OT: Hooker Brewery Moving to Downtown Hartford | The Boneyard

OT: Hooker Brewery Moving to Downtown Hartford

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DSquiz

DSquiz

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Hooker has submitted a bid to build a $15 million brewery and restaurant across from the new minor-league baseball stadium in the city.

"The company had given up on Hartford and was negotiating a move to an existing building in Windsor before the owner of the New Britain Rock Cats reached out… envisions including a touring facility, new work space for Oak Hill, a gift shop, restaurant and an outdoor Hofbrau Haus-style beer garden."

I am very excited for this! I love breweries and they really add to the vibe of downtown areas (I have been to Great Lakes Brewing Co in downtown Cleveland and its amazing)...
 
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DSquiz said:
Hooker has submitted a bid to build a $15 million brewery and restaurant across from the new minor-league baseball stadium in the city.

"The company had given up on Hartford and was negotiating a move to an existing building in Windsor before the owner of the New Britain Rock Cats reached out… envisions including a touring facility, new work space for Oak Hill, a gift shop, restaurant and an outdoor Hofbrau Haus-style beer garden."

I am very excited for this! I love breweries and they really add to the vibe of downtown areas (I have been to Great Lakes Brewing Co in downtown Cleveland and its amazing)...
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So, when is the "Yard" invited to the grand opening complete with catering from Eastside?
 
This....is a great idea.
 
With private funding and drawing in of other compatible businesses, the ballpark seems like less of a boondoggle.

Regarding Hooker, did anyone every have the Irish Red? How is it?
 
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I really hope all of this come to fruition. This would be so awesome to have in Hartford. City Steam will do just fine and I really hope it doesn't get screwed up by having the ballpark not built.
 
UCFBfan said:
I really hope all of this come to fruition. This would be so awesome to have in Hartford. City Steam will do just fine and I really hope it doesn't get screwed up by having the ballpark not built.
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Agreed City Steam will do just fine. If this move to Hartford is going to happen, I bet you you'll see City Steam's beers in the ball park. It would make no sense not to.
 
Anyone know if Hooker and/or City Steam beer is sold at the Rent? Seems stupid not to get local beer sold at the stadium. If the Rock Cats are going to do it, why not help out local breweries at UConn games too. Add the XL center to that list if they don't sell it already.
 
UCFBfan said:
Anyone know if Hooker and/or City Steam beer is sold at the Rent? Seems stupid not to get local beer sold at the stadium. If the Rock Cats are going to do it, why not help out local breweries at UConn games too. Add the XL center to that list if they don't sell it already.
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I fully support this idea. The Rent should at least have one of those little beer carts on the concourse for local breweries. Maybe they could do something like a local Brew of the game and feature a different one at all the home games. I'd really like to see (like others have suggested) is a bar set up by the score board, so we can permenantly have all the locals on tap. And they could even try to bring in one the breweries to the shopping center they're building there to really show support to the local breweries.
 
I think this is a fantastic idea. I'm excited for Hartford. Granted, as a New Haven resident this doesn't really benefit me much (until we got some high speed rail between the cities!) but I am just excited for all of my young Hartford friends to have more entertainment options in the city. Anything to keep young professionals in urban areas is a plus in my book.
 
I've been a proponent of the field downtown since I heard the news. Hopefully there will be more announcements to come. It's too bad Dave and Busters is building in Manchester, thatwould be a great addition right next to the ballpark.
 
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I'm almost certain I've gotten City Steam at the Rent before. However, I've been there for the beerfests so that may be skewing my memory.
 
As a craft beer nut of sorts, this is great. I never get to Hartford, but the reality is that more breweries, help each other. Craft beer fans want a destination, and a single brewery isn't it. So adding Hooker to City Steam makes is more likely to drawn people in. Great news for Hartford. This is exactly the kind of thing it needs.
 
HuskyHawk said:
As a craft beer nut of sorts, this is great. I never get to Hartford, but the reality is that more breweries, help each other. Craft beer fans want a destination, and a single brewery isn't it. So adding Hooker to City Steam makes is more likely to drawn people in. Great news for Hartford. This is exactly the kind of thing it needs.
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It would be pretty cool if CT breweries became a bit more consolodated. Make it a destination of sorts like the VT Beer Trail.
 
UCFBfan said:
Anyone know if Hooker and/or City Steam beer is sold at the Rent? Seems stupid not to get local beer sold at the stadium. If the Rock Cats are going to do it, why not help out local breweries at UConn games too. Add the XL center to that list if they don't sell it already.
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Dont know about them, but 10 Penny Ale (Burnside Brewery, E.Htfd.) is sold behind the HD Video board (right side if looking at it from the field).
 
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ScottBonz said:
+1, a brewery crawl is entirely way too hard at this point.
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It isn't easy in VT either really, but the beers are so good people do it anyway...or at least hit the pubs in Waterbury and get everything on tap.
 
HuskyHawk said:
It isn't easy in VT either really, but the beers are so good people do it anyway...or at least hit the pubs in Waterbury and get everything on tap.
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They offer shuttles and make events of it and stuff. Would be cool to see CT do something similar. Especially if people are already coming from all over to do VT what's a 2 hour or so drive down to Hartford (then a 35 minute drive to Willimantic because you wouldn't do this without tasting Willibrew) to see a few more?
 
WingU-Conn said:
I've been a proponent of the field downtown since I heard the news. Hopefully there will be more announcements to come. It's too bad Dave and Busters is building in Manchester, thatwould be a great addition right next to the ballpark.
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Agreed. A Dave & Busters would have been over nice addition to the proposed stadium. That and Hookers would give people of all ages to spend all day downtown on a nice Saturday or Sunday. A Buffalo Wild wings would have been cool too.
 
MilliniumPrince said:
Agreed. A Dave & Busters would have been over nice addition to the proposed stadium. That and Hookers would give people of all ages to spend all day downtown on a nice Saturday or Sunday. A Buffalo Wild wings would have been cool too.
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I'd prefer a Sliders over a Buffalo Wild Wings. But that's just me.
 
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Curt is a family friend and has done an amazing job with Hooker Brewing. I have no doubts that this will be a huge hit.


Btw, twice a month on Fridays they have an open house at their current location that lets you see the setup and of course, samples. Lots of samples.
 
BoatShow said:
It would be pretty cool if CT breweries became a bit more consolodated. Make it a destination of sorts like the VT Beer Trail.
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I think you mean "coordinated," not "consolidated." And they are:

http://ctbeertrail.net/

FWIW, Webster Arena does a nice job with a Two Roads beer cart that usually has two to four offerings. I'm all for the rising tide of CT beer raising all ships, but I think NEBCO is head and shoulders above the rest for my tastes, with Two Roads next and all the other very, very far behind.
 
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NEBCO is the best brewery in CT and it's not even remotely close. Would kill for any of their beers at The Rent, wouldn't care about prices at that point.
 
8893 said:
I think you mean "coordinated," not "consolidated." And they are:

http://ctbeertrail.net/

FWIW, Webster Arena does a nice job with a Two Roads beer cart that usually has two to four offerings. I'm all for the rising tide of CT beer raising all ships, but I think NEBCO is head and shoulders above the rest for my tastes, with Two Roads next and all the other very, very far behind.
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I did mean consolidated. I understand that it's a strange idea and mainly just for my convenience and joy:D. NEBCO (and personal favorite Sea Hag) is too hard to come across in the Tolland/Hartford county. Can find it from time to time only in places with wiiide selections.
 
BoatShow said:
I did mean consolidated. I understand that it's a strange idea and mainly just for my convenience and joy:D. NEBCO (and personal favorite Sea Hag) is too hard to come across in the Tolland/Hartford county. Can find it from time to time only in places with wiiide selections.
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Got it. Then I probably shouldn't mention the NEBCO beers that are only sold on tap and rarely make it out of New Haven County (unless on tap at Eli Cannon's), but if you like Sea Hag you've gotta try Fuzzy Baby Ducks, Supernaught and Galaxy. They are on a whole 'nother level imo.
 
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