Anything missing from this NE roadtrip plan?

I’ll second the Fort Williams rec. I’ve been there a couple times. Cool place to walk around and take pics. Plus a museum in the main building by the lighthouse.

 

All I can tell you is this... Modern Apizza.

 

meh. especially if you're looking for good pizza or beer that goes with pizza. if you're seeking beer and food in the hartford area, you'd do well with elicit, which has a LOT of local guest taps in addition to 10 or so of their beers and a decent menu. Eli Cannon's would be another option in that vein, and is actually closer to fox farm than hartford is. i'd even consider picking up food at salem prime cuts, two brothers pizza, or cato corner farm and bringing it to fox farm with you, eating there, and staying in an airbnb nearby. it is a really beautiful part of the state and if you're heading out in the morning it wouldn't be a terrible idea.

 

Just got back from a week in Maine and the lunch board at Terlingua was the best thing I ate hands down. Really excellent BBQ and great outdoor space.

 

For what it is worth, I think Luppoleto in Windsor Locks is a great stop that doesnt require you to back track all the way to New Haven. Just north of Hartford so it would be a bit closer to your next days stop and since you are around the airport, there would be plenty of lodging and food options. Dont expect the brewery itself to blow you away, its located in a strip mall, but the beers are, IMO, quite good. They have a food truck menu online so you can always see if something interesting is coming by. I live by Fox Farm and would recommend traveling out to Hartford area for food as there really isnt too much around here that is a absolute stand out.

Otherwise, this is an awesome trip, if not ambitious! I would recommend checking the hours for the breweries you want to visit. Places like Fox Farm, HF, Alchemist, and a lot of places in VT in general do not have super long hours... A small tip for Fox Farm: while not required, I would recommend booking a spot online. Spots inside the bar area tend to be booked out on weekends, so reserving a spot guarantees you a place to sit inside and not have to deal with the weather.

 

In Fenway, if you are trying to get to the Trillium spot there then I would just eat at Time Out market next door. Sweet Cheeks is...fine

 

Fox farm is excellent, but not worth the drive IMHO. The New Haven area boasts OEC, Counterweight, Nebco, East Rock, and Twelve Percent. Between those five you will get a lot bigger selection than FF. Honestly, Counterweight does everything that FF does and is just as tasty based on my experience (that being said if you are into farmhouse style beers I believe that they are still rebuilding their program after the move to Cheshire).

Also strongly advising that Novare Res as a must hit spot. Besides a good selection of American craft beer their foreign beer selection is unrivaled anywhere in NE. My only other suggestion for ME would be to try and hit Sacred Profane Brewing in Biddeford if you have time and are into Czech style lagers. You can also find their beers in quite a few packies if a visit doesn't work out.

 

I will offer a few counterpoints of reflection.

-Fox Farm is much more aesthetically beautiful to visit with the wooded/farm/farmhouse vibe
-Fox Farm regularly offers mixed culture/BA sour and heavy stouty dark-type beers, which you only find sporadically at CW
-Fox Farm owner has normal-sized head

That being said, I'd put these two up as the best in CT and would insist anyone passing through CT visit these two breweries almost above anything else. If I was on a beercation though and could only hit one, Fox Farm over Counterweight due to the reasons I stated above. I would make sure to get some CW cans to go though before returning home!!!

 

Fun fact: same people who designed Fox Farm’s brewery designed Lawsons and Tree House.

 

Don’t forget the Alchemist. Peter Webster is a talented dude.

 

just for some perspective, Row34 was charging $45 for a 1/4lb roll. Insane earlier this summer. Insane. I found ME rolls in the $27-$30 range. Eventide in Portland charges 20ish for smaller, but much tastier, brown butter, bao bun rolls. Buy 2 of them for a tastier culinary experience. Eventide also has awesome oysters, clam chowder, etc. You should be able to find lobster rolls almost everywhere. Tandem has delicious chorizo biscuit egg sandwiches.

Oh, and Modern Pizza in NH ftw.

 

I agree on the first two. I really wish CW would get back to releasing mixed culture and spontaneous beers. Metanoia is one of the best spontaneous beers I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. On the last one I wasn't aware of the head size issue, but maybe that explains the lack of a collab beer between CW and Nebco since Matt went off on his own.

 

just a little in-joke for the matt fans out there, it's not a judgement of character at all. he's the nicest, most humble guy you can imagine.

 

Unclear to me why someone would put OEC any more in the New Haven area than Fox Farm. Neither is all that close to New Haven. And OP was heading to Boston / MA next so OEC is totally out of the way from New Haven whereas Fox Farm is somewhat on the way.

 

I think the OP's idea was to do a CT day where visits would include FF and OEC vs stopping at FF on the way to Boston. OP is staying in New Haven that night so FF isn't necessarily more or less convenient than OEC.

 

OP said this … Drive PA to CT, get lunch in New Haven (want to try one of the famous pizza spots but don't know which one), drive out to Fox Farm, circle back towards OEC, and stay near New Haven.

I’m saying this makes no sense and is a crazy amount of driving in the wrong direction. I’d rather just go to NH for pizza, hit NEBCO, head to Fox Farm and stay up that way with MA as my day 2 destination than involve OEC unless it could be hit on the way from PA.

 

Because it is literally closer to New Haven than FF. I was under the impression he wanted options and was also under the impression (since he stated so in the OP) that he would be staying in or near New Haven. I suggested 5 really good breweries in or within half an hour of New Haven vs. one brewery Fox Farm that is over an hour away. Does that clear up your confusion?