Iron Brewing Company

When I went: January 4th, 2020

Location: 136 Washington Street, Norwalk, CT 06854

Iron Brewing Company opened in 2017 by three chemists in Norwalk, hence their motto, “Better Beer Through Chemistry.” The brewery is located right next to the Norwalk river in the downtown part of South Norwalk. Iron Brewing is a brewpub style and very much gives the impression of being a bar, one of those new fancy New York gastro-pub like bars that all the cool young people go to. I am surprised they let my brother in. While not huge, they can fit a decent amount of people into their space with plenty of bar seats and tables. Being a pub they also have an extensive menu and craft food to go with their craft beer.

Chris: So I went to this one with my brother instead of Shannon; sorry Shannon. We stopped here on our way to a hockey game and had never been before. Although they don’t have a large selection of house beers (six when we went) the ones available were high quality. I had both the Raspberry Sour and the Strigo Nitro Coffee Porter and would definitely recommend both. Being a Brewpub they also have plenty of other drinks including craft beers from other local breweries as well as a full bar. So this is a place you can go even with some lame non-beer drinking friends. It’s also a nice one stop for lunch/diner because of how much food they have available AND they have desserts (always a plus for me). If you are in the area I would definitely give this place a try, and if you live near them, I would join their beer club; on Wednesdays you get a free beer!

Other cool stuff:

  • Brunch on Sundays!!!!!!!!
  • Beer club deals
  • Hoppy Hour (I like the pun)

My persuasions

Raspberry Sour 4 out of 5

Strigo Nitro Coffee Porter 5 out of 5 (Nitro makes everything better)

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Hops On The Hill Brewery

When we went: February 23, 2020

Location: 275 Dug Road, South Glastonbury, CT 06073

Hops On The Hill Brewery is the definition of farm to glass. All of their beers are made with hops and grains grown on their family farm which they have been running since the 1950s! What’s even cooler – the brewery itself is in an old tobacco drying barn and surrounded by operating farm land. During the summer months the brewery even operates as a farmers market, selling fresh cut flowers, hops, pumpkins, and other fresh produce! The moment you drive onto the farm property towards the brewery, you’re guaranteed to feel more connected to the authentic farm environment. You can even see the hops they grow to use in their beer. Grab a beer, sit back, and pause to enjoy what’s around you.

Shannon: The moment I wandered onto Hops On The Hills farm property I felt at home. Maybe that’s just the Pennsylvanian in me though. The land is seriously beautiful – I can’t wait to go back and see what it’s like when winter is over. What I really like about Hops On The Hills beer is that it’s all made with ingredients grown on their farm. How they have the time to work a farm AND brew beer is beyond me, but more power to them! I’ve been on a Hefeweizen kick lately so of course I had to have theirs. It was light, hazy, and had a subtle banana smell and taste – I enjoyed it so much I had to have it twice.

Chris: What I find so great about the Connecticut craft brewery scene is the wide range of vastly different brewery types. You have the cool hip city brewery, the brewpub, the hole in the wall with great beer, and stuff like Hops on the Hill. This is a very rural location for the taproom, you literally go down a dirt road through the woods. If this place came around before google maps I doubt anyone that didn’t live in South Glastonbury would know how to get there. That is part of this place’s appeal, its not near anything else. There is tons of outdoor room, which is great if you have kids, let them run around and tire themselves out. The inside reminds me of an old saloon in a good way. Get as many small individual tasters you want so that you can try all their different beers. I of course had to get their porter which was pretty good, but I also got their apple ale which I would recommend. Everything I had was good, and hopefully next time I go they will have a few more options. I definitely want to go back in the warmer months to enjoy the outdoors with some of their beer.

Other cool stuff:

  • During the summer you can bring your own lawn chairs or picnic blankets and drink on the farm!
  • Occasional food trucks during the summer
  • Farm to glass brewery
  • Doubles as a farmers market during the summer
  • Hops On The Hill merchandise for sale
  • Hiking, walking, and biking trails start and end at the brewery!!
  • On Thursdays in March, get a free slice of pizza with your beer

Our Persuasion

What we drank:

Shannon: Hefeweizen 4 out of 5

Chris: Coffee Porter 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Apple ale (Powder Hollow collab) 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Stony Creek Brewery

When we went: January 30th, 2020

Location A: 5 Indian Neck Avenue, Branford, CT 06405

Location B: Foxwoods Casino

Stony Creek Brewery opened in Branford in 2015 and is located right on the Branford River. This huge facility boasts a large parking lot and tons of both indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor taproom gives a tiki-bar-like vibe (or maybe that’s just what we think) but they definitely play up the coastline location with the décor and logo. The taproom also has a second floor for events too! In addition, they have a patio and outdoor bar with multiple fire pits and spaces to play corn hole or bocce ball. Overall, their Branford location is massive and beautiful, especially during the summer. They opened a location at Foxwoods Casino too, so if you suddenly become thirsty from all that gambling, you can stop by and have a drink.

Chris- Stony Creek is one of my favorite breweries and this not the first time I have gone. I love the atmosphere of the place, and because of how massive their place is, you don’t have to worry about the crowd on a busy day. I really feel like I’m in a stylish beachfront tiki bar when I am there. They usually do a food truck, especially during warmer months so you can really stay all day, enjoy the sun, drink some beer, and grab something to eat while playing plenty of outdoor games. Stony Creek is open seven days a week which I am a fan of because few breweries are open in the early week. When it comes to their beer, it’s quite good. They have a large selection and many different types of beer, including one of my all-time favorites, their Nitro Chocolate Porter with Peanut Butter. The last time I went though I got the “Mango Zinger,” a Sour which had a nice fruity flavor with just the right amount of sour, and “Woodsy Breakfast Porter” which was perfect for the cold day it was.

Shannon- This place really does have some great drafts. I always enjoy starting off my visit here with a flight. I don’t get to come often, so when I do, there’s always a handful of beers I’m dying to try. So much beer, so little time. Our last visit I got a flight with: “La Garza Laid Back Lager” (a lager), “Stony Boogaloo” ( a lager), “Winter Weight” (a porter), and “Montoweiss” (a hefewizen). I liked the Montoweiss so much that I got a full pour after finishing up my flight! I would 10 out of 10 recommend this brewery to anyone looking to enjoy a nice day with some family or friends.

Other cool stuff:

  • Open 7 days a week!!
  • Food trucks during the warmer months/ in-house pizza during the winter
  • Outdoor spaces for games like cornhole and bocce ball
  • On the water with dock access
  • Cool people join the mug club
  • They do brewery tours on Saturdays and Sundays for just $5! (includes sampling)
  • Mini merch store
  • You can see right into where they do all their canning

Our Persuasion

What we drank:

Chris: Mango Zinger (Sour) 4 out of 5

Chris: Woodsy Breakfast Porter 4.5 out of 5

Shannon: Montoweiss (Hefewizen) 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 5 out of 5