16 Things You Might Not Know (But Should) About Two Roads Brewery

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Two Roads is one of the most iconic breweries here in CT, so Dan was more than excited when he got a special media event this past Tuesday. The epic day consisted of picking hops off the vine and gathering them, a special release vault tasting of beers such as all their sours and every single vintage of Igor’s Dream, and a guided tour with founder and Headbrewer Phil Markowski and founders Brad Hittle and Clem Pellani. It all wrapped up with a special catered dinner from Marcia Selden Catering at Stratford Point overlooking the ocean and a lighthouse. That dinner? Woahh! Four courses with each representing a season . . . in terms of food and beer.

Needless to say, this was an amazing experience that won’t soon be forgotten. So, we compiled a list of 16 things that you just might not know about Two Roads, based off what we learned.

Fairfield Craft Ales brews up Kickstarter campaign – Stratford, CT

Starting soon, there won’t be just one brewery in Stratford. Nope, Fairfield Craft Ales is a nanobrewery with music at its core (brews are named after songs) that will start brewing at 724 Honeyspot Road. 

The Growth, Future, and Success of Kent Falls Brewing: An Interview w/ Barry Labendz

We’ve written about a ton of restaurants, events, breweries, and we’ve tasted hundreds and hundreds of brews, but we seem to get a rare feeling from time to time. It’s the kind of feeling like we’re in the midst of something great. That we’re going to watch something amazing happen. Well, that’s exactly how we felt when we first talked with Barry Labendz of Kent Falls Brewery last February. Just a few weeks later, Dan met up with Barry and Headbrewer Derek Dellinger at Coalhouse Pizza to taste some first sips of their brews. But, it all came together for us and we knew what a big deal this brewery would be when we went by to tour the farm and their brewhouse.

Thanksgiving Week Brewery Hours for Growler Fills, Bottles + Cans – 2015

There’s something to be very thankful for this holiday season: lots of CT breweries are open on Wednesday and the rest of the Thanksgiving break. And, why is that perfect? Well, you could:

1. Drink the night away on Thanksgiving Eve, one of the biggest drinking nights of the year.
2. Bring the beer to Thanksgiving and share.
3. Drink away the pain of looking at your Black Friday receipts.
4. If you do things right, you could theoretically do all three of these. ;)

So, here are some of the breweries (we are adding more soon) organized by name along with hours. If you have any other info that you’d like for us to add, please comment on here and we’ll add it! Also, make sure you take advantage of our growler laws and stop by some local restaurants like Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford who will fill ya up. 

Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy w/ Mug Club Membership at No Worries Brewing

Now just a few weeks away from opening, No Worries Brewing in Hamden is helping you get in on the ground level. For $85, you can be a mug club member for their first year in business and get crazy good perks. Dig it:

A Tsunami of Support for Tidal River Brewing: Kickstarter Close to Its Goal

Let’s be honest, there are lots of businesses, breweries, and restaurants who are looking for you to contribute to a new addition or new equipment through donations . . . so many, in fact, that it can get overwhelming. Do I contribute to that hipster who wants to start a brand new mustache oil company, a business who wants to be the brand new app for selfie-taking, or a distillery that promises to shake things up? But, what gets us is how so many of them want you to contribute freely (well, not free for you) without anything in return.

That’s why we love Kickstarter. Businesses like the soon to open Tidal River Brewing in Canton set up a page and create various tiers of giving with escalatinglay awesome rewards. The only catch is that the money goal ($10,000 in Tidal River’s case) needs to be raised before any donations are counted. So, if headbrewer and owner Geoffrey Mattheis was only able to raise the $7,025 that they have now, the fundraiser would not happen and no one would be charged.

Kent Falls Brewing: the newest CT brewery that’s a game changer

It doesn’t get better than this, folks. All photos from Kent Falls Brewing Company Facebook page.

Over the past decade, Americans have focused more on keeping things local and supporting the little guys and farmers that make a community stronger. You see it in the rise and popularity of farmers’ markets and you certainly see it when you go out to eat with many restaurants touting “farm-to-table” and their use of local ingredients. But, in terms of our beer here in CT, the ingredients that go into each ale or stout aren’t always local. On a recent trip to Oregon we discovered that nearly 80% of all hops grown here in America come from the Beaver State. Yeast often finds its way to breweries across states or even across continents, and malts and barleys are often shipped from hundreds of miles away. But, that’s all about to change here in Connecticut as Kent Falls Brewing Company has just become licensed and has begun brewing.

Big Brew NY Beer Fest Returns w/ over 250 Beers + Our Readers Get $10 Off!

Now in its third year in White Plains, the Big Brew NY Beer Festival is returning on February 7 to the Westchester County Center. When we first wrote about the festival on December 29, 2012, they were just getting started and expanding from bi-annual beer fests in NJ. Ever the veracious beer drinkers, we went and had a great time. There were an amazing amount of breweries there and people there, too, but it never seemed too crowded and the lines were never too long because the breweries were spread out nicely. And, yes, the VIP experience was well worth it with super-rare beers being poured out along with an exclusive buffet and entrance into the fest an hour early.

Well people, this awesome beer fest is back to help warm up your winter blues and will have over 250 different craft brews including a special all-cask VIP session! A total of 20 casks provided by Craftsman Ale House include Black Hog from Oxford, and other local breweries like Captain Lawrence, Great South Bay, Greenport Harbor, Kelso, Peekskill. For the full list (and all the beer that you’ll drink) go down to the bottom of our post. 

20 Ton Ale from Two Roads: Big, Bad, Bold Blonde Barleywine Released

This just in from Two Roads: they’ve released their 20 Ton Ale and it’s bound to knock you out cold. This continuation of the “Road Less Traveled Series” is a Blonde Barleywine-style beer that is made with heirloom malts and has plenty of hoppiness to it. It boasts a 12% ABV, so watch out, people! To get tastes of this, you’ll need to head to the brewery, though.

While you’re there, you can get 6.5 oz pours (cuz a pint would just kick your ass too fast) and take this bad boy home in bombers. After you’ve tasted, please let us know what you think by commenting here. And, if you can’t make it to the brewery, keep checking your favorite local beer shop for the bombers!

Worth the Trip: CT Brewers Guild Brewfest ft. over 30 Local Breweries Hop on Ski Sundown

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We hope you’ll join us on a trip to Ski Sundown in New Hartford, CT (Home of Satan’s Kingdom, yes…a real place) to get some major drinking done and try some brews from all across CT and the Northeast at the CT Brewers Guild Brewfest.  This year’s event is going down from 4-8 pm on June 21 and costs only $25 in advance or $30 at the entrance.  If you wanna take one for the team, a designated driver ticket is just $20.  You can also go, happy knowing that your ticket purchase will help fund the hop-loving work of the CT Brewers Guild who supports the craft beer industry here in Connecticut.