I was getting excited by how excited the staff were at Mikro Beer Bar. We were there for Women In Beer Night, the launch of two house beer brewed in collaboration with Half Full brewery. Six female staff from the bar headed on a road trip to Stamford, Connecticut to craft some custom, all-female brewed beer.

The results were worth getting excited about. A pink peppercorn IPA called A Woman Scorned IPA and Beerlesque, a saison. I don’t like saison’s (hate would be pushing it but not by much) but this one had a wheaty, light taste with little aftertaste that I quite liked.

But my taste buds were truly tickled by A Woman Scorned. It was just sweet enough, and bursting with hops, a smooth, balanced, and unique IPA. I overheard a staff member talking about the beer with a regular at the bar “I’m just so proud, so proud!” She said. I felt proud.

Mikro Beer Bar is our kind of place. The place where all the beer nerds gather in droves to drink the well curated selections. Within an hour of cracking the casks, both beer had been listed and rated on untapped.

In addition to the two house beers, I tried the New England Sea Hag IPA (under recommendation from our bartender) and Stone Brewery Smoked Porter. The Sea Hag had a lot of grapefruit and a little pine at the end while the rich vanilla in the porter was balanced out by smoky notes. Both beer held their own, but the house-brewed IPA was my top pick.

The event was a fundraiser for pink boots, an organization that assists in fostering female brewers. The funds raised from the event are being used to send a deserving female brewer to brewing school.

I’ve said it already, but you really could feel the energy and excitement in the room. The staff each brought (and in come cases, made) pink inspired decorations for the event, with some staff painstakingly cutting little pink boot garlands to hang around the bar. The event raised over $1000. The two house beer are now gone, but staff hope to replicate the recipes in the future, improving on them each time.

Mikro will be a must stop on all future trips, and one of those places I see us recommending a lot. The underplayed atmosphere and unashamed focus on great beer and light pairings hit all the right spots. Drew said it felt almost like being in an old barn that had been converted into a beer bar.

Beer prices range from $6 to $9. A flight of four 5oz samples rings in at 15. The night we were there it was standing room only, but signage around the bar asking patrons to limit table time lead me to believe it is always that popular.

Year Opened: 2010

Location:
3000 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut

Hours:
Monday to Thursday – 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday and Saturday – 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday – 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Flights Available? Yes. $15 for four 5oz samples

See more stops from our East Coast Craft Beer Tour here.

 

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