🍸 Cars, coffee, and cocktails

Good Morning Hartford!

Have you seen the new Spider-Man yet?

I went and checked it out this past weekend. It’s an awesome movie.

But what is REALLY impressive with the new Tom Holland installment of Spider-Man has got to be how much money it made in one weekend.

My ticket contributed to them earning $1.15 Billion in about 4 days. (that’s billion with a capital B).

Even if you aren’t a fan of the franchise, raking in a smooth “billy” over the weekend is astronomical!

Anyways, we are jumping into the first full weekend of August and I got quite a few things for you, let’s dive in.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur ( Fun Tip: I’ve never gotten a brain-freeze, ever)

Have you seen the Chit show? This guy is hilarious!

I wanted to thank everyone for the huge response to the question that I asked in Tuesday's edition.

However, I want to bring it back in this edition as well, so please let me know!

(Drinks are drinks, right?)

As I mentioned in the introduction, I went to go see Spider-Man this weekend, but while I was waiting, I decided to hit the Happy Hour at a nearby restaurant.

That restaurant was Texas Roadhouse in Manchester.

Now I know Texas Roadhouse is a “chain” restaurant (oh no, what a nightmare!) but they are still in our community and I think it’s OK to feature them.

What you see above is their Hurricane. It includes Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, tequila, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and margarita mix.

All of that is mixed in an oversized cup. I got mine on the rocks.

It was actually tasty! I’m not the first person to get a fruity-drink, but I also don’t think it makes you less of a man to enjoy one, lol.

Other than the happy hour (that is normally Monday through Thursday 3pm to 5pm), the other BEST thing to get from Texas Roadhouse is the… buttered rolls!

Those rolls are sinfully delicious.

Interestingly enough, I heard a rumor that if you show up and only get the rolls, they will charge you for it (other than it coming free with your meal). But since I bought a drink, I guess I qualified to get them for free.

They have a massive menu and I’ll be checking all their other stuff as I return in the future.

(2 Locations!)

One of the worst feelings in the world is springing a few extra dollars for a bottle of whiskey, just to find out it's not a very good bottle of whiskey.

Have you ever felt that way?

But I’ve found that the best way to combat this is to TASTE the bottle before you buy it.

However, for some reason most liquor/package stores don’t allow you to do that, but Signature Wine and Spirits does!

What you see above is two bottles I bought a few months ago at excellent prices.

I was already sold on the 2025 version of the Star Hill because I had last year’s version, but the Private Selection Maker’s Mark, I was on the fence.

But what do you think changed my mind?

The owner let me taste it.

That owner? Vinny Advani.

Vinny is the owner of Signature Wine and Spirits located at 564 Hopmeadow St in Simsbury. (He has another location in New Hartford)

Vinny is one of the coolest guys ever. But like most liquor stores, it’s best to establish a friendship with the store in order to get rarer bottles of whiskey at a great price.

Anyways, Vinny allowed me to taste his store pick Maker’s Mark and I… was… floored with how great it tasted right there in the store.

The second it hit my tongue, I knew I was going to buy it. But if I was just sitting there staring at the bottle “wondering” if it tasted any good, I’m sure I wouldn’t have made the investment to get a bottle I had never tasted.

That is the real cheat code with getting bottles and the better package stores understand that.

TRY before you BUY.

If they refuse (particularly for store picks) unless I have it on good GREAT authority that the bottle is amazing, I’m probably going to pass.

Anyways, shout out to Vinny for doing his customers proud.

(Need something to do?)

Let’s start off Friday with one of my favorite drink spots, Back East Brewing Company (1296 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT).

The Audacity band will be there from 6pm to 9pm with some food trucks so you can take a break from the long week.

Another cool thing going on for Friday will be at Infinity Music Hall (32 Front St, Hartford, CT; doors open at 7:00 PM, show at 8:00 PM).

The Friends of the Brothers is the headline of the night. If you are a fan of the Allman Brothers at all, this is the place to be.

You could try to do both as it will be a seamless shift from a casual patio at Back East to a higher-octane classic rock. It could be the ultimate Friday night double feature!

Saturday morning starts on Main Street in Manchester with an easygoing stroll through the 2026 Summer Pop-Up Market at 1115 Main St (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM).

This place will be full of local makers, handmade crafts, and artisan treats.

But my favorite, it’s a perfect spot to grab a local morning brew. There will be a few breweries there along with some coffee and other specialty pours.

Once you've done your shopping, the next stop is South Glastonbury for the Echo Asia Festival at the Glastonbury Elks Lodge (98 Woodland St; 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM).

This is a massive outdoor celebration and an absolute sensory overload.

We’re talking authentic Asian street eats like dumplings, fluffy bao, tofu, cold milk teas, fruity boba, and cold refreshments which you will need as the weather for Saturday looks like a scorcher as it will be pushing 90 degrees.

Did I mention the live music? The gaming zone? Public karaoke? (and even free ice cream). Lots of good fun to look forward to!

Do you like cars?

Well that will be the theme of the day… .

Kick off Sunday morning at Connecticut Valley Brewing Company (765 Sullivan Ave, South Windsor, CT; 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM) for Cars & Coffee.

If you are a gear-head at all (or even if you are not), there’ll be a ton of custom builds and classic rides to check out and ask the owners questions about.

PLUS, all the while you’ll be fueling up on freshly roasted espresso, lattes, and breakfast bites right before the taproom starts pouring.

That is for the morning.. so heading into the afternoon Hops on the Hill Brewery (275 Dug Rd, South Glastonbury, CT; 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM) is the place to be for the 5th Annual Dubs & Suds.

Again, this is for the gear-heads but with a twist…

Picture vintage Volkswagens with live music, food trucks, and ice-cold farm-grown ales flowing straight from the tap.

Sounds good? My mouth is watering already!

Maybe I’ll see you out there!

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!