The Rise of the Connecticut Farm Brewery

e Rise

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CONNECTICUT FARM BREWERY? Think being on a farm, drinking delicious handcrafted beer, made right there, created from Connecticut-grown ingredients. These are niche operations: Connecticut Farm Breweries can only brew 75,000 gallons of beer or less per year and 25-50% of the hops and barley used must be locally grown.The benefit of these breweriesis that they help preserve ourConnecticut farmland in additionto creating delicious, uniquelylocal beer.

Co Farm

44CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

of the

by Christina Musto

Jake Koteen & Winter Caplanson photos

nnecticut Brewery

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 45

“This is delicious hand-c m

Farmland is incredibly important for our communities as The Brewery at Maple View Farm points out in their recent blog post. Consuming local food products sparks trust in “your neighbor, land preservation, convenience, value, education, and health.” For example, Kate Bogli and her family - including her sons - have been farming their land for three generations. The farm was originally started in 1635, and the family has maintained the farming tradition in their town of Granby since 1950. This has not only enriched people’s health and nutrients thanks to the food they consume, but also benefits their environment and economy.

Totaling 50 acres, The Brewery at Maple View Farm is home to horses, cows, pigs, and chickens. They offer meats, vegetables, eggs, horse riding lessons, summer camps for kids - and they brew their own beer.

Bogli and her husband Jason were home brewers, home winemakers, and have been making kombucha for years. “We love the atmosphere

created from Conne

46CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

rafted beer ade right on a farm,

cticut-grown ingredients.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 47

“Stay committed their sustaina beer producti Kate Bogli u all of her sp grain to feed pigs on her farm

48CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

ing to ble on, ses ent the .”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 49

“It’s a farm-to-g

50CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

of vineyards, so when we heard about the law changing it seemed like a perfect fit,” said Kate. Currently Kate and Jason are brewing 90-150 gallons of beer a week to keep up with the demand. Staying committed to their sustainable beer production, Kate uses all of her spent grain to feed the pigs on the farm.

They also create a farm-to-glass experience consisting of farm hikes and the ability to view the farmland and livestock from the brewery door. “What is unique about our brewery is that it has opened up the farm more. For years we have offered summer camp for the kids, but haven’t had a way for the parents to enjoy the farm. Now the parents walk around, see the animals, and see all the action going on at the farm.” Kate offers farm tours on Sundays and you can most likely find her seven-year-old son gathering up all the kids to play and enjoy the farm. The Brewery at Maple View Farm is a great balance of the family learning about and enjoying the farmland, while the adults have plenty of personal space to enjoy the brewery and beautiful views.

Kate has created a large spectrum of beers. From a Cranberry Blonde Ale to their Canter IPA, there’s a brew for everyone to enjoy. “We all love a good IPA,” Kate says; her favorite is their Dream Catcher IPA. This beer is full of bright, juicy citrus notes, created from mosaic and galaxy hops. She thinks the mix of Galaxy’s citrus and peachy notes with just a bit of Mosaic’s earthiness builds layers that makes this beer their best seller. You can tell she’s made wine before with the way she incorporates blending into her beers. Another beer that lights up the

menu is the Honey Basil Ale. This beer has been infused with farm-grown basil and honey to enrich the ale with sweet and savory notes.

Kate’s other passion is growing new plants and herbs. She’s looking to add more infusions to her beer menu consisting of rosemary, basil, strawberry, and mint. Kate also has plans to create and sell her own kombucha in the tasting room soon - nutritious and delicious.

The Brewery at Maple View Farm focuses on providing a Connecticut community experience like no other. From a family friendly atmosphere to picking the basil right from the garden and infusing it into their beer, this family farm brewery will be creating farm to glass experiences for generations to come. Make sure to stop by, you won’t be disappointed.

Another Farm Brewery recently opened this past April, and you don’t want to miss out on these beers! Hop Culture Farms was created in 2016 by a husband and wife – Sam and Heather Wilson, along with Sam’s parents, Sam and Nancy. And they have been busy brewing ever since.

Their brewery and hop farm is located on 40 acres of farmland that hadn’t been farmed in over 75 years. You can tell the owners are focused on preserving and enriching this farmland, as they have planted over 4,000 hop plants on their property. This makes them the third-largest hop farm in the state. Nearly all of their beers are created from their own hops, and in the next 10 years they are hoping to become 100% self-sustainable in terms of hop production.

lass experience.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 51

“Great beerdefinitely growshere.”

52CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

The tasting room, outdoor picnic tables, and live music adjacent to their hop farms makes for a true hop-to-glass experience. Heather, the head brewer, is very focused on creating great beers while enriching the community. “We see our brewery and farm becoming an agro-tourism destination and the vibe the brewery has inspired is exactly what we envisioned. People are hanging out, enjoying the beer, and listening to live music,” she says. You can sip your beer next to the hop plants - and you might even catch the farm’s adorable goats walking by.

Heather’s been busy: she plans to plant berries to infuse into her beers as well. And when she’s not brewing beer, she’s investing in the community. As the Financial Liaison of the Pink Boots Society, Heather is helping fellow female brewers with hop farming education. “Everyone in the brewery community has been very helpful and welcoming. We are very thankful,” she says.

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 53

“Heather is helping fel

female brew

54CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

low

ers with hop farming.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 55

Hop Culture brewery creates seven flagship beers. In the tasting room you can always find a beer for every palate - along with inspiring Beatles quotes. Groups of friends and families gather here on the weekends, and you can feel the positive energy this brewery and its beer creates. Sometimes the beers are even named by their patrons!

Make sure to try their Bend and Snap Blonde Ale (bonus points for the Elle Woods reference), a delicious dry blonde ale - and the Juicy in the 860 IPA. The Juicy in the 860 is another great name but the beer tastes even better! Think lots of citrus, notes of mango, and grapefruit: a delightful IPA for any occasion. “Great beer definitely grows here,” the Wilsons say.

It’s incredible to see families reworking farms and enriching their communities when it comes to Connecticut Farm Breweries. The Connecticut State Senate recently passed a bill on the evening of

“Juicy in the 860 IP notes of m

56CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

A…lots of citrus, ango, and grapefruit.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 57

“The only way to save

is to

58CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

our farms

May 30th, 2019 that significantly increases the amount of beer consumers can buy directly from local breweries. This is huge win for the brewery community (#NoLimits).

The only way to save our farms is buy from them. It’s critical to support more farmers and businesses as our community grows. With several other farm breweries currently operating in the state and more planning on opening soon, there’s really no excuse for you not to drink and buy delicious beer from Connecticut Farm Breweries.

Other Connecticut Farm Breweries to visit and support: Kent Falls Brewing Co. (Kent), Fox Farm Brewery (Salem), and Norbrook Farm Brewery (Colebrook).

buy from them.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 59