Local Craft Beer Breweries Index Highly on Good Flavor and Good Times
By Zachary Schwartz
Whether you enjoy imbibing a malty farmhouse ale, a sour fruity gose, or a hoppy India pale ale (IPA), Litchfield County’s breweries offer a beer flavor for every palate. Not a beer drinker? No problem. We surveyed a selection of breweries that offer something extra special aside from their on tap brew.
Clocktown Brewing Company
Time is well spent at Clocktown Brewing Company in Thomaston. Situated in the former factory of the Seth Thomas Clock Company that famously designed Grand Central Terminal’s iconic four-faced clock, Clocktown Brewing Company opened in 2020 with a roster of lagers and time measurement memorabilia. Their beer menu offers a diverse set of flavors, ranging from German pilsner to tart sour beer to Belgian-style blonde ale. In keeping with the clock motif, beers have playful monikers like Time Flies, After Hours, and Double Time. Fastened to the walls of the brewery are clocks crafted in the 20th century by the Seth Thomas Clock Company, as well as other design nods to the horological heritage of the factory. Clocktown Brewing Company has a full food menu featuring pub fare and wood-fired pizzas, a rarity in the brewery scene. Come for a good meal and beer. Stay for a good time.
Great Falls Brewing Company
On the border of Connecticut and Massachusetts in the town of Canaan sits Great Falls Brewing Company, a beer brewery in a historic train station dating back to 1872. As is often true, not everything on the outside matches what lies within. The refurbished Victorian era train depot has a distinct yellow façade with decorative green and red detailing, and is now home to a brewery, train museum, and accordion museum. The locomotive exterior conceals a laid back taproom that welcomes a cast of regulars for happy hour, a nightcap on the way home from dinner in the Berkshires, or a lowkey outing to throw darts and watch a sports game. Great Falls Brewing Company’s beers, which are brewed downstairs in the basement, range from a sour raspberry cheesecake ale to a dark lager to an IPA brewed with fresh spruce tips, all of which yield recipes for success.
Kent Falls Brewing Co.
Located in Kent around the corner from Lake Waramaug is Kent Falls Brewing Co., Connecticut’s first farm brewery. The brewery is embedded within a series of red barns on Camps Road Farm, a 50-acre diversified farm that sells pasture-raised poultry and pork, plus grows hops for their own beer production. One of the red barns is the brewery’s ethereal tasting room, where draft beer is served alongside takeaway bottles and cans with creative minimalist labels. Guests can sip farmhouse ales, lagers, and pilsners under a ceiling of dried flowers hung from the rafters, while the beer is being brewed in large kettles next door. Beer flavor profiles vary from sweet to bitter, funky to mellow, and tropical to roasted. Importantly, Kent Falls Brewing Co. adheres to an environmentally-friendly mission. It strives to be as energy-efficient as possible, leveraging composted ingredients, recycled materials, solar panels, and well water.
Bad Dog Brewing Company
Downtown Torrington is home to a historic 1901 brick firehouse turned small batch brewer called Bad Dog Brewing Company. The father and son run brewery offers live music, games, private party spaces, local art for sale, and a particularly Instagrammable ambiance. The brewery owners leaned in heavily to the fireman aesthetic, decorating the renovated firehouse with antique automobiles and firefighting equipment, including a vintage 1940s Katonah fire truck, police motorcycle, derby racecar, and phone booth. Visiting tipplers can sample a flight of hazy New England IPAs or oatmeal stout on the long tables made of reclaimed firehouse floorboards. Bad Dog Brewing Company doesn’t entirely stay true to its name; the owners’ adopted husky apparently isn’t bad at all. On the contrary, this craft brewery is dog-friendly, offering treats and water bowls at the ready, and has previously sponsored fundraisers for animal welfare organizations.
Norbrook Farm Brewery
Up a farmland driveway past tractors and green-trimmed farm buildings lies Norbrook Farm Brewery, nestled on nearly 500 acres of sprawling grounds in Colebrook. This craft brewer is a one-stop-shop for a day filled with activities, where a loyal customer base pledges allegiance to homemade lager, saison, porter, and stout. The taproom employs informed staff who speak eloquently to the craft beers’ notes and aromas, plus recommend a host of activities on the grounds. From food trucks to farm animals to fire pits, Norbrook Farm Brewery offers far beyond what’s on tap. Aside from the farmhouse ales that pay homage to regional landmarks and are brewed using hops from their own yard, the brewery has an 18-hole disc golf course as well as several miles of forested mountain biking and hiking trails. Norbrook Farm Brewery is ideal for an afternoon spent with friends in any season. Play disc golf (and drink) responsibly.
