Coastline Brewing Company

When we went: July 24th, 2022

Where: 4 Grove Beach Road, Westbrook, CT 06498

Coastline Brewing Company opened this spring in Westbrook, and Nick and I decided to finally swing by in July. Many breweries take awhile to find their footing when they first start up, with some giving the impression that everything was rushed and not planned out, but Coastline Brewing seems to have skipped those growing pains. When Nick and I walked up to the brewery, it was clear that the founder had thought about their theme, décor, and beer selection. I can’t tell you how many new breweries I have been to that have 3 beers, all IPAs with 8 guest taps. But Coastline had brewed in preparation for their opening and had a great selection of beers from a variety of styles. They had IPAs, stouts, sours, lagers, seltzer, and cider, all brewed by Coastline.

Nick and I got to enjoy these drinks in their boating themed taproom with the tap list written on oars, the tap handles being the handles of oars, and the flights served on paddles. Their mug club is even called the “First Mates Club.” Everything was clean, and there was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating available. The only thing missing is cans, but the staff said they are hoping to get a canning line going soon.

Chris: With so many beers available, Nick and I each got a flight, and the first drink to catch my eye was the Maple Donut Stout which sounds like it would be super heavy and overly sweet, but they found a good balance. My favorite was the High-C sour made with cherry and lime which was a great combination of flavors. The S.O.S stout was too mild for me, but I was a fan of the C-Water cider and both the cranberry lime and grapefruit seltzers. I always thought I hated seltzers, but I’m finding that seltzers on tap taste way better than those in the can. Coastline gave me a great first impression, and I would love to go back to see what else they brew.

Nick: I don’t know what was previously in this location, but just by walking into the place, you can tell that they have done a lot of work to make it their own. The nautical theme is quite popular along the shoreline, but Coastline really goes all out. I appreciate the owner’s dedication to the decor with all the boat theme details. I also really like that they put the brewing front and center, as most places seem to put their vats in the back, but they are fully in view at Coastline. Like Chris, I loved High-C Sour and the Cranberry Lime Seltzer, but I also liked the Beach Bum Amber. I thought the light honey taste was refreshing and not exactly what I expected when I ordered it – in a good way! I really like that they make their own cider, the C-Water. I am honestly surprised that more places don’t make their own, and I am excited to try their new cider, the Mango Sunrise, next time we go.

Other cool stuff:

  • Mug club
  • Merch
  • Growlers to go
  • Plenty of events
  • Dog and family friendly

What we drank:

Chris: Maple Donut (Stout) 9% – 4 out of 5

Chris: S.O.S (Stout) 5% – 3 out of 5

Chris: High-C (Sour) 5% – 4.5 out of 5

Nick: Cranberry Lime Seltzer 3.5%- 4 out of 5

Nick: C-Water (Cider) 5.6%- 4 out of 5

Nick: Beach Bum Amber (Lager) 5%- 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Oasis Brewing Company

When we went: October 4th, 2021

Where: 3257 Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80211

Oasis brewing company is located in Denver, inside an old church that was built in 1931 and looks like it came out of medieval England. But there is a new/old god in town, and his name is Anubis. Oasis prides itself on its Egyptian god theme with Anubis being the logo for the brewery. Anubis is the god that judges those in the afterlife, and he must of had good time at Oasis because he brought them back from the dead. Oasis was founded in Boulder in 1991 as Oasis Brewer Pub, but shut its doors in the early 2000s. With the rise of craft beer, Oasis was brought back to life in 2015 and moved into their current location in 2017. Nick and I visited the brewery in the fall of 2021. Despite its old church exterior, it has a very modern décor on the inside. There is plenty of space both inside and out for seating, and they have their own food menu. Oasis is definitely a unique experience that blends old with new.

Nick: While I was at Oasis, all I could think about was one of Chris and my favorite shows, Stargate, a Sci-Fi show whose alien bad guys go heavy on the Egyptian theme. And the Egyptian theme of Oasis definitely stands out from most breweries. Judging by their most popular beers on Untapped, I expected them to have more of a variety of beers, but when we went, it was mostly IPA’s and ales. I thought the Blood Orange Saison was fine, but neither the Scarab Red or the St. Bernard Saison stood out to me. I loved the aesthetic, but I wish the beer had interested me more.

Chris: I may be biased, but it seems the farther west you go in the United States, the more dominant IPAs get and the fewer dark beers you see. When we went to Oasis, I did not see a single dark beer, and I strongly believe that breweries should have variety. But that is not to say that Oasis only had IPAs, as they had a number of ales. The first beer I had was their Cherry Pie Red Ale which had a nice mix of cherry and graham cracker, but it could have been more flavorful. Next I had the St. Bernard Saison which is described as having a hint of citrus, but it was really not even a hint of any flavor whatsoever. Finally, I had the Blood Orange Saison which was very refreshing and had a much stronger flavor than the other beers. Overall, I would say I did not have any bad beers, but the beers seemed like those of a different era, when crisp and refreshing were the only things people wanted.

Other cool stuff:

  • Lots of events
  • Food trucks
  • Live music
  • Merch
  • Beers to go

What we drank:

Chris: Blood Orange Saison (Farmhouse Ale) 6% – 4 out of 5

Chris: St. Bernard Saison (Farmhouse Ale) 6% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Cherry Pie (Red Ale) 5.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Scarab Red (Red Ale) 5.6%- 3 out of 5

Brewing persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Outer Light Brewing Company

When we went: November 19th, 2021

Where: 266 Bridge st, Groton, CT 06340

Outer Light brewery company (OLBC for short) opened in Groton in the spring of 2015 and has been a favorite of the community ever since. Unlike all the other breweries near Mystic, you can actually get parking when you arrive at the taproom. That has to do with their location being in an industrial park and next to the now closed Galaxy Roller Rink. Like many breweries that are in this type of area, the outside isn’t much to look at, but the inside has some surfing themed decorations. While the taproom isn’t large, there is a good amount of outdoor seating and a decent amount of indoor seating. During the warmer months, the garage door that acts as one of the walls of the taproom opens up to let in some fresh air.

Chris: This was not the first time I had been to Outer Light, but I have never been particularly impressed with this brewery. I have visited four different times, and I have never seen a sour on their menu, and their online tap list doesn’t show any either. I understand that every brewery doesn’t need to make every type of beer, but sours are so popular that it seems weird not to make any. That isn’t to say their beer isn’t good, but I have not personally liked many. I did like their Bluebird Blond Ale made with blueberry, pomegranate and lactose. I am a sucker for anything with a good blueberry taste to it, and I have liked the trend of adding lactose to beers. While I do not like IPAs, I do like when breweries work with local businesses and communities to come out with specialty beers. OLBC is coming out with Walk Your Horses NEIPA to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mystic Bascule bridge. Maybe trip number 5 will change my mind about the place.

Nick: Craft brewing as a business is just as much about building a following and establishing yourself in a community as it as about making beer. OLBC has done a lot to build its brand in the Groton area and has a strong following with the workers at Electric Boat. They have certainly been able to build that into success as they purchased the old roller rink next door with the intent of expanding their business there, although Covid seems to have delayed or possibly changed those plans. However, I do not like OLBC’s beer. Some of the people my wife works with love this place, but I do not find any of their beers to be particularly good and none stood out to me. I do not typically like Coffee Stouts, but I thought the Libation Propaganda wasn’t bad. And I wanted to like the Bluebird and Orange Rainbows more than I actually did.

Other cool stuff:

  • Trivia nights
  • Merch
  • Cans to go
  • Food trucks

What we drank:

Chris: Bluebird (Blonde Ale) 5% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Peanut Butter Pitch & Roll (Stout) 8.8% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Orange Rainbows (Sour IPA) 5.7% – 2.5 out of 5

Nick: Libation Propaganda (Coffee Stout) 5.5%- 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 2.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?