Fox Farm Brewery

During this time with COVID-19, please support your local breweries if you can! They are doing everything they can to stay above water, and lets be honest, you can’t quarantine the right way without their beer. Many breweries are doing online or pick-up orders, so give them a call or check out their websites to see what they have available. #drinklocal

Photo Source: From the Fox Farm Brewery Instagram.

When we went: February 13th, 2020

Where: 62 Music Vale Road, Salem, CT 06420

Fox Farm Brewery is a family owned and operated brewery that opened in 2017 in the very rural town of Salem. The owners, Zack and Laura Adams, turned an old 1960’s dairy barn into a two story brewery and taproom. This new and improved barn still gives the rustic farm feel while having a modern and clean aesthetic which fits in well with the rural landscape. Fox Farm focuses on local ingredients and cultivating a farm-to-glass experience. The brewery continues to embrace their farm setting with beers named Hearthbound, The Cottage, and Woodline. During the warm seasons you can enjoy their farm landscape inside the barn or in their outdoor seating area.

Chris: I am a big fan of Fox Farm’s rural aesthetic and always love when places restore historic buildings. The rustic experience felt authentic, from the landscape, to the barn, to their tap handles being made from shovel handles. It made me want to put on overalls and start riding a tractor. When it comes to the beer, Fox Farm knows what they are doing. My favorite was their Ashlawn Coffee Stout, using Farm Coffee in Old Saybrook, owned by another member of the Adams family! You will have to plan out your visit as the brewery had limited hours when we went back in February. Fox Farm seems like the perfect place to have a Halloween bash, or am I the only one that thinks that? I mean, Adams family and Salem scream Halloween and an old barn with good beer scream party!

Shannon: Rural area, a beautiful building, and great beer, how can you go wrong?! Fox Farm really is a lovely brewery. Indoor seating is a little hard to come by, but maybe that’s just because we visited in February and the outdoor patio wasn’t open. If you’re going to stand around waiting for a table, you might as well do it upstairs on their second floor. Up there you get a really good view of the equipment Fox Farm uses to brew all of their tasty beers. Speaking of tasty beer, when Chris and I were here catching up with an old friend I enjoyed two really great beers! The IPA I had was the perfect parts hops and citrus, while the Porter I had was full parts roast. From the soil come the spoils, indeed Fox Farm!

Other cool things:

  • Pup friendly and kid friendly!
  • Outdoor patio
  • Bring your own food!
  • Fox Farm is one of many CT breweries that are raising money for the CT Hospitality Employee Relief Fund and have already raised $1,300!!
  • Check out their To-Go beer selection for all your quarantine beer needs!

What we drank:

Shannon: Wile (IPA) 7.4% ABV – 4 out of 5

Shannon: Hearthbound (Porter) 6.5% ABV – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Ashlawn (Coffee Stout) 7% ABV – 4.5 out of 5

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

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

2nd Bridge Brewing Company

During this time with COVID-19, please support your local breweries if you can! They are doing everything they can to stay above water, and lets be honest, you can’t quarantine the right way without their beer. Many breweries are doing online or pick-up orders, so give them a call or check out their websites to see what they have available. #drinklocal

Photo Source: 2nd Bridge logo from Untapped website.

When We Went: January 2, 2020

Where: 642 Hilliard Street, Manchester, CT, 06042

2nd Bridge Brewing Company is a hole in the wall, basement-like, haven for any and all soccer enthusiasts. If you’re ever in need of a cold beer and a place to watch a match, 2nd Bridge is the place for you. They typically have six to eight beers available, plus the occasional cider from Stafford Cidery on tap. Opened for the first time in 2015, this sports bar is located on the basement floor of the historic Hilliard Mills, a large brick building which used to house the first woolen mill in the United States! If you haven’t figured out already, Chris and I are suckers for a good brewery within the walls of a historic building. If you’ve ever been to this area of Manchester, maybe you’ll remember when this neighborhood was home to Top Shelf’s Hilliard Mill location before they moved to North Main Street and later became Parable Brewing. 2nd Bridge has been around for five years with no signs of leaving.

Shannon: 2nd Bridge is not a bad little spot! The brewery is a little cramped but it’s divided up into three different rooms, so that helps things feel a little more spacious. The beer selection is also on the smaller side, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Traditional styles and traditional flavors still make for good beers. On our last visit here I had a New England IPA called the Buck Oh that was creamy, flowery, with just a mild bitterness. I also had a Farmhouse IPA called Lil Gooner that left a funky taste in my mouth – probably because it was a little sour and I’m not a big fan of that flavor profile. Coming in at a low 3.6% ABV, this slightly sour IPA is just as weird as its name.

Chris: Located in the basement of the Hilliard Mills, 2nd Bridge is heavily decorated with (mainly European) soccer memorabilia giving the feel of a hole in the wall old Irish pub. This is the kind of place that would have monthly dad meetings. They could come here to play darts or watch sports or come up with new ways to embarrass their children. 2nd Bridge continues their European theme with their beer, with the North London brown ale and a Mr White’s Irish Cream Ale. But I haven’t really been blown away by any of their beers and every time we go they seem to have the same selection. I wish they would change it up and try some new styles, but this is still a great place to go if you want some classic styles and a good soccer match. (I tried to come up with a soccer pun, but like most soccer games I ended with zero.)

Other Cool Things:

  • Order delivery, food trucks, or BYOF
  • Plenty of bar games
  • TV’s to watch sports (soccer of course)
  • All of their beers are available in 32 oz. crowlers – order online and drive to their patio for pickup during COVID-19 quarantine!

What We Drank:

Shannon: Buck Oh (NEIPA) 3 out of 5

Shannon: Lil Gooner ( Farmhouse IPA) 2 out of 5

Chris: Krampus (Farmhouse Saison Ale) 3 out of 5

Chris: Orford Parish (Porter) 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 2.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Labyrinth Brewing Company

During this time with COVID-19, please support your local breweries if you can! They are doing everything they can to stay above water, and lets be honest, you can’t quarantine the right way without their beer. Many breweries are doing online or pick-up orders, so give them a call or check out their websites to see what they have available. #drinklocal

Labyrinth Brewing Co. logo from their website.

When we went: January 2nd, 2020

Location: 148 Forest Street, Manchester, CT 06040

Labyrinth Brewing Company was opened by three Manchester natives in 2018 after a successful kickstarter. The entrance actually has a “Wall of Heroes” dedicated to people who donated to their kickstarter. Continuing passed the names, the space opens up into a large rustic taproom with polished wood accents and local are covering the walls. Together, their taproom creates a mix of lumberjack and hipster, both of which make me want to put on flannel and grow out my beard. Do lumberjacks get confused for hipsters? If so, do they get annoyed? We ask the important questions here.

Chris: I have been to Labyrinth a few times now, partially because I can almost walk there, but also because of how great this place is. They have a good selection of beer AND local cider, and they are constantly coming out with new beers and variants of old ones. I get the sense that the brewers at Labyrinth play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons or are really into mythology, with beers named “Champion of the Sun,” “Double Cyclops,” and “Tears of Ra.” My personal favorite is the Milk Sickle, a citrus Milkshake IPA, but I always make sure to grab a cider when I am here because they consistently have 3 to 4 local ciders on tap.

Shannon: If you’re looking for an industrial yet chic place to listen to some live music or play bar trivia, Labyrinth dabbles in it all. The brewery has a lot of seating, from bar stools to tables to couches, and there are a lot of solid beer options too. My favorite beer from them is a blonde ale called Starburst Strawberry Lemon. Coming in at a low 5.3% ABV, this brew is packed with the taste of strawberries and lemons. Full of strong, smooth flavors, this beer fully lives up to its candy inspired name.

Other cool stuff:

  • Mug club
  • Food trucks and BYOF
  • Dog friendly!!
  • Merch for sale
  • Currently doing beer-to-go during Covid-19 quarantine

Our Persuasion

What we drank

Chris: Mochatron Nitro Milk Stout 3.75 out of 5

Shannon: Labyrinth Robust Porter 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?