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07/25/2022 11:25 AMLooking for local place to relax with a cold brew this summer? Myrcene Ale Co. is now open and hoping to pour a lot of fun for Old Saybrook residents at their taproom located at 39 Ragged Rock Road.
The brewery is open Wednesday to Sunday, and hours are between 4 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. There is no food made on-site, though patrons may bring their own food.
The brewery is the brainchild of co-founders Mike Goergen and Richard “Cy” Higgins. Men are experienced brewers. Goergen began brewing while attending the New England Culinary Institute and Higgins’ resume includes experience at breweries including Steady Habit, Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, Beer’d, and Thimble Island Brewery.
Myrcene officially opened its doors in early June and Goergen said that so far, so good.
“We've been very good the first four weeks. Word is starting to get out we're open," said Goergen.
Right now, Goergen said that there are seven beers on tap brewed by Myrcene, as well as a cider and a selection of wine. Nonalcoholic seltzers, beer, and soda are also available.
"My favorite is right now is the Cy's Matter, and I really like the Hunter's Brew Stout," said Goergen. "We're going to always have a wide variety of types of beers.“
One thing Goergen said that he wants visitors to know is that not only is the brewery meant to be a fun place to relax and have a beer, it's also meant to be a fun place to bring your family and your pup.
"We're very dog and family friendly,“ Goergen said. ”We have dog treats on the bar, and we have a wide selection of games. We even have a kid play area. We have kids, so we do know what it’s like. We rotate the toys for them regularly and we have juice boxes and chips for them.“
While Goergen and Higgins have long had interest in beer, bringing Myrcene to reality took a couple setbacks and some fortuitous timing.
"Me and Cy have been friends since we were kids. Before COVID, we were playing around with some ideas," said Goergen.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit any ideas about brewing beer together were put on hold.
"Then earlier this year we got a phone call saying there was some equipment we can buy in Old Saybrook and we jumped on it," Goergen said.
The phone call was from the former owners of 30 Mile Brewing Company, the former brewery that had operated in the same location as Myrcene but closed its doors earlier in 2022.
"We're in the same location and using some of their equipment, but we're not affiliated with them in any way. We've remodeled and renovated it completely," said Goergen.
Now that the brewery is open, Goergen said that he and Higgins are hoping to integrate themselves more to the Old Saybrook community. Rather than go through a prolonged permitting process that could have delayed opening the brewery, Goergen said that the brewery hopes to work toward having permits in place in the future to allow for things like food trucks and live music as well as hosting different events.