When We Went: June 24th, 2020
Where:
- Location 1: 16 Tobey Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002
- Location 2: 140 Huyshope Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
Thomas Hooker Brewing is one of the oldest breweries in Connecticut. Originally located in Hartford as Trout Brook Brewpub, the brewery closed down in the early 2000s and reopened in Bloomfield as Thomas Hooker Brewing Company in 2006. The name comes from the founder of the Connecticut Colony, Thomas Hooker, who landed in the area in 1636 with a group of 100 English settlers from Massachusetts to found what is now the city of Hartford. Since 2006, Hooker Brewery has opened a second taproom in the old Colt firearms factory in Hartford. Shannon and I have been to both locations, but most recently we went to their Bloomfield one for the first time. Since things are still in the process of reopening, we ordered indoors (and got a good look at the inside which was impressive), and took our beer and pretzel bites outside. Inside, the taproom has plenty of hightops in both the front and back of the brewery, plus a tap in each room! If you don’t feel like going to the brewery, you can see exactly what the locations look like through the virtual tours Hooker has for the Bloomfield and Hartford taprooms!
Chris: You may have noticed Hooker is my #5 favorite brewery, but to be honest I was thinking about potentially switching it up with Little House or Connecticut Valley, which are both great breweries. But this most recent trip to Hooker confirmed why I had them in my top 5. What I love most about this brewery is that they do so many different things and that they do them so well. Both locations are super nice and I always feel welcomed, not only by the space but by the staff as well. They have amazing food, and just expanded their menu to serve pizza as well. Hooker is also really good about partnering with other institutions for all sorts of things. They have a beer for the Hartford Yard Goats called Hit By Pitch (Pale Ale), another for the Hartford Athletic (self-titled lager), and a collaboration with Munson’s chocolate for their Chocolate Truffle Stout (my personal favorite). They even setup a tap on occasion at the dog rescue next to their Bloomfield location. Since it was pretty hot on the day we went, I got their Pul’D Raspberry Sour which was very refreshing. No matter what kind of breweries you like, Thomas Hooker will have something for you.
Shannon: Personally I am a fan of Hooker’s second taproom, but hey, it’s always nice to visit their roots by going to the original location. The inside of the Bloomfield taproom is pretty bare bones right now. A bunch of tables have been removed to promote social distancing due to Coronavirus. The only part of the brewery that doesn’t feel empty is a single corner packed full of branded Hooker merchandise – it’s seriously a mini boutique up in there! Okay, but beyond all of that, (I really hate to say it) their beer is kind of hit or miss for me. There have been beers from them that I’ve really loved, like the Chocolate Truffle Stout and the Ode to Blumpy IPA, but on the flip side, there have also been beers I’ve really had a hard time drinking, like the Tropical Storm Pina Colada IPA or the Golden Nymph IPA.
Other Cool Stuff:
- Stowe Cider on tap
- Large selection of merchandise
- Dog Star Rescue is right next door! Sometimes they’ll throw up a tent and some taps and pour you a beer while your dog gets some play time in!!
- Lots of food available! We had some tasty pretzel bites!
- Bloomfield location open 7 days a week
- Hartford location open everyday but Monday
- Virtual taproom tours online!
What We Drank:
Shannon: Watermelon Ale (Fruit Beer) 4.8% – 3 out of 5
Chris: Pul’D Raspberry (Berliner Weisse) 4.5% – 4 out of 5
Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5
Feeling persuaded yet?
Brewing Persuasions 