Nod Hill Brewery Installs New BrauKon Brewhouse, Marking Next Chapter for Connecticut Brewery

Nod Hill Brewery is making its biggest production investment since opening its Ridgefield, Connecticut brewery in 2017, adding a new German-engineered BrauKon brewhouse as demand for its beer continues to climb. The investment comes as Nod Hill’s Connecticut wholesale business has grown by more than 35 percent, giving the independent family-founded brewery additional capacity and greater control over its brewing process.

The new brewhouse represents the centerpiece of a broader production overhaul led by Head of Brewing Operations Rob Bollard. Since joining Nod Hill in early 2025, Bollard has rebuilt the production team, revised recipes, sourced new ingredients and helped redesign the brewery’s production infrastructure, including tank configurations and a custom water system.

The first beers brewed on the new system are expected to arrive in September, beginning with a double-decocted Märzen followed by an IPA. Nod Hill plans to use the new equipment across its range of hop-forward American ales, traditional European beers and more experimental releases.

Here’s the full announcement from Nod Hill Brewery:

Major investment expands brewing capabilities as wholesale business grows more than 35 percent

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (August 20, 2026) – Nod Hill Brewery, the independent, family-founded brewery known for hop-forward ales, traditional European styles and cask beer, has installed a new German-engineered BrauKon brewhouse, the most significant production investment since the Ridgefield brewery opened in 2017. The new system comes as Nod Hill’s Connecticut wholesale business continues to grow more than 35 percent and builds on what the brewery has created in Ridgefield over the past nine years: a gathering place encompassing its taproom, seasonal Biergarten and event space, with food, live music, cask ale and year-round programming.

The new system is the centerpiece of a broader production upgrade led by Head of Brewing Operations Rob Bollard, who joined Nod Hill in early 2025 after nearly 15 years in Connecticut craft beer. Over the past year and a half, Bollard has rebuilt the production team, revamped recipes, sourced new ingredients and helped redesign the brewery’s production setup, including tank configurations and a new custom water system. The BrauKon system is the next step.

New Tools, Old-World Technique 

“This new BrauKon system marks the next evolution of where we want to take Nod Hill, and we couldn’t be more excited for what comes next,” said David Kaye, co-founder and General Manager of Nod Hill. “Our wholesale business is growing, we have an incredible community here in Ridgefield, and installing the BrauKon is a significant investment in that momentum. We’re investing in the brewery we want Nod Hill to be for years to come.”

The first beers from the new brewhouse are expected to be released in September 2026, starting with a double-decocted Märzen followed by an IPA. The team plans to use the system across Nod Hill’s flagship hop-forward beers, traditional European styles and more experimental releases.

A Brewer for What’s Next

“As a brewer, you’re always thinking about how to get the most out of the ingredients and the process, and this system gives us a much bigger toolbox,” said Rob Bollard, Head of Brewing Operations at Nod Hill. “Every valve, every pump and every part of the process is designed to give us more control and precision with one goal in mind: brewing the best beer possible. We’ve spent the last year building toward this, and we’re excited to put it to work across everything we brew.”

Bollard’s career began with a mentorship at Willimantic Brewing Company, followed by Black Hog Brewing Company and Kent Falls Brewing Company, where he was one of the brewery’s first three employees and eventually became Head Brewer. His experience includes collaborations with Trillium, Allagash, Counter Weight and Freak Folk Bier.

The production investment comes during a period of strong growth for Nod Hill. Wholesale business increased 40 percent during the first quarter of 2026 and has continued to grow at approximately 35 percent even as the brewery worked through its production renovation and brewhouse installation. 

A Family Brewery Nearly Two Decades in the Making

For the Kaye family, the new brewhouse is the latest milestone in an idea that dates back to 2008, when father and son Robert and David Kaye first talked seriously about opening a brewery during a trip to Austria. Robert was struck by the communal beer hall experience at Salzburg’s Augustiner Bräustübl, while David brought his own influences from living in London, where he worked at the White Horse on Parsons Green and developed an appreciation for English cask ale.

Years of homebrewing and trips through Vermont’s emerging beer scene followed before Nod Hill opened in Ridgefield in 2017, founded by Robert and David Kaye, and Sarah Zitnay, David’s wife.

From the beginning, the idea extended beyond the beer itself. David, a working musician, has brought music into the brewery’s identity, curating its live music program and signature events including Afternoon of Casks and Oyster Fest. Zitnay, who brought a decade of New York City hospitality experience to the business, helped shape Nod Hill’s taproom and hospitality program.

Sustainability has also been a significant part of Nod Hill’s operation from its early years. The brewery has been 100 percent solar-powered since 2019 through a 287kW rooftop solar array, and its Ridgefield property includes a one-acre native pollinator meadow.

Related news from mybeerbuzz.com:
MyBeer Buzz has followed Nod Hill Brewery’s growth as one of Connecticut’s distinctive independent breweries, including Nod Hill Brewery Announces 2026 Afternoon of Casks, Nod Hill Brewery Releases First Canned Beers, and Nod Hill Brewery’s 2025 Oktoberfest. The brewery’s latest production investment adds another chapter to its evolution, combining its focus on traditional brewing techniques with expanded capacity and modern brewing technology.

About Nod Hill Brewery

Founded in 2017 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Nod Hill Brewery is an independent, family-founded brewery crafting hop-forward American ales, Old World English, German and Belgian styles, cask ales, lagers, and spontaneous and mixed-fermentation oak-aged beers. Nod Hill’s Ridgefield brewery includes its taproom, seasonal Biergarten and event space, with live music, food and community programming throughout the year. The brewery has been 100 percent solar-powered since 2019 and self-distributes its beer in cans and on draft throughout Connecticut.

For more information, visit https://www.nodhillbrewery.com/ and @nodhillbrewery.

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