The Stony Creek Brewery is a

craft brewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

established in 2010 by Manny Rodriguez and Peggy Crowley, located in

Branford, Connecticut Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, about east of downtown New Haven. The population was 28,273 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a to ...

. Until 2012, the company produced only a small number of craft brews through a larger company, Thomas Hooker Brewery. That year, Ed Crowley, husband of co-founder Peggy Crowley, began pursuing an increase in craft brewing. Over the next three years, he re-branded Stony Creek Brewery and reopened in February 2015.

History

Contract production (2010–2012)

Prior to their re-branding, Stony Creek Brewery was a small-scale contract-produced craft brand. As a small-scale craft brand without a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...

of their own, Stony Creek had minimal options for expansion. Eventually, Crowley saw the shift in market share from large core brands to small, local craft brews, saying "I started seeing some of the more local brands coming in and taking a half a point of market share. I would sit back in my chair as an A-B nheuser-Buschguy or a

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. History On 15 Feb ...

guy would say 'I am losing taps to local brands.' ... Dichello's core brands started to suffer and, at that point, my family and I decided that 2012 was the proper time to get out." He sold his shares of Dichello Distributors (50% of total shares) to get start up money for the re-branding of Stony Creek Brewery.

Re-brand (2012–present)

Crowley worked to re-brand Stony Creek. He began by bringing in his son Ed Crowly Jr. as owner. Next, Ed Crowley Sr. worked with his former business colleague Andrew Schwartz to design the job description for the Brewmaster at Stony Creek—a job Schwartz eventually took himself. Jamal Robinson was then acquired by Crowley from

Blue Point Brewing Company Blue Point Brewing Company is a brewery that is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev located on Long Island, in Patchogue, New York. The brewery offers a variety of year-round beers, and several seasonal brews, as well as a 'tasting room' which ...

to become Stony Creek's Director of Sales. Finally, Crowley brought in Michael Kiser, a brand strategist. Kiser worked with Crowley to create a visual brand. The re-branded Stony Creek Brewery opened its first facility in

in February 2015. The Indian Neck facility took four years of planning and 10 months of construction to complete. The brewery's 30,000 square feet makes it the second largest brewing facility and taproom in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

, trailing only Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. There is a 2,500 square foot tasting room. According to BrewBound.com, the Stony Creek Brewery produced "more than 10,000 barrels during its first 12 months."

Products

Active

Former

References

External links

* {{Portalbar, Beer, Drink, Connecticut Beer brewing companies based in Connecticut Branford, Connecticut Companies based in New Haven County, Connecticut Drinking establishments in Connecticut