CT Craft Roundup: Autumn Brews
Before everyone fully embraced their inner basic white girl and turned pumpkin - not pumpkin spice, pumpkin is not a spice, it's a flavor, you philistines - into the fall food and drink craze it has become, breweries big and small had their other seasonal offerings. Oktoberfests, harvest ales, saisons: there are plenty of great options besides the Great Pumpkin. Connecticut has seen a great many microbreweries open within its borders over the last decade, and in a state widely celebrated for its autumn, the harvest is their time to shine. Here are four that can be found locally (or in some cases, regionally) that won't disappoint.
image via Untappd
AUTUMN NUGGET by Black Hog Brewing Co.
Black Hog heads across the Sound to Long Island for the wet hops they use in this ale. Pink peppercorn, vanilla beans, cinnamon and nutmeg all make their way in as well, making for a very aromatic blend. All the flavors of autumn (sans the p-word); what's not to love?
via ctnow.com
OK2BERFEST MARZEN by Two Roads Brewing Co.
Two Roads has really grown in popularity over the last several years, and it's refreshing to see a visible Connecticut-based business doing well for once. It's a solid take on the classic German Oktoberfest style beer, with a smooth finish and (at 5.8%) a decent kick.
via mensfitness.com
OCTOBERFEST by Thomas Hooker
Bloomfield's Thomas Hooker brewery goes straight to the source, importing German malts to create their popular Octoberfest lager. It doesn't leave as bitter an aftertaste as some other fall seasonal beers do, and can be found all over New England and beyond.
via chefstableseries.tv
AUTUMN WINDS by Grey Sail
OK, we're cheating just a bit here; Grey Sail is a stone's throw across the Pawcatuck River in Westerly, RI. Close enough. Autumn Winds has everything a great beer requires: great color, complex flavors, and a full body. Just like your mother.
To find out where you can pick up Thomas Hooker and Two Roads, among numerous others, the SeekaBrew website is indispensable. Black Hog's beer locator can be found here, Grey Sail's is here. Happy drinking!
