www.HartfordBusiness.com • December 18, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 3
Newsmakers
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Approving state oversight
"All of us are committed to
ensuring we avoid bankruptcy
and are being fiscally prudent and
making sure Hartford is placed on
a sustainable financial path."
Hartford City Council President
Thomas "TJ" Clarke II after
voting in favor of allowing the city to seek state
assistance and be overseen by an oversight board.
Clamoring for health
insurance
"We are seeing strong numbers
so far but our work is far from over.
We have multiple communication
and outreach efforts put in place
for those members who haven't
taken action."
Access Health CT CEO Jim Wadleigh on the insurance
exchange signing up over 100,000 members through
early December, exceeding expectations despite
uncertainty around the future of the Affordable Care Act.
By John Stearns
jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com
Ben and Joy Braddock saw good things brewing in
Hartford's Parkville neighborhood and wanted to tap
into and feed the vibe, opening their craft brewery, Hog
River Brewing Co., there in Aug. 2016.
"We noticed early on that the Parkville neighbor-
hood had a pulse and it was on the verge of something
special," said the couple, who began fermenting their
brewery concept in 2013.
They said they wanted to help revitalize an eclectic,
diverse neighborhood with myriad small businesses
sharing the goal of turning Parkville into an area that
supports small business, innovation and diversity.
Inside Hog River, local history is reflected in the mas-
sive machine presses that hammered parts for the first
pneumatic tires manufactured for cars and bikes in the
U.S., when the building housed Hartford Rubber Works,
and later Pope Manufacturing Co. A machine's gear is
represented in the brewery's logo.
The Braddocks have hosted events to give customers
reasons beyond beer to visit, including workout classes,
maker pop-up markets and beer dinners. In November,
they hosted a Hartford Symphony Orchestra concert
and have live music every Thursday.
Is Hartford a craft-beer city, or becoming one?
Hartford has made great strides to become more of a
beer city. Connecticut's overall beer scene has exploded
in the last few years, but still is behind the curve com-
pared to the rest of the country. Breweries are finding
their niche and they are all doing a great job.
What's the biggest challenge facing Hog River Brewing?
Increasing competition. There are a lot of breweries
opening in Connecticut and a lot have the same busi-
ness model. We decided to take a different approach to
sell 99 percent of our beer direct to the consumer in our
taproom. This was a risk and it is paying off.
What's one beer a newcomer should try?
We have about 12 core recipes that cycle in and out.
They range in style from our award-winning Kölsch to
more innovative styles such as the popular New England
IPA. Our passion is classic German-style beers.
VERBATIM
Ben and Joy Braddock opened Hog River Brewing in 2016.
HBJ
PHOTO
|
JOHN
STEARNS
Ben and Joy Braddock
| Owners of Hog River Brewing Co.
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43 Western Blvd, Suite 150
Glastonbury, CT 06033
860 610 2200
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