Whether you're looking to sample a new craft beer, or to relax with a glass of wine or a frosty cocktail, our region boasts many memorable places to sit and unwind with a good drink and good company.

Ballou’s Restaurant and Wine Bar

These days, there are plenty of places that will serve up flights of sample size glasses of craft beer. But how often can you get a flight of wine? Ballou’s Restaurant and Wine Bar specializes in this type of service, giving you the option of ordering a trio of three-ounce pours from its selection of more than 60 wines. An extensive food menu, including fondue and award-winning seafood chowders, is also available. 51 Whitfield Street, Guilford. ballouswinebar.com 

Bidwell Tavern

Opened in 1822, the Bidwell Tavern is imbued with the history of the region. The building once served as the Coventry town hall, and the bar still has a vault that was used to store town records. The tavern also features original wooden beams, stained glass windows and pews repurposed from a church, and a prominent wood stove to warm the place up on cold winter days. The Bidwell Tavern features a hearty food menu, including several options for hot wings. 1260 Main Street, Coventry. thebidwelltavern.com

The Captain Daniel Packer Inne

Once an inn run by the captain of a Mystic River ferry, this establishment dates back to 1756 and was in the Packer family for more than 200 years. Today, the Captain Daniel Packer Inne includes a formal dining area as well as a popular pub on the lower level. Visitors to the latter can enjoy fireside dining, a tasty pub menu, and live musical performances every night. 32 Water Street, Mystic. danielpacker.com/wp/

The Dutch Tavern

“The Dutch” wasted no time after the repeal of Prohibition, getting its start in 1933. The tavern was a favorite watering hole of playwright Eugene O’Neill during his time as a New London newspaper reporter, and still remains a popular hangout in the city. The wooden floor and tin ceiling harken back to that era, although there are also more modern touches such as a pinball machine. Beer and wine are available, along with an affordable lunch menu. 23 Green Street, New London. dutch-tavern.com

The Engine Room

This venue, located in the former Lathrop Marine Engine building, pays tribute to the region’s industrial heritage with reclaimed wood from a Rhode Island bicycle factory and a variety of other interesting items. The sweeping drink menu includes a large selection of bourbons, 16 craft beers, and a Bloody Mary bar for Sunday brunch. Guests can also enjoy views of the Mystic River while dining on a burger, bar bites, and other fare from the menu. 14 Holmes Street, Mystic. engineroomct.com 

The Griswold Inn

One of the oldest continuously operated inns in the United States, the Griswold Inn proudly dates its establishment to 1776. The taproom at “The Gris” is even older, originally built as a schoolhouse in 1735 before it was moved down the street by a team of oxen and attached to the inn. A fascinating array of artifacts, including a display of rare firearms and an extensive maritime art collection, add to the inn’s historic appeal. The taproom serves a signature beer dubbed Revolutionary Ale and brings in musical performers every week, including a popular performance of sea shanties by The Jovial Crew on Mondays. 36 Main Street, Essex. griswoldinn.com 

Lenny’s on the Beach

Along with The Pavilion, Lenny’s on the Beach is one of two shorefront bars located in the Sound View neighborhood of Old Lyme. The seasonal venue features a variety of summery cocktails, and was instrumental in establishing the Soundview Brewing Company; these beers are now included in the bar’s lineup. Lenny’s on the Beach also includes a pub menu and special events such as unlimited lobster dinners and bottomless brunches. 88 Hartford Ave., Old Lyme. facebook.com/lennysonthebeach 

The Malted Barley

Since 2011, this Westerly venue has been a favorite among craft beer connoisseurs. Local breweries regularly visit The Malted Barley for tap takeovers or special releases, and a rotating selection of dozens of different beer styles is always available. The venue is also known for its scrumptious pretzels, which range from a jalapeno and cheddar stuffed variety to a waffle pretzel for dessert. 42 High Street, Westerly. themaltedbarleyri.com 

The Rustic Cafe

Although it is located far from the bars and eateries of Niantic, this cozy East Lyme bar has been a neighborhood favorite for more than six decades. Wood paneling and exposed beams give you the sense of being in a bucolic lodge, and a selection of guitars is available for visitors to showcase their skills on Friday and Saturday open mic nights. The drinks menu offers several specialty cocktails, including the house favorite of a Bloody Mary. Rustic Cafe also has a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 516 Boston Post Road, East Lyme. therusticcafe.com 

The Side Door Jazz Café

Attracting international names in the jazz world, this intimate, elegant 75-seat venue is adjacent to the Old Lyme Inn, in the heart of Old Lyme. Before the show, enjoy dinner fireside in the inn’s dining rooms during cold weather, or sip cocktails beneath a canopy of stately trees outdoor on the patio in the warmer months. Brunch is served alongside live music each Sunday. thesidedoorjazz.com 

The Stomping Ground

This eccentric Putnam business bills itself as not just a bar, but an experience. Quirky artwork festoons the space, including an enormous paper-mache dragon hanging from the ceiling. The Stomping Ground also brings in musical performers six days a week, including an open mic on Sunday. A wide range of craft beers is available, along with lunch and dinner options such as pot pies and gourmet grilled cheeses. 132 Main Street, Putnam. the-stomping-ground.com 

Sugar Factory

The Sugar Factory at Foxwoods Resort Casino specializes in serving up drinks and desserts that will stretch your imagination and delight your senses. Visitors will find upscale pasta, steaks and American cuisine on the menu as well as a slew of small bites, Monster Burgers, ice cream sandwiches and Insane Milkshakes – the Bacon Cheeseburger shake has to be seen to be believed. Or live it up celebrity-style with a Super Fun Premium Fondue, but be sure to call ahead a day in advance, because Gold Coated Dark Chocolate Truffles take time to prepare. Get festive with smoking Goblet Drinks, or grab 12 of your friends and gather around the World Famous King Kong Sundae. foxwoods.com/sugar-factory/

REPURPOSED SPACES

The Engine Room isn’t the only establishment that once had a very different use. You can also order a drink in a building that used to be:

An airport hangar

A coastal airfield was in operation for only about a decade, but the hangar survived to the present day. It now serves as the winery and tasting room for Saltwater Farm Vineyard. 349 Elm Street, Stonington. saltwaterfarmvineyard.com 

A barn

A 5,300-square-foot rural barn once housed the cows for a small dairy operation. Part of the space is currently used for the brewing tanks of the Fox Farm Brewery, while the rest has been converted to a taproom. 62 Music Vale Road, Salem. foxfarmbeer.com 

A disreputable inn

The story goes that the innkeeper at The Saybrook Inn would sometimes turn over control of the property to a customer to go to the bank…and promptly disappear on a gambling jaunt to Nevada for a few days. Someone commented that the place was like a “monkey farm” since they would let anyone work there. The name survives today at The Monkey Farm, the restaurant and tavern that occupies the space today. 571 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. themonkeyfarmcafe.com 

A gas station

Once responsible for filling up customers’ cars, a gas station in Mystic is now a place where people go to fill their stomachs. Saltwater Farm Vineyard updated the station’s garage bays, and they are now home to a wine bar and small plates restaurant called MBAR. 30 Broadway Ave., Mystic. mbarct.com 

A newspaper press room

Many newspapers have consolidated printing operations in recent years, removing the enormous presses that cranked out the daily news. The folks behind Epicure Brewing thought the space left by the removal of the Norwich Bulletin’s printing press was perfect for their brewing tanks and taproom. 40 Franklin Street, Norwich. epicurebrewing.com

A post office

An imposing Greek Revival building in Willimantic was built in 1909, but abandoned just 58 years later when the post office occupying it moved to a new location down the street. Although it stood vacant for almost three decades, the structure has since been repurposed as the Willimantic Brewing Company. 967 Main Street, Willimantic. willibrew.com 

A Quonset hut

OK, so this one started as a Quonset hut and remains a Quonset hut. But the durable lightweight building that likely began life as a military building was later sold for surplus and now serves up drinks as the Half Keg Tavern. 647 Broad Streeet, New London. facebook.com/thehalfkegtavern 

A railroad depot

Opened in 1907, the train station in Putnam served the area for several decades. But passenger service declined over the years, and ceased entirely in 1971. The site is now occupied by The Crossings Restaurant and Brew Pub, which pays tribute to the building’s railroad past. 45 Main Street, Putnam. facebook.com/thecrossingsrestaurantandbrewpub 

An industrial mill

An industrial site on the Pattaconk Brook in Chester first got its start in the early 19th century, and in the 20th century began focusing on the manufacture of a variety of brushes. This work ceased in the 1960s, but the building survives as a restaurant called The Brushmill. Guests can choose from the extensive wine menu and gaze out at the watermill that once powered the mill’s machinery. 129 West Main Street, Chester. thebrushmill.com