The best lagers in Connecticut, this side of New Haven. East Rock finally has some competition in their field. Redding Beer Company may even have a challenger!
Did you hear that Hog River Brewing closed their taproom? I didn't. Did you hear someone bought it? I didn't. But I live in western Connecticut, so I rely on word of mouth, which failed to let me know that Alvarium's former head brewer took his wife to visit Prague, and came back with a newfound respect for tasty, lower-alcohol, easy-drinking Czech beers.
We ordered a few small pours, so we thought, and wound up with over two liters of various beers on our table for $23. I had the Peace Pipe, a Polish grodziskie (smoked pale ale), which was a thin wheat lager with heavy beechwood and oak smoke. Stick that one in my veins.
I also tried the Sugar Leaf, a traditional American IPA (read: not a juicy hop bomb) that gets its citrus and lemongrass notes more from actual citrus rather than the hops that are used to flavor it. While it's not in their wheelhouse, they definitely bring their Eastern European brewing skills to the table and make something you haven't tasted in decades, back when IPAs were actually derived from the British recipe.
My girlfriend had the Red Band -- a rötbier, or Nuremberg red lager. It's heavy on caramelly malts and nutty, toffee notes while being light on the palate and stomach (we both ate full meals before coming here). She also got the Smoked Weizen, which takes a classic banana-ish Hefeweizen and mixes it with enough smoke to cut through the sweetness.
(It sounds like all their menu is rauchbiers, but we ordered all the smoky beers based on our tastes.)
While they don't serve food of their own, besides Drunk Alpaca chips, they are walking distance from Petrolhead Café and Parkville Market. Or bring your own.
Breweries come and go, but Dead Language has livened up the lager scene! Look out, Redding and East Rock. A challenger has entered the fray. read more