The thrilling boom of American craft brewing has shaken up the international beer world, with some of the richest variety and most outside-the-box suds coming out of nearly every corner of the country. And as a guest at the Goodwin, you’ve got a fabulous setup for appreciating greater Hartford’s very respectable share of that modern craft-brewing tradition.
Besides supplying an array of craft beer at our on-site Harlan Brasserie and Side Bar cocktail lounge, our downtown location also makes an auspicious launch pad for exploring local breweries. Let’s take a look at three standouts in the vicinity!
Hog River Brewing
The Hog River taproom is a warm, welcoming gathering place that calls out for some laidback and convivial beer appreciation. While enjoying a frothy pint or tasting samples here, you can admire the giant vintage machine presses in the corner: legacy of the brewery building’s history as the Hartford Rubber Works and the Pope Manufacturing Company.
And what about the beverages these Connecticut-born-and-bred brewmasters whip up? Well, they cover the gamut, from light and crisp German Kölsches to sturdy brown ales and hoppy IPAs.
Local food trucks and Thursday concerts, meanwhile, add to the Hog River Brewing experience.
Hanging Hills Brewing
Named for our region’s lovely traprock highlands—scenic heights woven in legend—Hanging Hills Brewing creates a similarly across-the-board lineup of topnotch craft beers. Whether it’s the midnight-black oomph of a stout, the beautiful bitter punch of an IPA, or the easy drinkability of the Session Saison that gets you going—and maybe it’s all of the above—you’ll find just the brew to suit your afternoon or evening at the Hanging Hills taphouse.
Up at the taphouse’s hand-built bar, you can order a pint or haul away a growler or some Hanging Hills cans to go.
New Park Brewing
You only have to venture a little farther afield to West Hartford to sample the blue-ribbon beers of New Park Brewing. The taplist always puts the emphasis on variety: Settle in for a heavenly and heavy-hitting IPA, or maybe go for the light, sour zest of a Berliner Weisse. You can accentuate your New Park beer with bites from the local food trucks the brewery invites in to tend to the appetites of its happily imbibing patrons.
A refreshing sip of locally made craft beer is one very vital strand of the Hartford area’s overall flavor. Come experience that flavor with a beer safari out of the Goodwin—and don’t forget to swing by Side Bar for a pint as well!
