Counter Weight Brewing Company

Post Memorial Day weekend Connecticut runaround winding down. It’s sad day Sunday, and I’m not looking forward to the drive back. Getting on the road first thing in the morning may have been the play but we’re well past that now. See, we were supposed to catch a ball game in Hartford, but then Ben bagged as he was in want of a nap, so we costume changed and bounced for beerings westward. 15 miles out on 84, and what goes out, has to come back in…

Oh, damn. Big shiny new standalone off the backside of some backside of something that is very unlike the Hamden show. Concrete ‘L’ shaped bar to the rear of the room, large black hexagon tiled base, seating for 4 of which we are 2 towards one end. Barback counter of the same concrete slab length with bottles and flowers and light bric-a-brac atop. Branded glassware in all sizes and shapes shelved below. 16 logo handled tap row inlayed on the white subway tiled barback wall, below a large ‘Counter Weight Brewing’ mural piece. Black slat boards listing tap selections colorfully chalked (beer, style, ABV) chain hooked in a vertical row to the right, and past there, windows offering views of the Lager room open fermenters; a logo stained glass piece on the windows fronting and a single shelf atop with a mallet, empty bottles, and potted plants.

White wall lowers with black uppers, black corrugated ceilings, & slab concrete floors. Colorful bright mural on the inner wall. Wagon wheel filament bulb lined chandeliers across the floor and caged pan lamps tracing the bar. Hanging potted plants over there (me, pointing), beer pieces, and GABF & World Beer Cup medals. Triple wide cooler at the far end of the bar and merch in the front corner. Light art, Orval tins, & Cantillon crates. A dozen tables here and around the bend (hightop, low, shared, & stand around barrels).

11 beers up at current; 5 Lagers (Workhorse Pilsner, German Pilsner, 5%; Sunday Gravy, Italian Pilsner, 5.2%; Seidla, Kellerbier, 4.7%; Framework, Zwickelbier, 3.8%; Ein Helles, Helles Lager, 5%), 4 hoppys (Headway IPA, 6.5%; Bird Sips, IPA, 6.2%; No Hope for the Kids, IPA, 6.4%; Atavist, West Coast IPA, 6.2%), and 2 things that aren’t either of those other things (Spire, Belgian Witbier, 5%; Belter, English Style Mild, 3.8%), a single cider (New England Cider Fresh Blend, 5.2%), + 3 bottled wines.

It’s quite a nice list, I mean goddamn!!! 5 Lagers and an English Style Mild, and I’m thinking shortys. Belter, English Style Mild, toffee excellent; Sunday Gravy, Italian Pils, dry, lovely; Ein Helles, Helles Lager, crisp, lightly bitter, clean, Helles yes; Framework, Zwickelbier, bready, crisp, grassy; Seidla, Kellerbier, malty, bready, mad easy; Workhorse Pilsner, which by the way, just took Silver at the World Beer Cup, citrus, grassy, herbal, really pleasant drinking; and I think I’m going to wind down with Headway IPA, some fruitiness, a bit dank, solid IPA. Am thinking Workhorse Pilsner, Belter English Style Mild, & Seidla Kellerbier for the wins, but really, there was no suck here.

Grabbed my beer. Went on walkabout. Up the stairs. Wow, it’s very quiet time up here. This is where chill lives. ‘L’ shaped wood topped bar on the back wall with an alternating diagonal slat wood base, and seating for 4. Caged pan lamps tracing the bar as below. Drop filament bulbs across the room and hanging potted plants. Ceramic mug club mugs shelved. Big blue walls with bright paintings of portraits gone off kilter and windows offering brew room views, proper. 13 mix & match tables and some cushy seating. Gaming big (Donkey Kong and table shuffle board) and small (thems being board games), along with books shelved up front.

Back downstairs now, into the back room, 4 hightops, and into the side room, 8 tables, and then out front, a dozen picnics umbrella’d in rows of 3 under fabric sails and food truck action. Paneled roll up doors and strung lighting over that front patio area. There’s also a gravely back of the side room space, with a handful of tables umbrella’d up and bocce, too.

Lots of kids, but I’ve have seen no dogs. They must be here somewhere. And tunes. Yes, there are tunes. I can hear them. Fun, engaging, knowledgeable staff, and we were speaking with localish CT folks regarding the brewery scene, they had some ideas on where to go, yo. It’s mad chill here and the beers were quite good. This Sunday stop in was an excellent idea.

 

 

 

 

Out in a small business district, on a cul-de-sac. A small, low ceilinged tap room. Good ambiance of wood and polished concrete floors. The beer style variety is good. The beer quality is quite good, on average. Favorites of the few tried are: Coolship kellerbier & Double Talisman double IPA.

 

 

One of those breweries off in an industrial park that you probably wouldn't find if not for another traveler's recommendation. But this place needs to be visited frequently by beer enthusiasts from far and wide. Quality is world class for their New England IPAs, lagers/pilsners, and stouts/porters. The sours/wilds/fruit beers are good, too. Don't come here looking for perfect ambiance, or great food, or great proximity to anything else worthwhile. Just come here for great beer.

 

 

 

High quality new spot about 15 mins north of New Haven...Industrial and out of the way kinda location...multiple room, with the main one housing a long wooden bar to the left as you enter.....multiple options of their own brews on tap and in cans available to go in a cooler unit.

Warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere, equally friendly and informative people serving behind the bar. Beers I tried (a bourbon barrel aged stout and 2 NEIPAs I took home in cans) were all outstanding.

They offer some bar kinda snacks and cheese boards and I was told they always have a food truck stationed outside..(Indian food when I visited)

Awesome and highly worthy spot...I will be back, next time I make a NH visit....

Exceptionally smooth

 

 

A nice variety of styles - everything well done. Staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and on top of empty glassware and dirty tables. They love having dogs if that's important to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the newest CT breweries, Counter Weight is one of the most anticipated openings this year due to the resume by its headbrewer. The location while in the hidden industrial sections of a town, is perfect for what their purpose. It has two level tasting room which serves the same taps allowing for bigger spaces. The crowd is laidback. Food trucks available if in need of something to munch on. As you walk up to the second floor, you get to see the brewing set up and a coolship greets you as you reach the second level. Best part of it, I can walk for there in less than 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Sleek, polished, shiny-new modern brewery - beautiful facility. The downstairs tasting room is maybe 30' X 100' with a 40' standing bar and a scattering of barrel-tables around the room. Two glass walls give the place a spacious feel. Upstairs, there is another. smaller bar with tables and an interior window-wall overlooking the brewhouse. Six assorted and excellent beers on tap. Lively convivial atmosphere ... a lot of fun... I look forward to visiting again.