Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - East Hampton

Well, I am a bit baffled when sitting down to write a review for this brewery. Google indicates that this brewery is permanently closed. I guess reports from Yelpers haven 't arrived yet here to get this place updated as closed . Sad to see brewery closures continue as the pandemic eases but so many supply shortages now exist. So I feel fortunate to have scored at least one beer from this brewery before closure(got a t shirt too). Steve and I managed to get one beer from this brewery. The Feed Me An Orange Cat, a citrusy, orange kind of IPA. Unfortunately it wasn 't the most memorable one we have had and kind of was just a typical beer drinking experience. I 'm reluctant to say that if all the beers weren 't memorable and the general public thought the same that may have led to the closure due to lack of business and competition but going off of one beer I can 't say with a large amount of confidence that that is the reason.

Fat Orange Cat Brew Company is a craft brewery that opened in East Hampton, Connecticut in August 2016. It was founded by head brewer Mike Klucznik and his wife Sheila Mullen. Klucznik became interested in brewing beer after his daughter gave him a home brewing kit for Christmas. After winning multiple home brewing competitions, he decided to open a brewery. Mullen 's big orange and white cat Billy would often hang out with Klucznik when he was brewing and the two formed a special bond. After the feline passed away, Klucznik decided to name the brewery 'Fat Orange Cat ' in Billy 's memory. The brewery opened on Klucznik and Mullen 's own farm property. A barn was turned into a tasting room which also housed a small batch brewing system. The property was also adorned with fire pits, chairs, benches and picnic tables for customers to enjoy while they sampled beers. The property is located near the wetlands of the Salmon River Watershed (which has some of the highest quality water in the state). Klucznik and Mullen use their own well water for the beer, which may just be the secret to their success. They also partnered with the UCONN Agricultural Department to develop a waste management plan that allows their waste materials to be used both on site and also as goat feed for local farmers. Klucznik only thought of the East Hampton location as a test kitchen to come up with new beer ideas. He eventually teamed up with the brewing collective Twelve Percent Beer Project in North Haven. Twelve Percent is not only able to brew larger batches for FOC, but also distribute on a larger level. FOC is only open seasonally from April December. Once the COVID pandemic started, the owners decided to close the tasting barn (probably forever). Business continues at the East Hampton location during the warmer months in the form of an open air drive thru. FOC beer can also be purchased year round at Twelve Percent Beer Project. My wife and I first visited FOC in October 2018. The property was really cool; it felt like you were at someone 's backyard party. The owners legally weren 't allowed to sell full pours of beer, but customers could have multiple tastings. The four beers I sampled were a New England IPA, a Jalapeño infused Pale Ale, a White Stout, and a Peanut Butter Brown Ale. All of the beers were fantastic! I ended up buying a four pack of the white stout. Since that first visit, FOC has become one of my favorite Connecticut breweries. Although a majority of their offerings are IPAs, their stouts and sours are equally good! I was sad when they decided to close down the tasting barn, but I 'm happy that I can still find their great beer a short drive away from me at Twelve Percent Beer Project.

Loved your beer, wish I could get in North Carolina

My first review of a local brewery.Clearly many of these reviews have been written by family and friends. Every beer I have had from there or a package store is either bland or the consistency of used motor oil. Place is nice enough to look at even though the staff has a douchey vibe about them.More brewery reviews to come soon.

Easily my favorite Connecticut brewery, hands-down. This last trip was bittersweet.