Bergen House

When Chris Went: March 27th, 2021

Where: 725 Main Street, Unit 27, Middletown, CT 06457

It seems every time I go to Middletown there is a new establishment opening up. This time it was Bergen House, a meadery that opened in Fall of 2020. It is one of only a handful of meaderies in Connecticut, and the only one I have been to with a taproom. They have a pretty large taproom with polished concrete floors, plenty of tables inside, and even a few outside, and all the walls are decorated with local art. They have a sizable parking lot and are conveniently located on Main Street so you are within walking distance of a dozen restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, etc. With Bergen House opening in Middletown, the city continues to grow as a place for craft-alcohol. Middletown now has three breweries, a cidery, and a meadery; you could spend all day in the city just trying alcohol, maybe that’s why I am moving there.

Back in my early 20s, it might surprise you but I did not like beer. I stuck with cider and eventually my friends and I discovered mead at the Oktoberfest celebration at Mt. Snow. If you are not familiar with mead, it is basically a honey wine, but just like cider can range from sweet to dry. With 8 meads on tap, you will find this full range at Bergen House. I tried four different meads while I was there, but my favorite by far was their Not-Your-Average-Joe, a collaboration with the coffee shop next door, Perkatory. The mead had a sweet taste with a nice light coffee flavor which blended well together. Bergen House gets huge unique points in my book for being a craft-meadery, and I am looking forward to going back.

Other Cool Things:

  • Merch for sale
  • They fill bottles to-go
  • Snacks for sale
  • Occasional food trucks
  • Local art for sale

What I Drank:

Chris: Pear-a-phrase (Mead) 6.9% nice – 3.25 out of 5

Chris: The Lucky One (Mead) 6.5% – 3.75 out of 5

Chris: Not-Your-Average-Joe (Mead) 6.5% – 4.5 out of 5

Chris: Orange Blossom (Mead) 6.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasions: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

HighGrain Brewery and Kitchen

When: October 31, 2020

Where: 6860 Plainfield Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236

Welcome to HighGrain Brewery & Kitchen, an eco-friendly brewery best known for their carbon-neutral brews. Located in the former Silverton Memorial Municipal Building, HighGrain has remodeled the space using reclaimed wood, seating made from recycled material and geothermal tunnels for a sustainably friendly HVAC system. What used to be where Silverton’s firetrucks and ambulances parked is now the best spot in the brewery, the bar and brewing area. HighGrain’s carbon neutral beer series is completely locally sourced and designed to offset the carbon dioxide created during the beermaking process. Beers like the Norwegian Table Ale pair beautifully with HighGrain’s upscale pub food, which is created daily with locally sourced produce and protein in their full scale, in house kitchen.

Shannon: Not only does HighGrain have a great selection of beer, they have a great food menu too. One afternoon I stumbled across this brewery and kitchen and ordered myself a few beers and a delicious fried chicken sandwich. The sandwich isn’t on the menu currently since their menu changes seasonally, but I remember tasting it and thinking “there is so much flavor here!” Paired with my lunch I had a NEIPA that is also no longer in production. Vote Oat, an oated hazy IPA is the definition of dank. After lunch I sipped on Brook, a chocolate and coffee porter that wasn’t particularly special but got the job done. Overall, HighGrain is a phenomenal brewery that is taking incredible strides to brew great beers and cook flavorful food under a sustainable business model. If you are in Cincinnati and looking for an upscale brewery and kitchen for a “treat yourself night,” HighGrain Brewery & Kitchen is the place.

Other Cool Stuff:

  • HighGrain’s electric supply is 100% powered by wind
  • The taproom has a geothermal HVAC system installed inside
  • They are an official reforestation partner with One Tree Planted
  • The taproom has earned the 513 Green Workplace Certificate, which shows their business is committed to sustainability
  • They are an active member of Green Umbrella, an organization striving for a sustainable future
  • HighGrain buys local, including grain, hops, and produce
  • They have a carbon neutral beer series!

What Shannon Drank:

Graf (Mexican Lager) 5.4% ABV – 3 out of 5

Brook (Porter) 6.2% ABV – 3.5 out of 5

Vote Oat (NEIPA) 6.4% ABV – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Four Quarter Brewing

When Chris Went: January 17th, 2021

Where: 70 Main St, Winooski, VT 05404

Four Quarters Brewing in Vermont was opened in 2014, and my family and I stopped by in January 2021, just a few weeks before they opened their brand new, much larger taproom. Even though it has only been a few months since I visited, so much has happened with the brewery since I was there. The old taproom was quite small, basically just a garage with taps and a few tables. There was space on the pavement for outdoor seating, but it was raining when we went. From what I see online, the new taproom has polished concert floors, way more seating, and a patio that includes a fire pit. They also added a kitchen that serves grilled cheese, sandwiches, and pretzels, and they plan to expand the menu in the coming months.

Not going to lie, I am pretty upset that the place is so far away because I will have to wait until I visit my mom again to see this place. Not only did I miss out on the new taproom, but I also missed out on their Bernie Sander’s beer, Smitten Mittens! It’s a maple s’mores stout which sounds delicious. But enough about what I missed out on, the place was still pretty good when I went. Despite being pretty small, the beer selection had a good variety, and they have expanded it since I was there, including quintupling their brewing capacity. I had Dark Is Night, a double imperial stout that was decent, and their Fluffer Nutter Chocolate Drop Imperial Milk Stout. The Fluffer Nutter was as amazing as it sounded and had a good level of sweetness despite being 9%. Overall, I liked the place but definitely need to go back since so much has changed since January.

Other Cool Things:

  • Eco friendly compostable cups
  • Lots of merch for sale
  • Cans to go
  • Bernie Sanders beer

What I Drank:

Chris: Dark Is Night (Imperial Stout) 10% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Fluffer Nutter Chocolate Drop (Imperial Stout) – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5 (at least until I see the new place)

Feeling persuaded yet?