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?

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?