From the new to the established, craft beers are moving from the taproom to the curbside. Nearly every craft brewery in the country is facing some kind of uncertainty but that hasn’t stopped Phantom Brewing in Hartford from opening their doors.
"Beer is about community. Beer is about people," said Jon Patrei, co-owner of Phantom Brewing Company.
People brought together by good beer and good times now happening at curbsides instead of traditional spots.
"This community is so supportive from the customers to the brewers to the guild. Everybody has our back," said Patrei.
The community support was on full display as Phantom opened up their sales for the first time Thursday Morning. In just 75 minutes they sold out.
"It was pretty incredible," said Patrei.
Those orders will be picked up curbside on Saturday as they cut the ribbon for their grand opening. It took a year for the long-time home brewing store to turn into a brewery but the owners say COVID-19 wasn’t going to stop them.
"It’s just a change of process but the overall vibe is still the same," said Patrei.
The vibe hasn’t changed at Black Hog Brewing in Oxford but their taproom may look a little different.
"Our tasting room is now a warehouse," said Jason and Tom Sobocinski. The co-owners of Black Hog Brewing. "We have pallets of cans here and orders come in. We’re packaging orders and lining them up and people come and pick them up."
Black Hog isn’t just selling cans but also using their other business ventures to supply whiskey, wine, cheese, brats, beef, and more.
"So you can go outside and grill because we want you to be able to have a good time even if you can’t have a good time with us," said Jason.
Can’t pickup curbside, don’t worry! They have teamed up with Hy’s Limousine Service to deliver right to your door.
"We could never fathom that he would come down to this but we are doing whatever we can to stay alive because people need beer right now," said Jason.
Staying alive is the theme for brewers as the uncertainty of the next couple of months weighs on bottom lines. The Connecticut Brewers Guild says all 113 state breweries are working collectively to remain open.
"We are hopeful and we understand that we are going to be adaptable to whatever the atmosphere and experience is," said Phil Pappas.
The Brewers Guild is launching the Connecticut Beer Trail app that will be available next weekend. It will take you through all the breweries in the state and services they are offering.
Check out the Connecticut Beer Trail map here
Order online for Phantom Brewing here
Order online for Black Hog Brewing here