2nd Bridge Brewing Company

During this time with COVID-19, please support your local breweries if you can! They are doing everything they can to stay above water, and lets be honest, you can’t quarantine the right way without their beer. Many breweries are doing online or pick-up orders, so give them a call or check out their websites to see what they have available. #drinklocal

When We Went: January 2, 2020

Where: 642 Hilliard Street, Manchester, CT, 06042

2nd Bridge Brewing Company is a hole in the wall, basement-like, haven for any and all soccer enthusiasts. If you’re ever in need of a cold beer and a place to watch a match, 2nd Bridge is the place for you. They typically have six to eight beers available, plus the occasional cider from Stafford Cidery on tap. Opened for the first time in 2015, this sports bar is located on the basement floor of the historic Hilliard Mills, a large brick building which used to house the first woolen mill in the United States! If you haven’t figured out already, Chris and I are suckers for a good brewery within the walls of a historic building. If you’ve ever been to this area of Manchester, maybe you’ll remember when this neighborhood was home to Top Shelf’s Hilliard Mill location before they moved to North Main Street and later became Parable Brewing. 2nd Bridge has been around for five years with no signs of leaving.

Shannon: 2nd Bridge is not a bad little spot! The brewery is a little cramped but it’s divided up into three different rooms, so that helps things feel a little more spacious. The beer selection is also on the smaller side, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Traditional styles and traditional flavors still make for good beers. On our last visit here I had a New England IPA called the Buck Oh that was creamy, flowery, with just a mild bitterness. I also had a Farmhouse IPA called Lil Gooner that left a funky taste in my mouth – probably because it was a little sour and I’m not a big fan of that flavor profile. Coming in at a low 3.6% ABV, this slightly sour IPA is just as weird as its name.

Chris: Located in the basement of the Hilliard Mills, 2nd Bridge is heavily decorated with (mainly European) soccer memorabilia giving the feel of a hole in the wall old Irish pub. This is the kind of place that would have monthly dad meetings. They could come here to play darts or watch sports or come up with new ways to embarrass their children. 2nd Bridge continues their European theme with their beer, with the North London brown ale and a Mr White’s Irish Cream Ale. But I haven’t really been blown away by any of their beers and every time we go they seem to have the same selection. I wish they would change it up and try some new styles, but this is still a great place to go if you want some classic styles and a good soccer match. (I tried to come up with a soccer pun, but like most soccer games I ended with zero.)

Other Cool Things:

• Order delivery, food trucks, or BYOF
• Plenty of bar games
• TV’s to watch sports (soccer of course)
• All of their beers are available in 32 oz. crowlers – order online and drive to their patio for pickup during COVID-19 quarantine!

What We Drank:

Shannon: Buck Oh (NEIPA) 3 out of 5

Shannon: Lil Gooner ( Farmhouse IPA) 2 out of 5

Chris: Krampus (Farmhouse Saison Ale) 3 out of 5

Chris: Orford Parish (Porter) 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 2.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?