26
opping Hopping Around CT.
Bear Hands Brewery Your local Bohemian Craftsman brewery
Located in downtown Putnam is the Quiet Corner’s newest brewpub, Bear Hands Brewery. Opened in 2020 and run by the hard-working team of Justin and Kayla Trent, Bear Hands brings a fun, inviting vibe with beers to match.
Photos & profile by Jim Lalumiere
Craft beer should be fun and relaxing, not tons of work and stress. But when you open a 3.5-barrel brewery six weeks before the Covid-shutdown, everything changes. Having just refinanced their house and moved on from their previous jobs to open Bear Hands, the pandemic was the last thing Justin and Kayla saw coming. Giving up was never an option, but buckling down and working harder was. With no draft sales in the foreseeable future, Justin kegged his beers and filled cans for 70 hours per week at Black Pond Brews in Danielson to keep things afloat. Once restrictions were lifted people were able to come in and grab pints and growlers. What the customers found was a little oasis of comfort in a very trying time. Bear Hand’s space has two distinct feels to it. The atmosphere of both rooms is what sets them apart from other local breweries. The upstairs taproom room is distinctly
Kayla Trent, Brewer/Co-owner Justin Trent
“Bohemian Craftsman”as Kayla puts it. Hardwood floors and rustic wooden tables are softened by framed artwork and t-shirts hanging on the walls. Old-school brewing equipment diagrams nestle alongside watercolor flower prints and antique hand saws. Edison lights hang from chains, giving the room a cheery glow. The bar at the back of the room has a dozen comfy high-top chairs along long wooden table-top, beckoning for friends to sit and enjoy a pint or three.
