MILFORD, Conn. — Woodmont Road, co-owners Jerry Candido and Chris Willett are focused on serving great-tasting local craft beer to local craft beer drinkers.
“We’re giving folks in Milford and the surrounding communities a great-tasting, homegrown craft beer option,” said Candido, who is a West Haven native and currently resides in Milford.
Milford Point Brewing is a nano-brewery, meaning that it produces beer in small batches – three barrels or smaller – focusing on quality over quantity. Willett, who also resides in Milford, met Candido around seven years ago while their daughters were playing on the same softball team.Soon thereafter, the two became friends, and Candido, who previously only consumed mass-produced beers like Bud Light, was converted after trying Willett’s home-brewed craft beer.
“I have really always liked craft beers,” said Willett. “After a while, I figured it was worth trying to make my own craft beer. It just so happens that the beer I was brewing was good, at least in my opinion, and my family and friends thought so, too.”
This led to Willett to take his craft brewing hobby to the next level, entering into contests, including a contest in Stamford where he beat out 40 other contestants.
“After winning that contest and receiving a lot of positive feedback from a wide variety of folks about the flavor and taste of the beer, it became clear that there was an opportunity to sell the product at a larger scale,” said Willett.
That’s when he and Candido – who by then was asking for Willett’s advice every time he visited a restaurant or bar with craft beer on tap – decided to join forces and start-up a brewery in Milford. Candido, an electrician by trade, has worked on – and with – several craft breweries. Willett will serve as the head brewer for Milford Point Brewing Co.
Milford Point Brewing is a local craft brewery for local folks, and the names of its great-tasting craft beers stay true to the brand identity, featuring Silver Sands IPA, Devon Wheat, Pond Point Lager, and West Shore Double IPA.
“We want to ensure the names of all of our beers have the homegrown feel that our neighbors deserve from Milford’s first-to-open craft brewery,” said Willett. The brewery will feature a small sample tasting and growler-filling room in the front where customers can sample and buy beer for off-site consumption. It will also sell and deliver kegs of beer to bars, according to the Connecticut Post.
Milford Point Brewing will be the first to open-for-business in the city, while two other craft breweries – Tribus Beer Co. and Dockside Brewery – are being developed, and awaiting approvals, respectively .Candido and Willett believe that all of these locations add to what will soon be a booming craft beer scene in Milford.
“Across our state, the craft beer industry is growing,” said Candido. “It’s creating jobs, revitalizing run-down properties, and generating over $700 million in economic impact annually. That’s why we strongly believe that bringing craft breweries into the city and giving residents a variety of options for great-tasting craft beer while creating jobs, is a win-win for Milford.”
Milford Point Brewing will be open on Thursday’s and Friday’s from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and on Saturday’s from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/milfordpointbrewing/.