🟢 West Hartford Loses Local Brewery

Happy Thursday, Hartford!

The kiddo’s are about to go back to school and the insanity has commenced.

The malls are packed with parents and teachers are reporting back to get ready for the new school year, wow, time flies. The summer is pretty much over…

Anyways, let’s find a way to drown our sorrows… lol.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun Tip: Connecticut ranks 4th in the nation for education… go figure)

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(Unique doesn’t mean great)

Sad news out of West Hartford.

The WeHa Brewing & Roasting Co. closed its doors for good last month (end of July), and honestly, this one stings a little because the idea was so unique.

WeHa did something nobody else in Connecticut was doing: a coffee roastery AND craft brewery, same building, same team.

I mean, who doesn’t want to pair your morning pour with your evening pour at the exact same place!

The owners broke the news on Facebook a couple weeks ago, pointing to rising costs (West Hartford property taxes have not been kind). I feel them on that, my mortgage has been going up with taxes like crazy!

But then there was “some unexpected litigation,” that they didn’t really get into and then just blamed sales that wouldn't budge.

Tough industry, tougher year for everyone with the rising cost of everything.

I'll miss you, WeHa.

(What the Plourd?)

The Plourd Brewery is officially open at 1277 Main Street (the old Paddle Creek spot). A husband-and-wife own it, Tyler and Melissa Plourd.

Honestly, I’m not sure how to pronounce the name, but I’m going with “P-lord”. Anyways, they have turned that old spot into a neighborhood taproom that this stretch of Main Street in East Hartford needed.

As of right now, there are no flights here. It’s either a full pour or half pour and that's it. It’s hard to run a good old fashioned brick-and-mortar store anymore, but I respect the hustle for sure being a business owner myself.

They will be having their first annual Oktoberfest on September 12 and I totally look forward to it.

No worries, I will cover this as it gets closer, but here is a flyer…

They are open 4pm to 9pm on Thursday and Friday, 12pm to 9pm on Saturday, and then 12pm to 6pm on Sunday.

So plenty of opportunity to support a local brewery and hope to see you there!

(Need something to do?)

Your whole night sorted, folks.

Start at the 44th Annual Lobsterfest at the Canton Volunteer Fire Co. (14 Canton Springs Rd), running both Friday and Saturday.

Forty-four years of whole lobster, corn, chowder, and a dessert bar in Ellsworth Hall, plus a beer-and-wine tent (my favorite) to wash it all down.

Bring a lot of napkins. A lot.

On your way back into town, swing past the Hartford Salsa Social (try saying that 3 times fast) on Pratt Street (5-8pm, totally free) and watch downtown Hartford turn into a dance floor for two hours.

Grab a pint of Guinness at Vaughan's Public House while you're there, it's basically required by Irish pub law (I don’t make the rules)

Then, a favorite of mine, finish the night solving a crime.

Elicit Brewing Co. (165 Adams St, Manchester) hosts a free “Hunt-A-Killer” game night at 7pm, live music from Cover Daddies at 9pm.

For a drink, I’d get the Endless Unknown, a 9.5% Russian Imperial Stout high ABV and tasty.

Saturday's a full circuit if you're up for it.

Start at CT Valley Brewing in South Windsor for the Horizon Wings Birds of Prey Seminar, 11am-1pm.

I’m talking about owls, hawks, the whole raptor lineup, live and up close. It may be a little early, but it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, so get the Ace of Aces while you watch, felt appropriate for a room full of actual aces of the sky (bad joke, I know).

By 1pm, head to Manchester for Silk City Fest at Urban Lodge Brewing (47 Purnell Place), running til 7. This is the spot for their flagship Super Lazy IPA.

Let’s end the weekend a little “dog-friendly.”

Check out CT Valley Brewing in South Windsor for Cars & Coffee, 8-11am. Nice and simple, and pets are welcomed!

Then take your furry friend to Manchester for the Dog Days of Summer Pawtio Party at Elicit Brewing (165 Adams St), 1-4pm, benefiting Dog Star Rescue with vendors, doggy pools, and good boys everywhere you look.

Sunday will be pushing 80 degrees, so cool off with a She Sells Shandys, it’s light and refreshing.

And that’s my recs for the weekend!

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!