Charred Old Fashioned
Non-traditionally distilled whiskey from Continuum still makes one heck of a traditional cocktail.
Food Entrepeneurs
Maintain the Continuum
How Reclaimed Beer Helped Tap Waterbury’s New Craft Distillery
Whiskey is born from beer – a premise perhaps not entirely familiar to every spirit drinker – but one that is grounded in the comparable method used by whiskey distillers and brewers to begin their process. Both start by fermenting grains like corn, rye, barley, malt, and others to release the sugars that transform into alcohol. The distiller and brewer call this liquefied grain mixture by the same name: beer.
For the partners of Continuum Distilling, this shared process is particularly relevant. Waterbury’s nearly one-year old distillery is led by a team that is also behind the successful Black Hog Brewery in Oxford. In fact, the spark for Continuum’s unique distilling approach occurred at Black Hog back in 2017 when then-unpaid intern, Brandon Collins, had an inspired moment.
“Unpaid intern” might be a deceiving title to describe Collins at the time. He arrived at Black Hog with a master’s degree in chemistry and a 13-year career in the pharmaceutical industry as a protein crystallographer. A restructuring at his former company eliminated his position and he was in search of a new job. By coincidence, a visit to Black Hog Brewery led to the discovery that the brewery was recruiting interns. He decided to throw his hat in the ring and take advantage of the opportunity to learn about an industry and beverage he was passionate about.
“During my pharmaceutical career, I was six-sigma trained, which is a method that focuses organizations on improving business and manufacturing processes to increase efficiency and profitability,” Collins says. “This training, along with my curiosity for things, makes me naturally hard-wired to look for continuous improvement opportunities, and that’s what I started to do at Black Hog.”
After some time in his new role, Collins noticed that after emptying the fermenter tanks there were usually several gallons of unused beer left behind. Too cloudy and sediment-filled to include in the final product, this “waste” was simply discarded. “I asked myself how we might repurpose this unused portion instead of disposing it,” Collins says. “I realized a few gallons wasn’t much to work with, but if we collected it over time and included other regional breweries, then there might be enough to distill further into spirits.”
Collins shared his idea with serial entrepreneur, Jason Sobocinski, co-owner of Black Hog Brewery and owner and founder of New Haven’s Caseus Fromagerie Bistro. The two agreed it was an opportunity worth exploring and Collins was given the green light to investigate and experiment. “As an entrepreneur, I like to find people who are passionate about ideas and Brandon was incredibly passionate about this one,” Sobocinski says. “We were 100% confident that we’d figure out how to make it work, even though we weren’t exactly sure what it was we were actually going to make.”
Collins spent several months fine-tuning his methods and even secured the help of two Connecticut distilleries to run pilot tests, which helped him refine his final distilling process. “We were really appreciative that the folks at Litchfield Distillery and Westford Hill Distillers let us experiment in their facilities, even though we are technically competitors,” Sobocinski says. “It just goes to show how collaborative and supportive Connecticut entrepreneurs are.”
Once Collins proved he could distill excellent spirits from repurposed beer, the team signed a lease for a space in Waterbury and began its final push to launch in 2020. The Continuum Distilling brand was developed to underscore the company’s commitment to sustainability through conservation, reducing, renewing, and reclaiming. Evidence of this commitment can be seen throughout the distillery’s production process. “Every little thing we’ve done has been driven by avoiding the creation of waste,” Sobocinski says. “If we can create fantastic, great-tasting spirits from something that would normally be tossed down the drain, to me that is our purpose. That’s Continuum in a nutshell.”
The distillery offers several spirits, but its flagship bottles are Charred and Drops. Charred is a whiskey-like brown spirit (it can’t be called whiskey for regulatory reasons). It is distilled from reclaimed brown ales, stouts, and porters, then aged for 8 to 12 months with local oak staves. The staves were sourced from oak trees felled by the microburst storm that hit western Connecticut in 2018. The team collected loads of wood, cut it themselves, then toasted and charred it onsite to their precise specifications to create the rich, toasted flavor enjoyed in Charred.
“Charred is a different twist on whiskey – we describe it as beer whiskey,” Collins says. “It’s a little sweeter, but presents notes of dark chocolate, black currant, butterscotch, and caramel.” Continuum utilizes beer from 26 local breweries and maintaining a consistent product across that diversity of sources requires an artisan’s touch. “Charred should always taste like Charred,” Collins explains. “Since the beers we reclaim may be slightly different and come in different quantities, we have to carefully blend and age each batch so we achieve our desired consistency, batch to batch. But there are definitely subtle differences between batches, similar to how a wine might have subtle nuances, vintage to vintage.”
Continuum also produces Drops, a clear spirit born from hop-forward beers. Bright and floral, with hoppy, juicy, and citrusy notes that are evident on the nose and palate, it is a versatile spirit that can replace any clear spirit in classic cocktails from gin & tonics to mojitos.
Continuum Distillery officially opened its doors in late February 2020, just before the pandemic hit the region. “It’s been an incredibly challenging year, but we’re happy with what we’ve accomplished, to date,” Sobocinski says. “Our tasting room is open with safety protocols in place and we invite folks to come experience our story and amazing spirits in person.” Sobocinski and Collins are also excited to participate in their first holiday season since launching and believe Continuum Distilling spirits are a great gift for those who appreciate exceptional craft spirits from a local, sustainable business.
Continuum Distilling is bullish on their future despite the unexpected challenges endured this year. The team plans to expand and solidify distribution in Connecticut and has exciting new spirits in the pipeline. Their tagline, “Maintain the Continuum,” serves as their daily mantra, reminding them that the creation of their exceptional spirits must be accomplished through smart and responsible use of raw and reclaimed materials. It’s a noble pursuit that is certainly worth raising a glass to.
> Continuum Distilling: 2066 Thomaston Ave., Waterbury; 203-725-3291
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