When we went: January 23rd, 2020
Location one: 504 Hazard Ave, Enfield, CT 06082
Location two: 62 Washington Street, Middletown, CT 06457
Powder Hollow opened in Enfield in 2014 and expanded to Middletown in 2019. Powder Hollow gets its name from the area where the brewery began. Powder Hollow is a part of Hazardville, which is a part of Enfield, which is part of Hartford county, which is a par….sorry I got distracted! Powder Hollow and Hazardville both get their name from the booming (no one has made that pun before) gunpowder industry in Enfield. This explosion (yes I did it again) in gunpowder production saw the rise of Colonel Augustus Hazard, who created Hazard Powder Company in 1843, hence the name Hazardville. The gunpowder industry eventually blew up (literally) in 1913, but the history is clearly still aflame. All this, not only influenced the name of the brewery, but also the logo – two rifles on a gunpowder barrel.
The Enfield location shares a building with R Dee Winery, so even winos can enjoy the trip up to the taproom. The Middletown location is right off of Main street, so not only are you within walking distance of over a dozen restaurants, you can also get Chinese delivered right to the bar thanks to the Chinese restaurant located next to the taproom. Unfortunately, this convenience does come with a price, specifically parking, which you have to pay for until 8pm. But if you can overlook the $1 an hour parking, both locations have great hours and are open 7 days a week.
Chris: We went to the Middletown location most recently, but Shannon and I have been to both locations a few times now. While the Enfield location is more out of the way for us, it has a nice feel to it. Middletown’s atmosphere is similar but with more exposed brick and lights made out of growlers, giving it a very rustic feel. The taproom is about average size with indoor and outdoor seating. The tap list is expansive and has a little bit of everything on it. They also do cider, wine, and cocktails, so everyone will find something they like. I have had a dozen of their beers over our many visits, but my favorites have, of course, been their darks. Checking my untapped I have Caffeination Station (Espresso Porter), Tony’s Twist and Stout (Milk stout), and 1929 Prohibition Porter (American Porter) all listed at 4 out of 5 or better. Their darks tend to be rich and smooth without making me feel like I just ate an entire pizza. Powder Hollow is a great brewery to go to any day of the week and bring even non-beer drinkers, if you want to associate with those kinds of people that is.
Shannon: What can I say that Chris hasn’t already? Well, for starters, everytime Chris and I have visited this brewery we’ve had the same bar tender. It’s always nice to walk into a place where you recognize the person behind the bar. Beer wise, I really enjoy their fruit beer called Strawberry Fields. It’s a tasty, refreshing, light beer that brings back those summer time feels. Overall, this place is great and you should definitely check it out. Beer is good. Good beer makes you happy. Happiness can be found at Powder Hollow Brewery. See you there, cheers!
Other cool stuff:
- Some merch available
- A few tasty snacks for purchase
- Live music occasionally
- Cans available!
- Craft cocktails made by a cool bar robot!!
- Cash is not accepted at the Middletown location – you can only pay with card
- Shannon lives close by so you can just yell and she will come drink with you (it’s true, I will)
Our persuasion:
What we drank:
Chris: Pineapple Express (New England Indian Pale Ale) 2.5 out of 5 (I’m just not an IPA guy)
Chris: Tony’s Twist and Stout (Milk Stout) 4 out of 5
Shannon: Mango Milkshake IPA 3.5 out of 5
Shannon: Bayonet Blonde (Blonde Ale) 4 out of 5
Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5
Brewing Persuasions 