By Jeremy Withnell
Photo by Bruce Frisch 

Nils Johnson, co-owner of Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted, speaks of his brewery in much the same way a parent does of their infant child, with pride and mild exhaustion. “Might be nice to get some more sleep one of these days,” he confides. Still, through the entire interview he can’t keep the smile off his face as he describes the serendipitous growth of the project he shares with the brothers Matthew and Nathan Day.

“We didn’t originally plan on opening a brewery. For the first three to four years it was just the three of us having a good time brewing together,” says Johnson. Close to nine years ago, he and the “Hop Brothers,” as Johnson calls them, started making their own beer in the eponymous little red barn in the backyard. Their first inkling that they were really on to something was at a brewers’ event at a local restaurant. Johnson states, “The vendors would come by and tell us that the beers we provided were really something special. It was a bit of a lightbulb moment for us that this could turn into something more.”

However, the three friends elected not to immediately jump into starting up their own business. Close to five years were spent on brand building, appearing at local events such as Wine on Ice in Norfolk or the open-house days at Whiting Mills. They would provide free tastings, accepting only donations. Word quickly spread about their product and its quality. According to Johnson, “There’s not a single beer that we brew that hasn’t already gone through some tinkering in response to customer feedback.” 

The brewery itself is the first tenant in the old Lambert Kay building on Lake Street in downtown Winsted, now referred to as Winsted Edgeworks. Until recently nothing but an abandoned shell, the building has been transformed into a welcoming tasting room with plenty of exposed brick and local reclaimed-wood tables. When asked, “Why Winsted?” Johnson replies, “Why not?” He goes on to clarify that Winsted is undergoing a renaissance along the Main Street corridor, citing the American Mural Project, the opening of Mad River Lofts, also the soon-to-open medical center and the Mad River Market food co-op as signs of this renewal. Johnson explains, “We looked at four or five towns in the area, but it was Winsted where we felt we could really be a part of something exciting and meaningful, to be a difference maker.” When asked what their biggest challenge was in bring their vision to reality, Johnson turns it around and states a positive that surprised them. “Town Hall of Winsted really made the process of opening our business easy, and put us in a position to succeed.”

When it comes to the day-to-day operations, front of house is taken care of by Johnson, and beer production is handled by the Day brothers, with Nathan as the head brewer. Matthew handles the social media and outreach. When prodded for a brewing philosophy, Johnson describes how they are providing “traditional beers with a unique spin, providing styles that might not be easily found elsewhere in the area.” Examples of this are their Black Sheep Black IPA, balancing the bite of hops with a roasty flavor, and Hay Loft English Pale Ale, something akin to what would be found in a traditional British pub. Alongside these are copper and red ales, a pilsner and a variety of other IPAs. On many days, a food truck can be found on the premises, providing hot meals to beer-quaffing patrons.

The way Johnson sees it, Little Red Barn Brewers fits right in with the new crop of breweries that have opened in the Northwest Corner. In the last three years, northern Litchfield County went from no craft beer producers to four, starting with Legitimus in New Hartford, followed by Great Falls in North Canaan, Norbrook Farm in Colebrook and Little Red Barn in Winsted. Among the brewers themselves, the atmosphere is one of community rather than competition, sharing advice and ingredients. Having a handful of breweries in easy reach of each other encourages craft beer drinkers from farther afield to come to the area to sample the wares and perhaps stick around, spending their money in other local businesses and noshing at nearby eateries.

Describing the community response to Little Red Barn opening, Johnson glows. “Overwhelming is the word to describe it. The community response has exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to growing our brewery together.”