Broad Brook Brewing Company, East Windsor

In September 2010, a trio of beer-brewing buds joined forces to form Broad Brook Brewing Company. By February of the next year, their ales and lagers had netted ribbons at several regional and national contests. By July, the team was already dreaming up its own taproom. These days, that taproom hosts rotating drafts of year-round, seasonal, and specialty beers, ranging from IPAs made with seven hop varieties to imperial ales brewed with local honey. A menu highlights nearby restaurants that deliver grub, and tours showcase the 15-barrel system that yields each of the microbrewery’s batches. For patrons that can’t stick around, bartenders fill growlers with to-go brews, a less sticky alternative to pouring beer into your cupped hands.