When We Went: July 26, 2020
Where: 175 West Rd, Ellington, CT 06029
Cold Creek Brewery started out as a to-go beer only brewery on Industrial Road in Ellington in 2015. Then they opened up a restaurant, Cold Creek Tavern on West Road, where they serve their own brews and food, as well as beers from other Connecticut breweries and big name companies. We can’t give an accurate description of what the atmosphere feels like inside since they were only doing outdoor seating, but the food was awesome. Waiting for Shannon to take a picture of those nachos took significant restraint.
Chris: The brewery/tavern/restaurant gave me the impression of a much smaller scale City Steam. If you have never been to City Steam, it is one of Connecticut’s oldest breweries, but just like Cold Creek, it is a restaurant first and a brewery second. They only had a few of their own beers on tap, so I ordered their Winnie Oatmeal Stout and it was delicious. It had tastes of maple and coffee and was surprisingly light with all that flavor. Cold Creek recently posted on Facebook that they, “started brewing again,” so maybe that explains their lack of selection when Shannon and I went in July. But it’s tough to say because they don’t have a website. Either way, I want to go back once the inside is open and they have more of their own beers on tap.
Shannon: Cold Creek Tavern is more restaurant than it is brewery. That doesn’t mean this tavern isn’t contributing to the CT craft beer scene with their limited house-brewed beers though. (It’s a stamp on the beer passport!) When Chris and I visit places like this for the first time, I always order a beer that is brewed by the location. While there might be a ton of great beers by other breweries on tap, trying the location’s beer is a humble nod of appreciation to them. During our visit to Cold Creek, we sat on the small outdoor patio, which was socially distant and safe. Our server was awesome and deserves some love! Between bites of nachos, I knocked back Cold Creek’s 6% blonde ale. This light, hoppy beer was super easy to drink on a hot July afternoon in Connecticut.
Other Cool Stuff:
- Full restaurant menu
- Cans available at local package stores
- Voted best restaurant in Tolland County in 2019 by Connecticut Magazine
- Open 7 days a week
What We Drank:
Chris: Winnie Maple & Coffee (Oatmeal Stout) 6.8% – 4.5 out of 5
Shannon: Tavern Ale (Blonde Ale) 6% – 3 out of 5
Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5
Feeling persuaded yet?
Brewing Persuasions 