Branford — beer capital of Connecticut?
The shoreline town known for its picturesque town green, the Thimble Islands, Pine Orchard, its restaurants and overall beachy feel, also can boast of three brewing companies — Thimble Island, DuVig and Stony Creek — that are either open for business, expanding or are in the process of building.
A fourth company, Overshores Brewing, has been operating since May just across the Branford town line in East Haven.
“The craft beer business has really taken off. It helps our tax base, brings new jobs and tourism to the town,” Branford First Selectman James Cosgrove said.
Stony Creek Beer, made at Thomas Hooker Brewing Company in Bloomfield during construction on the Indian Neck Avenue property, might be the draw but there is so much more.
Andy Scwhartz, Stony Creek’s brewmaster, says that visitors will enjoy “… a waterfront destination in Branford. Riverfront location, with decks overlooking the water. Dock access, bocce ball court, large airy tasting room, state of the art brewery.”
Scwhartz added: “The town of Branford has also been very supportive of our concept and concepts like ours. We are a natural addition to any community, as beer is a very community-friendly beverage. It brings people together responsibly over a cold pint, to catch up, and discuss the issues of the day. Branford seems to recognize this and is actively supporting this.” (See sidebar interview.)
At Thimble Island Brewery, on Industrial Road in Branford, founders Justin Gargano and Mike Fawcett started making beer in their Branford apartment a few years ago. In 2010 they founded the Thimble Island Brewing Company. In 2012, they sold their first pint of beer at a pub in Guilford. It’s now four times larger than its original size and expanding.
The Gargano family is well known in Branford, as many generations have called it home. “We are tied to the shoreline, tied to Branford,” said Justin Gargano. “Branford’s been very welcoming. We love beer. Beer is fun. Our goal is not to build a multimillion dollar business, but to build a Branford-based business that will be here for the long run.”
And things are also, excuse the pun, hopping at DuVig, at 59 School Ground Road in Branford, a few miles down the road from Thimble Island.
DuVig was founded, literally, during the blizzard of 2013. Two Guilford neighbors — the Dugases and the Vigliottis (hence the name DuVig) tell the story: “Trapped, with nothing to drink but our own home brew, the idea of DuVig Brewing Company was pitched.”
Dan Vigliotti said the two families were able to secure the necessary funding from Community Investment Corporation to open the business in May.
Now, Vigliotti, his wife, Kim, and the Dugases are also talking expansion, and new brews. Both Vigliotti and Darcy Dugas say they’ve taken extensively to social media to push the DuVig brand. They describe their beer as “easy-drinking yet full of flavor without the high alcohol content.”
Branford’s extensive restaurant scene has also been “open and inviting” to selling the locally made craft beers, said Vigliotti.
Another big reason why the Branford and East Haven area has become popular for beer making is the towns’ business-friendly sewage systems.
Christian Amport, founder and president of Overshores Brewing Company, said: “There’s a simple reason why craft brewing is done in the bigger towns — such as Branford, East Haven, New Haven. It’s the cost of dealing with waste water. Smaller towns farther up the shoreline, such as Killingworth, Clinton, don’t have sewer systems. Handling the water waste is a huge expense for beer makers.”
East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. said of Overshores: “We are proud to have them in East Haven and are certain that they will continue to be quite successful.”
Amport said he’s not surprised that craft brewing has become a big thing in Connecticut. “Other parts of the country, such as states like Vermont,” he said, “have had craft brewing for a long time. It makes sense that Connecticut would eventually join the party.”
Thimble Island’s Gargano agrees with Amport. He referred to a recent survey that showed Connecticut is behind other states in “enthusiasm for craft beer. But,” he said with a smile, “we’re catching up.”
Lots of people have become “weekend beer warriors,” traveling from brewery to brewery to sample new creations. Amport said the beer makers tend to, for the most part, be supportive of each other, often recommending different breweries to customers.
“I think that’s because the industry still sees itself as underdog” to the big beer makers, he said.
