First time trying NewSylum Brewing Co. in Newtown, CT. NewSylum Brewing Co., opened its doors in 2020, the 15-barrel microbrewery sits on the historic campus of Fairfield Hills, a former psychiatric hospital. The name "NewSylum" cleverly bridges "Newtown" with the historical definition of "asylum" meaning a sanctuary or place of refuge. The taproom is housed in a beautifully restored, historic red brick colonial-style building. Customers can enjoy full table service inside the 9,000-square-foot space or relax in the extensive, dog-friendly outdoor seating areas. I've heard this area is full of paranormal activity if you're into that. We recommend the following wood-fired pizzas: -Hot Oil pie pizza -Pepperoni pizza -Korean BBQ pizza -Hot Italian pizza -Giant Pretzel Drinks: -Frozen Mudslide drink -Counting the days IPA We had excellent service and really enjoyed seeing historic photos of the old asylum room before building got renovated. Check it out when in the area! Happy Yelping :) read more

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We came on the weekend and got to enjoy the outdoors and live music. We were there early enough before the crowds came in. There's enough seating indoors too. We loved the feel of the place and how relaxed it was. We tried an assortment of beers and tried the pizza, hot dog with relish, and large pretzel. It is dog friendly and definitely kid friendly. Would definitely go back if we were in the area! I did love the names of the beers that they all have. read more

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Good beer in a super cool space ! Turning onto Keating Farms Ave gives you an eerie view into the past. When we arrived around 330 on a Saturday afternoon the main indoor area was already packed. We were a bit disappointed because the band sounded great. We ended up sitting in the enclosed outdoor space with our group of 4 adults. Despite the cold temperature outside and the heavy rain, we were cozy and warm until we left around 630 PM. Our group tried many of the beers on the menu. Counting the days was my favorite of the beers that I tried and Dunkelweiss was a close second ! I loved all the fun beer names. We ordered the giant pretzels to share while we casually enjoyed our beers. We ended up ordering the cheese pizza and buffalo chicken pizza. The buff chix pizza was very salty. I'd personally pass on that one on our next visit. Overall great visit and will return when in the area ! read more

NewSylum Brewing - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

Getting to Newsylum if you're not from the area is a bit strange it is literally located amidst what looks to be abandoned and municipal buildings alike. I guess I should have known from the name but I was not aware of the mental hospital that once was the sprawling campus of where this brewery is located. We went here before a show at Edmond Town hall which is in the center also near a crazy flag pole in the middle of an intersection, but I digress. We enjoyed beer, wine, a brick oven cheese pizza and a giant pretzel amongst a cool vibe with stunning architecture and lighting inside. The waitresses were getting it done and there is a nice little self serve water station, also plenty of parking. read more

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Food quality / price (value) 8.5. The atmosphere inside is neo-industrial / brewery with a bar and tables, and outside is campground-picnic chic. We each ordered our own pizzas - the wife had the "Bianca" and I had the Pepperoni. Both were good, with a thin crisp crust. We each had one of the draught beers they offer and both were very good. This venue also has limited liquor available, and a small selection of wines. Located on the grounds once known as "Fairfield Hills Hospital" - a state run psychiatric hospital which operated from 1933 to 1995. The property was purchased by the Town of Newtown and is being developed as a town resource including several new munipal buildings. read more

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Love this Brewery so much. We had a great lunch at a Mexican Restaurant up the street and decided to pop into one of our favorite breweries (3/15/2026) since it was nearby. New Psylum is always a great place on the weekends with live music, excellent pizza and pretzels and almost always amazing service. Today was no different. We decided to sit at the bar since we weren't eating and so glad we did. Totally different experience. Bill was the bartender and very friendly, helpful and professional. The musician didn't play or sing too loudly but could be heard at the bar fine, so really enjoyed his performance. Sometimes you can't really talk over the bands which can be tough. In the summer months they often have bands outside. The place is always clean and they have really cool swag. Come check them out. read more

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Mediocre at best. Beer wasn't impressive. Pizza was average, not earth shattering. Loud environment. Rude service. If you know the terrible history of fairfield hills or Connecticut's mental hospitals in general and why they have all closed - or even the fact that alcohol leads to a mental hospital - this establishment can also be seen as insensitive. read more

Really cool brewery!! In an old building that use to be the Fairfield asylum! Awesome pizza and drinks! First time here and enjoyed it! Went on a Thursday night and got to play trivia! Ordered the pepperoni pizza and margarita pizza. Pizza was made fresh to order and tasted delicious! Also enjoyed the decoy orange hard seltzer. Staff here was friendly and prices were fair. read more

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Fantastic little brewery with great beer, music, seating and high quality eats. Service was excellent on a Saturday afternoon read more

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In the area to watch some college fall softball and figured we needed beer and food. Late afternoon on a Saturday, place was pretty busy but still able to seat us and servers were not too overwhelmed. 10 beers on tap from Hazy IPAS to cream ale. A couple dark beers as well. We got a 10 inch Margarita wood fired pizza. Very good, one item that would make an over the top, more mozzarella. Beers included Counting the Days was the preferred for Amanda as she also had Thesaurus Rex too. I had Counting the Days cream ale which was my favorite on tap today. Would we come back, yes!! A walk after the beers to see the area is a must!! read more

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This was such an interesting spot!! It's located in an old mental asylum? A lot of the buildings around are abandoned so I loved the vibe. Very eerie but cool as well! It looks like you can walk around the "campus" so definitely will be coming back when the weather is warmer. Aside from their beer they have other limited alcoholic beverages which I enjoyed as I don't drink beer. The rose was good and they have a small food menu. We ordered a pretzel to start off and their a pizza and all was great!! Definitely will come again!! read more

A local recommended NewSylum and it was such a nice surprise. They have a huge outdoor area where there was live music, games, firepit, and plenty of roaming space for kids and pets. The indoor area was a little cozy and finding a seat can be difficult for larger parties. We came for the beer but was really blown away by their pizza. Service was fast and extremely friendly. read more

I don't care what you care about may it be pizza or beer just go to this place for the pretzel alone My lord when I ate a bite of the pretzel I was in heaven read more

NewSylum Brewing - Most insane pretzel I've ever had - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

Would definitely come back! Minor recommendations but not glaring issues. Rating: 3.6-3.7 rounded to a 4. Beers were solid and great ambience. Music was good but the volume was way too loud. Need to tune that in. Food - we had the Italian hot pizza with honey and a giant pretzel. The taste of the pizza was great, the crust was a bit floppy. The pretzel was awesome. Overall very good value and service. read more

Came here when this place first opened and there is such a big improvement. Beer and different options on tap, awesome food and a great atmosphere. The hot Italian pizza, (sausage, pepperoni, bacon drizzled with hot honey) was so sweet and savory, with just enough heat. Probably the best brewery pizza I've had. We came on open mic night Definitely an experience . The history around the asylum is very interesting, so you can't stop without taking a quick tour around the abandoned building read more

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Cool concept and quick service! I'm not super impressed by their pizza and it's thin and small. I also can't judge their beers because I don't drink beer but I did like my blueberry ginger cider. I don't think they always have this though. The seating indoor is a bit uncomfortable and tight. A lot of shared tables with plexiglass to separate. I also prefer to not have a waiter. Typically I go to a brewery with a large group and it would be nice if you could just order on your own when you want. This brewery has a lot more going on and is more spacious in the warm weather. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

We sat at the bar and had pizza, wine and dark beer Service was great, friendly and helpful The atmosphere inside the building is refreshing and welcoming. Love that they brew all of their beers on site The small pizzas are thin crust, well done and very tasty They also have several outside venues and an roofed pavilion too. We left before the live music started, but definitely plan to visit again soon read more

Definitely will be back. Very cool ambiance... for those of you not familiar with the area, it is built inside an old famous insane asylum. Very cool. The beer is awesome, they have a lot of cool options...even a Belgian triple which is super rare since Redding beer co closed (rip). The people were very nice. They also have food which is a plus. The pizza was good, but a little oily for my taste (might be a me thing though). Prices are average. Overall great! read more

NewSylum Brewing - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

The beers are great and the hot oil pizza is delicious. I love the Dr. Strong triple Belgian ale

NewSylum is a brewery built in the old Newtown asylum (the employee dining hall, if I remember correctly). They usually don't have six IPAs on draft like most places, shuffling between a healthy mix of styles. Beers range from good to great; I've never had a bad one. The pizza is where this place really stands out. It's fired in a brick oven and the result is a New Haven inspired personal pizza that's a little closer to New York style (CT beer fans: think Brewport's but smaller). You can tell it's popular because they have a huge stack of to-go boxes. There's a lot of other stuff on the menu I haven't bothered trying because this is so good. Parking is a bit of a pain, especially if you want to fight for one of the two car chargers on the other side of the Fairfield Hills campus. But the chargers are free (for two hours), so if you can get one, lucky you! Also, it can get crowded and loud sometimes, especially when the music starts. Most breweries are like that. It's better in the summer when their outdoor space is fully operational. Plan your visit accordingly. But do visit the old asylum. You'd be insane not to. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Beer - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

I always love coming here for the historic stuff about the location and building. They also have great beer and pizza. I ordered the fest beer and we got a couple pizza pies, the hot sausage one was absolutely my fav. Love thin crust pizza! read more

NewSylum Brewing - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

Such a cool spot. They built a brewery in the old State mental hospital. Surrounded by abandoned buildings, which really call out for exploration. I like the fact that they seat you and there are waitresses walking around taking your order on their iPads. The beers come quick and are very good. They have a few food options as well. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Abandoned building next to the parking lot - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

I stumbled upon this place today and am now a fan of NewSylum Brewing for several reasons: 1. It's a former loony bin! Well, I guess the building was the loony bin staff's dining hall, but still...wild. The former campus is now huge public park and this brewery is in the middle of it, which is also cool, 2. They have live music out on their lawn. Often. A ton of people were there with their lawn chairs & it was such a good time! The band I saw today was stellar. Also, the brewery has pizza and pretzels, but they still had a couple local food trucks there, too. 3. They serve STOUT in SUMMER!!! This is the most important one to me. Stouts and porters are my favorite style of beer, and they're so hard to find in the warmer months, especially at a place that brews their own beer. I was absolutely thrilled that they both had a stout available at the end of July and that it was also a GREAT beer. read more

A friend suggested we stop here after a day at Lake Quassy, and I am so glad we did! Located in Newtown, NewSylum Brewing is surrounded by the old abandoned Fairfield Hills Asylums, and it's pretty cool!!! Inside is huge and they have plenty of outdoor seating too, with live music. The drinks were refreshing, and the service was great! They also have tons of food options. read more

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Had a really nice Saturday afternoon here. We sat outside under the picnic table pavilion and enjoyed a few great beers (really enjoyed their Boom Bang and the Helles Lager) along with delicious pizzas and a big pretzel. The staff have hand held devices to take your order and the beer and food was delivered very quickly. Love that set up! There was relaxing music playing and even though it was in the 80s and there was a surprise rainstorm, it was nice and comfortable in the shade. We also enjoyed talking to some strangers who sat at our table. It was all around a fun afternoon in a very cool environment. The inside of the building also looks very cool and we had a chance to move inside but enjoyed the outside so much, we just hung out there. Definitely will go back here. From a brewery perspective, they seem to be laying down the foundation for their beers but everything I had was good quality and tasted nice so I look forward to seeing how they develop. read more

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This place has improved in the last year. The pizza is better. The beer is more varied and solid. Would recommend now.

Love what they did to restore the building into a brewery. Drafts are always good and my wife loves when they have the ciders. Pizza is quick and pairs nicely. I love being able to sit inside or out on the patio. read more

Cool spot in Newtown CT. It was a beautiful day so they were very busy. We were lucky and found a spot at a table quickly. As we were leaving several people had started lining up for inside tables. My fiancé tried a lager which he prefers and an IPA. He enjoyed them both. Obviously Im not a beer person by my review. I had a great root beer though and tried a hot oil pie and the big warm pretzel with the beer mustard. The hot oil pizza was spicy which a thin crisp crust. Normally I dont do spicy but I loved it. The beer pretzel was huge, served warm with just enough salt and the beer mustard - awesome! The only downside they need more space already. Your only allowed food at tables. People tend to hang around at nice spots. If we got there any later we would have had a longer wait than we wanted. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Hot Oil Pizza - Red Pepper flakes, olive oil, cheese and sauce. - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

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Enjoyed this place on my first visit. Good good and beer and unique setting. Great spot to gather with friends! read more

NewSylum Brewing - Beautiful setting great food. - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

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I had a flight of beers. Pretty good IPAs. Location was great inside a former mental health hospital--the brewery is located inside the former doctor/nurse dining room. Also had a pizza and a pretzel, both were great. Good location with outdoor seating also. Will return. read more

We recently had a birthday party outside at Newsylum and we were beyond pleased with their service as well as their food! They had tents, tables, and chairs for our group of 40. We specifically chose Newsylum because of its relaxed and family friendly atmosphere which included a variety of drinks other than beer; non alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, as well as other alcoholic beverages like wine, cider, and seltzers. They had a specific area at the bar for our party to order drinks at which was a nice touch. I would also like to note that booking this event was such a welcomed relief with Kathy's prompt correspondence. Big thank you to Amanda for going above and beyond for us (she even went to the store mid event to buy more juice boxes)! read more

Such a fun & unique brewery located in an old asylum building, the decor is fantastic & so is the beer! At first it's a little weird driving in seeing all these old abandoned buildings but once you enter the brewery the place greets you with laughter and the aroma of freshly baked pizza. They serve a wide variety of delicious beers, pizza & beer hotdogs!! Totally a chill place for a afternoon beer-delight. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

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If a pub was designed in anticipation of a pandemic -- this is it. Able to gather after an hour long stroll across the grounds, over fields and through woods, and arrive to find reserved outdoor tables and chairs for 25 people waiting. Bathrooms directly accessible from a side entrance. Tried the Festbier (festy) with white pizza. A good pairing, but next time will go for a large pretzel and mustard. This is a place centered on crafting good beer. read more

NewSylum Brewing - Bianca (white) pizza and Festy (Festbier) - Pizza Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

Atmosphere was ok, outdoor seating was better then indoor band played well. 9 beer flights improved the stars but appetizers needed improvement. Closed at 9 pm instead instead of 12:00 am so it loses stars for closes early read more

Newsylum Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in Newtown, Connecticut in April 2020. It was founded by business partners Mark Tambascio, Dave Kingsley and Mark "Sharky" Lennon, with beers crafted by brewmaster John Watson. Tambascio's family opened My Place Restaurant in Newtown in 1989, which is a popular craft beer bar and Italian restaurant. The brewery is located on the campus of the former Fairfield Hills State Hospital: a psychiatric hospital that operated from 1931 - 1995. At its peak, the hospital housed over 4,000 patients. Following its closure, it was used as a filming location for the 1996 film "Sleepers" and was also the subject of an episode of the short-lived MTV paranormal reality series "Fear". The brewery is housed in the former Stratford Hall, which was utilized as the campus library and executive dining hall. I visited Newsylum for the first time this past Saturday afternoon. Many buildings on the Fairfield Hills campus have been renovated, but there are still many more that sit in a creepy abandoned state. When I was in college, I frequently heard tales of the campus buildings being haunted. I was accompanied by my wife and son, and we set up some chairs and a picnic blanket in the outdoor patio area. There was a decent sized crowd and there was a live band performing. The interior of the brewery was beautiful; love what they did with the place. I started off by trying out "Therapy Session" (a pale ale); it was very refreshing. Then I moved onto "Counting the Days": a New England IPA dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Columbus hops. That one was my favorite! Newsylum also makes fresh wood-fired pizzas from scratch. My wife and I ordered a Margherita and the Bianca (Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Romano and Garlic.) The crust was nice and thin and the toppings were very flavorful. They paired nicely with the beer. Overall, Newsylum is a cool new spot and we would visit again. read more

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My boyfriend and I absolutely love NewSylum Brewing. We love coming here on Saturday afternoons with our greyhound! There's live music and a relaxed vibe. The staff is super nice and friendly. The giant pretzels are awesome! They come with a delicious beer mustard too. The beers are great too! So far, we've had the "Boom Bang" Blackberry Berliner Weiss, "Counting the Days" Hazy IPA, and "Beautiful Consequences" Dipa Dry-Hop Series. I especially love their Blackberry Berliner, its hoppy and a little sweet. They always have a cider on draft too! I fell in love with Citizen Cider here. It's sweet and super refreshing. If you're looking for a relaxing afternoon, come here! read more

We were two neighborhood dads with our kids, who had a day out on the boat and stopped at the asylum on the way back home. This place is huge, has character, history and beautiful both inside and out with that 'make friends' bustling atmosphere you get at good breweries. They have a huge selection of really good beers. Some you've heard of, and others you haven't, but that's the whole fun of it. The limited menu has really yummy pizzas and everything else is not really worth the price. The service was kinda meh, maybe she wasn't having a great day or not that kid friendly, but we weren't going to let that ruin our overall great day out on the boat. Would come back but probably not with the kids. read more

Really a fan of this place. The campus is beautiful & love how they tried to keep the authenticity of the original structure in terms of their indoor design (original floor when it was the cafe for the Ffld Hills staff). Their thin crust pizza is very good & so are their big Bavarian pretzels. Of course good beer selection too. Live music, gorgeous patio w/condemned buildings surrounding you... Truly a cool spot for some food, enteral or just a brew read more

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Beer is fantastic. Their pizza is the best. Service is awesome. Love this brewery. The scenery is beautiful. You have to look it up. Take a trip. It's a must visit if you're a brewery connoisseur. One of my favorites. read more

So much fun. Great atmosphere and live music. The food was really good, especially the Bavarian pretzel.