Yankee Brew News Archive

What's Brewing: Connecticut

Originally Published: 08/96

By: Gregg Glaser

Connecticut seems supercharged when it comes to craft breweries these days. As of the last issue, I've stumbled across two new Nutmeg State projects--one a micro and the other a brewpub. At the same time, the state's two new brewpubs and two new micros report good sales. Unrelated to commercially-brewed craft beer, Connecticut finally legalized homebrewing last spring.

Hammer & Nail Brewers of Connecticut, in Oakville, one of Connecticut's two new micros for 1996, has added a new beer to its roster, Vienna Lager. Along with their Brown Ale, Hammer and Nail beers are sold on draft throughout the state at about one hundred accounts, as well as in Westchester and Putnam Counties in New York. Bottling of Hammer and Nail beers is expected this summer.

Late last March, the Farmington River Brewing Company, of Bloomfield, began selling two new craft beers in Connecticut. Mahogany Ale is an ESB, brewed with pale, crystal, special roast, carapils and wheat malts and hopped with East Kent Goldings. Blonde Ale is brewed with Munich and carapils malts and hopped with Cascades. The owners of the new micro are the husband and wife team of Bill Hodkin and Melissa Millan. Hodkin describes himself as a recovering homebrewer and attorney, having practiced tax and litigation law in Portland, Oregon and Hartford. He now works full time as the brewer and manager for Farmington River. Hodkin trained through the brewing courses offered by U.C. Davis and at Ipswich and Pilgrim breweries in Massachusetts. Millan continues to work full-time as an insurance company marketing executive in Boston. Farmington River beers are available draft only at about forty-five taps in six Connecticut counties and the Springfield, Massachusetts area. Hodkins also brews W.B. Cody Blonde Ale for the W.B. Cody Restaurants in Bloomfield, Connecticut and Westerly, Rhode Island. Bottling of Farmington River beers may begin early next year.

Bank Street Brewing Company, a Stamford brewpub project, solved their construction problems last May by changing construction managers. After that, progress picked up. The brewhouse was installed in early June, and the 14-barrel, 200-person capacity brewpub announced an August 1 opening.

Last time in this column I wrote about the possible September opening of the Wyndham Mills Pub & Brewery in Willimantic. The name and concept have changed. David Wollner, owner of the Main Street Café in Willimantic, originally planned to open a brewpub in an old mill and keep his current restaurant in town. He's now decided to move both businesses into a single location, with the name Main Street Café/Willimantic Brewing Company. As soon as the local zoning board approves his project, Wollner hopes to begin renovation on a 1910-era Post Office. He's looking at installing a 7-barrel brewhouse, built by the Branford, Connecticut company, EZ Flow Brewing Services. Wollner plans to have about twenty taps at his new place. Two will be cask conditioned, four or five his own beers and the remainder guest micros. Look for an opening around Halloween.

Lawrence Berkman, of the proposed Adventure Brewing Company, has two potential sites in the Fairfield area chosen for his brewpub. He also reports that he's had discussions with a "world-class brewer" who's interested in coming on board.

There is a second brewpub being planned for the town of Fairfield. The name of the brewery and the owners are not yet being released, but brewer/consultant Blair Potts, formerly of Elm City Brewing in New Haven and New England Brewing in Norwalk, is consulting on the project.

Phil Hopkins, of the Hartford Brewery, is producing the Fourth Annual Hartford Brewfest on Saturday, September 28 in downtown Hartford. The outdoor location is the site of the former Hilton Hotel, at the corners of Asylum and Ford Streets, just by Bushnell Park. Forty-five craft breweries, plus Anheuser Busch, will be present, offering over one hundred beers. Live music will be performed by the band Max Creek. The Hartford Brewfest is not a tasting event. Six-ounce and twelve-ounce beers will be served at $1.00 and $2.00 each. Tickets cost $10.00 in advance or $12.00 at the door, and each ticket includes two beer tokens. Advance sales begin at the end of August (860-246-2337) for the estimated 7,000-9,000-person event. All proceeds from the non-profit event benefit the Hartford Guides. Look for Hopkins' New Haven brewpub, the Pound Sterling Brewery, later this year.

The Essex Brewing Company of Niantic, in the southeastern section of the state, hopes to be selling three draft beers by the end of the summer--American Blonde Ale, an American-style Pale Ale, and a Porter. An American-style wheat beer and other seasonal beers will follow. Owners Steven Pietryk, Gary Swider and Terry McNatt, all engineers and two of them long-time homebrewers, plan to house their new micro in a 5,000-square-foot building in a industrial park, just a stone's throw away from the area A-B distributor. As of the end of May A.T.F. approval was almost completed, bank financing was approved and an SBA loan application was being waited upon. Once the financing is in hand, a 25-barrel brewhouse will be constructed from used dairy and secondary market brewery equipment. The owners' engineering backgrounds will come in handy.

Eli Cannon's of Middletown held a Wild Goose kickoff party on June 6, introducing the Maryland brewery's cask conditioned IPA and porter to Connecticut beer lovers. Eli's also serves two house beers: Terminator Bock, brewed by Hammer and Nail Brewers and Gargoyle Blonde brewed by Mass. Bay Brewing.