Bad Dog Brewing Company

When: June 28th, 2024

Where: 117 Water Street, Torrington, CT

Bad Dog Brewing is one of those breweries that surprises you, not just with its beer but also its story. Located in an old firehouse, this brewery offers a welcoming atmosphere for both beer enthusiasts and dog lovers alike. Despite the name, Bad Dog Brewing is quite dog-friendly! The name comes from the owner, who jokingly refers to his three mischievous dogs at home. The brewery opened in 2021 and is a relaxed place to enjoy good beer. It is in a very walkable part of downtown Torrington.

One of the most exciting aspects of Bad Dog Brewing is its Flight of 12 option, a unique offering that allows you to explore a wide range of beers in one visit. This is a perfect choice for those who love to delve into different styles. Unfortunately, Bad Dog Brewing does not currently feature many beer options. The brewery does features guest taps, and during my visit, we had the pleasure of trying Spoke and Spy and Alvarium from their guest lineup. If you are in Torrington make sure to drop by. 

Nick: Strawberry Hefe Forever, this was a solid 3.5 out of 5 for me—a refreshing strawberry hefeweizen that had just the right amount of fruity flavor without being too sweet. The Amarillo Bliss was pretty good, a light fruity wheat beer. Honestly, my favorites were all the guest taps.

Chris: The large flight really gave us a chance to sample a bunch of different beers from Bad Dog and others. My favorite beer from Bad Dog was the Amarillo Bliss, a light wheat beer that I could easily imagine crushing on a hot day. Another wheat beer I had from Bad Dog was the Watermelon Tail Wagger which was more flavorful, but wasn’t quite as crisp. Other, I really enjoyed the aesthetic of the taproom more than anything as it was set inside an old firehouse with a full fir engine inside.

What We Drank:

Chris: Watermelon Tail Wagger (Wheat) – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Amarillo Bliss (Wheat) 4.2% – 3.75 out of 5

Nick: Looking for a Lite (Blonde) 5.4%- 3 out of 5

Nick: Strawberry Hefe Forever- 3.5 out of 5

Other cool things:

  • 1st and 2nd floor bar
  • Host private events
  • Wine, Cider, and Seltzer from Sunset Meadow Vineyard

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 2.5 out of 5

Location: 4.5 out of 5

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5

Armada Brewing

When: June 21st, 2024

Where: 190 River Street, New Haven, CT

In June, Chris and I enjoyed visiting Armada Brewing in New Haven. Opened in 2017, this brewery is an excellent example of how a former industrial space can be transformed into a vibrant, creative hub for craft beer enthusiasts. With its bold murals and fun atmosphere, Armada Brewing has quickly become a favorite spot in the city. Like many breweries, Armada Brewing occupies a reclaimed industrial building, but they’ve given it a fresh, artistic feel. The walls are adorned with colorful murals, creating a lively backdrop while you enjoy your beer. Inside, there’s a laid-back vibe, complete with games to keep you entertained between rounds of beer. Armada offers a wide variety of beers, from IPAs to rich stouts, along with more experimental brews.

Nick: While Armada has an extensive list of beers, two of my personal favorites stood out during our visit: Notorious Gypsy: This tart sour is packed with pink guava, passion fruit, and peach, offering a bright and fruity punch that’s both refreshing and complex. Rey’s Temptation: A perfect balance of sweet and tart, this raspberry sour stood out with its bold berry flavors and smooth finish. Both beers had that perfect combination of tartness and sweetness that I love in a sour, making them the highlight of my experience.

Chris: As a fellow lover of sours, I was also enamored with Rey’s Temptation as it had a nice creamy raspberry flavor without being too sweet. There were plenty of options at Armada, but I decided to go for my tried and true stouts and porters. The best of the dark beers was the Lord Chancellor, a creamy oatmeal stout that came in at a whopping 7%. Needless to say, I was glad that I wasn’t the one driving.

What we drank:

Chris: Lord Chancellor (Stout) 7% – 4.25 out of 5

Chris: Rey’s Temptation (Sour) 4.5% – 4.75 out of 5

Nick: Notorius Gypsy (Sour) 5%- 4.25 out of 5

Nick: Rey’s Temptation (Sour) 4.5%- 4.25 out of 5

Other cool things:

  • Plenty of merch
  • Lots of events including trivia, night markets, and wresting
  • Cans to go
  • Private event booking

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 4.5 out of 5

Location: 3 out of 5

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5

Little Red Barn Brewers

When: June 28th, 2024

Where: 32 Lake Street, Winsted, CT

Little Red Barn Brewers started brewing beers in 2013 and opened up their taproom in Winsted in 2019. The taproom in Winsted was built for variety in all aspects, starting with a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating. Once you walk in, you will instantly notice the barn design of the bar and the large amount of mugs from their mug club. Looking at what’s on tap, you will see wheat beers, IPAs, a stout or two, light beers, ciders, and seltzers, showing again that Little Red Barn wants to reach all crowds. Like many breweries right now, Little Red Barn has put a kitchen into its taproom, and it has an extensive menu with BBQ and pub food. The owners really aim to appeal to all sorts of drinkers and eaters.

Chris: With such a large variety of beers, I decided on getting a flight with a wheat, shandy, porter, and sour. The Berry Manilow sour was by far the best of the bunch with a nice fruity raspberry and blackberry taste and just enough sourness. Unfortunately, my luck with the other brews wasn’t so good. The Everyman’s Porter, Winchester Wheat, and Shade Tree Shandy were all very bland and forgettable. I know that not every beer can stand out with its flavor and you want some easy drinkable stuff, but I still want something that is going to want me to come back for more. I’d like to go back to Little Red Barn at some point to see if I can try some of their other beers, and get a chance to try out some of their delicious sounding food.

Nick: Chris and I stopped in with our friend Steve before a Yardgoats game, and this place was a bit out of the way, especially since I live on the shoreline. If Little Red Barn was closer to where I live, I would probably want to stop in a few more times because I liked their Vibe. Like Chris, the only beer that stood out to me was the Berry Manilow; the Over-Ripened and Cow Tippin’ Copper Ale were pretty bland.

What we drank:

Chris: Berry Manilow (Sour) 4.9% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Everyman’s Porter 5.6% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Winchester Wheat 5% – 3 out of 5

Nick: Berry Manilow (Sour) 4.9% – 4 out of 5

Nick: Over-Ripened (Brown Ale) 5.5%- 3 out of 5

Nick: Cow Tippin’ Copper Ale (Pale Ale) 5.6% – 3 out of 5

Other cool things

  • Mug club
  • Private event space
  • Axe throwing next door
  • Cans to go

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 3 out of 5

Location: 4 out of 5

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5