🟢 Hartford Gets New Bar in Old Brewery

Happy End of October!

I saw something that warmed my heart yesterday.

I was passing through Bloomfield and saw this at Copaco Center…

The Copaco Center Plaza isn’t my first choice for when I need to go shopping, but it is nice to see them taking pride in their town.

This is beautiful, and I'm glad they took the time and effort to help make this part of the city look even nicer.

Kudos! All around.

Also, big welcome to a lot of my friends from Nextdoor!

Now on to the goings-on for the weekend.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun Tip: Liquor is my love language)

I have had a few of you email me or DM on Instagram saying you had a good time at one of the places I’ve recommended.

That is awesome and helps me see that what I’m doing is helpful to you!

But it got me to thinking…

I'll be honest, when City Steam Brewery Cafe closed a few years ago, a piece of me closed with it.

I spent a LOT of nights in that place. A friend of mine used to hook me up with a Naughty Nurse more often than I'd like to admit (my liver and I have made peace with it).

And the space itself? Brick, wood, big old-timey bones. Every visit felt like drinking a beer inside a history book.

So when it closed, I was bummed. Like, genuinely bummed.

Well… somebody from Iron Horse Sports Pub just posted new signs out front.

Iron Horse Sports Pub is coming to 942 Main Street in downtown Hartford, right in the old City Steam space.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. Owners Bob Mercier and Rob Bylykbashi already run Iron Horse spots in Simsbury, Unionville and West Hartford (that one opened on Oakwood Ave in 2024), plus Bristol.

Downtown Hartford would make five.

And no, I'm not just going off a sign. The state's liquor permit records show a full restaurant liquor permit application filed under "Peoples Choice/Iron Horse Sports Pub" at that exact address.

It's still early in the process (the state asked for more paperwork), so don't go camping out on Main Street just yet, lol. But no opening date has been announced.

As of me writing this, they haven’t even posted it on their socials or website. If I had to guess, perhaps the Spring.

What I really want to know is what they do with all that room inside the old City Steam. TVs on the brick? Pool tables where the brew tanks used to be? I don't know, but I'll be watching.

Iron Horse, if you're reading this, save me a stool, I’ll be back!

Pistachio puree. In a latte.

I'll be honest, that sounded a little odd to me at first, too.

But Yemerica in West Hartford isn't your average coffee shop. They serve premium Yemeni coffee, and the espresso shots hit stronger than normal.

Like, bourbon-head-approved stronger.

The inside is a whole vibe, too. Local music playing, a giant mural of Yemen across the wall, and cushy booth seating you could easily lose an afternoon in (see above).

And the staff? Really, really nice.

So I ordered the special, the Kunafe Latte with real pistachio puree. That's it right there in the big black mug.

After the first sip, I fell in love. Immediately.

It's on the sweeter side, but nowhere near the sugar bombs I've gotten from the big chains. It honestly tasted like someone made it with love, not like they were just following a recipe card.

It's a little on the pricier side, I won't lie. But it’s worth it.

I only went for coffee this time, but I'm going back for the pastries. I'll keep you posted.

Last week I promised normalcy was coming. I lied, lol.

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, so the whole county basically turned into one big haunted house for the weekend. But spooky season doesn't mean we can't have fun, and I snuck in a few things for those of us who just want a good glass of wine.

Start at Crystal Ridge Winery in South Glastonbury (257 Belltown Rd) for the Boxed Bites Charcuterie Workshop from 5:30 to 7 PM. Yes, charcuterie again (see Tuesday's issue). I'm not sorry. Cheese is a lifestyle.

If wine is your main event, Spiritus Wines in Hartford (220 Asylum St) is throwing its Grand Tasting: Tour of Italy at 6:30 PM. At least 16 wines from Piedmont, Tuscany, Alto Adige and Sicily, including Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello, all priced between $30 and $60 a bottle.

Tickets are $50, and that includes a $15 credit toward a purchase. They expect it to sell out, so call 860-247-5431 or email [email protected]. Zero costumes required.

Want a little spooky after all? Luppoleto at its new East Granby taproom (17 Kripes Rd) has Halloween Trivia at 7 PM, with the Dishmade food truck out front from 4 to 8. Order the Mezzanotte, their Czech dark lager. It means "midnight" in Italian, which is about as spooky as I get.

Cheese, Barolo, trivia. That's a Friday.

Okay, fine. It's actually Halloween. Let's lean in.

The Hartford Halloween Bar Crawl is back for its 7th year. Check in at The Brownstone in Hartford (114 Asylum St) between 4 and 6 PM, then crawl until 10 with an after party to follow. Your ticket includes 2 to 3 drinks or shots.

Wear comfortable shoes. Your costume probably won't be.

If walking bar to bar dressed as a hot dog isn't your thing, head to Dudleytown Brewing in Windsor (1001 Day Hill Rd) for Macabre Masquerade 2 from 7 to 10 PM. It's $10, 21+, with four bands (Andro Queen, Payphone Confession, Trench CT and ILLICIFY), local vendors, and a costume masquerade.

Grim Harvest, their pumpkin beer, has been pouring this fall. Very on theme.

Bar hopping or a masquerade. Either way, someone's going home with fake blood on their shirt.

The official Halloween hangover cure? Acoustic music and a good pour.

Brignole Vineyards in East Granby (103 Hartford Ave) has Jeremy Kenniston playing live from 2 to 5 PM. Grab a glass of the Red Dragon, their big, bold Marquette with black currant and cherry, and let the weekend wind down.

If you'd rather have a beer, The Plourd Brewery in East Hartford (1277 Main St) has Harp & Fiddle with Haley Hewitt and Jeanne Freeman, also 2 to 5 PM. The Old Friends English pale ale has been on their draft list, and honestly, harp, fiddle and a pale ale sounds like the most civilized way to recover from Saturday night.

Back to normal next week. Probably. Don't hold me to it.

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!