Filtering by Tag: Spirits,Middletown

Two Roads Brewing Company Launches Dinner Pairing Series- A New Brewery Experience

Events Features Brewery Ingredients Interview Tasting Menu Brewery Two Roads Brewing Company Craft Beer Spirits Distillery Interview Homepage beer Stratford

Andrew Dominick

If you’ve followed the evolution of Two Roads Brewing Company, it’s quite something. Since the main brewery opened in 2012, one thing they kept doing is continuing to evolve. Not including a laundry list of beer releases, Two Roads went onto open a second facility next to their Hop Yard six years ago that you now know as Area Two Experimental Brewing. Following Area Two and all their fun, funky small batch drops, and in no particular order, Two Roads got into making canned cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, distilling (we’ll have a few teasers on that), and they even purchased the former PizzaCo across the street and turned it into Two Roads Food Hall & Bar and next door, Two Roads Tee Box, a golf simulator, making it a full-blown “campus.”

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Mine Hill Distillery in Roxbury: Spirits Distilled + Bottled in Connecticut and a Cocktail Program Coming Soon

Features Interview Ingredients Distillery Spirits Litchfield County Roxbury Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Driving on Connecticut State Route 67 towards Roxbury, you’ll notice a handful of historic buildings that date back to the 1800s. What used to be a train station, cigar factory, lumber shed, general store, and a post office is now a distillery. And unless you’re up in that area, Mine Hill Distillery may have popped up on your radar in this very moment as you’re reading this.

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Two Cocktail Industry Veterans Open Connecticut Distilling In Waterbury

Features Spirits Distillery Cocktail Lounge Cocktails Homepage

James Gribbon

Connecticut has seen a bewildering explosion of craft breweries in our state since the early 2010s, but distilling? Not so much. We do have some very worthwhile options in the state, from Litchfield and the Hartford region, through the Rt. 8 corridor, and Fairfield County. The newest borrows the state’s name, alongside a few familiar faces in the industry.

In March of 2020 [ominous music plays] we brought you the birth announcement of our then-newest Connecticut distillery, Continuum, on the upper outskirts of Waterbury. What was old is now new again, and the cycle continues with Connecticut Distilling.

“We have new spirits, new recipes, new products like bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, new hours for the tasting room; it’s a brand new distillery,” said Stelios Stavrianos, who has partnered with well-known bartender and beverage industry founder, Dimitrios Zahariadis, otherwise known as the Cocktail Chemist, to create Connecticut Distilling.

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Fourth & Pride Vodka: Founded in CT, In Support of the LGBTQ+ Community

Features Liquor Spirits Vodka Specialty Products Cocktails Local Artisan

Stephanie Webster

There’s a new vodka in town, and before you say, “they all taste the same,” get ready for something a little different. The brand is Fourth & Pride, and it was founded by John Edelman (former CEO of Design Within Reach), and his partners, Douglas Slayton and Jesse Weinberg, in recognition of the spirit, vitality, and camaraderie of the famous East Village pride bars and their patrons. What does this tasty new vodka brand have to do with Connecticut? The CEO lives right here in Westport, and with Edelman’s background in high design, this brand has some serious swagger. Plus, if you need another great reason to go forth and score yourself a bottle, Fourth & Pride donates 5% of all sales to charities in support of the LGBTQ+ community and may just be the smoothest vodka you’ve ever tasted.

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Grano Arso & Highclere Castle Gin Partner for $99 Ultimate Cocktail...For A Good Cause

Features Cocktails Fundraiser Spirits Local Artisan

Kristin L. Wolfe

Although we continue to lament the trials of 2020 and all the ways in which IT has put a damper on our spirits, there are still some things bubbling to the surface as pure goodness. If anything, 2020 has called on all of us to be more creative and resourceful than we’ve ever been before. Take collaborations for example. Businesses have been coming together to not only support one another through tough times, but CREATE in ways which raise the bar of possibilities.

Grano Arso, in Chester and Highclere Castle Gin out of Essex, in partnership with the namesake estate in England and location of the beloved series Downton Abbey, have come together to create the ultimate moment of luxury. From November 1 - January 1, diners have the opportunity to delight in, perhaps, the most lavish cocktail ever made. This $99 cocktail is not meant to empty your pockets, although the pleasure itself might be worth the moment, but in fact, go to a wonderful cause. Given the downsides of Covid-19, the Channel 3 Kids Camp, celebrating their 110th year, was unable to run this year, therefore disappointing countless Connecticut children who did not get to experience it this summer. More than ever, the proceeds from this divine cocktail will ensure kids get their camp experience in 2021.

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Saugatuck Grain & Grape Pop-Up Store Opens in Westport to Pay It Forward

Features WIne Spirits Wine Shop Specialty Market Liquor Shopping Westport Openings Pop-Up

Stephanie Webster

For those of us who shop or live in the Westport area, you could hear a communal groan of sadness when Saugatuck Grain & Grape closed up shop by the train station in 2018. It was audible. Owner, Mimi McLaughlin ran her small boutique wine and spirits shop like a family, and every time you walked in that door, she taught you something, or opened your eyes to something new. Shoppers walked out excited about a new small producer wine label, a local distiller they’d never heard of…or a cocktail, made perfectly. Her passion and knowledge of all things “grain and grape” created a brand that took her love of educating the consumer and made her a leader in her field.

Fast forward to 2020 and…wait for it…Mimi is back. Last week she opened a Saugatuck Grain & Grape pop-up location at 1460 Post Road East. You can still lean on her for that perfect red wine recommendation, but it’s different this time around. McLaughin says ”I am back because I came to a realization during quarantine, that what I really want to do, is support the local community, those who need it most.” She has put her money where her mouth is, as SG&G is giving 15% of ALL SALES to local charitable organizations.

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Continuum Distilling Opens In Waterbury With Craft Spirits Made From Beer

Ingredients Features Beer CT Beer Distillery Spirits Local Artisan

James Gribbon

Because they apparently didn't have enough on their plates with Black Hog brewing, Ordinary cocktail bar, OLMO, Caseus, and The Stack in New Haven, Jason and Tom Sobocinski and Tyler Jones have launched Continuum Distilling in Waterbury. The distillery logo features a hop surrounded by the tricorner symbol for recycling, an emblem of their process, which takes the often discarded "trimmings" from area breweries, and reduces them to an unusual, boozy essence.

I made it up to Continuum last weekend for their grand opening, and my first impression was that it shares a building with Brass Works Brewing. Neat! I'd had several Brass Works beers before, but I'd never been, so a single trip can be a BOGO for the efficiency-minded drinker on the go.

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CT Distilleries Share Their Favorite Holiday Cocktail Recipes

Features Ingredients Cocktails Recipe Entertaining Holiday Local Artisan Distillery Spirits Homepage

April Guilbault

’Tis the season for merriment annnnd with merriment usually comes festive cocktails. Knowing that Connecticut has some amazing small-batch distilleries, we would like to highlight some delicious cocktails utilizing these spirits to get your party going and get your guests dancing like ol’ Mr. Fezziwig. Enjoy these jovial creations at your next party or pick up a bottle of these local spirits as a great gift for hostesses, friends or family members. Spread the local love, raise those glasses and enjoy the holidays. Cue the merriment!

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Mine Hill Distillery in Roxbury: Spirits with a Sense of Past and Place (via CT Magazine)

Features Distillery Local Artisan Roxbury Cocktails Spirits

Connecticut Magazine

Time is an ingredient,” Elliott Davis says as he takes me on a tour of Mine Hill Distillery in Roxbury. The venture capitalist turned sheep farmer turned distillery owner is speaking literally. He’s referring to the way the rye, bourbon and other styles of whiskey produced at his distillery will be flavored by the passage of time as they sit aging for months and years in barrels. But he could also be speaking figuratively. Each drop of liquid produced at his distillery, which opened this fall, is inspired by the past.

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Conspiracy: Killer Cocktails & Small Plate Magic in Middletown CT

Restaurant Bar Cocktails Middletown Spirits Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

The niche at Conspiracy has been very warmly received and has opened up such a great new opportunity for Middletown visitors. Chef Sassi mentioned, “The small plates is something that’s been a passion of mine for several years, so,  to have a place entirely devoted to small plates breaks the mold of the conventional way of eating out. What’s better than experiencing several different dishes and flavors and journeys for the cost of a single regular entree?”

I agree. It’s super smart, very creative, and  gaaa damn delicious.

“Being a craft cocktail bar in Middletown is a hustle,” mentioned owners Mark and Jen Sabo. “We’re not a big city, the town isn’t (yet) a place people 100 percent think of as a destination, so we have to grind and push the boundaries of creativity and innovate and change constantly...our guests respond to variety and innovation, so we are constantly looking to deliver that.”

If it was even possible to manage more tasty bites, my guest and I tried the S'mores,  to finish a journey of exquisite flavors. Like the PB&J, this treat paid homage to its childlike original and yet, had a cooler, dressed up vibe. Toasted graham cracker crumble, marshmallow creme anglaise, spiced chocolate, and brûlée marshmallow all painted on a plate, that was part art, part throwback summer memory.

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SONO 1420, Small Batch Distillery Featuring Hemp Distilled Spirits, Opens in South Norwalk

Features Ingredients Openings South Norwalk SONO Distillery Cocktails Spirits Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

It was a vote of 14 to 20.

One hundred years ago in 1919 Connecticut State Senate couldn’t ratify the 18th Amendment which made Connecticut one of two states at the time to defeat prohibition. 

It was a real moment in history, and now a real moment for SONO 1420, the revolutionary new distillery making waves in the world of spirits. As far as everyone knows, they are THE only distillery around using hemp seed in its remarkable mash for whiskey as well as other parts of the plant for its flavorful and aromatic essence in gins, bourbons, and ryes.

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Conspiracy Cocktail Bar in Middletown Gets a Sustainable Ramen Menu via CT Magazine

Restaurant Ramen Asian Middletown Noodles Cocktails Bar

Connecticut Magazine

Exciting Ramen news from Connecticut Magazine…

The tables and chairs were not designed with eating in mind and, through no fault of its own, Conspiracyis located more than an hour away from my house. Even so, I can’t wait to go back.

The reason?

One word: Ramen.

OK, three words: Ramen, cocktails and atmosphere.

Let’s start with the atmosphere. Conspiracy is undeniably cool. Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack cool. Accessible by an easy-to-miss doorway on Middletown’s Main Street, the second-floor space has the feeling of a secret club straight out of a film noir. Lounge chairs snake around an L-shaped room with painted-white brick walls. Edison bulbs hang from lofty ceilings, casting their warm light over a showstopping square bar. Behind the bar, bartenders twirl, mix and shake various liquids as they prepare alcoholic elixirs, often from historic recipes.

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Fujiya Ramen in Middletown: Tokyo-style ramen with New York vibe

Restaurant Japanese Asian Ramen Middletown Openings Comfort Food

Middletown Press

Looking for great ramen? Middletown Press has the scoop on the new Fujiya Ramen...straight from Tokyo. 

Fujiya Ramen opened in August at 425 Main St. and already, the restaurant has become somewhat of a hangout for Wesleyan University students, according to Andy Liu, owner.

Whenever there’s an event at the school, students come out to the restaurant to socialize, eat and take advantage of the wifi, he said. The vibe of the eatery, especially when the students are congregating, reminds him of similar establishments in New York City.

“I go to New York a lot because in New York (ramen is) very popular,” Liu said. “Young people like it because ramen is really fast and pretty healthy food.”

Liu, who has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years and also owns Sakura Garden in Windsor and Royal Buffet in Manchester, was impressed the first time he visited a ramen restaurant. “I said this is a really good idea — really modern,” he said.

He talked to a friend in Tokyo who has Fujiya Ramen restaurants in Tokyo, New Jersey and Albany, New York, and suggested they join forces. Liu found a head chef who was originally from Japan and his friend sent a crew from Japan, including additional chefs and servers, he said.

“That’s why our ramen (dishes) are different because we have people from over there,” Liu said. “It’s almost the identical ramen as in Tokyo.”

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One Dish: White Sicilian Pizza, Jerry’s Pizza, Middletown

Restaurant Pizza Middletown Delicious Dives Lunch

CTbites Team

If Middletown had a taste, it would be Jerry’s Pizza. And if Jerry’s has a signature dish, it is undoubtedly the locally famous white Sicilian pizza. Nothing speaks to the Italian — and specifically Sicilian — identity of the city like this dish. The intense flavor of the pizza is no joke: you either love it or hate it, and those who love it, really, really love it. So much so, in fact, that you have to plan your day around it. The specially made dough for the white Sicilian takes roughly two hours to rise properly. The pizzeria has been around since 1968, when it was opened by Jerry Schiano, an Italian immigrant from Naples. Though Jerry is now retired, his daughter Carmela Lockwood operates the restaurant, and says the recipe comes from her grandmother, who used to make the dish back in Italy. (Her family is not Sicilian, but the style of thick dough is distinctively from the island.)

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Pho 170 Opens in Middletown: Vietnamese + Thai Cuisine Gets Top Marks

Restaurant Asian Middletown Noodles Thai Vietnamese Homepage

Hope Simmons

“That’s it,” I overheard a man say with a smile, holding his takeout order as he joked about having come in four days in a row. The word is out downtown...Pho 170, M’town’s newest/latest, is busy. The service is friendly and attentive, showing this new kid on the block is already in the groove, cranking out fresh and delicious dishes—both Vietnamese and Thai.

It’s not been quite three weeks since Viengthong Charonesuk opened the doors to her newest restaurant. And, unlike so many other spots when they first get started, everything’s well under control. Even on a night when they were one person short on the waitstaff, they pulled everything off without a hitch. Vieng hails most recently from Bann Thai in Cheshire, and she’s run restaurants in other locations across the state as well. Little things, like making sure you have extra plates when you share a dish, aren’t overlooked. And it’s always a nice touch when your water glass is refilled before you even need to ask.

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Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball & Cocktail Contest in Middletown Celebrates Prohibition Era

Restaurant Cocktails Middletown

Amy Kundrat

The producers of Onyx Moonshine, a Connecticut liquor distillery, are hosting The Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball on September 27, 2013 from 8 pm to midnight at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT. 

The prohibition era-inspired event will bring together 15 restaurants for a cocktail challenge. Each restaurant will compete by creating a custom jarred infusion using fruits, vegetables and herbs, with Onyx Moonshine 111, the company's higher proofed version of its moonshine. 

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