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Good Morning, Hartford County!

I woke up yesterday morning to find that outside was YELLOW! When I went outside, everything was hazy… and YELLOW.

Did you notice that, too?

Apparently there are more wildfires going on in Canada and it’s destroying the air quality in our neck-of-the-woods. (I hope everyone is OK, tho)

I think it’s funny that a lot of news reports are saying to “stay inside” as much as possible… but isn’t the air in the house coming from the air outside?

Call me crazy, lol, but what do you think?

ANYWAYS, in today’s edition of The Hartford Pour, we’ll get into:

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun fact: I was a YouTuber for 10 years, technically still am)

P.S. : We are looking for sponsors for The Hartford Pour. If you are interested (or know someone that is) please forward this email or let me know and I can reach out.

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Click the button below to apply and try Sharetown for free!

(Fun tip you won’t find anywhere else)

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to explore the southern edge of Hartford county, this is it.

Southington Restaurant Week is officially running right now through Sunday, July 19th, and the lineup is absolutely, insanely, crazily, plum ignorantly, massive.

We’re talking about 40 local spots serving up killer multi-course menus, exclusive dishes, and, most importantly, some fantastic drink pairings.

You know that is my jam….

The list is crazy, so be sure to check it out yourself. But here are a few highlights

Click here: to check out the full list of menus on Connecticut Restaurant Week.

Wonderful Breakfast spot!

This week's restaurant highlight goes to Drago's Kitchen, located at 7 Mill Pond Dr. in Granby.

My wife and I visited there recently for the first time and were pleasantly surprised with the customer service and the food.

Before moving to Bloomfield about 14 years ago, I was a southern boy living in Louisiana, and one of my favorite dishes was biscuits and gravy.

Drago’s Kitchen has their own version of biscuits and gravy, and it is delicious. Highly recommend.

As you can see from the picture above, my wife got the French toast with fresh fruit, an omelette, and bacon.

As I said before, one of the best things was the service. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted and seated, and the waitress talked to us for what felt like 3-5 minutes.

And it wasn't awkward either. It was natural conversation. She wasn't forcing it. We were all having a good time since it was our first time there.

We were sold on this place by its reviews, getting 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google.

Click here: to check out Drago’s Kitchen in Granby!

Distilled by: Penelope (still 100% MGP)
Mashbill: 74% Corn | 7% Rye | 3% Malted Barley | 16% Wheat
Age: Reportedly 4 years
Proof: 93
Findability in Hartford: 3 out of 10
MSRP: $80

Immediately, I’m hit with the rum finish. Getting orange, lemon, tangerine, all the citrus notes.

I’m also getting syrupy pancakes which is surprising since it only spent a month finishing in maple barrels.

Maple syrup pancakes, brown sugar, honey, toffee.

This whiskey’s mouthfeel is great and I found myself going back to it more and more in one setting.

The finish hits harder than I expected at 93 proof and is short to medium. It still sticks to your teeth though, which is a feeling I love!

I got this from Wind Loft, Too in Windsor, but it’s a special release. You will only see it for a few weeks near the beginning of the year. That has been when the last 2 batches have dropped.

Other than those times, you will likely see it overpriced in most areas.

For my palate, Batch 2 is better. It’s not as sweet as Batch 1, and more complex. I wish there was more proof, definitely drinking under the 93. But has some staying power.

Mouthfeel is GREAT. Finish is longer. And even though it didn’t have legs on my glen, it was surprisingly oily in the backend. I was smacking my tongue to enjoy every drop of this juice.

At the end of the day, this is a dessert bourbon and it has its place, so categorize it as such.

T8KE Rating: 07 | Great | Well above average

Click here: to check out the Havana on Penelope’s website

Things to do in Hartford County

First off, we have the 35th Annual Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz.

The best part? It’s FREE (but there is a VIP component if you are interested)

It’s New England’s biggest free jazz party right at Bushnell Park.

Be sure to pack a massive picnic blanket, load up a cooler with drinks for the occasion, then claim your spot on the grass.

It’s running from Friday (starting at 6pm) to Sunday with incredible live music under the stars, endless food trucks, and a giant community toast that they have planned.

Time for a little Latin flavor with the 11th Annual Hartford Latino Fest.

It’s free admission in downtown Hartford at Dunkin' Park from 12pm to 7pm.

This is a high-energy celebration of Latino culture, music, food, and community. Multiple DJs and authentic performances through out the day.

It only comes once a year, so be sure to check it out for some Caribbean and Latin American eats and family activities.

They are claiming “free parking”, but it’s downtown Hartford and I highly doubt that. You may be able to find parking on the street, but it is almost always easier to just find a lot and pay $5.

I don't know how much of a recovery this will be, but I definitely recommend finding a spot to watch the World Cup.

It will be Spain v. Argentina! Who do you think will win?

Skip the couch and watch the final game on the big screens at Dudleytown Brewing Co. in Windsor or Elicit Brewing in Manchester where there will be plenty of cold draft and mixed drinks in hand!

if you're not going to be into the soccer match, then you can swap out the stadium noise for something that's a little more intimate, acoustic, and fun with some songwriters over at New Park Brewing in West Hartford

It's something they do monthly to help share local artists' love for their music with others. It’s from 3pm to 5pm.

If you go, get a Double Cloud - Double IPA from New Park Brewing and enjoy the afternoon.

Do you know of an AWESOME restaurant or bar? Or something not included in this email you’d like to see?

REPLY to this email and let me know!