🟢 Simsbury's $69 Beer and Bourbon Fest

Happy Thursday, Nutmegger!

Time for my first (that I know of) correction.

The issue last Tuesday said Max Fish was in West Hartford and we all clearly know it’s in Glastonbury (duhhh). I apologize for my error.

I appreciate all the emails from you all keeping me in check and I will put some measures in place to check that before sending.

Well let’s throw on a sweater and let’s enjoy these nice days we’ve been having before it’s too cold to be outside for more than 5 minutes.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun Tip: I have only used iPhones for more than 10 years, gosh I’m old…)

Ready for a fun girls' night in without leaving the couch? ☕✨

Join almost 400 women in our Facebook VIP group for live weekly hangs, real-time fall outfit try-ons, and lots of laughs.

Rayne (a local Bloomfield mom) brings fresh Fall pieces directly to your screen! From cozy rusts and olives to easy everyday neutrals, she helps you style right there on the Facebook Live.

We play games, tell jokes, comfort each other and build real relationships.

✨ Exclusive Welcome Offer: New members get a pair of our famous buttery-soft leggings ($25 value) with their very first purchase! Just let Rayne know your size when you hop in.

🍁 Free to join. Zero pressure. Great company.

I've been kicking around an idea, and I need your honest gut check.

What if The Hartford Pour hosted a little get-together?

A happy hour, maybe a cocktail class at a local spot, on a sleepy weeknight when the bartender has time to actually chat.

No pressure, no commitment. Just curious if this is your kind of thing.

There are plenty of places in Hartford to find a good bagel, but one of the most underrated places is Isaac’s Bagel off of Mountain Ave in Bloomfield.

Isaac Suttar and his wife Shaista have been running this place for 30+ years.

They show up every day at 3AM to start baking their bagels from scratch!

Now that is dedication.

And it shows because their bagels are super fresh every single day.

What makes the spot unique is its old-school touch that lets you watch your meal get prepared right there.

Personally, my go-to is their sausage, egg, and cheese on a Jalapeno Everything bagel.

Their coffee is pretty good as well. They have some specialty coffees that they make on the spot, but their regular brewed coffee is pretty good and tastes smokey!

The vibe is nice, too, with a super unique decor. Including one of those cool red phone booths from London.

They are open from 6AM to 3PM most days and closed on Mondays.

Check out their reviews here

(Drinks are drinks, right?)

I went to the movies recently, 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 usually the first person to order 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 (instead of 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 out all their other stuff as I return in the future.

Friday’s a choose-your-own-adventure, and every path ends with food (YAY!).

The 51st Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival kicks off at Glastonbury Riverfront Park at 5 PM. There’s 50-plus bands across the weekend, rides, Grannie’s apple pie booth, and a 21+ Harvest Pub pouring craft beer, cider, and wine. Cider at an apple festival just makes sense.

If you’d rather go straight for dinner, St. George Armenian Church in Hartford (22 White St) opens its Armenian Food Festival at 4 PM, with homemade Armenian food to eat in or take home, plus a country store. It keeps going Saturday too, in case Friday gets away from you.

Then end the night laughing at Next Stop Comedy in the beer garden at Bart’s Drive-In in Windsor (55 Palisado Ave) at 8 PM. Bart’s has been slinging its famous footlong chili dog for decades, and I can’t think of a better comedy snack.

Apple pie, Armenian food, and a chili dog walk into a beer garden… there’s gotta be a joke there somewhere.

Saturday is insanely stacked, so stretch first.

Start in Farmington at the free Farmington Valley Music Festival at Winding Trails (50 Winding Trails Dr), 11 AM to 6 PM, with Howley, House of Hamill, Beg Steal or Borrow, and The Clement Brothers. Bring a chair and settle in.

If you’d rather hoist a pint than a lawn chair, Murphy’s in Manchester (103 Tolland Tpke) is throwing a free Oktoberfest from noon to 6, with live music, a stein-holding contest, cornhole, and about 20 vendors (the Henna Bus included). It’s an Irish pub hosting a German party, so order the drink they’re known for, one of my favorites, the Irish car bomb.

Then wrap it up at Plainville PumpkinFest at the Municipal Center (1 Central Sq), 4 to 8 PM. Ted’s steamed cheeseburgers, the band Audacity, a costume parade at 5, and every carved jack-o’-lantern on the green lit up after dark. Before or after, swing by Transcend Beer Crafters (45 Northwest Dr, Plainville) for their flagship pilsner, …Or You Can Get With That (6%). Best beer name in the county? Probably.

Music, steins, and pumpkins. Saturday is basically fall bingo.

Sunday only has two stops, but one of them is a big one.

Max’s HOPtober Barrel & Brew Fest takes over Rosedale Farms & Vineyards in Simsbury (25 East Weatogue St) for its 12th year. Your ticket ($69, or $32.50 for designated drivers) gets you a tasting glass, pours from 20-plus vendors like Back East, Lawson’s Finest, Angel’s Envy, and Four Roses, and all-you-can-eat bites like ribs, pulled pork sliders, and fried pickles.

Booyah! is playing live. Is it a beer fest or a whiskey fest? Yes.

If you’d rather keep it low-key, Witchdoctor Brewing in Southington (168 Center St) has Music Bingo from 3 to 5 PM. Order a Wholly Water, their 6.4% hazy IPA, and hope your song comes up first.

Either way, that’s a pretty great way to close out the weekend. Cheers!

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!