Aspen Brewing Company

When we went: October 3rd, 2021

Where: 121 S Galena St, Aspen, CO

Nick and I went to a wedding out in Snowmass, Colorado, and the only brewery nearby was Aspen Brewing Company. The taproom opened in 2008 and is located in a nice downtown area with a good amount of outdoor space. Inside the building, Aspen Brewing Company has a nice modern aesthetic with local art work and plants all around. They had plenty of beers on tap and cans to go, but they had no darks or sours at all. Cocktails and wine were also available with appetizers and pizza on the menu. In the back, they also had a weird ring game that I could not figure out how to play.

Chris: I was pretty disappointed that there were no sours or darks on tap, so I stuck to lagers and wheats. My favorite from Aspen was the This Season’s Blonde, a wheat ale that was pretty clear, carbonated, with a nice citrus taste. I was not really impressed with anything else Aspen Brewing Company had to offer, but that has a lot to do with my personal preferences of darks and sours, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Despite my preferences, if you ever go back maybe let them know that beer can be more than just hops. Aspen Brewing Company has a nice space and is the only brewery in town, but their lack of variety was a big turn off for me.

Nick: Aspen Brewing Company is right in the middle of Aspen, Colorado. It has a nice outdoor seating area, and the indoor seating is very open with lots of windows. The Cloud 9 Saison was my favorite and is apparently one of the brewery’s more popular beers. They had a lot of IPA’s, which is very Colorado of them, and none of their other beers really interested me. However, at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, atmosphere comes first, and Aspen Brewing company definitely has a good atmosphere.

Other Cool Things:

  • Draft beer van
  • Merch for sale
  • Cans to go
  • Cocktails and win available

What we drank:

Chris: This Season’s Blonde (Wheat) 5.6% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Vista Lager 4% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Ajax Pilsner 4.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Cloud 9 Saison: 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

30 Mile Brewing Company

When we went: November 12th, 2021

Where: 39 Ragged Rock Rd, Old Saybrook, CT 06475

30 Mile Brewing Company opened in Old Saybrook in 2015, and sadly it will permanently shut down on January 16th. Many small businesses, breweries especially, have been hit hard by the pandemic. 30 Mile Brewing is not the first or last brewery to shut down. Please support your local restaurants and breweries. 30 Mile Brewing doesn’t close for another week, so there’s still time to get some of their great beer.

30 Mile Brewing is a garage style brewery located in an industrial area. They have a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating space. While they don’t have a huge number of beers on tap, they have a mix of styles so there is something for everyone.

Chris: 30 Mile Brewing is located about half way between my brother’s place and mine so we ended up going there a few times. My favorite beer was their Don’t Be A Karl, a Imperial Marshmallow Stout that clocked in at a whopping 12.5%. Don’t Be A Karl had a nice marshmallow taste that made this beer dangerously good. Have a DD if you are having more than one of these. They have an old style oil popcorn maker, and it was the great snack to go along with their beer. I will miss 30 Mile Brewing, their convenient location, delicious popcorn, and very alcoholic beer. I doubt anyone there is completely done with craft beer and hope they try some new ventures soon.

Nick: 30 Mile Brewing was definitely not afraid to try different things. Their Rymley’s Winter-Warmer Barleywine and the aptly-named Golden Something both stand out in that regard. My favorite beer was the I Got My Peaches Out in Georgia, a sour. As Chris mentioned, we’d meet at 30 Mile as it was a good half way point for us. Also, the brewery is pet friendly, so we were able to bring the dogs. Minerva hung out under one of the picnic tables and Jax enjoyed sneaking our popcorn. The last time I went with my wife, and we saw the infamous Karl, namesake of the “Don’t Be a Karl” and a regular of the brewery, enjoying a brew at the bar. He had great banter with the staff and other patrons, and brought smiles to many faces. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable about their beers and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I am disappointed to see 30 Mile go. I always hope that every small business and every brewery will be successful.

Our Favorite beer:

Chris: Don’t Be a Karl (Imperial Stout) 12.5% – 4 out of 5

Nick: I Got My Peaches Out in Georgia (Sour) 5% – 4 out of 5

Bank and Bridge Brewing

When we went: July 16th, 2021

Where: 54 W Main Street, Mystic, CT 06355

Bank and Bridge Brewing is the newest brewery in downtown Mystic. Their grand opening was last week, but they’ve been opened since June. The brewery’s building stands out as it was built in 1831 as a bank, and the inside keeps that classic fancy bank feeling. They kept the old vault in the building and display it for visitors. There is plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, with the former teller area being the natural location for the bar. Outside food is not allowed as we found out, but they do offer food made in-house. Being in downtown Mystic is both a hit and a miss. Downtown is a great place to visit with tons of restaurants, and now two breweries, ice cream shops, and all the great summer spots, but parking can be tricky. Street parking is limited, and the Mystic Museum of Art parking lot is expensive.

Chris: I always love buildings that keep the original look around, like Willy brew, and I am very happy that Bank and Bridge did the same. But when it comes to their beer, I think they have a long way to go. When we went in July, they only had 4 of their own beers, and only two of them were on tap with the others being canned. Their website shows they currently have 2 beers on tap and 3 canned. They supplement these with 3 guest taps, but of the 8 different beers, 5 are IPAs, leaving almost no variety. I recommend you check their menu before making the trip. This limited brewing capacity also meant that they did not do cans to go. I had their Manatee Porter, which was pretty good, it was really smooth and had a nice hint of coffee.

Nick: Bank and Bridge is definitely a cool location for tourists, but as Chris said, the lack of parking means you are likely going to have to pay for parking. The building is unique, but when I went back recently with my wife, we found that it was difficult to get seated inside as the table arrangement was quite congested. But sitting outside is definitely nice, although you can’t see the water from the brewery. The owner is apparently a huge Arsenal fan, that’s English soccer for those who haven’t at least seen Ted Lasso, and the trappings of the team are located all over the bar. They feature the TV schedule on their website, and they open for all their games, even the morning mid week ones. There’s also a special room for games, and they have custom jerseys that say Bank & Bridge Gooners. That being said, I kind of expected them to at least subtly lean into the soccer vibe with their Beer, like 2nd Bridge in Manchester does, but seemingly nothing yet. I had The Joker (a Pilsner) and Celestial Navigation (DIPA), neither of which were very interesting to me. However I would love to go back if and when they get some more beers on tap.

Other Cool Things:

  • Lots of wine available
  • Hard liquor available
  • Decent size food menu
  • Open 7 days a week
  • Show Arsenal FC games

What we drank:

Chris: Manatee (Porter) 6.5% – 4 out of 5

Nick: The Joker (Pilsner) 4.5% – 3 out of 5

Nick: Celestial Navigation (DIPA) 8% – 2.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?