🟢 Windsor's Hidden Gem Skips Happy Hour?

Happy November!

While a lot of people are flexing their voting muscle today, I’m flexing my whiskey muscle this week.

So many cocktail classes and so many opportunities to make something to take the edge off.

But don’t worry, I’ve curated a masterful list for just us degenerates, let’s get into it.

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

— Chris M.
Local Whiskey Nerd, Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur (Fun Tip: I moonlight as a wedding DJ)

Not everything in life is about drinks (I know, shocking), so I'm curious how you like to treat yourself.

Fair warning: you're going to see Wise Old Dog in here a lot this week. It's not a sponsorship. They're just doing something whiskey-related pretty much every day, and I refuse to miss any of it.

Quick backstory. Owner Jacob Studenroth quit practicing law to open a wine shop and named it after his Boston Terrier, Duncan. By 2014 he was in Kentucky buying private Four Roses barrels. One of them, "Duncan's Secret Barrel," made about 30 bottles. That's the energy.

I've bought their barrel picks myself. Prices are middle of the road (no steals, no sticker shock), but the shelves at 612 South Quaker Lane in West Hartford are full of stuff your corner package store has never heard of.

Whisk(e)y Week runs through Friday. The Michter's and Willett masterclasses already wrapped, but the good stuff is still coming. Today you can drop in from 4 to 7 for Russell's Reserve and Wild Turkey, then Woodford Reserve with bottle engraving tomorrow. Thursday is a brown-water cocktail class.

The one I'd circle is Friday, Nov. 6: a Willett single barrel release with a tasting from 4 to 7. Willett picks don't sit on shelves long.

Tell them THP sent you.

See that plate up there? Eat it right there at the bar. No need to take it home (even though you can).

That's the Thai fried rice at Windsor Asian Bistro in Windsor (700 Poquonock Ave), and I got mine extra spicy because I'm a weirdo like that. It came out piping hot, and honestly, that's the whole secret. It just tastes so much better fresh.

Mrs. Hartford Pour would disagree. She brings it home and reheats it all the time, and she loves it. Me? I want the whole experience. The bar, the wall of bottles glowing behind it, the plate still steaming in front of me.

Next to it is the rum punch. Light, refreshing, and perfect with all that spice. Did I wish it was a little stronger? Sure. But that's probably just the bourbon head in me talking. When your usual pour is 100+ proof, everything tastes like juice, lol.

My one gripe: no happy hour. Which is odd, because there aren't many happy hours in this part of Windsor, and they'd dominate. Then again, us happy hour people can get a little rowdy. Maybe they don't want our kind in there regularly. (I'm just making stuff up at this point.)

Heads up, they're closed Mondays. Go hungry, eat it hot.

Let's talk bourbon.

The Wise Old Dog in West Hartford (612 S Quaker Ln) is in the middle of its Whisk(e)y Week, and today's free drop-in tasting from 4 to 7 PM is Russell's Reserve and Wild Turkey. Same funk and same distillery, but two very distinct personalities. You can rarely go wrong with anything Wild Turkey-related (especially a pick).

Then head up to my neck of the woods. TJ’s Burritos in Bloomfield (695 Park Ave) is hosting a Bourbon Cocktail Class at 5:30 PM, where the folks from Redemption Bourbon walk you through making three cocktails yourself. Grab a ticket on Eventbrite before you go.

Sip it neat, then shake it up. Boom-shakalaka!

Two very different kinds of hands-on tonight.

Back at The Wise Old Dog in West Hartford (612 S Quaker Ln), Whisk(e)y Week rolls on with a free Woodford Reserve tasting from 4 to 7 PM. The best part? They're engraving bottles, so you can finally put your name on the one in the cabinet nobody else is allowed to touch.

Then take a ride down to Coles Road Brewing in Berlin (817 Farmington Ave) for Stained Glass Solder & Sip from 6 to 8 PM. The glass comes pre-cut, so you just solder your own little pumpkin or spiderweb and take it home that night. Super beginner friendly (aka me).

Order the Encore, their Czech-style dark lager, toasty with a hint of chocolate. Save Chaos Is A Ladder, the 12.6% maple barleywine, for after you put the hot iron down. Trust me on that one.

Thursday is a choose-your-own-adventure. Cocktail nerd, fancy, or trivia champ.

Cocktail nerd first. The Wise Old Dog in West Hartford (612 S Quaker Ln) has its Brown Water Cocktails masterclass from 6 to 7:30 PM, pairing Old Forester bourbon with Forthave spirits. It's ticketed, so book ahead on their calendar.

But if you are feeling a little fancy? Max’s Oyster Bar in West Hartford Center (964 Farmington Ave) is featuring the wines of Vidal-Fleury, the oldest winery in France's Rhône Valley. Oysters and Rhône wine on a Thursday. It’s a match made in West Hartford.

If you'd rather flex your brain, Witchdoctor Brewing in Southington (168 Center St) has 90s Pop Culture Trivia at 7 PM. Grab a Space Sheep, their hazy IPA, and pray there's a Tamagotchi question.

As if! (Sorry, had to.)

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!