Housatonic River Brewing is a craft brewery that opened in New Milford, Connecticut in September 2018. It was founded by brewer Dave Littlefield. With brewery experience dating back to the 1980s, Littlefield had owned and operated Harbor Lights Brewing Company in Dana Point, California during the 1990s. A couple of non-brewery jobs later, Littlefield had relocated to Connecticut and looked to open a new brewery. He purchased a 7-acre property along the banks of the Housatonic River in New Milford. In addition to brewing good beer, Littlefield's goal was to create a venue that the community would appreciate and enjoy. The brewery features a large rustic taproom, a stage for live musical acts to perform, and a large seasonal beer garden under a pavilion. In addition to the housemade beer, HRB also serves wine, cider, craft cocktails, and a large menu of delicious food from their in-house kitchen. In May 2024, Littlefield purchased the former Quirk Works Brewing & Blendery space in Danbury for HRB to use as a secondary production facility. I recently visited Housatonic River Brewing for the first time. I had heard that they host a lot of live music acts and I purchased a ticket to see NYC-based Rush tribute band "Moving Pictures". I'm a HUGE Rush fan, so I was really excited to see the group perform. I arrived over an hour before the show started and grabbed a table close to the stage. There was a modest crowd when I first arrived, but the whole taproom was packed by the time the show started. After looking over the menu, I started off with a plate of "Smoked Macaroni & Cheese" (smoked bacon jalapeño macaroni & cheese) and "Cornbread" (w/ cinnamon honey butter). Afterwards, I moved onto a "Gourmet Brisket Grilled Cheese" (three cheeses between perfectly grilled rustic sourdough toast w/ bacon & jalapeños & fries). Everything was fantastic, especially that heavenly grilled cheese! Throughout my visit, I enjoyed pours of "Uncle Bock" (Doppelbock), "Less Gentle On My Mind" (Double New England IPA), and "Remedy" (Imperial Stout). They were all good, especially the latter two. Moving Pictures also gave an excellent performance to the very energetic crowd. Overall, I had quite an enjoyable evening and I hope to return to HRB! read more

See all

Have only been here twice but like it thus far. It's a bit hillbilly, for me. You feel like you're 'outside,' but you're 'inside.' It's quite spacious inside. You order on your own all the way in the back of the place at the bar but your order is brought to you. Weird feel to the place, like line dancing or bad karaoke is going to break out at any time! Their pub food (menu) is amply portioned, quite good and fairly priced! Singularly the BEST burgers I've had anywhere in CT, hands down! Chicken cheesesteak with hot peppers is a close second -- strangely though, no 'real' Philly cheesesteak. Some of their evening specials include a beer which you never see anymore! A $10 dessert pretzel is a bit steep! read more

Had a great time there. It's clean and friendly and they have great live bands . I haven't tried the food, but my friends seem to enjoy it.

I visit New Milford every few months and make sure to stop by HRB every time for drinks and a good time. The backyard patio is large with plenty of seating outside along with a large pergola to cover Incase of the rain. A great outdoor drinking spot! The staple Gentle on my Mind IPA is a great beer and tend to go down too quickly. This last time I visited the kitchen was finally open. Our group tried the tacos, smashBurger and smoked chicken Caesar wrap. The smash burger stole the show and was delicious. Highly recommend it with jalapeños and onions. As always the service is great and Rich always goes out of his way to explain beers and help assist when trying new beers. Will be back to try more beers and food off the new menu. read more

See all

If you haven't been to HRB, you are clearly missing out! My group (The Royals) goes on Wednesday evenings for "Trivia with Rich" (so much fun!). Check the website for variations and themes, but our favorite is General Knowledge style) and some tasty beverages (so many varieties of beer, you won't be disappointed, but they also have wine for my sister and I who don't do brews) with friends... I've heard they have cocktails too but I haven't gone there yet. if you have a big appetite, come early to enjoy dinner before the game starts at 7 as you will absolutely have your hands full with the hefty portions served up by the staff (just a warning, you may need to share to finish it all!!!). See you there soon! Lynda M read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Typical posting of Trivia schedule from website... - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

We have been going to the Housatonic Brewery company for years. It is a great local spot with good drinks. The place over the years has had some improvements. Recently, they started to serve food. Their beers are really good. My husband and friends like the IPA gentle on my mind. I really like the cider donut beer with the cinnamon rim. The staff that works there are SO friendly. Everytime we go we always talk to them and they are very attentive. This time when we went we had some of the new food they are serving and we were shocked by how delicious it was. I had the brisket taco, the tortilla part was outstanding. We also had the smashed burger which was so cheesy. My husband had the smoked chicken caesar wrap. Looking forward to next time we are back and we can try more food! read more

See all

Great night last night. Went early because we were hungry, this was the second time we saw the Outcrops play there, really great band! Food keeps getting better and better, saw some early reviews that said the food was basic, not any mor. I would characterize it as great bar food. Huge hanburgers are delicious, yummy apps. We had the Texas Twinkies and fried mushrooms and the HBR burger. All huge and delicious. Friends had chili, chicken cheese steak and tacos, all rave reviews. Outside space is comfy, with patio furniture and fire pits around outside, picnic tables and high tops under roof. Cornhole too! We've been in winter also, indoor space is great too. Beer menu is interesting, something for all. I always try the seasonal, right now apple cider donut beer, delicious! read more

Updating my previous review. They still have beer, with a new brewer! They still have guest wine. Now, in order to serve liquor, they've legally had to add a kitchen. Connecticut Beer Trail veterans have surely run into the El Taco food truck. Well, they wanted out of the food truck game, so one thing led to another, and now, most of the staff has signed on as HRB's cooks. I know the owner. I've got a mug on file here. I'm not leaving this place anytime soon. Accuse me of bias if you will, but I'm disclosing it. Regardless, the question I ask after my previous review of beer and music: is the food good? Given El Taco's publicized exit from the food truck game, I was surprised to see only burgers, sandwiches, and a token salad on the initial menu. Maybe they'll expand once they recoup some of the investment, right? There's nothing from the old El Taco menu, which is unfortunate. That being said, I ordered the Smash Burger, which comes with jalapeños, grilled onions, and a side of fries if you don't upgrade. It came out pretty quickly, and I've got to say, damn, it's good. The patties are smashed, the cheese is uniformly melted, and there's enough sauces on the side to please anyone. The burger was fine on its own, grilled to perfection, though I added Cholula and mustard for my tastes. The fries are hearty, lightly seasoned, and perfectly crisped -- a common pain point with anything cut this thick -- and my blend of ketchup and Cholula made them all disappear quickly. I expected more from the kitchen. However, the basics they're starting with are already top-tier. Things can only improve from here, and I'll be along for the ride. read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Smash Burger (served with fries) - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

The food selection is limited and basic,but, better than average for bar grub. No mixed drinks are available. There are many good bands that play there, but, the layout, inside is not the best in the nice weather the outside area is bigger and better for hearing music. read more

Love it here, the atmosphere, the drinks, the staff are all great. My favorite is always the fall because they have the cider donut beer. my only dislike about this place is they don't allow kids. The only time I get to come is when I can get a sitter, which is rare. I would come here all the time if they allowed kids read more

Beers are tasteless, atmosphere is boring, management is rude. This place just sucks.

Came here with some Yelp friends (hi Bill Z!) because we'd been talking about visiting and this weekend was the perfect time to do so. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We arrived shortly after opening and had our pick of the tables out back but by the time we left, it was very crowded. The space itself is great. The inside is beautiful and they have a nice bar setup. The back is terrific with a large, covered area with picnic tables and then more tables out in the open air along with several cornhole boards. Service was very friendly and quick. Everyone in our group (there were seven of us) enjoyed their beers. I had the apple cider donut and it was the perfect beer to drink on a crisp fall day. It's like a Hallmark Movie in a glass! I loved it and my stout-loving friends raved about the stout. Apparently they don't always have food trucks but we planned ahead and picked up some pizzas from New Milford Pizza Station just down the road and that worked out great! Also, they have a thoughfully-reasoned policy of not allowing anyone under 21 (that includes babies). Their website outlines the rationale and they are very respectful about their reasoning. I like kids and don't mind them in beer gardens. I will also say that is was very nice change of pace to be in a place that is for adults only. I really enjoyed the vibe. Also, if they had wi-fi, that would be awesome because my Verizon signal was so week when I was there I couldn't check in my beers on Untappd. We all agreed that this is someplace that we'd love to visit again. read more

See all

Housatonic River Brewery provides a great venue and concept with subpar beer. Beer: Tried the Sassenach Scotch style ale- started decent with a mildly hoppy roasted malt but finished with a chemical taste. And the wheat beer had a "pine sol" chemical taste. Service: friendly bar tender Overall cleanliness: average Bathroom cleanliness: above average Outdoor seating: great outdoor area Ambiance: on a Sunday afternoon the music was a little too loud and consisted of 80s rock (and not the best of the 80s). Mixed sort of vibe, almost a confused ambiance Misc.: no kids, no pets read more

See all

This place has a nice large outside patio. If you prefer inside there is a nice area inside as well. There is plenty of seating for everyone. This is easy to find right off Highway 7. There is old 80s music playing throughout the beer garden. The ladies behind the bar are friendly. Now the beer was disappointing. I highly recommend trying a sample before purchasing. The bathrooms and interior are above average clean. Beer: I got the wheat beer and it has an odd piney after taste. When it was cold it was drinkable but as it warmed up, it really had a funky after taste. I couldn't finish it. There are so many great breweries i the area, skip this one. read more

See all

1st impression is the atmosphere is cool! The beer garden in the back is pretty cool! The locals seem to like dancing t the cover band. But the service isn't to friendly, seems like their working for their pay checks and nothing more. The Taco truck serves a great steak burrito but the beer doesn't match the food. Beer seems to strong for the food. Wouldn't mind hanging out here if I was n the neighborhood but wouldn't go out of my way to make this a destination read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Inside bar at Housatonic Brewery - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Food and service were decent. The women making drinks were very knowledgeable and pleasant.It just had a sort of dark appearance walking in. We may return. read more

There was no indoor service yesterday, but no worries -- because their beer garden was packed. Here's the workflow -you grab a table in the beer garden, and someone will bring you a beer menu and a food menu for the food truck of the day. They had a nice beer selection - an Octoberfest, a Belgian Whit, a PILS, a NEIPA, a Bock, a Brown Ale, a Porter, a Sour, a Stout, an IPA, and a DIPA, plus hard seltzers and ciders. I loved the fact that they weren't an IPA-centric place! I went for a $7 "Runnin With the Devil" -a Belgium Whit named in honor of the late Eddie Van Halen. It was a big glass, probably 12 ounces I'd guess, and it was ice cold and delicious. The service was friendly, and we had a very enjoyable visit. The only downside was the smoke that came out of their fire pit and seemed to envelope the entire beer garden. We came home smelling as though we had both crawled down a chimney. read more

See all

When someone hands you a beer that is such a delicious shade of pale, cloudy yellow...happy times ahead. My dad and I chose to come here before we knew said beer would eventually be poured for us, but Gentle On My Mind was an excellent choice for our first (and second) drink. Soft and easy to drink, simultaneously hoppy, with the hint of citrus you'd expect, and want. We were both craving a beer(s) after playing a very hot and muggy 18 holes, and in the current world of social distance, well-spaced outdoor picnic tables sounded like a great follow up to golf. The setup is exactly what you'd expect. Indoor space being a "not so much" these days, there are plenty of picnic tables outside. The parking lot is huge, and from what I read in other reviews, food trucks often set up shop here. We got here just after a weekday opening so no trucks for us, but we did bring a sandwich from a little cafe in town. The only downside? No flights. I wanted nothing more than to try Paradox and Fair Warning (IPAs all daayyy) but since Gentle On My Mind was very much hitting the post-golf spot, we stuck with that - and took two 4-packs and a branded IPA glass home with us. In fact, I had one can tonight, in that very glass. One might say it reminded me to write this. The brewery has a great location, plenty of seating, excellent beer, and, depending on the time of day, food trucks - so you can literally just plant yourself here until they close. COVID stuff: I already hit the highlights, but nothing is happening inside, and fights are off the table for now. Other than that, it feels pretty normal. read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

horrible service and alcohol i will never be coming here again. My kid had to wait out side because its 21 and over. When I got my food it was awful there was a hair in my burger and was not cooked read more

Me and my family always have a fun time here with friends whenever they have their trivia or Jeopardy nights, and their food is delicious, always crispy and hot. I enjoy most of their beers a lot, they have the best ones I've ever had. But, on occasion if I order from tap, I'll get a glass of beer that taste old and soapy. They just came out with a beer they make that became my new favorite, so I went back to get a pack and all the cans were too soapy tasting to even taste the beer. I wish it wasn't such a bad pack, because on tap it was delicious. Now I don't wanna order packs anymore. read more

A good local spot with good brews and non-beer options! My husband got the Oktoberfest and enjoyed it. High Noon is more my taste and they had very flavor imaginable. Service was very nice and bathrooms were so clean. Parking is easy with their own private lot. read more

There is a lot I really like about this place. That would include the reasonably priced beer selection, the atmosphere, the layout, and the staff. Now I'm going to dangle a carrot - I'd love to give this place a 5th star, but I'd like to see a couple of things happen: (1) Update your website, because it advertised a number of beers that weren't actually available, and (2) have food trucks more often. But neither of these would be deal-breakers. Even though it's an hour's drive for me to visit here, I'll drive it! This is a fun place to come with a group of any size, and the beer variety is satisfying. read more

Housatonic River Brewing - a menu on a blackboard - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Most Wednesday evenings we go to the brewery for trivia night, which is run by Rich. It is always fun since Rich puts a lot of effort into coming up with topics and questions of interest. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don't, but either way it's a very enjoyable 2 hours spent in good company. Highly recommended! read more

HRB is our goto place on Wednesday evenings for fun filled Trivia hosted by quizmaster Rich, who brings his special "brew" of cheerful good humor and endless patience with each edition of classic trivia, themed trivia, trivia bingo or "feud" style competition. Win or lose, we are never disappointed! Tara at the bar happily takes care of our liquid cheer with a smile and friendly word! Why not enjoy their delicious menu while you are there, but be warned.... You had better bring a king sized appetite!!. We look forward to seeing you there soon! read more

Pretty good. Theres several IPA's on the menu which I dislike immensely. But u van pick your 4 for your flight. 2 beers stood out for me. Cider donut amber ale is nothing short of tasty&delicious. It has all the notes of what it says it has, down right fantastic. The show stopped for me was the chocolate stout..WOW! I had 3 pints, and normally stouts arent my thing altho tasty. This one sealed it for me, I must go back for more. Guy in the corner strumming his guitar&sang pretty good, place was definitely crowded after about a half hour. Great ambiance for all ages. read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Impressed!! Nuf' said - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Nice atmosphere with lots of outdoor seating. Try to go when the chicken truck is there. There was an axe throwing cage too. Amazing combo of food and drink. 'Sweater weather' was amazing. Definitely going back. read more

See all

Great new local brewery on Route 7 with beer garden and outdoor game area. Delicious selection of draft beers: 2.20 is 20 bucks IPA Sacred Grounds Coffee Porter Apple Pie Blonde Ale 70lb Pumpkin Ale Old Brown Penny Shadow of Stout Mosaic Milkshake IPA If you can decide, have beer flight and figure out your new fave brewskis! read more

See all

Been going here since they opened. Great staff and bending brews. They expanded with an open air covered patio. Now have food trucks available read more

Good beers, really nice outdoor space with food trucks and corn hole. No dogs or kids allowed, just a heads up! read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Our daughter and son in law had their wedding here in August and it could not have gone better!! Even despite just newly opening the kitchen they handled a large group with smiles the entire day and evening. The food was incredible! That smash burger is amazing. The menu has something for everyone. With the new full liquor license as well, the drinks were also very good. Such a warm, inviting, and fun atmosphere! Can't wait to make this the new 'hang out' spot! read more

Great outdoor beer garden!! We came on a Friday and they had great music as well. Anyway I came here for the beer, the beer was actually really good!! The staff was super nice and and the vibe was a nice as well. read more

See all

What a surprise! Middle of nowhere but this beer is amazing!! Literally this place is the spot to be. They have corn hole, food trucks, and are open late!! Would come back for sure read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Beer and food truck - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Hidden gem. Not a beer drinker to be honest but I heard the choices are excellent. I enjoy listening to the bands in a small friendly atmosphere . Highly recommend for a local night out . read more

Second time I've been here. There's a descent amount of seating and lots of parking. On a Friday night there was a food truck and a live band (wish the band went on earlier in the evening). They advertised that drewbq would be there on Facebook but they didn't show and it was twins bbq and we did not like what we ordered from them at all. Half the reason we drove a the way here was for the drewbq food truck. No fault of the brewery tho obviously but maybe they Shouldnt work with them if they're not going to show. Good beer choices and choices for those who don't like beer, ciders and canned cocktails. I love the fireplace. If ever in new milford I would go back. We brought our own game which was fun. read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

See all

This is a chill brewery that has a good atmosphere. The inside does not have a lot of seating and there are only stools which get uncomfortable after awhile. But when the weather is nice, the outside has lots of tables and seating. They have a lot of beers on tap and other drinks in a can you can get. Unfortunately they only have one cider on tap (which is very good if you like sweet). I am not into beers as much but my friends really enjoy the beers. Wish they had more ciders! They usually have a food truck outside and I've ordered pizza to the door and that worked out well. Anyway, definitely a cool place to hang out for awhile! read more

Housatonic River Brewing - A flight of beers - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

Try the HRB burger outstanding. Great beers and other drinks! Nice outdoor seating and great staff

Good location. Smoke parking. Tons of seating options outdoor and indoor. They have games for those who want to linger, drink wine and hang out it with friends... they have some good menu but you can bring some of yours except beverages of course. Service is excellent. They make you feel very very welcome! read more

Housatonic River Brewing - Wheat & Wild Beer - Breweries Near Me - New Milford, Connecticut

It's a brewery...nuff said. No food but they do have food truck(s) on site. Didn't have any food from it. They don't have flights but do allow you to try before you commit. I had the three bagger which has 9% alcohol. It has a strong hop taste which I really liked. The atmosphere is very casual with picnic tables outdoor and a big bar inside. No one under 21 allowed so get a baby sitter and leave your kids at home! read more

Wanted to drink a beer or 2 outside and support our local CT brewery, but you had to walk through a bar of maskless patrons to find a bartender willing to serve you a drink that you had to carry outside. The manager didn't care about their customers and the manager/establishment clearly didn't care about meeting COVID safety standards or protocols because he wasn't wearing a mask when he walked up to see why we wanted to start a fire in one of their fire pits. Although the beer was decent (which is why they get 1 start) please do not go here unless you are vaccinated or are willing to contract COVID and possibly spread it to the ones you love most dearly. read more

We sampled each beer with the flights, and suprisingly there were none that we felt that we did not enjoy (usually when you do a flight at a brewery, there is at least 1 or 2 beers that you can do without). I dont like pumpkin, but the 70lb Pumkpin Ale was suprisingly good- not too much pumpkin or spice. But my top 2 were the Mosaic Milkshake IPA and the Old Brown Penny. The inside is nice, although most were outside because it was a nice day. The motorcycle parking is a nice perk. The girl serving the beer could have been a little bit more cordial, but maybe she was new. Would like to see them schedule food trucks in the future. I would definitely recommend this place as a stop for anyone nearby. read more

See all