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

Hogans Cider Mill

When: April 7th, 2023

Where: 522 Spielman Hwy, Burlington, CT 06103

Hogan’s Cider Mill was founded in 1912 by Patrick Hogan and was purchased by PGA golfer Chet Dunlop in 1992. As a result there is mini golf course next to the barn and a golf course where the Dunlop’s run the New England School of Golf.The cider mill has been making hard cider for over 30 years and sweet cider for over 100. When you step inside the building, you enter the shop stocked with cider to-go, local snacks like candy, and different knickknacks. The taproom is located on the second floor and looks exactly like you would imagine if you put a taproom on the second floor of a barn. The barn setting gives a nice authentic atmosphere for drinking hard cider.

Chris: I’d consider myself a cider fanatic, but I had never been to Hogan’s Cider Mill. I was very excited by their selection of cider and cider cocktails that are seasonally updated and tried to get as many as I could. My favorite was the Just Peachy Sangria which had a nice sweet peach flavor without being overpowering. I was a big fan of the Sweet Nectar made with honey and Strawberries and Cream ciders. The one thing I will say is the flavorings they use seem to leave a tangy flavor to everything. Also, all ciders are 12.5% so bring a designated driver even if you only plan to have a drink or two.

Nick: Chris and I stopped in here after we went to Clocktown. My favorite was the Lucky Penny but I also really liked the Sweet Nectar and the Just Peachy. I was very impressed with the Mill’s authenticity, they don’t use any preservatives which means that they bottle in season. You can tell a place is authentic when they serve your cider out of jugs and the tap room is covered in historical newspapers and farm items from the past decades. Authenticity does mean though that these ciders 12.5% is more like drinking wine than your typical cider, so drink responsibly.

Other Cool things:

  • Mini golf
  • Gift shop w/ local snacks
  • Cider to go
  • Craft beer available

What we drank:

Chris: Just Peachy Sangria (Sweet cider) 12.5% – 4.75 out of 5

Chris: Strawberries and Cream (Sweet cider) 12.5% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Sweet Nectar (Sweet cider) 12.5% – 4.25 out of 5

Nick: Lucky Penny (Sweet Cider) 12.5%- 4 out of 5

Nick: Peep Show(Sweet Cider) 12.5%- 3.75 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4.5 out of 5