Forest City Brewing - Middletown, Connecticut

Aleksander Meterko

This review is a part of my quest of visiting all CT breweries. I've never heard about Forest City Brewing before, so this was my first visit.

The brewery is located in a big old factory building, sharing the same address with another (now closed) brewery and a cidery. There's plenty of parking space in front of the building. The brewery itself is really small - just a single room and a patio with a couple of tables outside. The decor inside is nice and the place feels welcoming. They have a couple of food options to select, but those are mostly snacks. I tried their cured "meat stick" and bagged Irish chips. I also saw a food truck outside of the brewery when I visited this area on another occasion.

There is a variety of beers on tap. During my visit they offered kolsch, pilsner, stout, IPAs and a sour. But there are not that many actual beers on tap - out of 10 offerings 3 of them were mixes of their beers. For this review I tried every single tap they had. The beers themselves are ok, tasty, but nothing unique. I enjoyed Brown Cow (Milk Stout) the most as it was rich and creamy in taste.

Overall, this is a nice hangout spot and deserves at least one trip to try their beers.

Clare Dignan

This place is great. The beers are excellent and it's a cool intimate space. I've been a few times and they run specials on different brews and offer seasonal varieties. Some food trucks rotate outside, but you can bring your own food. It feels like a real local place and very welcoming, and the lass they have behind the bar on Thursdays is wonderful!

Jean Ann Wertz

Great taproom! They make their own gf hard seltzer, new flavors frequently. Not grocery store hard seltzer! This is so good, with a slight sweetness and new flavors all the time. Also, gf snacks! A comfy neighborhood atmosphere.

Tina S

This is a small brewery that has a nice selection of beer. We enjoyed their sours and IPAs. The bartender was super friendly! They also serve some food like pretzels, pizza, cookies and chips. They also have games. We really enjoyed island time and sweet Mary sour ale!

Dave Negrelli

I've been meaning to try this brewery for a while now. Glad I finally got a chance to visit. No frills, casual atmosphere. Quality beer on tap. I definitely recommend the Stargazer and the Remington. Happy to have so many quality brewery choices in CT.

Yvette Elliott (Klekolo World Coffee)

Forest City Brewing delivers some of the best traditional-style beers with a unique twist. The Czech Your Head Pilsner has been a refreshing summer favorite, while the Blaubeere Sour Ale is a crisp, blueberry-forward delight. The Brown Cow Chocolate Milk Stout is rich and spot-on! Every brew I've tried has been exceptionally well-crafted and delicious. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for quality, flavorful beers!

Peter Leeds

Brewer-owner Chris is approachable and knowledgeable. The place is cute and "homie," with lovely art on the walls and a no-volume television taking care of us sports-minded folk. Oh, and the beers are varied, including ciders and sours. Though I'm an IPA guy, i have to give props to the delicious milk stout. And there's pizza with a special process that brings it out real! A little hard to find, but I trusted GPS and my pal got me there just fine.

Jimmy Sullivan

I could not recommend Forest City Brewing more.

I hosted a private party here for about 30 people to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday. It was our first time visiting Forest City Brewing and it was a phenomenal experience every step of the way.

Chris is a great guy, and he made the whole process easy and fun. He was prompt in getting us a quote, helped set up decorations the day of, and was just a consistently kind, fun, laid back, and helpful presence throughout the whole party.

The beers were delicious - my personal favorites were their EXP 7 IPA and John Beere Kolsh. The Disco Lemonade was also a hit during the party. It's a family business and it's clear how much love & passion they pour into their brewing & their business.

We were able to bring our own pizza & desserts for the event, which we enjoyed alongside the beer. They have board games, cornhole, a Switch, TV, and tunes on standby which made things even easier - everyone especially loved playing Mario Kart.

We made amazing memories here and I will definitely be back the next time I'm in the area!

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a casual brew and good times, or hosting their own party too. Cheers! 🍻