BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT

FOOLPROOF BREWING’S nifty orange-striped red brick exterior retains a snazzy casual charm contrasting its murky warehouse-bound Industrialized Bridgeport neighborhood just off Route 95. Expanding from its original Pawtucket, Rhode Island brewery, this second Foolproof location began operations in 2021.

The large open space barroom, a dank brick-walled, concrete-floored, black metal-columned brewhouse, features a 30-chaired concrete slab-topped bar with silver tanks along the back wall. There are four-seat tables and booths on the right side. Exposed pipes hang from the high corrugated ceiling adding echo to the music playing. Alongside rounded beer selection are signature mocktails and light food menu.

My wife and I drifted into Foolproof on a Sunday morn, March ’25, to sample a few and take some home for review.

Dry Pilot Kolsch drizzled fizzy lemon-wedged champagne atop its grassy-hopped astringency and blanched white wheat base.

Another dry-bodied German-styled brew, Belsnickel, a pumpernickel bock with caramelized rye breading and dewy cellar mossing, picked up lingered black treacle bittering.

Sunny yellow grapefruit zesting and sweet orange peel briskness gain pine resin for Mansions, a hazy IPA with juicily fruited Citra hop tropicalia sidling lesser dry Centennial hop herbage.

Mildly mocha-creamed milk stout, Black Cab, retained subtle espresso, walnut and dark chocolate tones in a peaty moss setting.

The serenading bourbon chocolate frontage of Barrel-Aged Revery, a smooth Imperial Stout, gained hazelnut coffee, vanilla latte, chocolate cookie and fried Oreo illusions.