CSA&B FAQS

What exactly is a CSA&B?

It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and Beer. It is a member based subscription where members receive a share of the farm's crops and a selection of beers. 

How does the membership work?

First, you will sign up for a share size that fits your needs (there are three sizes available, see size FAQ below). Each week you will receive a selection of veggies and/or fruits picked fresh that day and your choice of beers, ciders or hard seltzers.

What are the share sizes?

Produce:

Jumbo Share = Produce sized for approximately 4 people

Regular Share = Produce for approximately 2-3 people

Petite Share = Produce for an individual 

Beer / Cider / Seltzer (1 item = one crowler or one 4-pack):

Pick 3 = Your choice of 3 items 

Pick 2 = Choice of 2 items

Pick 1 = Choice of 1 item

Can't I get the same thing at the grocery store for cheaper?

We don't know about you but our grocery bill has got out of control. We think you can save money with the CSA&B vs. going to the grocery store. It helps to see the cost per week. Our shares range anywhere from $33.50 (Petite / Pick 1) to $77 (Jumbo / Pick 3) per week when you break it down over the 10 weeks. All of the produce is picked fresh that day (vs. being picked days ago and shipped). 

When does the CSA&B start and end?

Our pick-ups officially start on July 11th which is the peak growing season! We conclude the CSA&B on September 12th after 10 weeks of fun!

What if I don't like eggplant?

If there is a veggie that you know you won't make use of we are happy to swap it out for something else. We are very accommodating!

What if I'm on vacation one of the weeks?

You have a couple of choices if you are away. You can pick-up an extra share the week before or after you are away. You can also gift your share to a friend and they can come pick-up in your absence. 

What does a typical pick-up week look like?

Early in the week (Mon or Tues) you will receive an email with information about what is available for beer, cider or seltzer. The email includes a form for you to pre-select your items. This enables us to have everything ready for you when you arrive. We will also send a second email letting you know what veggies will be in the share. We don't know until the day before or the day of because we are always picking items that are optimally ready. We also like to include some sort of recipe or preserving hack in this email.

What does a typical pick-up look like?

When you arrive you will check in with a member of the Brewery Legitimus staff under the covered walkway outside the front doors. You will pick-up your beer, cider or seltzer. You will then head to the veggie tables. On the wall there will be a list of what to pick based on your share size (ex. 3 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 bunch of lettuce, a pint of radishes, a bunch of parsley). If you have any questions a Barden Farm or Brewery Legitimus staff member will be there to help you.

When and where is pick-up?

Pick-up is located at Brewery Legitimus on Thursday evenings from 4pm until 8pm.  

What if I am running late?

If you are late, just let us know. We will pack up your produce box for you and keep it until you arrive. 

What if I completely forget to pick-up?

These things happen! If you forget just send us an email and we will help you with instructions to pick-up produce at Barden Farm and beer at Brewery Legitimus. Or, you can double up the next week.

What other items will be available for sale?

Barden Farm typically has baked goods, jams, snacks, cheese, eggs, milk and more. If there is something specific that you are interested in purchasing you can always send them an email to ask them to bring it. Brewery Legitimus also carries Those Guys Coffee Co. coffees. 

Will a food truck be on site for dinner on pick-up nights?

Yes, we have food trucks booked for every Thursday night. We will let you know which food truck is visiting in the weekly email.

Is there anything else I should know?

Thursday nights at Brewery Legitimus are magical because of the great community that is brought together through the farm market and farm share. You don't have to have a CSA&B membership to attend and purchase from Barden Farm. Members do receive $1 off draught beer pours on Thursdays.

Where do I sign-up?

Want to sign-up or learn more? Click Here

Men's Journal Rates Doctor Strangehaze one of the "Best Brews You Can Drink Right Now"!!!

Our own Doctor Stranghaze New England IPA was rated by Men’s Journal as one of the “Best Brews You Can Drink Right Now”! We are excited and humbled to have been included in this list of amazing brews from across the Country. Check out the article here.

Read the Men's Journal Article Here

Annual Sip and Shop

The holidays are fast approaching! This year, on Small Business Saturday, we are bringing back the very popular Brewery Legitimus Holiday Sip and Shop. If we have significant interest, we may add a second date in early December so keep your 👀 peeled. This is your opportunity to grab your squad and your favorite beverage and peruse the collection of local art, jewlery, pottery, confections and more. Get all your shopping done while sipping away!

Are you a local artisan or a small business looking to get in on the action? We are still looking for a few more vendors to fill our space. Let us know you are interested by filling out our interest form here.

CSA Recipe: Zucchini Fritters

Lee Ann sent in this recipe last week for some yummy Zucchini Fritters! According to her, corn starch gives the perfect texture! Let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

1.5 Pounds of Barden Zucchinis

1/2 teaspoon of Kosher Salt

1 Large egg

1/4 All purpose Flower

3 Tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Soy Dipping Sauce:

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1.5 teaspoons sugar

Crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Dipping sauce:

Mix vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, set aside

Zucchini Fritters

Step 1: Place zucchini in a colander, set in sink and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes then wring zucchini dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place zucchini in a large bowl and gently mix in egg, flour, chives, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper

Step 2: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, drop 1/4 cupfulls zucchini mixture into skillet, flattening slightly. Cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to a paper towel lined plate. Season with salt and serve with soy dipping sauce

CSA Recipe: Chunky Zucchini Chips

Kirstin sent this recipe in saying she loves it because it is fast from farm to table and the squash is not mushy. Just the right amount of crunch and bursting with flavor. Great even for leftovers!

Ingredients:

Barden Farm zucchini, 1 or 2 depending on the size.

Olive oil, 1 Tbsp per squash

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

Grated parmesan cheese, enough to coat tops of squash rounds.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450F

Slice zucchini in 1/4” thick rounds and place in a single layer on baking sheet. Spring with salt and let set for about 5 minutes while preparing other trays as needed

Press rounds with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and place in a bowl.

Add oil, salt pepper and garlic powder, and toss.

Place rounds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 450F.

Remove from over, and once all trays are done, sprinkle zucchini with grated parm. and return to oven, broiling until cheese is light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and serve.

CSA Recipe: Char Baked Tomato Zucchini and Eggplant

Ashley sent this one in to us last week. She loosely followed Martha Stewart’s recipe and served over rigatoni and plenty of shredded Romano.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Barden Onion, peeled and sliced

5 small tomatoes, thinly sliced

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small Barden eggplant, about 6 inches long, thinly sliced crosswise

2 Barden zucchinis, about 5 inches long, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Pour some of the olive oil to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 in rectangular or 12 inch oval baking dish. Layer in half the onion slices and one third of the tomatoes. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a layer of eggplant, and sprinkle on more salt. Add another third of the tomatoes, the zucchini, garlic, thyme, and the remaining onions. Top with the remaining tomatoes. Press down on the mixture with your hands. Pour over the remaining olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for 1.5 hours. after 45 minutes press the mixture down firmly with a spatula. The vegetables should be reduced in height, and should be brownish black and caramelized, almost charred in places. Return to the oven to finish roasting. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, so the mixture can solidify a bit. Cut into squares and serve.

Community Supported Agriculture and Beer - Cuisine à la Bière Recipe

It’s summer and that means our annual Farmer’s Market and CSA+B makes it’s long awaited return!

This year, we're again challenging ourselves to come up with a beer inspired recipe using some of the fresh produce brought to us by Barden Farm each week. Ultimately you can choose to just drink your beer the traditional way (from a pint glass) but we thought you might want to try cooking (or in this case, pickling) with the beer too!

Brewery Legitimus Dr. Strangehaze NE IPA Quick Pickled Summer Squash

Ingredients

1 – 2 small summer squash, sliced thin

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup rice or white vinegar

3/4 cup Dr. Strangehaze NE IPA

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 small onion or shallot, sliced thin

1 hot pepper, sliced thin (if desired)

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

3-4 tablespoons fresh dill

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Preparation

Toss onion and squash in a colander with a tablespoon of salt and let drain for 2 hours or more.

In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, beer, sugar, and salt to a boil until sugar and salt are dissolved. Distribute dill, mustard seeds, peppercorns, hot pepper, and garlic amongst your jars. Layer squash and onions in jars. Carefully pour the pickling liquid over the veggies.

Place a lid on the jar and cool in the fridge. Allow the flavors to combine with the onions for at least 1 hour prior to serving or ideally overnight.

Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Check Out Our New Look!!!

We are beyond excited to unveil our new packaging this Spring. Now each can has a representative illustration based on the beer and the name. You can purchase our 4-packs in our taproom and in stores throughout Litchfield, Hartford, New Haven and Tolland counties in CT.

We hope you love our new look as much as we do!

What's New at Brewery Legitimus

As we approach the 1 year anniversary of the Covid-19 crisis and the State of CT stay home stay safe quarantine we thought it might be a good time to reflect on what has changed and where we are today. Although we aren’t able to do a lot of what we were doing last year at this time we’re proud of how we’ve been able to pivot quickly to keep you comfortable, safe and keep you coming back!

We are still here today, making great beer, over and over again because you continue to keep drinking local and supporting our dream. We thank you for that!

Our original taproom is open and provides our guests a warm, spacious environment where you can come have a pint in a socially distant setting. When that taproom is filled we have an additional 3000 square feet in our newly added River Room. Eventually this will be a rocking private event space for large parties. We will get there!

Our beer garden was expanded this summer to accommodate additional guests wanting to sit and sip in the open air. This fall we added toasty warm fire tables to keep guests comfortable outside. We’re proud to say that up until the onset of this week’s frigid temps those fire tables have been “fired up” every weekend of the fall and winter.

We have maintained both walk-in and curbside to-go beer service for those that prefer to stick to home for now. Our 4-pack can offerings have expanded and most of our core brands can be found in our taproom cooler.

We have expanded our distribution footprint in Litchfield county and the Farmington Valley. In 2021 we will continue to expand deeper into Hartford, Toland, New Haven and Middlesex counties as we increase production capacity.

We’re constantly evolving and keeping up with the changes that we’re faced with. Expect more great things to come in 2021!

A message about Brewery Legitimus' response to the Coronavirus

Hey everyone!

It’s Chris and Christina Sayer with an update about what we are doing to keep you safe during the COVID-19 outbreak while continuing to serve you local CT craft beer. As our Country and the State of CT attempts to curb infection through social distancing our taproom will be closed to the public and all upcoming events will be canceled until further notice. We will continue to offer our craft beer and Brewery Legitimus merchandise via curbside pickup. NEW - Order AND pay online to help avoid contact and maintain a healthy social distance when picking up at the curbside. Visit brewerylegitimus.com/store to shop for your to-go craft beer and merchandise.

Our hours for to-go ordering and curbside pickup will be:

Monday CLOSED

Tuesday - Saturday                                     12pm - 7pm

Sunday 12pm - 5pm

We will continue to adhere to a stringent cleaning and safety protocol based on guidelines from the CDC. Specifically we are:

• Increasing the frequency of disinfecting commonly touched areas.

• Instructing our staff to follow CDC guidelines by washing their hands more often.

• Using gloves for all contact with customer food and drink

• Serving all customers outside in our parking lot, customers do not have to leave their vehicle

• Maintaining social distancing while delivering curbside orders

• Encouraging all customers to pay for curbside orders through our website to avoid contact (cash payments are accepted if needed)

• Instructing all staff to stay home if they're not feeling well.

We have also updated all of our beer gear online. If you are missing us you can purchase something to remind you of Brewery Legitimus, something to keep you warm at night, something to cuddle up with at night, something to sniff to get that taproom smell you long for. We will bag it up and deliver it to the curbside.

Finally, from our family to yours, we want to thank everyone! We are overwhelmed with the amount of support the craft beer community has shown us over the past seven days. It has been a long, emotional, tiring but extremely optimistic week. We have felt the love from all of you and that is what is keeping us going! Most of all we hope that your family and loved ones are healthy, safe and happy. We can’t wait to serve you a pint in the near future when we get the “ok” to gather together again. There will be a huge party to be had when that time comes!

Chris and Christina Sayer

Co-Owners, Brewery Legitimus

Our 2020 CSA+B is the thing to do this summer!!!

Three years ago the families from Brewery Legitimus and Barden Farm came together to create a really unique farm share. Since then our CSA+B (Community Supported Agriculture + Beer) has become quite the popular summer thing! Membership is perfect for the avid locavore and craft beer enthusiast. We like to say it’s not just about the local produce and craft beer though, it's about that warm fuzzy feeling you get from supporting local agriculture and family businesses.

Check out a clip from 2019 Cara and Christina were on CT Live with Taylor and Jimmy!!! Click here to view clip.

You’ll receive 10 weeks of fresh craft beer and locally grown, seasonal produce, picked fresh that day. Some weeks may include limited release beers, local jams, bread, eggs, fresh flowers or other assorted locally produced farm products.

Our first share pick-up is July 9th and runs through September 10th. Shares are picked up at Brewery Legitimus located at 283 Main Street, New Hartford every Thursday from 5:00pm until 8:30pm.

By participating in the CSA&B, you are supporting your local brewery, local growers and other local businesses. In addition to your fresh produce and beer CSA&B members receive $1.00 off each pint of beer on pick-up day.

NEW for 2020! There are now two share options to choose from (share prices include tax):

The Petite Share

Each week includes one 32 oz Crowler of craft beer and a selection of seasonal produce.

$267 for a 10 week share (pay cash to receive a $7 discount)

The Regular Share

The first 40 members will receive a 2020 CSA&B 64oz growler!

Each week includes 64 oz of craft beer and a selection of seasonal produce. You have the choice of filling your 64oz growler or two 32oz Crowlers. Options, options, options!!! With the Crowler option choose two different beers or two of the same beer!

$467 for a 10 week share (pay cash to receive a $12 discount)

Leap Beer Release Party

We are throwing a party for Leap Year since it only comes around every four years and that seems like a great excuse!

We’ve brewed up a special batch of Leap Beer too…a double dry hopped NEIPA. It’s so small it will only last through the day on February 29th so get it while you can!

Acoustic Marshpit joins us to rock the house at 7pm.

Brasato Food Truck will be here 1pm - 9pm with amazing Italian eats!

A Unique Farm Share with Veggies, Beer and Cheese

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Barden Farm for the 2nd year in a row to offer a Fall CSABC (Community Supported Agriculture, Beer and Cheese). This unique offering is a collaboration between our two family businesses to bring you locally grown produce and locally crafted beer and cheeses. Autumn memberships begin October 10th and run through November 26th. Weekly shares include one box of produce (some weeks may include other farm goods such as eggs and flowers), one cheese and either one (1) 64oz growler or two (2) 32 oz Crowlers. Shares will be picked up on Thursday evenings from 5pm - 8:30pm at Brewery Legitimus located at 283 Main Street, New Hartford with the exception of Thanksgiving week which will be a Tuesday pick-up day.

Members are welcome to stay and will receive $1.00 off each pint of beer on the designated pick-up day. 

Members must be 21 years or older with valid ID to pick up and enjoy this share. 

Memberships are available for $376 (cash price) or $387 (credit price). You may purchase memberships in-person at Brewery Legitimus (cash and credit) or on our online store (credit only) by clicking here.

Brewery Legitimus Anniversary Celebration

Three years has flown by! We are so excited to celebrate 3 years with you - the best customers in the craft beer world. Our Anniversary Party is only 10 days away! September 28th 12pm - 11pm we'll have new beers, bands, a food truck and some unique entertainment.

The Zoods (Acoustic Duo Zoe and Jake) will serenade us starting at 3pm and Acoustic Marshpit takes the stage at 6:30pm. Christie Caters Farm to Truck Food Truck will be here all day and they've got their farm fresh menu with lots of options for everyone! We'll have a full tap list, a couple of special casks and like last year a few experimental batches while they last! 

Advanced purchase tickets are $20. Designated Driver tickets are available for $10 (which includes admission, 1 non-alcoholic beverage ticket and the Legitimus party favor).

Here's what you'll get:

- Admission to the Brewery Legitimus Birthday Bash including live music performances by The Zoods and Acoustic Marshpit

- 2 drink tickets (additional tickets to be purchased on site for $6 each)

- 3rd Birthday Commemorative Legitimus premium beer glass

- 3rd Birthday Commemorative Legitimus sticker

Tickets are likely to go quickly so get them while you can. If there are any tickets left on the 28th they will be $26 at the door. https://tickets.beerfests.com/event/brewery-legitimus-turns-three

Please note this event is 21 and over only.

Brewery Legitimus and Barden Farm CSABC 2019

Hi beer and veggie lovers! We’re already thinking about this year’s CSABC (for those who are not in the know, CSABC stands for Community Supported Agriculture, Beer and Cheese)!

This year’s program will last 10 weeks, beginning July 11th through September 12th. Shares will include 64oz of Brewery Legitimus beer, 1 specially selected cheese and 1 box of seasonal produce. Some weeks may include other items from the farm such as jams, bread, eggs, flowers. Some weeks will include limited release beers. Share will be picked up at Brewery Legitimus on either Thursdays or Fridays. This year we are offering members the option to fill their 64oz growler with one (1) beer or choose two (2) 32 oz Crowlers (for a $2 surcharge/week). Members are welcome to stay and will receive $1.00 off each pint of beer on their designated pick-up day. Total price for the CSABC share is $485, that’s only 48.50 / week for fresh, local produce, beer and cheese!

See one of the Brewery Legitimus beertenders for more information.

New summer hours!!

Great news! We're expanding our hours for the summer starting this week! We'll be open the following hours:

Wednesday 3pm - 9pm

Thursday 3pm - 9pm

Friday 12pm - 10pm

Saturday 12pm - 10pm

Sunday 12pm - 7pm

To celebrate our new hours join us for HAPPY HOUR Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week from 3pm - 5pm. Get $2 off all beers, wine or cider.

Also, a reminder that starting Wednesday June 13th we are excited to bring you Geeks Who Drink taproom trivia: Free to play, win bar cash and Internet glory. Form your teams now, come up with a unique team name and be there about a 1/2 hour early to sign up. 

Introducing the Barden Farm and Brewery Legitimus CSA...BC!

What is a CSABC you ask? Typically you think of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) as a weekly farm share. You pay a fee to support local growers and in return you share in the wealth (or risk) of that year's crops. Well we're partnering with our good friends at Barden Farm to bring you a CSA with a twist. 

By participating in the CSABC (Community Supported Agriculture, Beer and Cheese...oh yes we said beer and cheese!) you will receive 64oz of craft beer, 1 specially selected cheese, 1 box of assorted seasonal produce and get this...some weeks may include a special items like local jams, bread, eggs, fresh flowers or other assorted farm products. We are also going to brew up a few special brews (call us crazy but we're thinking something from the farm might go in a beer) for members only so you may get a surprise brew here and there.

You'll get an email weekly letting you know what you're getting in the share so you can be prepared. Your CSABC share is weekly from July 5th through August 30th. Pick-up is on Thursday nights from 5pm - 8:30pm in the Brewery Legitimus taproom. Members can stay and enjoy $1 off pints on Thursday nights too. The cost of the CSABC membership is $450 for 10 weeks. That's just $45 / week for local fresh veggies, cheese and craft beer. 

These memberships WILL go quickly so don't wait to sign-up. To join visit our taproom and ask one of our beertenders. 

Support your local ________!

Here at Legitimus we're all about supporting our local small businesses. We love bringing in local guest beers, as an addition to our tap line-up, to show off what CT and MA have to offer craft beer lovers! If you are not a beer lover we have a craft cider from upstate NY (near where Chris grew up) and we also have a red and white wine from Jerram Winery in New Hartford.

Since we opened, we've hosted several local artists from around the state to showcase their work. Art rotates every 3 months so we are always looking for new artists.

This year we started offering warm pretzels and cookies baked at Blackberry River Baking Co. in Canaan, CT. This bakery and eatery is owned by the hardest working family and their treats are a great pair with our line-up of beers.

When we get out (which isn't often since we have 3 kids and a brewery to look after), we never feel the need to go far since there are so many great spots in New Hartford. Here is a list of all of the locally owned restaurants you should try for take-out when you head to Brewery Legitimus:

• Bamboo Asian Cuisine
• Better Half Bistro (breakfast and lunch)
• Blue Sky Foods (BYOB - growlers are a good choice)
• Chatterly's
• Log House
• Michel Angelo's Restaurant Pizzeria (you can find Legitimus on tap)
• New Hartford Diner (breakfast and lunch)
• Parrott Delaney Tavern (you can find Legitimus on tap)
• Passiflora
• Pizza Pete's
• Portabellos Restaurant Pizzeria (you can find Legitimus on tap)
• Radwick's Deli and Coffee
• The Crusin' Café (located in Collinsville Antiques in our very plaza)
• Quercibella Wood Grilled Food and Flatbreads (you can find Legitimus on tap)

#beeritforward

What is #beeritforward? 

It's like "pay it forward" but with tasty craft beer. Follow these steps to participate:

1. Ask your beertender for #beeritforward form.

2. Fill out the form and include who this beer belongs to. You can be as vague (ie "a guy with an epic beard") or specific (ie "Chris Sayer") as you'd like to be. Have fun!

3. Return the form to your beertender and pre-pay for the beer.

4. Pin the form to the #beeritforward board.

5. Optional - Post your gift to social media, tag your friend and Brewery Legitimus. 

Any patron may redeem one Beer It Forward card per day for which they meet the criteria (as determined by our beertenders). In the month of May we will be donating $1 for every #beeritfoward beer pre-purchased to a deserving charity. 

Under Construction

Over the next few weeks you may notice our taproom looking a little different. We're working on some improvements to help warm up the lighting, add some additional seating and help dampen the noise a bit. These are all things that we've received feedback from our customers on so we're working to act on that feedback to make our taproom environment even more inviting. Please pardon our appearance while we make these changes.