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17 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 28 2021 For nearly 200 years, Liberty Bank has been behind companies that think big. We provide commercial loans, mortgages, and working capital lines of credit that can be tailored to meet your business's current needs and those in the future. Loans for $1,000,000 and up. Scan the QR code to call a Commercial Lending Officer today or visit liberty-bank.com/ct-commercial-lending to find a local lender. Financing for Becker + Becker's Hotel Marcel in New Haven, CT (formerly Pirelli/Armstrong HQ) provided by Liberty Bank. Loans, lines of credit, owner-occupied and investment mortgages up to $50 million. All loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender Seven-figure business loans for million-dollar ideas. 21-LBB-0045_FY21_CL_HBJ_10x6.75_M1_V2.indd 1 21-LBB-0045_FY21_CL_HBJ_10x6.75_M1_V2.indd 1 6/14/21 10:04 AM 6/14/21 10:04 AM Bad Sons Brewery in Derby operates a taproom, but owner Mark daSilva said about 80% of his business comes from distributing canned beer in Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts. Focusing on a local market appears to be the most successful model right now, said daSilva, who has been in the brewery industry for about 25 years, and opened several brewpubs in the 1990s. "It's going back to the way breweries originally were 100 years ago, … every town had their own brewery," daSilva said. The statewide industry still has room for growth, daSilva said, but he thinks eventually the number of breweries in the state will reach maximum capacity. He predicted that By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com East Hartford Brewing Group is bringing back the Ten Penny Ale, a pioneer brew in the modern Connecticut craft beer industry. The company bought East Hartford's Olde Burnside Brewing Co., which closed in 2019 after 18 years in operation. Among the assets East Hartford Brewing purchased is East Hartford Brewing Group eyes Ten Penny Ale revival Olde Burnside's flagship product, Ten Penny Ale, an amber-hued Scottish ale. Olde Burnside operated as a distribution-only brewery, and East Hartford Brewing is currently brewing and self-distributing beer from its 776 Tolland St. location, business development manager Allie Dubinsky said. But East Hartford brewing is working toward offering outdoor on-premises service by July, and hopes to one day open an indoor taproom. "The town has been really receptive, and people are really excited to have another brewery in East Hartford," Dubinsky said. While distribution is currently East Hartford Brewing's sole revenue source, Dubinsky said she thinks the taproom will become the most important money generator once it's up and running. Right now the company has five employees and sells an average of 300 cases of beer per month, Dubinsky said. The self-distribution model makes sense for East Hartford Brewing both because the profit margins are better, and because it helps the company form relationships with bars and package stores. "They know they can call or text me any time of day," Dubinsky said. "It's that personal touch." Ten Penny Ale will soon be available for purchase. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED another 20 or 30 breweries could open before the market becomes overly crowded. Dunlap, the co-owner of the forthcoming Dudleytown in Windsor, said he plans to start off producing about 2,000 barrels of beer per year (for context, Sam Adams makes about 6 million barrels annually, according to CNBC). If opportunities to distribute Dudleytown beer widely emerge in the future, Dunlap will consider them if they make sense for the company, he said. But for now, the company will be firmly rooted in Windsor. "Our goal is to be able to sell as much beer as we can over the table in our taproom," Dunlap said. Daryle Dunlap, co-owner of Dudleytown Brewing Company, at the brewery's future Windsor taproom. HBJ PHOTO | SEAN TEEHAN