USA, CT: Dudleytown Brewing Co. opens its doors in Windsor

Dudleytown Brewing Co. opened its doors in Windsor with a grand opening celebration on Aug. 12, debuting its new space on Day Hill Road after nearly 18 months of construction, CT Insider reported on August 14.

Legend has it that Dudleytown, in the northwest corner of the state near Cornwall, was founded by the relatives of a man who was beheaded in England and was cursed because of it. The deeply forested hamlet, the story goes, eventually became a ghost town.

The founders of the town's namesake brewery have embraced that vibe with lots of wood, including a massive wooden bar top, mood lighting and an industrial accent highlighted by a knotty, sculpted metal tree at the entrance.

"The theme is a dark forest," co-founder Daryle Dunlap told Hearst Connecticut in July. "There's a lot of folklore behind it."

Dunlap and co-founder Jonathan Levine found what they were looking for at 1001 Day Hill Road, the former Mototown USA indoor motocross venue, where they began construction in April 2022. The brewery has 7,000 square feet of space inside, including room for a stage and food cooked on the premises, and 8,000 square feet of space outside, which includes a beer garden, food and a stage for concerts.

Downstairs, there are six fermentation tanks and two brite tanks with room to add up to eight more fermentation tanks. The plan is to begin with an offering of eight to 10 beers and eventually expand to 16. Dudleytown's current tap list features a mix of West Coast and New England IPAs, pale ales, fruited sours, an American light lager, a Czech dark lager, a German-style pilsner and an apple seltzer.

The brewery is family- and dog-friendly, with dogs allowed on the front and rear patios. Dudleytown will welcome food trucks until its on-site food offerings are finalized, according to its website.

15 August, 2023