This past weekend we found ourselves trekking up to New England once again, though this time heading to Boston for the weekend to celebrate Bethany’s grandfather’s 90th (!) birthday. It wouldn’t be a Two Pints trip without a smattering of brewery visits interspersed with family time. One of our favorite past times is seeking out local breweries in areas we pass through on our way to our various destinations — it helps break up long drives and gives us an opportunity to visit breweries we may not otherwise get to see. We were excited to see that Two Roads Brewing Co, located in Stratford, CT, was just a few minutes off Route 95 north, about a third of the way through the state and just under three hours from the Lehigh Valley. Looking back over our extensive Instagram collection, we were surprised by how many Two Roads beers we have enjoyed and shared – they have been consistently solid with top-notch flavors.
The brewery itself did not disappoint! It is housed in the former Baird press manufacturing building which was erected in 1911. The brewery makes great use of the space, stylishly blending a modern, open-air taproom overlooking the brewing area while maintaining the historic feel of the original building. The large, rectangular bar sits in the center of the taproom with seating on all sides, surrounded by some smaller tables spaced throughout. The taproom creates a jovial inviting atmosphere perfect for enjoying their beer. Speaking of beer, we didn’t have a beer we didn’t like from the ten we sampled in our flights. We tried most of the year-round options, including their best-selling Honeyspot Road IPA, Worker’s Comp Saison, Road2Ruin Double IPA, and the Nitro Espressway Cold-Brew Coffee Stout — out of this group, the Double IPA and the Coffee Stout were our favorites. It’s not east to find a perfectly balanced double IPA that doesn’t leave you feeling punched in the mouth by hops, but is bitter enough to leave you craving your next sip; however, Two Roads has absolutely mastered that art in the Road2Ruin. The coffee stout was also a delight — strong and flavorful cold-brew taste with a clean finish, perfect for the chilly weather. We also imbibed some of their more limited releases. 
We were impressed by the Miles 2 Go, an unfiltered pale ale brewed using decoction mashing, an intensive multi-step mash process thought to be the best method to fully release the malt flavors. The labor paid off in this beer, as it had an incredibly full flavor of hops as well as the sweeter malt taste — it was far more complex and interesting in taste than your standard pale ale. We love our history, so it is exciting when brewers pay homage to old methods of the craft. We also sampled a pilot release beer, the Field Yield Pale Ale. This beer was brewed with fresh citrus and floral-forward hops grown and harvested from the brewery’s own hopyard. It is described as having “fresh and hoppy effervescence,” which is accurate — the freshness of the hops give it a bright, bursting, yet light bitterness with clear notes of citrus and grapefruit.
All in all, we were downright bummed to have to leave Two Roads to continue on our journey. It is a fantastic brewery to visit with a great vibe and even better beers. Excitingly, Two Roads recently broke ground on Area Two Experimental Brewing which will be built adjacent to the current brewery and will feature Brett, sour, and spirit-based beers. It is set to open in Fall of 2018, so keep an eye out for their new releases.
Stay tuned for our upcoming reviews of Trillium Brewing, Downeast Cider, and Harpoon Brewing! Check out other brewery reviews here.
Cheers!
Bethany and Mike
Deep in south central New Hampshire is Henniker Brewing Company, in the town of Henniker, west of Concord and right by Pat’s Peak ski resort. At five years old, the brews reflect maturity and complexity, with accolades from local and national competitions. While staying classic with New England style hoppy beers, they also offer some more malt forward options, including a porter, tripel, and quad.
If you ever find yourself tucked along the border of Vermont and New Hampshire, this little spot offers a great sampling of classic New England hoppy beers. Open since February 2016, pales and IPAs are clearly their specialty, and today they had five hoppy varieties for us to try.
We started our journey at 
His beers have also grown in complexity and originality over the years, which was clear during our visit. We recently enjoyed their offerings when we attended the Lehigh Valley 
We had been excited to try grain., as we are longtime fans of the Bayou in Bethlehem, which shares the same owners. They offer a unique menu with classed up comfort food, like soy glazed pork belly (a must!), chicken and waffles, and root beer glazed brisket. Their beer menu is a real winner with plenty of beers you don’t typically see in your average local restaurant. Moreover, they have 24 beers on tap and a solid bottle list, so you will definitely find something you like. We hit up the draft list – Mike enjoyed some 
One of the best parts of dining at grain.? 
Jim’s commitment to and enthusiasm for his craft were evident from the moment we shook hands. Although he does have an impressive beard, Jim is not your typical craft brewer. He brings to the table a doctorate in chemistry and a 30-plus year career as a research chemist for Merck, resulting in a complex understanding of the brewing process on the molecular level. He guided Mike and me through his brewery with unbridled excitement, highlighting his Criveller brewhouse setup and pre-insulated ABS glycol system. He spoke of some of the challenges with adjusting from a small home-brewer’s system to a much larger nano-brewery set up, though you wouldn’t know it from the quality of his system and brews.
So, how did a retired chemistry PhD end up opening a nano-brewery in Emmaus, PA? “My wife is letting me do my thing!” he stated with a grin, pouring us samples of his Friend of the Devil (FOTD) Belgian Strong Ale. Jim is actually quite seasoned when it comes to brewing beer; he began home-brewing more than 20 years ago while living in Montreal. He noted that there was a dearth of beer varieties during that time, and he wanted to drink something richer than the run-of-the-mill options available. Jim continued improving his home-brewing skills until taking a brief hiatus while raising his children. However, once they became of drinking age, home-brewing soon became a family tradition. Jim and his two sons would brew together every year between Christmas and New Year’s Day, creating more nuanced and flavorful varieties each time. Jim’s beers indeed reflect maturity and refinement – it is clear that he is no rookie to brewing. FOTD is excellent (Mike’s favorite!), with a nose of clove, a dark fruit flavor profile, and a punchy 9-9.5% ABV. Jim and his family eventually left Montreal and have now been living in Center Valley, PA for more than 17 years, making Emmaus an ideal location for Yergey Brewing.
What is Jim’s biggest hope for Yergey Brewing? “I just want people to have fun and share stories,” he replied after a moment of thought. For Jim, it’s all about the interaction with his customers, the connection he has with other brewers and home-brewers in the region, and producing excellent beer that reflects not only his brewing skill but his connection with his family. Yergey Brewing is ultimately a personal reflection of Jim, from the recipes he developed with his sons, to the beautiful black walnut bar and table tops he constructed by hand. For Jim, that’s what brewing is all about.
Look out, Dogfish Head – the Delaware craft beer scene is on the rise, and 
Mike and I adore tent camping, and Cape Henlopen is our favorite place to go, mainly for its nice campsites and proximity to the beach – you can’t beat falling asleep under the stars with the sound of the ocean in your ears. We always take a pilgrimage to the Dogfish Head Brewpub a bit south in Rehoboth; however, when we spotted Crooked Hammock just around the bend from the park, we felt like we hit the jackpot. We popped in to sample their beers and food and left feeling impressed not only by the fun ambiance but the menu offerings as well. Beer-wise, they offer a selection of American-style ales ranging from their flagship Suns Out Suds Out Golden Ale, which is a quintessential easy-drinking beach beer, to a set of delicious IPAs, including Mootzy’s Treasure IPA and Beach Escape White IPA (our favorite!). The Beach Escape packs in a bright citrus and coriander flavor from a heavy dose of citra hops. It had that perfect taste we look for in White IPAs – heavier on the citrus than the classic IPA, but not so heavy that you lose the punchy bitterness from the hops. 
They also brewed up some unique options, including the Pucker Down raspberry sour ale and the Maui Wowie pineapple brown ale. Food-wise, we have to talk about the pretzel. Crooked Hammock offers a Giant Bavarian Pretzel which is shipped from Germany and served with both a saison beer mustard as well as beer cheese. Now, to be fair, Mike and I had been doing the 21 Day Fix and used this day as a cheat day, so our perceptions may have been a little off. But we remain convinced that this was the best pretzel and beer cheese that we have had in a very long time. It had a perfect contrast of slightly crispy and salty exterior with soft, slightly chewy interior that remained light and fluffy. The beer cheese and mustard were both excellent accompaniments. All in all, it was a perfect cheat snack.
Two Pints, Please! 