Breweries bring frozen Connecticut to life.

In the winter, the northwestern corner of Connecticut always seems to get hit two or three times harder than the rest of the state anytime it snows, hails, or freezes over. The foothills of the Berkshires tend to be not only colder, but slightly more rural than the rest of the state – the towns are smaller, the attractions farther apart. But dotting the icy region are a number of warm and inviting microbreweries, many of which are located, appropriately, on farms.

Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted has expanded beyond the its titular little red barn of origin, but the atmosphere in the taproom is just as cozy as you’d expect. Sitting in the farmhouse-style establishment, you can enjoy a solid range of beers that generally includes several New England IPAs – exactly what you’d hope for in a New England brewery. The aptly-named Freshly Squeezed IPA is what NE IPA fans will likely love the most, with its juicy, hazy body. The Raspberry Truffle Shuffle stout is a pleasant surprise – it’s fun and the name is accurate, but it doesn’t have the cloyingness of a pastry stout. And at 10.2% ABV, it’s dangerous.

Norbrook Farm Brewery in Colebrook is set on sprawling land, and has a charming outdoor patio overlooking the grounds. But when it’s freezing out, like it has been so far this winter, you’ll want to cozy up inside the well-lit and comfortable farmhouse taproom. Their beers are primarily farmhouse and American ale styles, with a few deviations, but the best one we had the pleasure of sampling was the Date Night Belgian Dubbel – sweet and full.

Up in North Canaan, you’ll find Great Falls Brewing, which also has a cozy and rustic but surprisingly sizable tap room located inside an old railroad depot. Their beers have character but balance; the core lineup is pale ales. Our favorite, however, was the Peach and Plum Fruit Snack Berliner Weisse – the kind of hard-to-find truly tart sour that yet-to-be beer fans and diehards alike will love.

Brewery Legitimus is located in a strip mall in New Hartford, but don’t let its unsuspecting exterior fool you: the brews are world-class. The tap list is fairly diverse, with not one but two fruited sours at the time of our visit, a solid brown ale, and of course, plenty of IPAs and other core styles. The absolute winner was the truly memorable Sundown 5.0 IPA – juicy and hazy, of course, with an excellent balance of fruity flavor and careful hoppy bitterness. It’s the kind of IPA that makes beer geeks love IPAs.

- Ariana DiValentino