E-Malt.com News article: USA, CT: The Kilted Kinsmen Brewery aims at opening in Southington in February

The Southington Chamber of Commerce hosted The Kilted Kinsmen Brewery on November 16, which aims to open at the former Clark Brothers Bolt Company in February, the Bristol Press reported on November 19.

Bob Bartholomew, head brewer, and Mike Brennan, co-owner, of the brewery coming to the historic building at 409 Canal St., spoke to 40 owners of local businesses and nonprofit groups at The Orchards.

Bartholomew said The Kilted Kinsmen will have a full bar with craft beers, wine and hard liquor. Their craft beers will cover a variety of styles from New England style IPAs (Irish Pale Ales) to stouts, porters, and lagers.

“We will always offer guests the opportunities to taste the beer, from five-ounce pours to flights,” said Bartholomew. “We also plan to meet with Connecticut Beer Tours and become a part of their tours.”

Brennan said the company was started out of a love of craft beer.

“We put our heart and soul into it,” he said. “Our big focus is on IPAs; we use huge amounts of hops and are lighter on grain. I have been brewing locally for five years and Bob has been brewing in Maine.”

Brennan said the name Kilted Kinsmen comes from his heritage and the fact that his co-owner is his brother-in-law. This heritage will further be emphasized by the flight beer platters, which are carved in the shape of a Celtic cross.

Brennan said that people walking the “Rails to Trails” section of the Linear Trail will be able to stop at The Kilted Kinsmen as a “hydration station.”

“We will be in two rooms of the old Clark Brothers nut and bolt factory,” he said. “We have been fixing it up, putting in $80,000 worth of new plumbing and installing a new gate and fence. There will also be a climate controlled cellar for aging casks and barrels. We’re keeping the exposed brick and wooden rafters in the roof. There will be eight skylights, a concrete floor and a 40-foot bar made out of 100-year-old wood from a reclaimed barn in Pennsylvania where a lot of my family lives. We’ll also be using 100-year-old maple for the background of our dart board. We’re paying a lot of attention to detail to preserve the character and history of the building. We have a sign from the Clark Brothers dating back to 1854. They were the oldest carriage bolt producer in the country.”


22 November, 2016