Community FREE Barbecue at Outer Light Brewing Company
Community FREE Barbecue at Outer Light Brewing Company brings the brewery’s free monthly cookout back to Groton on Sunday, August 23, with burgers, hot dogs and chips served alongside an afternoon at the taproom.
The grill fires up at 2 p.m., and the food is completely free while supplies last. There’s no ticket required and no special purchase attached to the barbecue. Outer Light describes the idea simply: get people together, put food on the grill and create an easygoing Sunday afternoon at the brewery.
The beer, of course, is available separately at the bar.
The Community BBQ Is Becoming an Outer Light Tradition
This isn’t a one-off promotion.
Outer Light brought its monthly free Community BBQ series back for the 2026 season in March, establishing the cookouts as another piece of the brewery’s growing community event calendar.
The formula is deliberately uncomplicated.
Hamburgers. Hot dogs. Chips. Free.
Rather than turning the cookout into a ticketed beer festival or elaborate food event, Outer Light treats it more like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. Grab something from the grill, find a seat, order a beer if you’d like one and hang around.
The August edition begins at 2 p.m. and continues while food supplies last, so arriving earlier in the afternoon is a good idea.
A Brewery Built in Groton
Outer Light Brewing Company has been part of Groton’s craft beer scene since 2015.
The brewery was co-founded by Tom Drejer and Matt Ferrucci, friends who had made beer together while attending graduate school. Drejer had been considering opening a brewery as far back as 2006 before eventually developing the business plan that became Outer Light.
From the beginning, the brewery leaned into its southeastern Connecticut identity.
Even the name has a coastal feel, and several of its beers reference the region’s relationship with the sea and submarines.
The brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025, introducing updated branding and a new lighthouse logo as it entered its second decade.
You Can Watch the Beer Being Made
Outer Light isn’t simply a bar serving beer produced somewhere else.
The Bridge Street location contains the brewery itself, and the taproom was designed to make the production side visible.
Large windows separate customers from the brewing area, allowing visitors to watch what’s happening behind the scenes. Outer Light affectionately calls the view into its production space “the fish bowl.”
That transparency was intentional. The founders wanted people drinking the finished beer to have some connection with how it was actually made.
The result is an industrial brewery setting rather than a conventional restaurant or pub.
There’s indoor taproom seating along with outdoor seating, giving the Community BBQ the backyard atmosphere organizers are aiming for.
What’s Pouring at Outer Light?
Outer Light’s beer selection combines year-round standards with rotating and seasonal releases.
One of its best-known beers is SUBduction IPA, a beer whose name is a direct nod to Groton’s identity as the Submarine Capital of the World. The American IPA emphasizes citrus-forward hops and has become one of the brewery’s signatures.
Lonesome Boatman takes things in a different direction. The amber ale is built around toasted and bready malt flavors with a more restrained hop character.
For something lighter, Morning Light is the brewery’s crisp lager, while Juicy Bull$#!t represents the hazier side of New England brewing with Citra, El Dorado and Mosaic hops.
Outer Light also regularly experiments with limited and seasonal beers, meaning the tap list can change between visits.
More Than Beer Nights
Outer Light has increasingly used the Groton taproom as a community gathering place rather than limiting its calendar to beer releases.
Its 2026 schedule has included trivia, yoga, block parties, fundraisers and Wiener Wednesdays, when the brewery gives away hot dogs during the afternoon.
The brewery’s Pours With Purpose series uses the taproom to support area organizations and causes. Recent events have involved Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program and the Groton Base of the United States Submarine Veterans.
For the Fourth of July, Outer Light partnered with SubVets Groton for another free barbecue following Groton’s parade, even brewing a special Fort Griswold Pale Ale made with New England ingredients for the occasion.
That local emphasis carries directly into the monthly Community BBQ.
There isn’t really a complicated premise behind Sunday’s event.
It’s a brewery in Groton feeding its neighbors.
What About the Kids and Dogs?
The casual cookout format makes the afternoon suitable for groups, and Outer Light has hosted a number of family-oriented activities at the taproom.
Dogs are permitted in the outdoor seating area, but aren’t allowed inside the taproom except for service animals.
Because the barbecue is being held at a working brewery and alcoholic beverages are available, adults should bring identification if they plan to drink.
Parking is available at the Bridge Street location.
Get There Before the Grill Is Empty
There’s one important catch to free barbecue:
Eventually, the food runs out.
Outer Light specifically says the burgers, hot dogs and chips will be available while supplies last.
The first burgers hit the grill at 2 p.m., so anyone particularly invested in getting a plate shouldn’t treat 5:45 as an equally good arrival time.
The taproom itself is scheduled to remain open until 6 p.m. Sunday.
Event Details
Event: Community Barbecue
Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026
Start Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Outer Light Brewing Company
Address: 266 Bridge Street, Groton, CT 06340
Admission: Free
Food: Free hamburgers, hot dogs and chips
Availability: While supplies last
Beer and Other Drinks: Available for purchase at the taproom
Sunday Taproom Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Dogs: Permitted in the outdoor seating area only
The Community Barbecue is part of Outer Light Brewing Company’s recurring series of free cookouts, offering a simple Sunday afternoon of grilled food, local craft beer and time with friends and neighbors.
More information is available at the Event Website link below.
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.
