SBC Fairfield Red

by Dan Raposo


I just moved and in the midst of all the junk I found a couple bar napkins with almost illegible chicken scratch on them. Fortunately for me they were beer reviews and fortunately for you now I can post them. From what I can remember, and what I can understand from the napkin, it was a Friday sometime this summer when I drove up to Fairfield, CT to drop off some stuff for work. To my surprise and delight the office was across the street from the great Southport Brewing Company, which is as good as it gets for brewpubs in Southwestern CT.

It was one of those days where you want to be outside. 80 degrees, sunny, and driving around all day in my Jeep with the top down made me thirsty. I walked in to find a cute brunette behind the bar and thought my day couldn't get any better, until I remembered I have a girlfriend, and that she will probably read this at some point. Oh well, she'll probably laugh right.... A light refreshing beer and cool conversation, what better way to take the edge off a hot day, right? Wrong, the barkeep was pretty dull and bored me with her talk of grad school and other nonsense, and even worse, she missed the mark with her recommendation, the SBC Fairfield Red. (Just saved myself with the gf) I was instinctively puzzled by her recommendation, but I always trust a bartender's recommendation.

While I was really looking for something light and refreshing, this was a red....and this is about the point where my f'in cat tore the napkin apart. No I'm serious, the rest of the napkin has claw and teeth marks all over it with bits and pieces missing. I mean, the little guy is pretty cool most of the time, but really, a napkin? How is a napkin entertaining or a tasty treat?

Thankfully the Red was the only beer I drank at this sitting, so I can actually remember the situation and the beer. Light and refreshing doesn't quite describe this beer. In fact, it packed quite a punch, sucking what little moisture was left in my mouth from the dry conversation with the serving wench. I'm not trying to be harsh, but the beer started it, until of course I took another drink and realized it was quite good. After the initial bite, the Red really settled down and gave a great mixture of flavors, none if which I can really recognize because thats not really my thing. Oaky, nutty, a hint of caramel....sure, why not. What I do know is that the Fairfield Red tastes complex, with many flavors coming together, in and out at different times, packing a punch at first but finishing sweet and smooth, unlike this review and the napkin it was written on.