Once an account places an order, we prepare the order for shipment. In contrast to most brewers who wholesale their beer through a distributor, we distribute our own beer to bars, restaurants and package stores throughout Connecticut. Managing our own distribution allows us to maintain close relationships with our accounts and deliver beer that was… Read More
All of our beer is naturally clarified, meaning we do not remove yeast and other flavor by-products via filtration or centrifugation. These common methods of clarification are known to remove pleasant flavor and aromatic compounds and change the texture of the beer. Instead, we lager our beer between 31-38 degrees Fahrenheit for several weeks until nearly all… Read More
When fermentation is nearly complete, we close the tank to allow the CO2 generated during the fermentation process to naturally carbonate our beer. This process, called spunding, is also seldom practiced by modern brewers, who prefer the convenience of carbonating beer after maturation with CO2 purchased from outside of the brewery. However, our natural carbonation provides a distinct texture and… Read More
While our focus is lager beer, we can’t help but embrace the complex process and characteristics of an authentic German-style wheat beer. In contrast to our lagers, fermentation, and maturation of our wheat beers is a two-vessel process using a traditional German wheat yeast. This yeast has the unique capability of transforming compounds in the… Read More
From the nuance of a Pilsner to the hop-forward bite of an India Pale Lager, our inspired lagers undergo an extra-long and cold fermentation. This rarely practiced and traditional technique produces a pure and crisp beer of extraordinary character that cannot be replicated with ale fermentations. Our lager fermentation and maturation occur in the same vessel, called a conical fermenter. The design of… Read More
At East Rock, we use different yeasts and methods to ferment and condition our beer depending on the flavor profile we are trying to achieve. In the brewing world, there are two main categories of yeast used to ferment beer: ale and lager. Ale yeast comprises thousands of different yeast strains which impart a variety… Read More
One of the great benefits of brewing in New Haven is our water. All of the water used at the brewery comes from Lake Gaillard, a private reservoir with soft water characteristics that are perfect for lager brewing. The 13 billion-gallon man-made reservoir was built in the 1920s and receives its water from natural watercourses in Guilford, Madison, and Killingworth. The reservoir is… Read More
In contrast to most breweries who procure hops through a broker, the majority of hops used in the brewery are procured directly from family farms in Germany. Several of our German hop varieties are sourced from Seitz farm in Hallertau, a fourth-generation family-farm run by farm engineer Florian Seitz. At 65 square miles, Hallertau remains the largest contiguous hop growing area in the world, producing roughly… Read More
East Rock is honored to be one of the only breweries in the U.S. working with Stone Path Malt of Wareham, MA, an importer of malt from IREKS GmbH of Kulmbach, Germany. Situated in the Upper Franconia area of Bavaria, IREKS GmbH has been crafting barley into malt since 1856 for some of Germany’s most cherished breweries. While working with another brewery in the… Read More
Great question! Like many brewing cultures, Germany is home to many different styles of beer, brewing traditions and social customs which together characterize what we know as German beer. The most popular styles of beer encompass a variety of lagers and wheat beers, but the country is also known for producing several regional styles of beer including Kolsch, Altbier, Gose, Berliner Weisse and Rauchbier, among others. However, what defines German beer more than… Read More