Bergen House

This review is a part of my quest of visiting all CT breweries, although a meadery would be a bit of a stretch to this definition. I tried meads from Bergen House many times at beer festivals in the state, so I knew that I can expect superior quality. But this was my first visit to them. The meadery occupies a big chunk of the building. It consists of a big main indoor space and a smaller indoor room with couches. There's plenty of space to bring a company and they have their own parking lot. There are many snack options to purchase, but no other food is available. You can order a mead flight of 4 to try multiple meads. I tried all of them for this review. There's a good variety of meads available, which differ a lot, some of them are even barrel aged. Every single mead I tried was a masterpiece with its own distinct taste profile. If I were to pick favorites, those would be Bochet (Bochet Mead) which is the core mead available, and Port of Call (Barrel aged Bochet mead). Both of these had a pretty complex taste. But as I said, I loved every mead they had on tap. I do recommend this meadery to everyone looking for a treat to their tastebuds.

Good vibes and good drinks at Bergen House. Our server was pleasant and engaging. We picked up one of the many available board games to play while we sipped our mead. Dogs and gamers welcome. We got a few couple short pours of the Blueberry and Synthesis and a mug of Mulled Mead. Everything had such distinct tastes, very much unlike each other, but all were enjoyable. My favorite was the Blueberry, and I ended up getting a to-go bottle. The atmosphere wasn't my favorite. Very open industrial warehouse layout and jarring bright lighting. Would've loved a bit more ambiance, but the drinks held up, and I'd be happy to come back for some of their mead. Cheers!

Awesome mead! I never had it before and it was great. Where have you been all my life! I don’t really like beer so this is the perfect alternative. Plenty of table place here! Friendly staff and a bunch of different games for your table to enjoy while you drink your mead. Reasonable prices too! Definitely will be back here.

Stopped by yesterday for a few brews and I have to say it was a great experience! I tried just about everything on the menu and the Trickster was my absolute favorite! The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable and let me try different kinds. I started home brewing my own and the bartender gave me a few pointers. This place is a must if you are into mead!

Great tasting mead! I tried most of the menu and some drinks primarily taste like honey, others it’s an aftertaste, and some it mostly tastes like beer with a hint of honey. Very good options here. I really like that they have free water readily available as well. Tons of games and activities here for hanging out with friends - (darts, Jenga, board games, etc). Also, the night I came here there were a lot of retro game consoles set up. Big Mario kart tournament that was really fun! Would highly recommend coming here and trying some mead.

The wife and I’s favorite place! We’ll bring a board game or something to eat and just hang out while sipping drinks. Great atmosphere and amazing events.

Exceptionally fun experience! This place is a hidden gem. This was some of the best Mead I’ve tried, and they had more varieties than any other meadery I have visited. They have a wide variety of board games available to play (I think for free), and a casual feel. The owners were tending the bar and they were very friendly and helped us find drinks we would like. My family and I stopped in for just an hour. Everyone found a mead they liked and we played a game of Jenga. Being able to get a delicious drink for as little as $3 is super affordable and accessible to all tastes and alcohol tolerances. I will absolutely come back next time I’m in Middletown!

It is located down the street right before Eli Cannon. It sort of feels like a Nordic space. You are overcome by a feeling of good vibes. Staff and owners are welcoming and knowledgeable about their product. Think of it as a place to hang out after a long work week or a place to meet up with friends whenever. Order the drinks based on your usual likes. I like the biochet.

Never had Meade before and I'm kicking myself now. I'm not a fan of "hoppy" drinks, BUT the hoppy Meade I will drink and actually got me to venture down other "hoppy" lanes, like beer. Especially for someone who likes cider and wine, the Meade has a nice, refreshing flavor. The different flavor nodes of the honey make it sweeter and not bitter (personal preference). Awesome sit in areas with TONS of games for socialization with friends. In this order are my favorites!! Wally, Whip, Lemon, Bouchot, Ginga, Cherry, Hoppy, Pecan

The Bergen House has a phenomenal staff and the drinks are delicious . It's a community supported business that you will enjoy. They also host excellent entertainment (drag shows) hosted by area artists. You can bring your own food and they will supply the drinks. Excellent service and drinks!

Bergen House is a craft meadery that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in September 2020. It was founded by army veteran Talon Bergen. He first began experimenting with homebrewing when his brother-in-law gifted him a Mr. Beer kit. The first batch of Bergen's homebrew was awful, but the kit came with an interesting book that he read over and over again. He soon became fascinated with the science behind brewing and fermentation. Later on, a friend gifted him a bottle of homemade mead. Bergen's wife Emilie liked it much more than any beer she ever tried, so he decided to try his hand at crafting mead. Mead is a fermented beverage made from a mixture of honey, water and yeast. It is the oldest fermented beverage known to man (predating beer, wine and cider). Like his first batch of beer, Bergen's first batch of mead was also awful. After several months, Bergen finally began making mead that was drinkable. The Bergens later had an idea to open their own brewery. After seeing how many breweries that Connecticut already had, they instead decided to open a meadery. The Bergens found a space in Middletown's old trolley barn building to house their meadery and taproom. Although not the state's only meadery, Bergen House is the only one to have its own taproom for on-site consumption. I recently visited Bergen House for the first time after going for a long bike ride on the nearby Air Line State Park Trail. I was greeted by Emilie Bergen who was very friendly and talked to me about the different meads. There were eight different meads on tap during my visit. Each one has different spices and fruits added for flavoring. I ordered a sampler flight which featured "Crime Scene" (Rye Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sweet & Sour Cherry Mead), "Local Buzz" (Dry Mead made with local honey from Hilltop Apiaries), "Wally" (Off-Dry Mead made with wildflower honey, green tea and Citra hops), and "Grapefruit Meads Business" (Wildflower Mead flavored with rosemary, grapefruit & ginger). The latter two were my favorites! Emilie also gave me a small sample of "Bochet": a traditional French Mead made with wildflower honey caramelized before fermentation. I ended up taking home a growlito of "Wally", which tasted a lot like a honey-infused New England IPA. I had a great experience at Bergen House and I look forward to returning!

A great selection of mead & a very cool tasting room. Small patio out front & a game room. We'll be back!

This Middletown meadery is such a hidden gem! A laid-back, board-game and chat kind of place, this is a great "night out with friends" location if you're not into loud, bustling bars. Curious (and awesome) aspect about this meadery is that they pay their workers a living wage, so any and all tips are donated to charity! Will be back very soon!

The mead was delicious and the atmosphere was really chill! One thing that stood that I really appreciated was that the women's restrooms had feminine products in each of the stalls and you don't see many places that will have those products so easily accessible. 10/10 will be back again and telling all my friends!

Very interesting spot and venue. Enjoyed the setup and entertainment too. Its hard to see and/or find off the main street but we eventually found it. They definitely need a kitchen or partnership with a restaurant. Just my 2 cents.

This place is so amazing, I love to come here when I'm in the mood to grab a couple of drinks but also unwind with a quiet atmosphere to either socialize or play board games. They have a variety of board games, darts, Jenga, a mini golf thing, etc. The drinks are great prices and they don't even add tip on it! (They pay their staff a living wage so tip goes towards charity). The bathrooms are extremely clean, and come stocked with free pads and tampons in the women's rooms, very considerate.

I love this place! Chill hang out place, amazing mead and the staff are always friendly. They are starting to do some events too which are awesome. They allow you to bring in your own food and sometimes have some food trucks. I haven't been on any days with the trucks yet though. I also love that they donate all their tips to a charity of their choice because they pay their staff a living wage!

So the next stop of Central Connecticut breweries in my home state during my vacay was Bergen House located near downtown Middletown. Bergen House specializes in meads. It is located in a large industrial building that is also home to a few other businesses. But the brewery itself is pretty spacious. There is some outdoor seating, as well seating in the entry way, and a large space with a huge bar once you get all the way inside. We sat at the bar and I could not decide what mead I wanted (also, I was a bit tipsy from the previous brewery LOL). The nice lady at the bar asked me what I preferred and gave me a sample of the Orange Blossom. The Orange Blossom is classified as very dry and similar to Prosecco, but since I also enjoy wine (hey, alcohol is LIFE lol), I really enjoyed it and had a 12 oz, as well as a second helping in the form of a shushie, which was just as equally refreshing and delicious. There is no food on the premises but there are bags of kettle corn for sale if you need to munch on something, but hey, you're on Main Street and there are plenty of places nearby to grab a bite after a good time at the Bergen House. Another stop I recommend for CT's breweries.

A veteran owned Meadery off of main street Middletown in the old trolley house, right before Arigoni bridge and behind Eli Cannons. Recently moving to the area, my friends suggested to check this place out as we all love our mead. With a vast selection of flavors that use a wide variety of different honeys, everyone is sure to find something that tickles their fancy and taste buds on this menu. My favorites were the Ginja & the chai! Had never tried any form of fermented chai flavors in any form of alcohol and I love those first time experiences that inspire my own brewing. I will strongly suggest checking out this business and supporting the hard-working locals who are creating quality products that you simply cannot find in any stores. Treat yourself, bring some friends and take a few bottles to go to share with others who may have never even had the opportunity to even try this ancient beverage that continues to keep up with the evolving times we live in. 5 stars and I'll certainly be a regular here with friends & co-workers.

Bergen House is an utter gem of a place. The owners are extremely welcoming and make it incredibly clear that you do not need to drink alcohol to be welcome in their space. They offer NA drinks. The hopped tea made in house is always a treat and there is either an in house honey lemonade or honey ginger ale depending on the season. Recently, they received a liquor license and added on mead tails which included a NA option as well. As far as the mead goes? Get ready to get your socks knocked off. They consistently debut new meads and have creative new offerings that are delicious. I recently tried the strawberry peach, which was a lovely summery delight. My all-time favorite was a lavender lemon last summer. If you have a favorite, definitely take advantage of the ability to take a bottle home. Prices are really fair. There's a lot of space to play board games and they have a great library of games. Look at the calendar to see about events you want to participate in or avoid. They host many events. Also, dog friendly! If you're feeling snacky, either order delivery or bring your own food.

Bergen House, is to my knowledge, the first meadery to open in CT. Its kind of behind Eli Cannon's and just next to Perkatory coffee in Middletown- That's how I found it. I stopped along RT9 on a lazy Sunday for coffee- Saw the meadery was open and stopped by. I ordered a jumbo flight of 8 meads. My favourite was the strawberry basil, coffee and spicy mead. If you don't know, mead predates beer and is essentially fermented honey and water. Bergen house is in an old warehouse. Large space/ fermentory area. Staff was friendly as were the customers, who were regulars- at least the ones I talked to. Mead wasn't top tier but was much better than average. It needs a little fine tuning but this should be a welcome addition to the CT craft brewing scene. Cheers.

This is a place you would miss as it's in the back of several other shops off the Main Street in middle town We Stopped in on vday on way up They said stop by and might be able to seat us They are practicing safe distancing This place is a huge factory So the liquor is mead made from Honey The had a sampler on 10 types Hard to believe my gf tried and liked them all Due to COVID they had limited food But the hot dog was in a Pretzel bun and I had two haha They sold cards and while We ate and drank we played Was a real nice time Good music and great service We Also got a bottle of our favorite to go Good luck to the owners they have a good idea

I had such an amazing experience at Bergen House the other day! My friend has been here several times and told me we should go. I am not a beer drinker and had always assumed that mead is beer (it's not). So if you're like me, it's actually made out of fermented honey! I tried a flight of flavors but my hands down favorite was No Fair! It tastes like caramel apple and reminds you of the county fair. I definitely will have to stop by again for more. Love to see how they have everything spaced out for social distancing too.

Amazing experience working with the Bergen House to plan a welcome party for my wedding. Talon and his team are accommodating, thoughtful and run an amazing business. Definitely recommend hosting a party here and stopping in for some mead when in the neighborhood!!!!!

Stumbled upon this place one night and I absolutely love it. The atmosphere is great, the games are awesome, and the owner is really nice. I tell all my friends about it. The mead is AMAZING (and I'm not a big mead person). You can bring your dog (on a leash) and you can even order door dash for when you want food. We will DEFINITELY be back! Good for big parties or two people looking to hang and talk.

My husband and I stopped in last night. They have fantastic mead! Emilie was tending bar. She was so warm and welcoming. She let us try some samples. Our favorite was Bochet now we LOVE, It takes 2 to Mango! We bought a bottle of that and Crime Scene to share with friends! I am going to buy a lot of bottles to give as unique gifts This Christmas! This is our new favorite place! I would suggest parking behind Eli Cannons as the meadery is right there.

Oh Mead goodness, what a wonderful experience at the Bergen House! Not only is the inside set up for very safe COVID practices (tables were farther apart and didn't make you feel cramped), but the atmosphere was chill and everyone was incredibly friendly. They had some snacks to go along with the mead and I ordered the hummus platter and a hot dog (not pictured, which came with chips). The vegetables were incredibly fresh and you can tell that this is a place who truly takes their time with their products and strives for quality (especially when it comes to the making of the mead). I can't wait to go back and try a flight of any of the meads because they all sounded so good.

I make mead as a small hobby, but this place is next level. The mead there is amazing. Great atmosphere and reasonable prices put this place over the top.

Amazing drinks, very friendly staff, 100% recommend!! The owners are so welcoming and the vibe is very relaxing. Great way to pass an afternoon!

This place is awesome! Great service, great food trucks, and delicious mead. We've never tried mead before but absolutely loved it! No fair! was delicious but my favorite was orange blossom! Super excited to visit again!

Honestly this place is really good. The mead options are super tasty and Talon shows real passion in his art. Lots of tables and activitys like darts all types of board games and corn hole. Super friendly staff. Just a dope enviroment. If you are in the area give them a try you wont be disappointed.

Place is awesome. Mead is sweet and crisp. Staff is excellent. Definitely worth the trip. Nice air conditioning this summer. But is was already worth it in the heat. Need to try this place

What a great place! Please go support this business. We knew nothing about mead and the owner's wife went above and beyond to explain and let us try some before making a decision. The mead was delightful. Not a beer, not really a wine, just a delightfully light beverage (but some had higher alcohol content than others). The interior was huge. Much bigger than the storefront would lead you to believe. Inside had an industrial vibe. The walls were covered with local art, so thumbs up for that! They also have a nice deck space on the front with seating. We saw people getting flights, so that is a possibility if you can't decide They also had a new slushee machine with mead slushees. They hit the spot on a hot day. We tried the strawberry sage one and it was delicious. There was a mead for everyone there too. You like sweet? You like dry? They had both. Walkable to restaurants is also a big plus. A total gem and we will definitely be back.

This place is great. Try the Orange Blossom. You won't be disappointed. The owners are cool guys too.