🟢 Southington's Losing a Local Favorite

Happy Tuesday, Hartford County!

After absolutely fantastic weather last week, it rained and now it’s feeling like New England in November.

And daylight savings time isn’t helping much either with it being dark by 4:30 and it only gets worse till December 21st.

Well, let’s look at the bright side and find some fun things to do around town.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun Tip: I have an addictive personality, so it helps with focus. Ironic, right?)

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It's that time of year when the honey-do list for next year starts writing itself as stuff breaks around the house.

So I'm curious… what's on yours?

I'll be honest, I usually drive right past the chains.

But a buddy told me to try LongHorn Steakhouse in Manchester (350 Buckland Hills Dr), and he had a point. Chains are still our neighbors. They're in our community like anybody else, so they get a fair shake in The Hartford Pour, too.

So I went with an Old Fashioned made with Knob Creek 9 Year (that's it below), which comes in at a full 100 proof. That's the whole trick for me. Get the whiskey up to that proof and it keeps its kick, instead of drowning in syrup and bitters.

The verdict? A solid 6 out of 10. It was above average, a little heavy on the syrup, and I'd have happily taken one more punch from the bourbon. About what you'd expect from a middle-of-the-road bar, and honestly that's not an insult.

But the bar itself is what stuck with me. The place is dripping with nostalgia. There's an old-school Bulleit Bourbon "Frontier Whiskey" sign on the wall and an actual steer up in there, too.

Republic in Bloomfield still has the best Old Fashioned I've found. Nobody's beaten it yet.

But I'll keep looking, because that's kind of the whole job here.

And the food? Oh, the food. That's a story for another edition.

I'm not gonna lie, this one stung a little.

If you've been reading for any amount of time, you know Conti's Wines & Spirits in Southington (235 Queen St) is one of my go-to spots for barrel picks.

My last Stagg Jr? Came from Conti's.

So when this sign (above) popped up out front, the local bourbon crowd started buzzing. Did Conti's sell? Didn't it?

Here's what I found.

That sign is a Connecticut liquor permit notice. Anyone applying for a new permit has to post one at the location. This one is for a package store, and the company applying is Cask and Cork Southington LLC.

According to the state's liquor permit records, that application is still pending, but it's already been approved for a provisional permit at 235 Queen St (exact location of Conti’s).

And this didn't come out of nowhere. The state business registry shows Cask and Cork Southington LLC was set up at that same address back in July 2024.

But in Connecticut, a liquor permit generally doesn't transfer to a new owner. They have to apply for their own. And this is exactly what that looks like.

Meanwhile, Conti's own liquor permit is still active and has been renewed through October 2027.

So what the heck does this all mean? Well, on paper, the sale isn't final yet.

What I'm hearing (and what I'm worried about) is that the store sold, and the current owner, Nick Conti, is sticking around for now to help with picks and the points program.

Key words: for now. That sure sounds like the Conti's era is winding down.

Why am I slightly worried?

Barrel picks are personal. A great pick comes down to whoever's tasting barrels and saying "that's the one." New palates mean new picks, and I don't know yet if I'll love what the "new guys" pull.

Have you heard anything different? Hit reply and let me know.

James Beard Award winners in Southington, on a Tuesday. In a liquor store.

I had to read that twice too.

Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, the chefs behind NYC's Via Carota, are pouring their bottled cocktails upstairs at Worldwide Wine & Spirits (480 Queen St, Southington) from 6 to 7 PM. The lineup includes a Sparkling Negroni Sbagliato and an Espresso Martini, and frankly that's all I needed to hear.

Then point the car toward South Windsor. General Trivia at Connecticut Valley Brewing (765 Sullivan Ave) runs 6:30 to 9:30 PM, so you'll miss round one. But while you are there, order a Trailblazer IPA, their juicy New England-style IPA, and make the comeback anyway.

Negroni to trivia. Sounds like a win to me.

We were on a cruise a few weeks ago and saw a bunch of shooting stars in the middle of the ocean. Well, we can do that here in Connecticut, too!

Long View Ciderhouse (36 Long Bottom Rd, Southington) hosts Taurid Meteor Night from 6 to 8 PM, with telescopes set up to show you what's up there besides the meteors.

The Orchard Bar is pouring a Barrel Aged Roxbury Russet at 8% that'll keep you warm. One heads-up: the bar closes for the season on Nov 15, so this is basically your last call.

Once you've seen a shooting star (or claimed you did, no judgment), drive 25 minutes to Parkville Market (1400 Park St, Hartford). Karaoke with DJ B-EZ runs 7:30 to 10:30 PM.

So Thursday is packed, and I had a hard time picking what to show you, but here’s my best shot.

The tasting: DateNight Downtown at the Manchester History Center (175 Pine St). Doors open at 5:30, and the tasting runs 6:15 to 7:45 PM. It's pick-your-price ($25, $40 or $50) and pairs Cato Corner cheese with meads from Dragonfire Meadery, whose Tiamat took gold at a National Honey Board competition.

The wreath: Pints & Pines at Luppoleto (17 Kripes Rd, East Granby), 6 to 8 PM, $77.75. Build a live wreath with a Rocket Boots NEIPA in hand. It’s that time of year, so you may as well.

The blanket: Elicit Brewing (165 Adams St, Manchester) hosts the Boozy Blanket Workshop at 6 PM. Knit a chunky throw while sipping their flagship Carousel Incident IPA.

Choose wisely. Or bring a friend and divide and conquer.

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!