Bridgeport brewery prepares for public opening

A new brewery in downtown Bridgeport is hoping to bring new life to the city's struggling downtown after dark. Brewport, located next to Interstate 95, is working on getting all the grain together

News 12 Staff

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Aug 12, 2016, 3:20 AM

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Updated 3,099 days ago

A new brewery in downtown Bridgeport is hoping to bring new life to the city's struggling downtown after dark.

Brewport, located next to Interstate 95, is working on getting all the grain together and making the batches exactly right before it opens to the public.

The brewery used be an old newspaper distribution center. Some of the tables are actually old newspaper racks, and some long tables were used to fold and stack newspapers.

Some people are surprised by the location. There's not a lot to do down in the area at night, and crime is a major concern, but the people at Brewport think the area is ripe for a comeback.

Webster Bank Arena is nearby, and the new Steel Pointe development and a new train station are going up just across the river.

Just like beer is the perfect mix of grain, time, and temperature, owner Jeff Browning believes all the elements are coming together for Bridgeport to see a comeback.

"We deliberately wanted to show people what Bridgeport was all about: intelligent, articulate and diverse," says Browning.

Browning says he is hoping to make headlines in a place that desperately needs some good news.

Brewport unofficially opened last week, and it will roll out its own beers in the next 10 days or so.