Mike McManus, 24, is poised to become one of Connecticut's youngest brewery owners when he opens Powder Hollow Brewery in Hazardville. McManus, who was born in Enfield and graduated from Enrico Fermi High School in 2008, started home-brewing beer when he was 20, a year before he was of legal age to consume it. He said he knew right from his first batch, an apricot-infused American ale, that he wanted to open his own brewery. "As soon as I brewed it, I said this is going to happen," McManus said. "It certainly wasn't my best one, but I loved doing it. I love the practice of doing it, seeing it bubble away for two weeks and the anticipation of it."McManus brewed his first beer when he was living in Vermont while attending Vermont Technical College, where he received a degree in construction management. After college he moved to Baltimore for two years to work for a construction company. With his mind still focused on owning a brewery, McManus quit his job and returned home. For the last three to four months, McManus has been busy working on his brewery, which will be near the Scantic River at 504 Hazard Ave. in a 1929 building he is renting from STR Holdings Inc. McManus has built his bar, his brewing system is in place, and he has filled his space with tables and chairs and has tap handles ready to be pulled. With all of the major construction done and town approval given, McManus must now wait for his state and federal licenses before he can start brewing on site. McManus said he expects the brewery, which will serve samples, and sell pints and growlers to go, to be open about eight weeks after he receives his federal license. No exact opening date has been announced, he said. McManus said he's been saving for the brewery since he was in college, and he's the sole owner and investor. He says he thinks he's ready. "I've been to a lot of breweries to make this game plan," McManus said. "I think I'm prepared.” McManus' game plan is to provide variety, brewing two barrels, or 80 gallons, each day. He has 14 tap handles on the wall behind his bar and he hopes that sometime all of them will be flowing with beer. He said he'll offer four to five flagship beers and three to four seasonal beers while the rest of the space will be dedicated to experimental batches, allowing him to get creative. McManus said he loves stouts and India pale ales, meaning plenty of those will be on tap, including a dry stout he's been brewing since he was in college. He also has a few unique offerings he plans to sell, including a lime basil ale. "I definitely look at all the styles out there," McManus said. "I really like to do these experimental ones. It makes the process so much more fun.”
-Hartford Courant/ 2014
