Drinking local again
Breweries, wineries open outdoor seating, restaurants in time for holiday weekend
Connecticut drinkers are ready to imbibe locally again. COVID-19 related shutdowns impacted Connecticut’s breweries and wineries, which, like restaurants and bars, had to shutter tasting rooms and taprooms for more than two months.
Without that on-premise consumption as a revenue source, local beer and wine producers had to rely on curbside pickup, online orders and sales to retail outlets for the duration. But as outdoor dining resumes this week as part of Connecticut’s phase one of reopening, the state’s breweries and wineries are also dusting off patios, decks and picnic tables and welcoming guests again, as long as food is being offered for consumption.
Wineries and vineyards
As wineries and vineyards reopen across the state, visitors should expect strict guidelines based upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. Customers are allowed to purchase wine by the glass or bottle and consume it outside. Indoor spaces. including tasting rooms, will be closed and outdoor patios and deck areas will be limited to 50% of the allowed capacity.
“We’re trying to create the most relaxing, beautiful environment for people to enjoy, with every possible safety guideline,” said Gloria Priam, owner of Priam Vineyards in Colchester.
Groups will be limited to five people or less, and customers are asked to wear masks when not eating or drinking. Tables and chairs spaced six feet apart by staff must not be moved, and customers are asked to observe social-distance spacing throughout vineyard grounds. Employees will wear masks and frequently sanitize seating areas.
Contactless payment methods and credit cards are encouraged over the use of cash. While hand sanitizer will be available in most locations, customers are also asked to bring their own for personal use. Customers who are not feeling well or showing symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to refrain from visiting.
Priam said the vineyard has seen a positive response since reopening Wednesday and sanitation guidelines have not been a large adjustment from the staff’s usual “meticulous” cleaning practices. But the loss of large-scale events and weddings has “tremendously impacted us financially,” she said.
The vineyard had more weddings scheduled from June through October than any other season in its 20-year history, with a total of about 30 large outdoor events. Most weddings, including one with over 300 guests, are moving to 2021, said Priam.
“We’ve lost basically an entire year of income on those weddings,” she said, adding that some couples had booked weddings back in 2018 and locked in those rates, avoiding the annual price increase of at least 3.5%.
Like many local business owners, Priam has had to get creative and come up with revenue streams that fit within state guidelines. Luckily, within the 40-acre property, there is plenty of space to set up socially-distanced food trucks and outdoor entertainment. Priam said she was planning to hold a comedy event over the weekend, with tents in case of rain, as well as a drag event later in May. The vineyard is also about to release its first sparkling wine.
Jonathan Edwards, owner of Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington, agreed. While home deliveries were not as popular as he had expected throughout the shutdown, “online sales were huge,” he said.
“People really wanted access to good quality wines, and they wanted to support their local wineries. We saw a spike in online sales, and then good retention within our wine club,” Edwards said. “That’s what’s been getting us through this time. Weddings have turned into a zero at this point.”
Because of limited staffing, the winery has reduced hours, opening at 1 p.m. instead of 11 am. Still, Edwards said the business has seen a “pretty robust attendance” since reopening Wednesday.
“The weather has certainly been helpful,” he said, adding that while will there not be concerts this summer since no one is touring, customers are welcome to have socially distanced picnics on the property.
Preston Ridge Vineyard in Preston reopened for the first time in weeks Friday. Cara Sawyer, an owner of the business said they were “busy right out of the gate.”
“Most of our tables are full already,” said Sawyer in the early afternoon. While it has taken a lot of work to readjust seating, acquire PPE, and meet all the regulations, Sawyer said she felt the staff has come up with a decent way to run the vineyard for the time being.
Breweries
Beer drinkers are also quickly returning to Connecticut’s breweries, which are permitted to serve outdoors if they offer food, including options from food trucks. Breweries will follow the same socialdistancing guidelines as restaurants, with tables of no more than five spaced at least six feet apart. Guests must wear masks when not eating or drinking.
Thomas Hooker Brewery, which has on-site kitchens at both locations in Bloomfield and Hartford at the Colt Building, opened both for outdoor dining Wednesday. A new 40-foot tent stretches over the patio seating at the Bloomfield brewery.
“We’ve had healthy crowds,” said Thomas Hooker president Curt Cameron. “People, I think, are still a little bit cautious, but that’s one of the reasons we’ve been following the rules to a T to make sure everybody feels comfortable.”
Guests are expected to wear masks when they’re not eating or drinking, and the facilities have clearly-marked pathways to and from the indoor bathrooms. Cameron said his staff has been diligent about providing hand sanitizer and cleaning the bathrooms after every use.
With a large outdoor deck and expansive waterfront space, Stony Creek Beer in Branford can accommodate about 320 people at half-capacity, said David Herrington, general manager and chief financial officer. The brewery’s guidelines have changed, though, as its model moves more to a restaurant-style format than a bar.
Stony Creek is using Naples Pizza Truck as its on-site food provider, and guests must order food from that vendor in order to drink on the premises, Herrington said. No outside food is allowed. Stony Creek employees will deliver food and drink to the outdoor tables, with different servers dedicated to delivering each so there’s no crosscontamination.
Tables holding no more than five people are distanced properly, and guests must wear a mask anytime they’re away from their seats. Everything is “hypersanitized,” Herrington said, and menus are single-use and disposable.
Guests must also be 21 and over, Herrington said, a change from the previous family-friendly policy that allowed children. “We want it to be safe for everyone.”
Stony Creek welcomed about 100 guests on Thursday, and the staff is prepared for a large turnout over the long holiday weekend.
“We’re obviously adjusting because we’ve been basically just a bar for five years, and now we’re turning into that serving restaurant experience,” Herrington said. “But overall, it was pretty smooth, guests are happy, employees are happy. It’s really cool to be back.”
At Connecticut Valley Brewing in South Windsor, the brewery also has the advantage of space: its license applies to its three acres of land, said Jeff Nelson, the director of sales.
The brewery offers about a dozen picnic tables, with a patio in the works, but guests can bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on the property, he said — provided they’re properly distanced from other visitors.
Food trucks will park at the brewery almost every day, but Connecticut Valley also serves soft pretzels, and its adjacent coffeehouse, Birdhouse Coffee, offers pastries and other snacks.
“People [are saying], ‘Oh my God, it’s so good to drink a draft beer. It’s so good to just hang out,’” he said.
Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, which normally offers outdoor seating, has opted not to open right away, according to a May 20 Facebook post. Similarly, Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. in East Hampton has opted to stick with just its drive-thru beer pickup for now.
Urban Lodge Brewing on Purnell Place in Manchester does not serve food, and instead of bringing in a food truck, the brewery’s owners wanted to support nearby restaurants. They’re working with Lucky Taco, Sukhothai Restaurant and Filomena’s Pizzeria on Main Street, which will serve appetizers and lighter fare to brewery customers. Guests at Urban Lodge will be able to order food and beer online and have it delivered to their tables.
“The only thing we can do right now is hope people are responsible,” said coowner Michael Gerrity. “We’re going to put the rules up. I’m not going to ask my staff to yell at someone to put a mask on. We just ask [customers] to be respectful of other people. Just be cool. We hope that’s the case.”