1249 WINEBAR

BEER PUB

WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT

Established as a master wine sommelier, cultured Portuguese entrepreneur, Nelson Veiga, opened upscale bistro 1249 Winebar and its neighboring The Good Life Wine & Spirit shop in Waterbury during January 2012. Beguiled by the onslaught of craft beverages and authentic foods inducing health-conscious post-millenial savants, Veiga totally embraced the bourgeoning spirits and culinary revolution.  Besides 1249 Winebar’s exquisite wine menu and locally sourced cuisine, the heavenly hotspot also serves many of Connecticut’s best microbrews on tap or in bottle.

Residing at the fifth largest industrial city in the Constitution State, this fabulous earth-toned gastropub (southwest of Hartford) features a tucked-in 8-seat main bar, elegant dining room (with slate-walled panel, leather-backed booths and wine racks), quaint second-floor Sky Bar martini lounge and black-trellised front patio.

On my initial post-noon February ’14 visit, my wife and I grab a booth near the pristine maroon-hued left wall to try a few previously untried ales alongside wonderful hand-prepared food. Cicerone-certified beer manager, Liz Pliska, comes by to offer her services while lounge Jazz plays in the background. Six upstairs taps and three downstairs taps provide fresh local suds to the growing crowd of families, friends and aged hipsters. Homemade pasta and burgers, bakery-fresh bread, a raw bar, Echo Farms veggies and artisanal desserts satiate a wide variety of good tastes.

We share the 1249 Frittata (eggs with mushrooms, peppers, onions and bacon) and Bita A Portuguesa (steak with poached egg, potatoes, prosciutto ham and wine-sauced burgundy reduction) while getting acquainted with a few hungry destination-bound out-of-towners.

On tap, Greenwich-based 1757 GW Beer (based on George Washington’s original pale ale recipe) brought light caramel toasting to honey-spiced grassy hops for a light-bodied opener. Afterwards, I settle into Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout (which combines Natty’s bittersweet stout with Autocrat coffee). Its  brusque barley-roasted hop char embitters lactose-sugared black chocolate and cappuccino coffee tones quite efficiently.

Before leaving, I stop next store at The Good Life to pick up more local brews for home consumption.

www.1249winebar.com

TOP SHELF BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs

 

MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT

Located at historic Hilliard Mills in the rustic eastern Hartford suburb of Manchester, TOP SHELF BREWING COMPANY opened its doors during August 2013 – right in the midst of Connecticut’s booming microbrew renaissance. Distributing product all over the state from a 2,000 square foot warehouse, the three-barrel nanaobrewery has room for expansion.

Taking up the space Onyx moonshine distillery once occupied (and picking up the slack left by the closing of Tullycross Brewery), Top Shelf came into existence when three nearby UConn alumni (home brewer Mike Boney and fellow co-owners TJ Lavery and Joe Frost) gained inspiration from local New England and Back East breweries and decided “it was time to get involved” with brewing on a professional scale.

On my initial one-hour February ’14 Saturday afternoon exploit, the inconspicuous cement-floored tasting room featured samples of various limited edition ales and one winter seasonal as well as three flagship beers (bought for home consumption). Behind the tap room in a seperate space, the immaculate brewhouse puts out the well-rounded selection of generically-named American, Belgian and Irish styled ales.

I reach for Smoked Belgian Ale , an alternate to the regular Belgian, upon entering. Its lightly smoked peat malting, toasted caramel spicing and earthen musk pick up meager orange fruiting. But a lack of true Belgian yeast character hurts.

Three more limited edition brews hit my lips thereafter. Snowed In Imperial Stout brought chocolate-chipped molasses malting to caramel-burnt toffee-cocoa-coconut restraint, creme brulee sweetness and compost-wafted winter spicing.

Village Charm IPA gained floral-perfumed citric hop prominence as lemony grapefruit rind and Chinook-hopped resin subtly embittered creamy crystal malts.

Interestingly experimental hybrid, You Be The Judge, an unclassified one-off (?) offered raw-honeyed cider souring to saison-like lemony orange tartness, vinous green grape esters, kiwi-mango-guava tropicalia, fig-dried acridity and sourdough wheat (retaining a crisp watered freshness).

My only problem was that Top Shelf’s Belgian- Style Ale surprisingly had a similar pungent yeast profile as their Irish Style Ale.

For the former, an astringent cider solvency seems to outdo the apple-soured green grape tartness and herbal-peppered guava-kiwi-pitaya tropicalia. As for the latter, a blatantly acrid cider souring overruns the peated molasses malting.    

Bottled versions are listed in Beer Index.

www.topshelfbrewery.com

 

BACK EAST BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs

  

BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT
Located at a red brick industrial park just outside Bloomfield’s small downtown center next to Dunkin’ Donuts north of Hartford, BACK EAST BREWING COMPANY currently can and keg thier growing inventory of easygoing fare in a 4,500 square foot space. Expanding from a nearby Southington garage, founding cousins Edward Fabrycki and Tony Karlowicz, along with current head brewer, Mike Smith (ex-Mayflower), crafted a few sessionable pale ale offsprings alongside substantial Imperial Stout and Porter stylings during my initial early February ’14 sojourn.
Serving local restaurants with draft beer and offering growlers or canned versions since opening for biz, August ’12, Back East is already one of the Constitution State’s largest microbreweries. A walk-in serving station provides samples of each available brew for the large afternoon crowd.
Upon entering the apartment-sized serving station (with expansive backroom brew area), several local patrons dive into the year-round offerings. First up, light-bodied flagship Back East Golden Ale retains a refreshing soft-watered summertime pleasantry, draping creamy crystal malts with a modicum of lemony grapefruit rind bittering.
With a tad more body and character, easygoing American Pale Ale moderation, Back East Ale, brought floral citrus brightness to sugary malts and herbal celery frisk.
Just as approachable and mild considering its richer style, Misty Mountain IPA caresses lemony orange-peach-pear-apple fruiting with astringent raw-honeyed herbal hops, dry wood tones and wispy 7% alcohol burn.
Enigmatic raw-honeyed seasonal, Back East Winterfest, sprinkled cinnamon atop evergreen-fresh spruce, fern and pine nut illusions as well as perfumed herbal notions.
As for the dark ales, musty coffee-dried Back East Porter gained black chocolate and dark cocoa sustenance above soy-sauced cacao nibs, toffee and walnut undertones. Affluent cocoa-seeded black chocolate roast and reedy hop char ascend above ashen pine-tarred tobacco chaw bittering for Back East Imperial Stout. (Full reviews at Beer Index).

BROAD BROOK BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs
Image result for broad brook brew  
EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT
In a red-bricked industrial strip mall behind a busy brown-sided billiards hall at Sofia’s Plaza in the quaint Tobacco Valley town of East Windsor, BROAD BROOK BREWING COMPANY occupies the suede-textured walls of an unfinished plank-boarded warehouse. On my initial Saturday evening sojourn, February 2014, Broad Brook reached full capacity as local beer enthusiasts, traveling brew hounds and New York Times scribe Chris Brooks crowded the tiki-lounged central serving station.
My wife and I grab one of the tables across the bar to taste a few generous samples while the bartenders keep busy distributing growlers-to-go.
Owned and operated by three seasoned homebrewers, Broad Brook did well at a few local and national beer contests before opening its doors during the winter of ’13.
The wide ranging beer selection includes flagship, Broad Brook Ale, with its earthen ESB-like morning dew picking up mild perfume-hopped bittering and moldy orange compote above biscuit-y caramel malts.

Light-bodied Chet’s Pale Ale brought honeyed red-orange-yellow fruiting to floral spiced whims for familiar sessionable alacrity. Equally affable German-styled moderation,6 Balls Alt, prodded dried fig and grapefruit with light peppered hop bittering and toasted caramel sugaring.

Possibly the most intriguing elixir on this cold winter’s night, Pink Dragon Wit offered soft-toned hibiscus flowering to champagne-fizzed lemon zest and saison-like sour fruiting. Its herbal Belgian yeast peppering and cider-sharpened banana-clove-bubblegum whir receded at the doughy bottom.
Homewrecker Holiday Ale plied molasses-sugared coffee tones to cherry-pureed prune, raisin and fig dried fruiting as well as dirty earthen minerality.
For dessert, easygoing Porter’s Porter retained a dry stout likeness as Baker’s chocolate, cocoa nibs, raw molasses and sour cherry illusions flooded its dark-roasted hop char.
Before leaving, picked up growler of Broad Brook Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, a clean-watered English-styled dark ale with chalky cocoa bittering leading the way for oats-roasted dark chocolate malting and spiced iced coffee follow-up. Its nutty bottom heightened the overall bitterness.

FIREFLY HOLLOW BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs
The Beer Show – Firefly Hollow Brewing Co. – Cygnus Radio
BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
Residing at a historic factory on a spooky hillside above downtown Bristol, FIREFLY HOLLOW BREWING COMPANY certainly makes the most of its raw warehouse space. Open for business, October 24, 2013, this rustic partner-owned microbrewery takes advantage of its ample size, using a wood-furnished left side lounge (with upholstered benches and exposed ducts) to provide a relaxed vibe across from the 20-seat L-shaped serving area.
Becoming part of a growing Connecticut trend, Firefly Hollow’s conveniently located inside an industrial warehouse plant – just like nearby Broad Brook and Relic. Rad logo-designed black-and-blue pottery mugs and homemade ceramic tap handles welcome visitors to the serving station.
As my wife and I settle in late Sunday morning early February 2014, Elton John’s clap-happy “Bennie & The Jets” plays loudly. We take the two far right chairs closest to the seperate brewing area. Though Firefly Hollow’s popular Toad Stool Oat Stout is out today, there are two fine midrange beers for softer palates as well as one galvanizing porter (even better on nitro) and a unique smoked beer.
The place fills up as I quaff the five ambitious prospects.
Dewy ESB-like mossing and tea-like hop toasting front the dried-fruited Moonrise Amber, a sensible moderation with wispy fig, passionfruit and grapefruit undertones.
Next up, pleasantly light-bodied The Wisp American Pale Ale (the second lightest offering next to the unavailable Ramshackle Golden Mild) brings a gentle caramel-spiced citric spritz to tangy orange-grapefruit-peach sweetness and tropical guava-kiwi-passionfruit souring.
Bourbon-soaked wood chips and Scottish peat malts consume the fine Smokey Moore Scottish Ale, a smooth medium body with mild ruachbier tendencies.
Ecuadorian cocoa nibs bring a subtle complexity to velvety Emily’s Choconut Porter. Nearly majestic, its dark-roasted coffee nuttiness, chocolate-chipped mocha malting, toasted coconut affectations and vanilla-beaned Baker’s chocolate bittering drape the delicate soft-watered backdrop.
On nitro, Emily’s Choconut becomes a softly creamed maple walnut milkshake with coffee-chocolate overtones and wispy dried fruiting.

BALLOU’S RESTAURANT & WINE BAR

BEER PUB

 

BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT

In the rustic shoreline village of Branford just down the road from the Long Island Sound, BALLOU’S RESTAURANT & WINE BAR opened May ’12. Set inside a tan colonial edifice with white trim, white columns and roomy front deck, this homey establishment is owned by married couple, Steve Kaye and Debbie Ballou, whose humble beginnings include being a busboy and waitress at IHOP. Across the street from boutique-styled Indian Neck Liquor Store, Ballou’s Branford location competes favorably with their initial award-winning Guilford establishment.

Upon entering, the cozy two-room brown-walled space features a 10-seat bar (with 16 tap handles and small TV), 15-table dining room, pristine walnut furnishings and several wine racks. Though specializing in desserts, coffee, cheeses, fondues, panninis and flatbread pizza, its assorted comfort foods go well with the fine hand-picked wine selection that serve as Ballou’s calling card.

Nevertheless, seasoned beer geeks will find ‘beer guy’ Jeremy Antunes’ craft draft offerings extremely appealing as well.

Visited January ’14 just hours after a heavy blizzard, Antunes tends bar and chats up a storm this snowy afternoon while introducing two new brews. The first, Thimble Island India Pale Ale, crafted a few streets away from this humble pub, brought lively stone-fruited spicing to sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and finished with a juniper-hopped wood parch.

Another local offering from southbound Stratford, Two Roads Route Of All Evil Black Ale allowed wood-smoked chocolate seeding and charcoal-burnt hop bittering to anchor plastique apple-skinned grapefruit-mango-papaya tropicalia. (Full reviews in Beer Index)

Happily, the food was just as worthy as the beer and wine choices. Creamy lobster bisque, chipotle chicken pannini and Turkish goat-cheesed flatbread pizza (with dried fig, prosciutto and field greens) were wholly enjoyed.

Anyone with champagne taste on a beer budget or large expense account will appreciate Ballou’s spirited menu and close attention to detail.

www.ballouswinebar.com

PIES & PINTS PIZZERIA AND PUB

BEER PUB

MIDDLEBURY, CONNECTICUT

In the northernmost New Haven small town of Middlebury, PIES & PINTS rule the roost. Boasting the happy slogan “Something For Everyone,” this glorified pizza joint offers take-out food, gourmet pizzas, homemade flatbreads, seperate ice cream parlor, three distinct dining areas and great draft beer selections from near and wide.

Open 2011, Pies & Pints’ gold-hued white-trimmed exterior features a small canopied patio space while the interior gets broken into a tan-walled open-kitchen dine-in pizza station, rustic left side barroom and hearth-warmed back lounge. Leather and wood furnishings fill out its entirety while antique fans, copper-pressed ceiling tile and an olden piano provide elegant antiquity to the saloon (with three serving stations containing 20-plus beers).

Stain-glass windows, five private booths, four TV’s and nifty collectibles crowd the space as well.

On our initial perusal, my wife and I get situated at the long rectangular 12-stool mahogany bar for lunch on this brisk Saturday at noon in early February ’14. We share a delicious eggplant parmegan pizza while the couple down a few seats enjoy calzone, pasta and salad.

I quaff three hoppy delights and one local winter ale before heading north to four previously unexplored brewpubs that just opened for business within the past two years (Manchester’s Top Shelf; Bloomfield’s Back East; Bristol’s Firefly Hollow; East Windsor’s Broad Brook).

Dry-hopped Belgian pale ale, Ommegang Hop House, placed grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering above candi-sugared sweetness and floral white peppering. New England Supernaut IPA brought woody dryness to sharply perfumed floral hop resin and tangy grapefruit-orange juicing.

Better still, Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail provided barleywine warmth to orange-bruised cognac sweetness and exotic tropicalia for a devilishly complex Imperial IPA.

Locally brewed Back East Winterfest Ale added raw-honeyed herbal spicing to wintry fig-dried pine nut, fern and spruce notions. (Full reviews at Beer Index.)

By St. Patrick’s Day ’14, Pies & Pints will open a brewpub in nearby Waterbury. It’ll serve six proprietary beers alongside thirty well-chosen outside tapped selections. So the future’s so bright…

www.piesandpints.biz

NARRAGANSETT AUTOCRAT COFFEE MILK STOUT

Beers A-Z

On tap at 1249 Wine Bar, limited edition 2014 medium body combines Natty’s bittersweet milk stout with Autocrat dark-roasted coffee. Brusque hop-charred coffee bittering cuts thru barley-roasted black chocolate easement. Espresso, cappuccino and latte undertones pick up lactic sugaring. Bottled version: creamily bittersweet coffee roast loses luster by arid mocha finish. Fudgy black chocolate, dark cocoa, vanilla, espresso, cappuccino and mocha latte illusions fade in the distance. 

EVIL TWIN MOLOTOV COCKTAIL

Beers A-Z

On tap at Pies & Pints, ‘craziest’ Evil Twin yet brings elegant cognac warmth to ripe IPA-fruited barleywine boozing (13% ABV). Slight alcohol burn ensues as orange and cherry bruised tang spreads across ruby red grapefruit, candied apple, peach marmalade, syrupy pear, nectarine and honeydew illusions as well as tropical pineapple, mango and lychee exotica. Resinous pine snip lacquers fruitful treasure. Highly recommended.