Brewery: Thomas Hooker Brewery
Location: 16 Tobey Rd; Bloomfield, Connecticut
Cost: Friday Night Happy Hour from 5:00 - 8:00 pm ($10 / includes brewery tour, beer, and pint glass); Saturday Tastings from 12:00 - 5:00 pm ($5 / includes beer and tour)
What to bring: Don’t forget your driver’s license — and come with some food in your belly! The samples are quite generous!
Our Pick: The Nor’easter!
Recent Claim to Fame: Named the 73rd best brewer in the world by RateBeer.com
For more information: Visit their website
The brewing process begins in these large silos.
Pop quiz: who was the founding father of Connecticut, influential in the creation of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and the namesake of one of the Northeast’s favorite breweries?
If you guessed Thomas Hooker, congratulations. You’re correct!
Indeed, Hooker Brewery continues to grow in popularity and for good reason. Ever since it was purchased as Troutbrook Brewery in 2003 and renamed to its current name, it has continued to grow.
Buy a growler full of your favorite beer for $11 -- bring it back and get it filled again for only $8!
With beers of all types and an inviting and relaxing atmosphere, it’s sure to please. Many of its eleven unique beers have won multiple prizes – like the hoppy India Pale Ale, the seasonal Octoberfest, or the dark Imperial Porter. Other beers like the surprisingly popular Watermelon Ale – which is supposedly their most popular beer – or the Blonde Ale are lighter and more refreshing.
Hooker Brewery will soon need a bigger wall if they plan to continue posting their awards and recognitions.
And Hooker continues to expand… with their new facility, which they moved into a few years ago, they have added the capacity necessary to do contract brewing for some of the most popular restaurants in the Hartford County – including the Max Restaurant Chain and City Steam. Distribution has expanded regionally, as Hooker Beer can now be found throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine.
Believe it or not, this Watermelon Ale is delicious. We love pretty much any ale.
Visits include a tour of Hooker's manufacturing.
So with such a variety of beers to try, whether you are visiting Connecticut for the first time or have lived here your whole life, consider visiting one of New England’s most popular craft breweries: Thomas Hooker!
The Nor'easter: our pick for Hooker's best beer
Courtney Mroch
How fun! I thought of you two this past weekend when we tried a new place here in Nashville. It wasn’t a brewery but it had a biergraten. It seemed like the sort of place you all would get a kick out of. (I’ll be writing about it, but haven’t yet.)
Ellen
Let us know the place! I’ll be in Nashville this summer. Maybe we can meet up for a drink!
Jess @UsedYorkCity
I love how you can buy a whole growler and have it refilled for just $8! With deals like that, this sounds worthy of a roadtrip from NYC!:-) Cheers!
Ellen
I know, right! It really is such a good deal if you think about it. And you can fill it with whatever’s on tap that night!
D.J. - The World of Deej
Wow…awesome stuff…I’m liking this Brewery of the Month thing:)
Ellen
Thanks, D.J.! Glad you’re enjoying it! Got any suggestions for where we can try next?
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
Sounds great! Too bad it is so very far away from California. I tried an orange beer once and was shocked by how good it was! I would definitely try the watermelon.
Ellen
Yes, orange beer … like a Blue Moon or something similar. I like to have a slice of orange in my beer, actually, during the summer. Let us know what you recommend from the West Coast world of craft brews!
Ayngelina
I had no idea the jugs were called growlers, I wonder why
Ellen
I have no idea
Lane
Now, I have to find this in my specialty beers store. :o) We’ll call it “research”.
Ellen
I hope you’re able to find it! And if not now, then maybe in a few years — they’re really growing.
Steve
The Watermelon Ale sounds refreshing - is it strong?
Ellen
Nope, not too strong. Just the perfect amount. You can smell it almost more than you can taste it.
Andrea
Dark imperial porter? John would be there in a heartbeat! We really need to try more American craft beers - hard to find many of them outside of the States.
Ellen
There are so many good ones, I don’t know how Anheusser Busch ever caught on here … Let us know the next time you’re in the U.S. and we’ll by you a round!
Laurence
I love the term growler. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds bloody awesome 😀
Ellen
Come up to New England next time you’re in the U.S. and we’ll buy you one! You — and others — have inspired me to look into its origins!
Angela
I don’t like the usual beer, so I wouldn’t mind trying this one and see if it’s better 😛
Amy
That sounds pretty cool! My husband would be glad about it as a birthday trip! He is a big fan of this beer!
Gladys | ByahengBarok.com
seems like an interesting beer to try out… maybe i should try to get to our own local brewery some time
Ellen
Let us know if you have a place you recommend — we’re always looking to try new beers out.
Wanderplex
Yum, a watermelon ale sounds great - super refreshing on a hot summer’s day!
Ellen
I know, right? I could go for one right now!
Mary @ Green Global Travel
I’d try a Watermelon Ale - perfect for summer