Hartford.  Too much fun!

Cheers!

www.lawsonsfinest.com