Leaders learn from agritourism success

COLEBROOK — Situated in the hills near the border of Norfolk and Colebrook, Norbrook Farm Brewery has become a cultural destination in the Northwest Corner.

For the past six years, Norbrook has attracted many regulars from Litchfield and Berkshire Counties. The home-brewed ales are paired with local eats and activities. A disc golf course and miles of wooded trails are utilized by outdoor recreationists and bring in tourists from all over.

Leaders from across the county gathered in Norbrook’s tap room Oct. 10 to hold the monthly meeting of the Northwest Hill Council of Governments (COG). The selectmen in attendance aimed to learn of Norbrook’s successes, challenges and plans for the future. On this morning, the bar served coffee and tea.

The group heard from owners John and Randy Auclair before receiving a tour of the facility led by Canaan-born brewmaster Colin Coan. The Auclair brothers said the nearly 500-acre property’s varying terrain lends itself perfectly to the multiple uses of the brewery.

John Auclair lived next door to the property that is now Norbrook Farm and was looking for something to occupy his time after selling the Auclairs’ previous business, Electric Motion Company in Winsted. The plot of land became bank-owned and the Auclairs bought it in 2016.

The front portion, near the Stillman Hill Road frontage, houses the brewery. Nearby, about 600 hops plants grow next to a goat pen, and cows graze the field.

Further into the property wooded acreage contains 11 miles of mountain bike trails, eight miles of hiking paths and a disc golf course. Near the back of the property mountainous terrain means “you’ve got to be a billy goat to go up,” as Auclair put it.

Combining full time and part time staff, more than 20 individuals are employed at the brewery, which is on track to produce about 1,500 barrels of beer this year. An on-site distillery is in the works to add spirits to Norbrook’s menu in the coming years. A new kitchen is also being built.

Norbrook has attracted guests from as far as Cologne, Germany, who reported the Kolsch-style “Cog Ale” (no relation to COG) is just as good as the brew back home.

COG Chair Dan Jerram, First Selectman of New Hartford, asked if it was a challenge to open the brewery in a rural location with no public water or sewer. The Auclairs said a second well was drilled to adequately supply water for the operation and the septic field may need to double in size to keep up with growth.

The property is situated near the wind turbines in Colebrook, which provide ample electric service for the needs of the brewery. “Eversource tells me 100% of our power here comes from those turbines,” said John Auclair

Norbrook’s conversion of (mostly) unimproved land into a popular recreation destination is seen as a template for modern agritourism success in the Northwest Corner.

A comparable venture is in the works in Cornwall. Earlier this year Ridgway Farm received Planning and Zoning Commission approval to build a cidery, tasting room and farm store on its Town Street property.

Ian Ridgway said progress on the cidery is coming along. Foundation work is underway and the Ridgways have been busy “planting a lot of apple trees.”

The preliminary timeline eyes a fall 2025 opening for the farm store. Cider will follow, likely in 2026.

Ridgway found Norbrook’s outdoor recreation model intriguing and, though the trail networks aren’t available at Ridgway Farm, orchard and cidery tours will be on the menu.

In researching the history of cider in Cornwall, the Ridgways found a record from the year 1800 that showed the town was producing 1,500 barrels of cider per year (about equal to Norbrook’s beer yield in 2024). The population of the town was roughly the same at about 1,500 people, and all of the cider produced in town stayed in town.

“They had a barrel for every person,” said Ridgway, who is looking forward to continuing Cornwall’s cider legacy.