Going to Connecticut

[Brownbeard]

I have to be in CT May 19th-21st for work. I am going to the Foxwoods Resort and Casino for those three days. Any ideas where I can sample some good beers in that area? I intend to buy some beers to bring back.

[newportstorm]

Try this link for some leads:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beerfly/list?start=0&c_id=US&s_id=&sort=name&search=&zip=&area=860&city=&d_city=&name=&

If it doesn't work, use the "BeerFly" tool on BeerAdvocate - search under the "860" area code for eastern CT. Nothing right in Uncasville - though I thought one of the casinos (Mohegan or Foxwoods) had a brewpub at one time - not sure if it's worth it. If you have transportation, I'd recommend a drive to:

Willimantic Brewing (Willimantic, CT) - I hear they make some kick-ass IPAs. Top-notch brewpub.

Cottrell Brewing (Pawcatuck, CT on the RI border) - one of the few CT breweries - they make a nice English Pale Ale

Eli Cannon's Taproom (Middletown, CT) - usually a place that'll get hard to find CT draft selections. Hosts many events as well

For beer stores: Chatham Spirits (Easthampton CT) or Gordon's Yellow Front Liquors (New London, CT) are closest, I think- don't know much about Gordon's but they get decent reviews. I hear you can find some gems at Chatham's, though.

For local brews to take home - I'd grab a sixer of Cottrell Old Yankee and some swing top bottles of Thomas Hooker beers - Old Marley Barleywine and Liberator Doppelbock might be around when you're there. Sorry, no growlers in CT :(

Cheers and enjoy!

[sallad]

keep an eye out for magic hat. they've got many good brews and a distro area thats pretty limited to the northeast.

http://www.magichat.net/

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by sallad
keep an eye out for magic hat. they've got many good brews and a distro area thats pretty limited to the northeast.

http://www.magichat.net/

Good call. They seem to host some good events in CT (Eli Cannon's, perhaps?) with some of their rarer beers, company schwag give-aways, etc.

Also, Uerige Sticke Alt, a beer that has gotten a lot of press for it's recent introduction to the US is found in a few CT pubs and beer stores. The importer, B. United, is located in CT.

Cheers!

[BrewDog]

BrownBeard-

Go to Cottrell Brewing's (http://www.cottrellbrewing.com) web site. The brewmaster there, Woody Culpepper, has an open invitation for tours if you give him a call before hand. He seemed like a nice guy in his reply when I emailed him about 2 months ago. You can click the link right from the main web page to find out how to set up a tour. I think its a pretty sure bet that there would be "samples" at the end of the tour :D

FWIW, I grew up on the RI side of the border from where this micro is located. The building used to be a major printing press factory. I am sure that the brewery takes up only a very small part of that huge space. I will be going back there in Aug and plan on stopping by.

BTW, a clone recipe for his Old Yankee Ale can be found in "North American Clone Brews". It has been a few years since I went back up that way, so I plan on brewing that recipe sometime soon before the trip just for comparison sake.