As taps shut at brew pub, Spigot opens in South Norwalk

Jennie Bedusa and Smith Reynolds at their new Spigot Beer in South Norwalk, Conn., which features a daily menu of rarer brews as well as fine cheeses from Murray's in New York City. Jennie Bedusa and Smith Reynolds at their new Spigot Beer in South Norwalk, Conn., which features a daily menu of rarer brews as well as fine cheeses from Murray's in New York City. Photo: Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close As taps shut at brew pub, Spigot opens in South Norwalk 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

Even as the Hell or High Water brewpub closed abruptly in South Norwalk, Spigot Beer opened to provide a counter weight on the far side of Washington Street, with its new taproom featuring an endless rotation of harder-to-find brews — with gourmet cheeses served on the side as an unexpected twist.

Jennie Bedusa and Smith Reynolds established Spigot Beer at 17 Washington Street in a building owned by her father. The Mystical Parlors new age boutique occupied the space previously and before that a tile store, Spigot’s ornate floor courtesy of that prior enterprise.

Bedusa and Reynolds met at the University of Vermont, with Reynolds having had his interest in craft beer sparked by the opening of Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury, Vt., where he grew up; and going on to work for Magic Hat after graduating from UVM. They headed out to California, where Bedusa pursued a career in television and documentary production, which she continues today. They settled in Connecticut after wanting to be closer to family.

Spigot’s opening arrived even as the taps closed in mid-October at Hell or High Water, with signage in the latter establishment’s window at 122 Washington St. promising a reopening at an unspecified future date with no other details supplied. Also shutting down recently on Washington Street was the Room 112 cocktail and coffee lounge, similarly promising a temporary-only shuttering for renovations.

At Spigot, the menu currently features five Connecticut beers from Back East, Counter Weight, Kent Falls, Relic and Stubborn Beauty; and about a dozen more from Vermont, New York and Massachusetts, including a few hard ciders from Reynolds’ home state. In the early going, Spigot is updating patrons on its stock on the BeerMenus.com. Unlike Hell or High Water or Nod Hill Brewery, which opened this past weekend in Ridgefield, Spigot has no plans to craft its own brews.

“There is so much great beer, and I think because we are doing it in a much smaller way we can show people things that they’ve never had,” Bedusa said. “Some places need to keep tap lists. Our entire goal is to change it — every single time something runs out, something new comes behind it.”

Spigot prices ranged this week between $4 and $8 depending on the serving. Spigot also stocks “crowler” cans of every beer it sells for those who want to bring home some of what they try, keeps on hand three varieties of “wine by the can,” which Bedusa said has become a popular option in California.

Cheeses are supplied by Murray’s Cheese of New York City, with Spigot suggesting pairings — for instance, Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue aged in Oregon with a local Kent Falls Shoots IPA beer for an East-West, “perfect balance of sweetness and bite” in the words of Saturday’s menu.

Spigot is open Wednesday-Sunday starting at 4 p.m. with the taproom able to accommodate 30 people. Reynolds said the foot traffic has been good in the early going as people stumble on Spigot and sample its varieties and ambience.

“(Friday) was really busy,” he said. “It’s ... a cozier place where you can come and have a conversation, where there’s not super-loud music blaring.”