Spoke + Spy Ciderworks

When we went: June 6th, 2020

Where: 180 Johnson Street, Middletown, CT 06457

Spoke + Spy Ciderworks opened in Middletown in 2018 but the idea was hatched when owners Ron and Kim were living in England drinking cider in pubs and bars. They decided to start brewing at home and it eventually led them to open up their very own taproom in the R.M. Keating Historical Enterprise Park. This is the same building where Forest City Brewing and Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company are located. You can stop by all three without having to go outside, talk about convenient. Spoke + Spy’s name comes from a combination of the building, which was an old wheel factory, and the northern spy apple which is a favorite of the owners. The taproom itself is quite small but well decorated with thick wooden tables. Plus, no cidery is complete without plenty of apple inspired artwork.

Chris: I first came across Spoke + Spy when I went to Forest City and Stubborn Beauty and saw a cidery sandwiched between them. I have always been a big fan of hard cider so I made sure to check this place out, and let me say, their cider is GREAT! Spoke + Spy is a place that knows what they are doing with not only their cider but also their non-alcoholic brews. The first time I went they had an amazing root beer on tap, and yeah I know root beer doesn’t have any alcohol in it, but if you have never had root beer on tap you are missing out. They seem to have expanded their variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic brews since they are currently rocking 8 ciders and 2 Kombuchas on tap. Last time I went, I had their Middle of the Blueberry which was semi-sweet with a nice refreshing blueberry flavor that did not overpower the drink. I would go here all the time, but unfortunately their hours are pretty limited so make sure to plan out your trip.

Shannon: To me, Spoke + Spy is the definition of a hidden gem. You might have to throw an elbow or two to find a seat since their taproom is pretty small, but with a little luck, you’ll manage to find a space to sit and sip. Whenever I’m at the taproom, I often opt for the flight, that way I get to try everything they have. It’s just so hard to pass up. I’ve come to love every single one of their ciders (with the exception of an 11.1% cider aged in a malt rye barrel for 20 months.) My all time favorite cider made by them is their Pomme L’Orange. This 5.1% sweet, orange and vanilla cider will 100% make you think you’re crushing a bottle of orange Fanta. Go get it. You know you want it.

Other cool things:

  • They brew their own root beer and kombucha
  • Currently filling growlers of cider-to-go from their take-out window!
  • Cider infused chocolates and Kettle Corn!
  • They often have some pretty cool events in the taproom
  • Flights of 6! Yum!
  • Grab an embroidered baseball hat with their logo on it

What we drank:

Chris: Middle of the Blueberry (Semi-sweet) 5.1% – 4.5 out of 5

Chris: Pomme L’Orange (Sweet) 5.1% – 4 out of 5

Shannon: Pomme L’Orange (Sweet) 5.1% – 5 out of 5

Shannon: Tepache Mode (Semi-sweet) 5.4% – 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

New Park Brewing

Logo from New Park Brewing’s website.

When Chris went: January 25th, 2020

Where: 485 New Park Ave, West Hartford, CT 06110

New Park Brewing opened their taproom in West Hartford in 2017 and has been a popular spot since. Located in an old industrial building that has been “upcycled,” New Park fits the bill as a stylish brewery. Walking in you immediately feel transported to a Van’s shoe store located in some cool southern California town. The taproom is on the smaller side, but they decorated the space with tons of plants, local art, and skateboards. The boards give it the ultimate skater, hipster vibe. If there isn’t room in the taproom, during the warmer months, New Park has a nice outdoor seating area. They do a really good job of filling the space with greenery to help you forget you are basically in the parking lot near the road.

Chris: I’ve been to New Park a few times, mainly because people won’t stop saying good things about it. Last time I went they had a Grateful Dead tribute band playing and the place was packed! I very much enjoyed my Schwarzbier, which had a nice clean, light, refreshing feel. Unfortunately both times I have gone, their selection has been very limited. Schwarzbier was their only dark available, which I found strange since it was January and that’s prime Stout/Porter season. Every other draft selection was an IPA with the exception of one sour option. They seem to focus in on their IPAs (and I have heard they are amazing) but as someone who only cares for milkshake IPAs, I was clearly out of my element. That is not to say this isn’t a great place, and if you love IPAs definitely head over there. But if you don’t, maybe check their tap-list before you go to see if there is something there for you.

Shannon: I’ve only been to New Park once and it was at least a year ago so bear with me while I try to muster up some sort of contextual review here. I can’t speak much on the interior of the brewery simply because I don’t remember what it looks like, but what I can speak of is their beer thanks to my Untapped beer app! I have apparently only had one of their beers (which was in 2019 so I guess I should really go back to this place sometime). Untapped tells me that I had an IPA called Cloudscape, formerly known as Cloudbreak. Its a 6.5% ABV that I rated a 3.5 out of 5 on the app. Thank god for Untapped, am I right?

Other cool things:

  • Food trucks
  • Live music performances
  • Merchandise available
  • Beer-to-go during COVID-19 and beer delivery to select towns weekly!

What Chris drank:

Chris: Schwarzbier 6% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Blender: Boysenberry (Fruited Berliner Weisse) 5% – 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 2.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

New England Cider Company

When Chris went: March 14th, 2020

Where: 110 N Plains Industrial Rd A, Wallingford, CT 06492

You might recognize New England Cider Company from our top 10 Connecticut Ciders post where it had a number of spots. New England Cider is located in Wallingford, but like us you may have seen them first as a guest cider at a brewery or two since they seem to be on tap everywhere. Their taproom is located in an industrial area like most breweries, and although small, it is quite rustic with their polished wood bar and tables. Every time I have gone they seem to be packed, and once you try their cider you will know why.

Chris: New England Cider Company was the first cidery I went to in Connecticut and I keep going back for more. They rotate their ciders pretty frequently and have a decent variety whenever I go. The cidery always has some sweet (my favorite), semi-sweet, and dry ciders so everyone will be able to find something they like. I also enjoy the fact that they like to try new things like their mint cider, and bring back some old traditions, like their ice cider, where you freeze concentrated fresh juice then ferment it to create an very alcoholic cider. It’s hard to pick just one favorite from them, but last time I went I had to get their sweet blueberry cider which was amazing. All of this goes to show that New England Cider knows what they are doing, and you need to try them out.

Shannon: In a state with so many craft breweries (not that I’m complaining) it’s great to have a cidery so committed to serving up flavorful ciders made out of the finest local products. When I try to think back to the first time I tried locally made hard cider all that comes to mind is New England Cider Company. They really are top notch when it comes to Connecticut cider. It’s impossible not to find them on guest tap in different breweries and restaurants around the state. Last year Chris and I attended a cider, beer, and cheese pairing at Front Porch Brewing with New England Cider Company, and while all of their ciders were great, one has stood out to me as the best cider I have ever had from them – a 6% ABV Ginger Hibiscus cider. Since this pairing event, ginger hibiscus has never come back on tap. Don’t ask me why because this cider was delicious. But you better believe that the next time it does grace their tap list, I’ll be running back for the first sip!

Other cool things:

Ever wonder what Shannon looks like? Well, here she is sippin’ away on some New England cider!
  • Snacks available
  • Bring your own food
  • Recently started canning their cider!
  • You can buy merchandise
  • Great peak at their brewing process from the taproom

What Chris drank:

Chris: Blueberry (Sweet) 5% ABV – 5 out of 5

Chris: Fresh Blend (Sweet) 5.8% – 5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?