USA, CT: Maple View Farm gets approval to open own brewery in Granby

Jason and Kate Bogli see the brewing of beer as a natural extension of what their farm, Maple View Farm in Granby, means to them, the Hartford Courant reported on April 22.

“We kind of make everything around here,” Jason Bogli said. “We grow our own food. We have a garden. It’s an extension of that, making our own food, which stems from our love for good food and drink."

Last March, the Boglis were given approval from the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission to open the Brewery at Maple View Farm. A little less than a year later, they did just that, opening the doors to their renovated barn brewery to the public on March 2. A grand opening will be held on April 27 to celebrate.

The farm itself has been in the family since Jason Bogli’s grandparents, Bill and Evelyn Bogli, purchased the property in 1950. The brewery adds to the farm’s focus on meat, vegetables, and eggs - which it sells from its farm store - as well as programming such as horse riding lessons.

With all that to offer, and the chance to see a live, working farm, the Boglis think they can make their brewery standout from the 90-plus other breweries operating in Connecticut.

“We’re not just selling beer, we’re selling an experience,” Kate Bogli said. “People are bringing their kids to play on the tire swing or to go for a walk and watch the pigs or watch the horses.”

As a licensed farm brewery, the Boglis must maintain certain standards in terms of the ingredients they use. In its first year, at least 25 percent of the ingredients have to be grown or malted in Connecticut. By the second year, and years after that, it has to be 50 percent.

They already get 100 percent of their malts from in state. Almost all of their hops are grown on-site and certain ingredients - like the honey and basil used in one beer - are their own. They expect to add even more homegrown ingredients later in the spring and in the summer.

The brewery plans to offer an array of India pale ales, but will also be making beer you can expect to drink at a farm, like the aforementioned honey basil ale and their farmhouse saison, which is dry hopped with farm grown hops. Stouts, blonde ales, and a barleywine also fill out the current tap list.

The Brewery at Maple View Farm plans to offer an array of India pale ales, but also beers you can expect to drink at a farm, like one made with farm grown honey and basil.

Currently, the brewery has extended its hours to be open from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

So far, they said they’ve received a warm welcome from both Granby and the Connecticut craft beer scene at large.

“It has been so much fun to see this vision that we’ve had for the past two years become a reality and to see people here having fun and enjoying themselves,” Kate Bogli said.

“It’s already growing more than I was expecting,” said Jason Bogli. “Even in the first couple of days we were open, we had lines, I was so amazed people were that interested.”

Considering their ample outdoor space, they are eager to welcome consistently warm weather. Starting with the April 27 grand opening and continuing through Labor Day, they plan to have bands performing each Saturday, adding to what they expect to be some very festive weekend afternoons at the farm.

They hope that the brewery encourages more visitors to stop by and see what they have to offer.

“This has been a great way to open up the entire property,” Kate Bogli said. “It’s a new reason to come. The craft beer community has been really great. When we see them come back another time, we’re really encouraged by that.”

The April 27 grand opening will begin with a 1 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony and will be followed by a farm tour at 1:30 p.m. The celebration is followed on April 28 with the farm’s open barn day, from noon to 2 p.m.

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