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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T140000
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SUMMARY:Community FREE Barbecue at Outer Light Brewing
DESCRIPTION: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. \nThe 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. \nThe beer\, of course\, is available separately at the bar. \nThe Community BBQ Is Becoming an Outer Light Tradition\nThis isn’t a one-off promotion. \nOuter 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. \nThe formula is deliberately uncomplicated. \nHamburgers. Hot dogs. Chips. Free. \nRather 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. \nThe August edition begins at 2 p.m. and continues while food supplies last\, so arriving earlier in the afternoon is a good idea. \nA Brewery Built in Groton\nOuter Light Brewing Company has been part of Groton’s craft beer scene since 2015. \nThe 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. \nFrom the beginning\, the brewery leaned into its southeastern Connecticut identity. \nEven the name has a coastal feel\, and several of its beers reference the region’s relationship with the sea and submarines. \nThe brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025\, introducing updated branding and a new lighthouse logo as it entered its second decade. \nYou Can Watch the Beer Being Made\nOuter Light isn’t simply a bar serving beer produced somewhere else. \nThe Bridge Street location contains the brewery itself\, and the taproom was designed to make the production side visible. \nLarge 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.” \nThat transparency was intentional. The founders wanted people drinking the finished beer to have some connection with how it was actually made. \nThe result is an industrial brewery setting rather than a conventional restaurant or pub. \nThere’s indoor taproom seating along with outdoor seating\, giving the Community BBQ the backyard atmosphere organizers are aiming for. \nWhat’s Pouring at Outer Light?\nOuter Light’s beer selection combines year-round standards with rotating and seasonal releases. \nOne 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. \nLonesome Boatman takes things in a different direction. The amber ale is built around toasted and bready malt flavors with a more restrained hop character. \nFor 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. \nOuter Light also regularly experiments with limited and seasonal beers\, meaning the tap list can change between visits. \nMore Than Beer Nights\nOuter Light has increasingly used the Groton taproom as a community gathering place rather than limiting its calendar to beer releases. \nIts 2026 schedule has included trivia\, yoga\, block parties\, fundraisers and Wiener Wednesdays\, when the brewery gives away hot dogs during the afternoon. \nThe 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. \nFor 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. \nThat local emphasis carries directly into the monthly Community BBQ. \nThere isn’t really a complicated premise behind Sunday’s event. \nIt’s a brewery in Groton feeding its neighbors. \nWhat About the Kids and Dogs?\nThe casual cookout format makes the afternoon suitable for groups\, and Outer Light has hosted a number of family-oriented activities at the taproom. \nDogs are permitted in the outdoor seating area\, but aren’t allowed inside the taproom except for service animals. \nBecause the barbecue is being held at a working brewery and alcoholic beverages are available\, adults should bring identification if they plan to drink. \nParking is available at the Bridge Street location. \nGet There Before the Grill Is Empty\nThere’s one important catch to free barbecue: \nEventually\, the food runs out. \nOuter Light specifically says the burgers\, hot dogs and chips will be available while supplies last. \nThe 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. \nThe taproom itself is scheduled to remain open until 6 p.m. Sunday. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Community Barbecue\nDate: Sunday\, August 23\, 2026\nStart Time: 2 p.m.\nLocation: Outer Light Brewing Company\nAddress: 266 Bridge Street\, Groton\, CT 06340\nAdmission: Free\nFood: Free hamburgers\, hot dogs and chips\nAvailability: While supplies last\nBeer and Other Drinks: Available for purchase at the taproom\nSunday Taproom Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nDogs: Permitted in the outdoor seating area only \nThe 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. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/community-free-barbecue-at-outer-light-brewing-company/
LOCATION:Outer Light Brewing Company\, 266 Bridge Street\, Groton\, CT\, 06340\, United States
CATEGORIES:Outer Light Brewing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Community-FREE-Barbecue-at-Outer-Light-Brewing-Company.jpg
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