The Beeracks

Being only a partial resident of Connecticut, I do not keep apprised of the craft beer scene quite as closely as I do in my home state of Massachusetts. Discussing beer (which I often do) at a baseball game (where I often go for fun) last year, someone mentioned Armada. I had never heard of it. They promised that this was top-shelf stuff. Seeking the need to try, the next day I ventured out to seek the liquid gold. Like Ponce de Leon seeking the Fountain of Youth, I set out to find Armada. I was able to procure two six-packs: Mermaid Cove and Savage Queen. I also read about their facility, a gypsy brewing operation buried in a neighborhood off Route 95 in East Haven called The Beeracks.   

A little background about the Beeracks

In a short while, the Branford-East Haven area suddenly has become home to four breweries. (One minute Branford to me is the home of crab legs at the Shoreline Restaurant and Zane’s Bicycles and the next minute, it’s the brewery mecca of Connecticut!) These include Stony Creek, DuVig, Thimble Island, and Overshores. Stony Creek and Thimble Island were readily available to me when I visited home in Connecticut, but I hadn’t tried the others. Eventually, an Overshores fell into my possession. I believe at the time they were only brewing Belgian style beers, which were quite popular before the whole hazy, juicy IPA craze.

Fast forward to 2018, and I found out that Overshores actually runs this place called The Beeracks. The Beeracks is home to a slew of gypsy brewers, or independent brewers and breweries that all use this space for their home. It’s a pretty neat idea. I like how Overshores has reinvented itself to create something progressive and collaborative on the Connecticut shoreline.   

Variety is the spice of life 

The idea of The Beeracks is perfect for me. Whether it’s listening to mixtapes (yes, tapes), trying many flavors of ice cream, or opting for a flight of beer, I prefer variety. I’d rather try a small sample size of many different styles than one or two of the same kind.   

My trip to The Beeracks

After a book reading in Madison, Connecticut, I looked at a map and saw The Beeracks was only a short drive from my current location. It was a monsoon-like day outside (which we’ve had too many of this fall) which led to sparse attendance. After traveling all this way, I knew I needed to extend my trip to The Beeracks to find my Fountain of Youth, or at least try a few Armada beers. 

On the outside, The Beeracks looks like a semi-abandoned warehouse. Covered in graffiti (for effect, not vandalism), one enters through a loading dock and the industrial feel sets the tone. (It’s certainly all for effect–the bathrooms are very clean). During my visit, they had five breweries on tap: Armada, Hoax, Hull’s, Overshores, and Erector.   After dashing in out of the monsoon, I opted to try small pours of each of the Armada IPAs they had on the menu, including the Savage Queen, Mermaid Cove, and You Give Us Grapes, We’ll Give Em Juice. The Savage Queen was my favorite, but all were really good. (I thought it would be the Grapes one due to the name). I decided to take home a four-pack of the Savage Queen. 

The rain had forced some people to stay inside and others had left, so the crowd was thin. Jackie and I decided to stay a little while longer. She tried the Sleight of Hand Raspberry Toasted Marshmallow (with can art depicting the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man). It was definitely raspberry heavy, but with notes of marshmallow; overall was really good. 

Looking back at the draft list board, there was one Hoax IPA brewed with bones. Given the name Hoax, and being near Halloween (with an ABV of 6.66%) I thought it was all a joke. After talking with the guy from Hoax, he told me the story. In collaboration with the New Haven band Bone Church, the Bone Church Brew was concocted. After sacrificing a goat (or getting it USDA approved butchered) and eating the meat, they used the cleaned goat bones in the brewing process for this IPA. I was expecting my small pour to be, quite honestly, wretched or at least intense. Kind of like those Harry Potter jelly beans. It wasn’t. It was on the milder side and tasty, no bone flavor whatsoever, nor did I feel the presence of the Dark Lord while drinking it.   

At The Beeracks

The story of The Beeracks is a cool one. Just the fact that the craft beer scene is all about support makes a place like this possible. Instead of being in competition with one another, each of these breweries supports the others by sharing the same space with a truly collaborative spirit. 

Although I ventured out seeking Armada (and it did not disappoint!), I left with both Armada and Hoax. I look forward to going again to try different breweries at The Beeracks. As of now, the breweries in operation here include Armada, Overshores, Hoax, Front Porch, Hull’s, Metronome, New Haven Nighthawks, and Erector. In spite of the industrial facade and the sacrificial offerings of farm animals, The Beeracks is a family-friendly place with an appealing, come as you are feeling.  Sporadically they hold events, have food trucks, and host other celebrations, so check back to their website often. 

The Beeracks is located at 250 Bradley Street in East Haven, Connecticut.