Nectar of the Goats, the popular pale ale beer sold at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, is coming to store shelves.
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Nectar of the Goats, the popular pale ale beer sold at Dunkin' Donuts Park, is coming to store shelves.
Thomas Hooker Brewing Co. in Bloomfield, which brews the beer, hoped to get cans in stores by around opening day, April 5.
“There's a lot of craft beers out there and we're hoping that there's a lot of stores in the Greater Hartford area, anyway, that will carry it,” said Curt Cameron, president of Thomas Hooker.
It's the first time Nectar of the Goats has been made available in package stores, but it was available on a limited basis in some bars and restaurants last season, albeit the park absorbed most of the beer.
“We're really looking forward to seeing how well it does both in bars and restaurants, as well as package stores,” Cameron said, noting the brewery can ramp-up production as demand dictates.
He said he was pleased by its popularity at the ballpark last season, ranking second best-selling beer behind Bud Light, which had more tap lines, Cameron said.
The beer “sort of dances on the line” between a pale ale and India pale ale (IPA), he explained. It's labeled as “deceivingly flavorful,” using Cascade and Centennial hops that give it “sort of a piney-citrus aroma.”
It's purposely kept at 4.5 percent alcohol to be responsible, Cameron said, noting the stairs in the ballpark.
The trick to a really flavorful beer at a lower alcohol percentage is the blend of hops used, he said.
Tim Restall, president of the Hartford Yard Goats, said the beer represents the team and brewer well, noting the colorful Yard Goats label screams fun.
“We have a good partnership with them,” Restall said of Thomas Hooker.
Cameron said it's hard to put a value on his brewery's sponsorship of the team, but there's an intrinsic value being coupled with it.
“It's one of those things where we're invested in Hartford and this is sort of a new iconic brand of Hartford and we look at ourselves as a brand of Hartford,” he said.
