#17 Kinsmen Brewing – Milldale, CT

Location: Milldale, CT
Brewery Type: Restaurant & Brewpub
Opening Date: 2017
Website: https://www.kinsmenbrewing.com/
Features: Patio, Bike Trail, Full Kitchen

Foreword: In midst of the second wave of the pandemic, travel is once again being restricted between states. I have decided to curtail my visits to breweries for the remainder of the year, however, I still have several accounts to tell. With winter rapidly approaching, many once thriving patios and beer gardens are being shut down. Breweries are once again starting to rely solely on takeout and deliveries. That being said, please support your local breweries by continuing to purchase directly from the source. Breweries such as Kinsmen offer easy to use online ordering systems for your convenience. Here’s hoping for stemming the tide of the second wave as well as a speedy production and distribution of the recently announced vaccines.

Welcome to Connecticut

It took nearly a year since I started cataloging my brewery trips to finally get to Connecticut. Out of the 6 New England states, I have explored Connecticut the least. My extent of exploring the state has been taking the Acela to NYC on several occasions and driving through on my way to Philly. I’m sorry I have been neglectful for all these years, but I swear I make it up to you. Personally, I think I’m already off to a great start. I already have 40 miles of the Farmington Canal Trail under my belt as well as two breweries – stay tuned for my experience at Counter Weight.

Along the Farmington Canal Trail

This was one of the warmer early October days where I packed up my bike and made the drive down to CT, parking at one of the many trailheads to the extremely well kept Farmington Canal Trail. I was just South of Milldale and after unstowing my bike I started to head North to my first destination of the day, Kinsmen Brewery. The trail follows an old train line and is an astounding 81 miles long, traversing the rural landscape and small communities in Central Connecticut and Massachusetts. I was there that day to only complete just the Southern portion of the trail that spans from the Hartford suburbs all the way down to New Haven along the coast.

I was off to a great start. The sun was shining as I traversed the Connecticut countryside through wooded areas with the occasional stream or pond. Overall, the quality of the trail was great and well kept. Similar to the Cape Cod Rail Trail it was also almost entirely flat; perfect for any cyclist or runner of any skill level.

Kinsmen Brewing

After just a few miles, I reached my first destination, Kinsmen Brewing in Milldale, CT. The patio setup is one of the most unique for any brewery that I have been to. Not only was the patio right next to the bike path, there was an entrance right there as well. With ample spaces to lock your bike up, I did just that as I sat myself at one of the tables on the patio just above the bike path.

I was quickly provided a tap list and food menu as I perused my options, enjoying the sun. Unfortunately, they were not pouring flights, so I selected two half pints from the menu – a Milldale Lite lager and a Heinz Kissvelvet pilsner. Both beers were made for summer and the patio basked in the sun. 

As I enjoyed the refreshing beers and waited for my food, I enjoyed watching passersbys on the bike path just a few feet to my left. The food soon arrived and was totally blown away with what I was served. As it turns out, they bake their own bread at Kinsmen and the quality shows. I ordered a Lil Piggy Packed Bowl, which was essentially a little pocket of freshly baked bread stuffed with pulled pork, cheddar and candied jalapenos – absolutely delicious. I also ordered the stuffed cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto and provolone on a bed of freshly baked bread. This was some really next level stuff. The oily stuffed peppers soaked into the bread, creating an astounding combo of flavors. While the beer was good, I’ll definitely be back for those stuffed peppers I now crave.

Ultimately, I had a lot of miles left before the sun set, so I paid, gathered my bike and headed South towards Counter Weight Brewing.

What’s on Tap at Kinsmen Brewing

• Milldale Lite – Lager – This light and sweet lager went down easy with a smooth and creamy finish.
• Heinz Kissvelvet – Pilsner – Light and crisp, the Heinz Kissvelvet was dry and clean, but had some spice to it reminiscent of a kolsche. 
• 21.3 – IPA – Citrusy and fruity, this juicy IPA was extremely smooth despite the hoppiness.

Final Verdict

Not only does Kinsmen offer unrivaled trail-side seating to enjoy some brews on a warm day, the food alone is well worth a visit.