| JULY 17, 2012 -- Across the river from Westerly, RI, in the Pawcatuck section of the town of Stonington, in an old mill that for many years was used to manufacture printing presses, you will find a small business named Cottrell Brewing. It is a successful micro-brewery that produces about 5,000 barrels of beer annually, primarily for the southeast CT-RI marketplace, although they do ship as far as Ohio. Old Yankee ale has been their flagship label since 1996.
The business offers free brewery tours and a large group from Stonington Grange took full advantage of this one Friday afternoon in June. We were joined by State Grange President Jody Cameron and First Lady Jodi Ann. We learned everything you could possibly want to know about the making of beer from boiling the hot water to the finished product.
Beer is made from grains and water in batches that take about a week to complete and it gets pretty gassy while fermenting. We saw a batch that was halfway through the process, the bottling line, kegs being cleaned, and then we got to sample the finished products. Cottrell currently brews four different beers from strong to very strong.
At the brewery you can buy a “growler” which is the term for a 64 oz glass bottle, have it filled with your beer of choice, and bring it home to enjoy in the safety of your house. We understand that it goes flat soon after it is opened so you need to drink it quickly. Makes a great temporary souvenir. |
