Powder Hollow Brewery

When we went: January 23rd, 2020

Location one: 504 Hazard Ave, Enfield, CT 06082

Location two: 62 Washington Street, Middletown, CT 06457

Powder Hollow opened in Enfield in 2014 and expanded to Middletown in 2019. Powder Hollow gets its name from the area where the brewery began. Powder Hollow is a part of Hazardville, which is a part of Enfield, which is part of Hartford county, which is a par….sorry I got distracted! Powder Hollow and Hazardville both get their name from the booming (no one has made that pun before) gunpowder industry in Enfield. This explosion (yes I did it again) in gunpowder production saw the rise of Colonel Augustus Hazard, who created Hazard Powder Company in 1843, hence the name Hazardville. The gunpowder industry eventually blew up (literally) in 1913, but the history is clearly still aflame. All this, not only influenced the name of the brewery, but also the logo – two rifles on a gunpowder barrel.

The Enfield location shares a building with R Dee Winery, so even winos can enjoy the trip up to the taproom. The Middletown location is right off of Main street, so not only are you within walking distance of over a dozen restaurants, you can also get Chinese delivered right to the bar thanks to the Chinese restaurant located next to the taproom. Unfortunately, this convenience does come with a price, specifically parking, which you have to pay for until 8pm. But if you can overlook the $1 an hour parking, both locations have great hours and are open 7 days a week.

Chris: We went to the Middletown location most recently, but Shannon and I have been to both locations a few times now. While the Enfield location is more out of the way for us, it has a nice feel to it. Middletown’s atmosphere is similar but with more exposed brick and lights made out of growlers, giving it a very rustic feel. The taproom is about average size with indoor and outdoor seating. The tap list is expansive and has a little bit of everything on it. They also do cider, wine, and cocktails, so everyone will find something they like. I have had a dozen of their beers over our many visits, but my favorites have, of course, been their darks. Checking my untapped I have Caffeination Station (Espresso Porter), Tony’s Twist and Stout (Milk stout), and 1929 Prohibition Porter (American Porter) all listed at 4 out of 5 or better. Their darks tend to be rich and smooth without making me feel like I just ate an entire pizza. Powder Hollow is a great brewery to go to any day of the week and bring even non-beer drinkers, if you want to associate with those kinds of people that is.

Shannon: What can I say that Chris hasn’t already? Well, for starters, everytime Chris and I have visited this brewery we’ve had the same bar tender. It’s always nice to walk into a place where you recognize the person behind the bar. Beer wise, I really enjoy their fruit beer called Strawberry Fields. It’s a tasty, refreshing, light beer that brings back those summer time feels. Overall, this place is great and you should definitely check it out. Beer is good. Good beer makes you happy. Happiness can be found at Powder Hollow Brewery. See you there, cheers!

Other cool stuff:

  • Some merch available
  • A few tasty snacks for purchase
  • Live music occasionally
  • Cans available!
  • Craft cocktails made by a cool bar robot!!
  • Cash is not accepted at the Middletown location – you can only pay with card
  • Shannon lives close by so you can just yell and she will come drink with you (it’s true, I will)

Our persuasion:

What we drank:

Chris: Pineapple Express (New England Indian Pale Ale) 2.5 out of 5 (I’m just not an IPA guy)

Chris: Tony’s Twist and Stout (Milk Stout) 4 out of 5

Shannon: Mango Milkshake IPA 3.5 out of 5

Shannon: Bayonet Blonde (Blonde Ale) 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5

Beer’d Brewing Company – The Silo

When we went: January 23th, 2020

Location one: 22 Bayview Ave, Stonington, CT 06378

Location two: 225 Leonard Dr, Groton, CT 06340

Beer’d Brewing Company opened in Stonington in 2012, which makes it old for the Connecticut craft brew scene! Brand new is their location in Groton, which opened this month! The two of us have never been to the Stonington location but managed to stop by their Groton taproom recently. While the taproom is not very big, it is very nice, with a clean modern look to it, decorated with action comic-like art. The owners clearly wanted to created a place to hang out with friends without any distractions because no one under 21 years old (human or animal) is allowed in. This makes it tough for families to go but really nice if you don’t want to be bothered by wild children or barking dogs.

Chris- I personally loved the look of Beer’d and while I am sad doggos can’t go in, I can understand it. They are not the only place to not allow dogs or kids, and I think we have all been annoyed at some point by bored kids who have decided to make the taproom a (loud) playground. The convenience of Mystic Cheese Shop right next door makes this a nice one stop brewery that you could spend considerable time at. Beer’d had a large selection and variety of beer with 15 beers and 1 cider on tap when we went. Although it will be difficult to try much of their selection as they do not do flights here. I did manage to knock back a few drinks starting with the Bong Appetit, a thick breakfast milk stout with a light salty flavor. I also had the Cold as Weisse, a Berliner Weisse with a great cherry and lime fruitiness with a light sour kick and a good aftertaste. Overall this is a good place to hang out with some friends and enjoy 1 to 8 beer’ds. Just kinda wish I got a discount for having a beard.

Shannon – As someone who works in the New London/ Groton area, I’m super excited that Beer’d is open for business! Outer Light Brewing Company and Tox Brewing Company are great, but it’s nice to have a third brewery to add to the mix after a long day at work. Like Chris already said, flights are a no-go here, so I was only able to have two beers before calling it a day. One of the beers I knew I had to have was Connecticut Casual, a German pilsner. Why did I have to get it? Well, when I moved to Connecticut from Pennsylvania I keep saying that my new personality was going to be “Connecticut casual.” It’s silly, I know, I know, but it is what it is. Beyond the coincidence of the name, my favorite thing about Beer’d actually wasn’t the beer – it was the glass that it came in. I’m a big sucker for nostalgia and paying homage to local communities, and Beer’d got my heart when I realized that on the glass was the New London/ Groton Gold Star Bridge, three beer tanks, and a submarine! I mean, come on?! Talk about a cool little tribute to Beer’ds new home in the submarine capitol of the world.

Other cool stuff:

  • Located right next to the Groton/ New London Airport
  • Mystic Cheese Shop right next door (they deliver right into the brewery!)
  • Large selection of canned beers to go
  • Brew merch
  • Super cool action comic-like wall art
  • No children allowed (human or dog)

Our Persuasion:

What we drank: 

Shannon: Connecticut Casual (German pilsner) 4 out of 5

Shannon: Cold as Weisse – Cherry Lime (Berliner Weisse Sour) 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Bong Appettit (Breakfast Milk Stout) (Collab with Hanging Hills) 4 out of 5

Chris: Cold as Weisse- Cherry Lime (Berliner Weisse Sour) 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Elicit Brewing Company

When we went: January 2nd, 2020

Location: 165 Adams St, Manchester, CT 06040

Opened only a few months ago in November 2019, Elicit Brewing is already an must-go-to entertainment destination in Manchester. A brewery, restaurant, bar lounge/hall, vintage arcade, craft cocktail lounge, beer garden, and entertainment space. This place has everything and more! The main downstairs bar features 50 different in-house and guest taps, plus cans of beer if what you want isn’t on tap. If you’re looking for something a little harder, upstairs they have a craft cocktail bar with traditional and signature drinks.

Shannon: Elicit really is the ultimate adult playground. It can be a little overwhelming when you first walk in, but once you take a few minutes to walk around and see everything they have going on, I think you’ll find a room and a space that you wont want to leave. Whether you want to drink beer, wine, or a cocktail, everyone can find something they’re going to enjoy and want more of. Plus, who doesn’t love in house food and arcade games? Last time Chris and I were here, a few of the arcade games were out of order, but I suppose I can over look that considering all the people that have been playing on them since they opened in November. Something that I really like about Elicit is that between all the guest beer in the building, they find the time to brew some of their own creations. I’ve only had one of their beers so far, the Deliberate Milk Stout, which is a collaboration with Real Café in Bristol. It is a pretty traditional tasting stout, but good nonetheless. Overall, Elicit is a pretty cool place and I hope to see them slingin’ beers and pizza for years to come!

Chris: Okay, so I am going to pretend I am a mature 27 year old man who will NOT make a joke about Shannon’s decision to call it an “adult playground.” But my childish humor aside, I would describe Elicit as a crowd-pleaser. Not matter who you are coming with they will find something they like. This place gives the feel of a gigantic modern and stylish sports bar fitted with an arcade and karaoke station. Yet the brewery also gives off an older feel with a mural of an old Cremo Ale advertisement on one of the main room walls. (You might remember Cremo from our post on Alvarium). In addition, Elicit’s location may be recognized by Manchester locals as the old Adam’s Mill restaurant, but the structure dates back even farther to a 19th century paper mill. I personally like the combination of old and new especially since old industrial buildings have become an almost accidental brewery staple. I have gone to Elicit a few times now so I have been able to try a few of their beers and my favorite was Deliberate Milk Stout (shocker the stout guy picks a stout). It is a coffee milk stout that was light in alcohol without being overpowering in flavor. Being a newer brewery they don’t have a huge selection of their own beers (only five on tap), but hopefully as they become more established they will branch out not only with selection but with variety as well.

Other cool stuff:

  • Old school arcade (17 different vintage games like Donkey Kong, Centipede, and Tetris)
  • Comfy couch lounges
  • Upstairs craft cocktail bar and lounge
  • Outdoor beer garden in the warmer months
  • Live entertainment  (bands, DJs, karaoke, trivia)
  • A full kitchen because they know we all want something to snack on (plus they do brunch!!)
  • Dogs are allowed (but only on the front patio)
  • Merch
  • Open 7 days a week

Our Persuasion:

What we drank 

Shannon: Deliberate Milk Stout (Milk Stout from Elicit Brewing) 3 out of 5

Shannon: Bunny Patch (Strawberry Malt-Shake NEIPA from Witchdoctor Brewing Company) 4 out of 5

Chris: Deliberate Milk Stout (Milk Stout from Elicit Brewing) 4 out of 5

Chris: Botched Facelift (Passion Fruit Sour from Elicit Brewing) 3 out of 5 

Chris: Yodeling Cherubs (Fruit Beer from Elicit Brewing) 3 out of 5

Brewery Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?