In response to the ongoing and fast-changing circumstances involving the outbreak of COVID-19, we have implemented strict measures to ensure the health and safety of our staff, customers, and community at large. We are following protocols from the CDC and the Connecticut Health Department to prevent any spread of the virus, focusing on social distancing to avoid large gatherings of people and enhancing sanitary protocols throughout our facility.  We will update these policies as the situation requires.

Sanitation in the brewing industry is already something we think about every day, but we are taking additional measures:

• Staff are required to wash their hands for 20 seconds when entering the brewery, before and after eating, and at regular intervals.
• Any staff members that feel ill or have been exposed to known COVID-19 or influenza patients are required to stay home.  As a company we have implemented paid sick leave across all of our staff (including hourly workers) to support this requirement.
• Surfaces which are regularly touched, such as door knobs and light switches, will be sanitized on a frequent basis.
• Employees will maintain social distance when working and avoid any unnecessary direct contact and close-quarters working.

In our tasting room:

• All public events have been postponed until further notice.
• Brewery will be open for sale of bottles and cans to go. Orders will need to be placed online with “curbside” pickup. Ordering info to follow…
• No growlers will be filled.
• All transactions will be cashless.
• The cash register, hard surfaces, and other points of contact are regularly sanitized
• All entrances and exits will be propped open to avoid unnecessary contact with door knobs

For our distribution team:

• We will be stopping in-person sales calls or tastings at bars, restaurants, package stores until further notice.
• Empty cans and returned product will be noted for destruction on-site and not picked up.
• Deliveries will be done by a single person in a single van.
• Drivers will be using hand sanitizer after every stop.
• Drivers will wear gloves when picking up any checks and empty kegs from bars/restaurants.
• No physical contact with customers (waves instead of handshakes).
• Invoices will no longer require signature, drivers will write the name of the delivery contact and leave the invoice to avoid sharing pens.

Many of these changes may impact the efficiency and speed of our business – we thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

We are proud and fortunate to have established a predominantly local supply chain from key partners such as Thrall Family Malt (Windsor, CT), Valley Malt (Hadley, MA), Smokedown Hop Farm (Sharon, CT), and the New York Hop Guild, while self-distributing our product to bars, restaurants, and package stores throughout the State of Connecticut. These relationships are strong and we will rely on each other now, more than ever, to continue making our beer accessible to everyone in the healthiest and safest and manner possible.

We will continue to focus on brewing, packaging, and distributing our beer to our customers throughout the state of Connecticut. Making our beer readily available at local package stores, bars, and restaurants has always been the heart of our brewery, and we will continue to connect to our consumers through all these channels.

Lastly, this will be a very difficult time for everyone in the hospitality, food, and beverage industries. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we do what we can to support local businesses. Here is a short list of things consumers can do to make an impact:

• Choose local.
  No matter if it is Kent Falls or another Connecticut brewery, when at your favorite bar, restaurant or package store, support your local businesses.
• Buy gift cards and merchandise.
  Businesses that rely on on-site consumption such as bars, restaurants, and tasting rooms, will be hurting more than most. Gift cards offer the promise of future custom, which help pay employees and expenses when sales are suffering. Kent Falls Brewing gift cards are available here.
• Buy product to go.
  Taking just one extra four pack or bottle off the shelf at a package store goes a very long way to getting more orders and maintaining as close to normal production levels as possible. We will continue to make new and exciting small batch beers available at the tasting room and post weekly distribution outlets on our website for larger production batches. You can find both here.

Most important, we hope you stay healthy and safe. We look forward to nothing more than rescheduling and celebrating our 5th anniversary party with you all soon.

Please reach out directly with any questions or concerns to Barry or David at [email protected] or (860) 398-9645.