Olde Burnside Brewing Company

Olde Burnside Brewing Company

Stories, as they go, range from downright boring to totally unbelievable. We hope you find our story somewhere in the middle. At least it will give you an idea as to how Olde Burnside Brewing came to be, and why we think our ales are poised to be some of the best in the land. It all actually started two generations ago, when The Burnside Ice Company was established by Bob McClellan's grandfather just after the turn of the century. Coming from a long line of hardworking Scotsmen, Albert McClellan wasted no time in making Burnside Ice a leading supplier of ice to homes and businesses throughout the greater Hartford, Connecticut area. His tradition was carried down to Bob's dad, Clifford and to Bob as well. As the story goes, Bob remembers his grandfather speak of the ales that were brewed locally in those days and how refreshing they were after a long day's work. Often the cost for a pint of ale back then was a mere nickel. On special occasions, the brewers would produce an extra fine ale for which they would charge a little more. Often as much as a whole dime! (or ten pennies) Those were the ales that Albert McClellan lamented were no longer available in later years. Bob, being a beer lover in his own right, dreamed of someday being able to savour a true "Ten Penny Ale". He even fancied the idea of becoming a brewer someday, brewing the stuff himself. As years went by, the ice company flourished, now supplying mostly grocery stores, package stores, restaurants and caterers as well as folks planning parties and picnics. The popularity of Burnside's product was due largely to the purity of the water emanating from the aquifer deep beneath the earth under the East Hartford neighborhood. At the urging of several local residents Bob began to offer the water through a dispenser at the front of the building on Tolland Street. Long about 1994 or 1995 he noticed that several customers kept coming back for large quantities of the water. One day Bob asked a group of them what the water was for. They said "Brewing beer!!" It seemed Bob's water had qualities that made an especially clean, pure and flavorful ale, unencumbered by chemical or other unwanted tastes. Bob was intrigued. He began to make friends with some of these home brewers and soon learned that a few of them were highly regarded as masters of the art of brewing. One of these true "Brewmasters" was Ray Ballard. Bob and Ray (not the comedians, the brewers) became good friends and soon began making plans to someday open a microbrewery. Ray had a recipe for a wonderful scottish style ale that excited the Scotsman and beer lover in Bob. As Ray perfected his recipe, Bob learned all he could about the brewing business. After several years of research and hard work, Olde Burnside Brewing Company was conceived and established. "Ten Penny Ale" became a reality when the ribbon was cut on October 28, 2000 as a crowd of several hundred friends and family looked on. The crowd that day and everywhere else that "Ten Penny" has traveled continue to rave about its flavor and quality. Bob and Ray (the brewers) are very proud of their first offering and hope that you enjoy it as much as they enjoy bringing it to you. Sometimes things just work out great for everybody...