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A “Raney” Birthday at Two Roads

by Chansoda on June 13, 2015

We celebrated our friend Erin’s (Rane) birthday with a trip to Two Roads Brewery in Stratford this weekend.

Very cool brewery and highly recommend a visit if you’re interested in science, or beer, or just the science of beer! Definitely take the tour, it’s fairly inexpensive, you’ll learn a lot, and a plus, they give you beer to try! I love how they turned around the old historic US Baird building in to this beautiful factory and pumped so much life back in to it. It’s really impressive that they just started brewing a couple years ago (still considered a start up), but they already have expansions on the way and putting out some great craft beers.

We ordered a flight and found that Karla and I are partial to the Honeyspot Road White IPA, it had a nice clean crisp taste with a smooth sweet aroma to it. So so good on a hot summer day. Enjoyed it with some unhealthy fried goodness and serious layered baked potatoes from The Spud Stud food truck, parked outside for your convenience. (Check out the Two Roads website for their food truck schedule)

Great visit, and from their website, looks like they have lot going on, so if you like good brews, definitely check them out.

It was really hard to take good pictures with beer in hand, and beer on brain = tipsy.

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Grab a beer and have a seat at Two Roads

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Huge vats!

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The ladies!

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All kinds of brews!

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The Honeyspot hits the spot!

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I suggest you try them all.

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Factory tour

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Samples for everyone!

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the malts!

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What do you see in there?

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The foam is a good thing.

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wanna try some veggie mite…

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almost my last name, almost…

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Supporting the local brewery with Two Roads gear from the shop.

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sporting our gear!

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Yeaaa growlers of beer!

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growler monster!

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And one for the Road… errr, Two for the Road…

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ChansodaA “Raney” Birthday at Two Roads

Sailing and Wine Tastings

by Chansoda on September 27, 2014

Went on an outing to Mystic with our friends Francia and Krista. It’s nice to be able to show our city friends a little bit of Connecticut. Just so happened Tom and Skip were also there on their weekly sailing adventure, so we met up with them to continue our partying at the marina.

First stop, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, where we had a few tastings and explored their amazing winery ( I was actually here for Tom’s daughter’s wedding a few years ago). It’s such beautiful setting and the weather was perfect, sun shine, nice breeze. Then we had lunch at this cute gourmet deli a couple miles away. Meandered along the back roads of southeastern Connecticut to our next stop, Jonathan Edwards Winery. This charming vineyard is situated on top of hill in North Stonington in the midst of some beautiful farmlands. We enjoyed the wine here and met a nice couple celebrating their wedding anniversary.

I highly recommend visiting the wineries on the Connecticut Wine Trail, they have so much charm and are fairly easy to get to considering it doesn’t take that long to drive across Connecticut! There’s also a passport program with grand prizes that include a trip for two to Spain! Defintely signing up for that next year.

After that, we headed to party on the boat! Margaritas, wine, storytelling, barbecue, it was such a fun time we ended up crashing in the hotel room with Krista and Francia to get up early for a morning sail with Captain Tom and Skipper. They were happy to have four lovely ladies tour the ocean with them.

The view at Saltwater

 

Inside the hangar, pretty cool!

 

The lovely Francia and Krista.

The lovely Francia and Krista.

Charla!

Charla!

Down and out.

Down and out.

Entrance to Jonathan Edwards

Entrance to Jonathan Edwards

The couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, took a photo for them!  Congrats ladies!

The couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, took a photo for them! Congrats ladies!

Stroll.

Stroll.

Another Charla sighting.

Another Charla sighting.

More of the lovely ladies.

The group!

The group!

Stroll through their vineyard.

Stroll through their vineyard.

That's how we do wine tastings!

That’s how we do wine tastings!mystic-7334

Our old guys! Love them.

Our old guys! Love them.

Trying to look the part of a sailor.

Trying to look the part of a sailor.

Ladies ladies.

Ladies ladies.

The marina at dark.

The marina at dark.

We were all hurting, but we made it up for the morning sail.

We were all hurting, but we made it up for the morning sail.

Marina in the daytime.

Marina in the daytime.

Leaving the marina.

Leaving the marina.

Can you see the seagull?

Can you see the seagull?

Captain Tom.

Captain Tom.

Skipper at work.

Skipper at work.

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Great morning to be out.

Enjoy the sail.

Enjoy the sail.

Ocean!

Ocean!

Karla at the helm.

Karla at the helm.

shooting the breeze.

shooting the breeze.

All the sailboats hanging out.

All the sailboats hanging out.

Smooth sailing.

Smooth sailing.

at the front.

at the front.

Skip, my "pseudo dad" and me.

Skip, my “pseudo dad” and me.

:)

🙂

Cool track that opens to let boats in to the marina.

Cool railroad track that opens to let boats in to the marina.

Pulling the sails down.

Pulling the sails down.

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We enjoyed the sail.

Beginning of a colorful fall.

Beginning of a colorful fall.

Our sailors!

Our sailors!

Off to town.

 

Strolling in to the town center for lunch.

Strolling in to the town center for lunch.

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ChansodaSailing and Wine Tastings