Stewards of the Land Brewery
Alex DeFrancesco led the way in reestablishing commercial hop yards in Connecticut - the first the state has seen in over a century. He helped create and pass the state Farm Brewery Bill in 2017 and is currently a board member of CT New Haven County Farm Bureau. Alex continues to fight for farms to be represented in the farm brewery/ farm winery regulations to ensure that the farms are first when it comes to farm breweries and supporting local agriculture.
Born a farmer, Alex is a true steward of the land who loves to learn by getting his hands dirty. For years you could find him brewing beer in the barn at night after a full day working in the fields. He invented recipes using his farm’s own ingredients and called on family, friends, and anyone stopping by to serve as tasters for his creations. Alex’s biggest critic was Guinness, his Old English Bulldog, who carefully supervised each batch to ensure beer of the highest quality.
These days, you can find Alex on the farm maintaining the fields, shipping out plants from the greenhouses, or experimenting with new beer recipes. In his free time you can find Alex spending time with his son, Cy.
Guinness DeFrancesco led the way in reestablishing nap time on his dad’s living room couch. Born a farmer, Guinness loves to help load ornamental plants for shipment and break down cardboard boxes (his favorite toy!).
His memory will go on with all our of us as we will miss the little pitter patter of paws following us around the bar, checking in to see if all our patrons were alright, or if they had an extra crumb or two to share.
You can visit his memorial tree and statue at the entrance of the brewery.