Almost Famous Brewing Company

When: December 21st, 2023

Where: 17 Kripes Rd, East Granby, CT 06026

Nestled near Bradley Airport in East Granby, Almost Famous Brewery takes its cue from the iconic movie, channeling a distinct rock and roll vibe. The establishment boasts an array of music memorabilia, with walls featuring artists from James Brown to Nirvana. Beer taps shaped like guitars and records on the walls further amplify the brewery’s commitment to its musical theme.

The spacious venue offers more than just a place to sample craft beers. Divided into several side rooms, patrons can engage in arcade games, board games, and other recreational activities, several which can be reserved for private parties. The ambiance is laid-back, catering to both beer enthusiasts and those looking for a casual hangout spot. Which seems to be what most new breweries in Connecticut go for.

A noteworthy feature at Almost Famous is their “Get Funky With It” feature were you can add a flavor to your drink. There is a list of around twenty flavors ranging from blueberry to Habanero Lime and Swiss Chocolate, any of which can be added to a beer or seltzer, but we only tried with the seltzer. Its certainly a unique feature and I enjoyed the Watermelon Seltzer.

Almost Famous Brewery offers a laid-back atmosphere with a touch of musical flair. They are also dog friendly as a number of well behaved dogs were at the brewery on the night we went.

Nick: I think I should have gotten the “Get Funky With It” in my beer as well because overall my takeaway was that the beer was bland. A sour should not be bland but both the “Tangent”, a tangerine sour, and the “Same as it ever was Peach” were pretty indistinct from each other. The “Stranger than Fiction” Stout was the same issue. I liked the Harmony Seltzer, we tried it with a few different Get Funky flavors added in but I found the Watermelon to be the best. While I liked the customizable flavor idea for the seltzer I feel like my beer should be good enough flavor wise for me to want to drink it on its own.

Chris: Almost Famous was doing live music trivia when we were there which was a pretty unique thing to offer. I always like a place that is willing to try new and unique stuff, and that includes the Get Funky flavor shots they offered, but as Nick already mentioned, it seemed that their beer needed added flavor. That being said, Almost Famous does have a lot of beers on tap with a wide variety of styles. The Tangent sour was my favorite but it still could have used more flavor. I also had Stranger than Fiction Stout and the Plush Milkshake IPA which all had nice base flavors, but were overall bland.

Other cool things:

  • Live music
  • Open mic nights
  • Food trucks
  • Many other events

Nick: Same as it ever was(Peach) (Sour) 5.3%- 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Tangent (Sour) 5.6%- 3 out of 5

Chris: Plush (Milkshake IPA) 6.9%- 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Stranger than Fiction (Stout) 6.5% – 3.75 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 3.5 out of 5

Location: 3 out of 5

Atmosphere: 3 out of 5

East Hartford Brewing Company

When: October 21, 2023

Where: 776 Tolland Street, East Hartford, CT

East Hartford Brewing Company opened its doors in 2020 in the old Burnside Ice Company building built in 1930. Before East Hartford Brewing Company was Old Burnside Brewing Company that specialized in Scottish beers. It closed down in 2018, but they have brought back their flagship beer, the Ten Penny Ale. The parking lot was small and kind of hidden away and the building was easy to drive past and not notice. We didn’t sit inside the main building where the brewing happens as it is apparently very small, but instead we sat in the much larger barn out back with a full bar inside. The inside of the metal barn was decorated for Halloween, but still looked very much like the inside of a metal barn if you just added a bar. There was plenty of seats indoors and out, but no heat. So when winter comes, its going to be cold. They have added a nice bathroom next to, but not attached to, the metal barn, so there is that. The taproom had a nice variety in beers with sours, stouts, IPAs, and ales.

Chris: We both got flights so we could sample as many beers as possible, so I of course went for the sours and stouts. My favorite was their Sour Penny Ale with strawberry and green apple. I am a sucker for green apple flavors so this was nice to have, but I wish it was a bit more flavorful, which was the overall theme for all of EHBCs beers. Their Sour Penny with orange creamsicle was much the same, good flavor that I wish there was more of it. Their stouts were even more bland, but I kind of get it since this brewery is very much an old school brewery.

Nick: I was also drawn to the sour ales. The Sour Penny Ale with strawberry and green apple was a standout for me as well. However while I enjoyed the combination of strawberry and green apple, I also found myself wishing for a bit more intensity in the flavor. It seems like subtlety is a common thread in EHBC’s beers. The Sour Penny with orange creamsicle, although tasty, left me wanting a more pronounced citrusy kick. Interestingly, I also noticed the same trend with their stouts. While they might be considered more on the mellow side, I can appreciate the nod to the old school brewery vibe they have going on.

Other cool things:

  • Cans to go
  • Occasional events

What we drank:

Chris: Dirty Pumpkin Ale (Black & Tan) 5.2% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Sour Penny Ale (Sour) 5% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Dirty Joe Coffee Ale (Stout) 5.1% – 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Money Penny Stout (Stout) 7%- 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Ten Penny Ale (Red Ale) 5.5%- 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 3.5 out of 5

Location: 2.5 out of 5

Atmosphere: 2.5 out of 5

Still Hill Brewery

When: July 22nd, 2023

Where: 1275 Cromwell Ave, Rocky Hill, CT

Still Hill gets its name from the conveniently named hill that the brewery is located on, where a working still was back in the 1800s. As many small craft breweries, Still Hill began as a homebrewers dream to open a brewery. After a successful kickstarter campaign, the brewery opened in Rocky Hill and has been brewing ever since. The brewery is located in the back corner of an industrial park with some limited outdoor seating and parking. Once you walk in you can see that they have tried to give the place a more barn feeling with wood plank wallpaper and a wooden bar. The inside can sit between 30 and 40 people and they have an extensive mug club collection on the back wall. Most nights spent at the brewery will include live music, trivia, or comedy shows.

Chris: The atmosphere of the taproom didn’t blow me out of the water, but the beer is the most important part of any brewery. My favorite beer was their Muga-Joe coffee stout at a whopping 8%. It had a nice coffee taste that didn’t overpower the overall flavor, and did a good job of not letting on that it was 8%. Other than the Muga-Joe, none of the other beers really stood out. I had the Sluggy Buggy oatmeal stout, VanHilla Imperial Porter, and the Still Hill Strawberry Blonde ale, and they were all decent but didn’t leave me with any desire to take a 4 pack home.

Nick: I have been to a lot of breweries and what I am always looking for is something to impress me. I was very interested in trying the Fruitatious Sourpuss Sour series but while the Keylime and Raspberry was good I wasn’t blown away by it. I also tried the Blood Orange Pomegranate from that series and found it was so light that it really didn’t taste like much. The same went for the HoneyB Lager, it was so light that I tasted only a very subtle hint of Honey.

Other cool things:

  • Multiple events every week
  • Growlers and cans to-go
  • Mug club

What we drank:

Chris: Muga-Joe (Stout) 8% – 4.5 out of 5

Chris: Still Hill Strawberry (Blonde Ale) – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Sluggy Buggy (Stout) 5.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Fruitatious Sourpuss Key Lime with Raspberry (Sour) 5.5%- 3.5 out of 5

Nick: HoneyB Lager(Honey Lager) 5.7%- 3 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion:

Beer: 3 out of 5

Location: 2 out of 5

Atmosphere: 2 out of 5