Niantic Public House & Brewery

When Chris Went: May 1st, 2021

Where: 243 Main Street, Niantic, CT 06357

Niantic Public House and Brewery opened its taproom in downtown Niantic in the fall of 2018. The taproom is conveniently located in the heart of Niantic, with plenty of restaurants, ice cream shops, and beaches within a few blocks. You can access all of this and not even pay for parking, making Niantic and its Public House a great summer day trip. The brewery has plenty of indoor and some outdoor seating, and if you don’t feel like leaving they have snacks and schedule a lot of food trucks.

I went to Niantic Public House right after it opened and was not too impressed. Most of the beer on tap was not their own with only 3 or so in-house beers. I had their Slow and Steady Porter which was just okay. I have gone back a few times this year and so much has changed. Niantic Public House has so many more of their beers on tap with a lot more styles available. Right now they have 10 of their own beers on tap and 2 delicious ciders from New England Cider Company. They have a great mix of beers as well including IPAs, Stouts, Sours, and even Wheat beers. The taproom has also been redesigned with everything being aquatic themed, which makes sense since they are across the street from the ocean and their logo is a turtle. Last time I went I got a flight, and my favorite was their Tree’s Breakfast Coffee Milk Stout; it had a nice flavor without being over the top. Niantic Public House has come a long way since it opened in 2018.

This unfortunate man was so intoxicated he forgot how to stand normally

Other Cool Things:

  • Growlers and cans to-go
  • Merch for sale
  • All art done by local artist
  • Wine available
  • Flights available

What I Drank:

Chris: 444 (Wheat) 5% – 4.5 out of 5

Chris: Conplan 8888 (Pilsner) – 3 out of 5

Chris: Bussin’ Banana Bread (Belgian Strong Dark Ale) 8.3% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Job Ghostin (Bock) 6.9% nice – 4 out of 5

Chris: Tree’s Breakfast Coffee Milk (Stout) 6.2% – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company

When Chris Went: May 8th, 2021

Where: 180 Johnson Street, Middletown, CT 06457

Stubborn Beauty brewing company opened in 2014 in the old Remington Rand building. If you read our review of Forest City brewing, located in the same building, you know that Remington Rand is an old industrial building. It’s history dates back to the 1800s and had a long list of companies occupy it including the Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Co., and Remington Rand Corp. noiseless typewriter makers. When deindustrialization began in the northeast in the 1970s the building became abandoned and lets just say it was not a nice place to be. Yet in the last 10 years, the location has become a hot spot for alcohol with Stubborn Beauty, Forest City, and Spoke + Spy all located there.

Chris: Since Stubborn Beauty is right next to Forest city and Spoke + Spy, I decided to hit up all three that day. After picking up some caramel apple cider from Spoke, and a delicious sour from Forest, I headed over to Stubborn Beauty. The taproom has polished concrete floors and a few tables inside. Outside they have a few barrels being used as tables for you to sit at, but the chairs are on gravel which caused me to almost tip over. On tap, they had 7 beers and a guest cider from Spoke + Spy; I decided to get the Porter Justice. It was a pretty typical porter taste and comes in at 8% abv. Like most breweries, they mainly have IPAs but usually have a dark beer or two on tap. Stubborn Beauty is more willing than most places to try truly unique flavors, like their Saint Alfonzo Pancake Breakfast foreign stout and I always appreciate a place that is willing to test the (frothy) waters.

Other Cool Things:

  • Merch for sale
  • Cans to go
  • Free parking

What I drank:

Chris: Porter Justice (Porter) 8% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: I Remember My First Check In (Sour) 5% – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Rebel Mettle Brewery

Rebel Mettle Brewery (@RebelMettle) | Twitter

When: December 18, 2020

Where: 412 Central Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Rebel Mettle Brewery opened its doors in September 2020 in downtown Cincinnati’s Historic West Fourth District, a once vibrant, walkable downtown shopping district in the early 1900s. Rebel Mettle made its home on West Fourth Street in a former parking garage and is doing their part to revive this once bustling area. The lager-centric brewery was founded by a US Air Force veteran with a soft spot for beer, business, and community. Rebel Mettle’s draft list is heavily focused on lager production, which set them apart from other local breweries who traditionally focus on ale production.

Rebel Mettle felt like a diamond in the rough when I stumbled inside the taproom for the first time. The taproom is two stories of industrial space filled with brewing tanks and vintage arcade machines, including an original Ms. Pac-man machine. It’s definitely a family friendly brewery made to feel anyone comfortable. One my first visit I enjoyed one of the best milk stouts I’d have all winter long. All Moussed Up is a sweet, smoky, smooth chocolate milk stout that goes down oh so easy. Another great beer I had on a different visit to Rebel Mettle that I really enjoyed was the Colonel Copper Doppelbock. It’s your traditional malty, roasty bock perfect for a colder day

Other Cool Stuff:

  • Within walking distance of the Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium
  • Tons of merch available
  • Outside food can be brought in and delivered to the taproom
  • Fun events like yoga, Singo, trivia, open mic, vinyl swaps, and live music

What Shannon Drank:

Smoky Stardust (Rauchbier) 6.9% ABV – 4 out of 5

All Moussed Up (Milk Stout) 6.2% ABV – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?