Make sure to try Hops 44's award-winning wings. (Blaine Callahan)

It’s hard to beat local, Connecticut craft beer.

But what if you added smoked meats to the mix?

“We do all of our meats in house,” says Nancy McKenney, owner of Hops 44 in Storrs. “We make all of our sauces in house. We have our smoker for our brisket, pork, wings, and more.”

The menu at Hops 44 stands out amongst most pubs, with a wide selection of classics taken up a notch. There’s lobster rangoon dip with friend wontons, ahi tuna tacos with mango, avacado and cilantro, and pretzel flats in cheese, buffalo chicken, caprese, and more.

“I recommend our smoked wings, to start,” says McKenney. “We won first runner up two years in a row for the best wings in the Hartford Magazine, 2021 and 2022. Our hanging bacon is a great choice, too. We cure it in house. We smoke it in-house. We slice it, glaze it. That’s one of our big-sellers.”

Getting that lobster bisque bread bowl with 1/4lb knuckle and claw means it’s made right there at the restaurant, too. There’s nothing coming out of a container. Pair it up with an award-winning selection of local brews and it’s just icing on the cake.

“No Budweiser, no Bud Light. We stick with our concept of craft beer only.”

Pulled pork tacos? Yes please! (Blaine Callahan)

You may think that McKenney’s background would be in the restaurant industry, like many entrepreneurs are. It turns out Hops 44 is her first venture after 26 years as a dental hygienist.

I was in the restaurant industry back in college,” she says. “One day when I was 48 years old, sitting with my family and heading to bed at 7:30 I thought to myself, ‘There has to be something more to this.’”

For McKenney, opening up a restaurant was her answer.

Her family was more than happy to help. Her husband put in plenty of work early on. Her son, Tyler, now helps manage the restaurant. Even her younger son, Ryan, works at Hops 44 as a server with his mother. They bring their familial love and comradery to the rest of the staff, highlighted by a standout sentence from McKenney herself.

“You’ll walk in a stranger and leave a friend.”

Nancy McKenney has a standout team behind her, giving Hops 44 its warm, inviting atmosphere. From left to right: Tyler KcKenney, Ryan McKenney, Nancy McKenney, Erika Mott. (Blaine Callahan)

While it’s easy to assume most of the turnout at Hops 44 would be rowdy college students, it turns out that’s far from the truth.

“I would definitely say the college clientele is only about 15-20% of the business,” says McKenney. “We cater, more so, to the parents and staff of UConn. We’re not known as the college bar or restaurant.”

Even so, McKenney touched on the unique nature of having a restaurant by a massive University. She sees far more new faces year after year, as 20,000 new Freshman attend UConn for their first semester while the same number of Seniors rotate out after graduating. New parents, more so, looking for a bite to eat and a beer to drink.

Her local community, however, is the rock Hops 44 leans on.

Ask about Hops 44's mug club! (Blaine Callahan)

“We’re very big with the community,” she says. “The folks who do live here, who aren’t just college-based. We have a lot of regulars who live in town or the next town over in Coventry or Ashford. They appreciate us being here. There weren’t a lot of other businesses around for people to go out and sit outside on a patio, that kind of thing.”

It might be a bit corny, but it’s the teamwork of her family, staff, and customers that have turned Hops 44 into a popular, new destination in Storrs.

“All of our servers work together,” says McKenney. “At any particular time, you won’t be served by one person. Everybody’s gonna be able to help you.”

You’ll even see McKenney waiting tables, taking orders, and doing the nitty gritty work as needed. She doesn’t just manage from behind an office door. She’s behind the bar, pouring beers, and greeting customers with a smile.

There's plenty of room at Hops 44 to cool off inside! (Blaine Callahan)

She’s learned plenty the last three and a half years since Hops 44 opened its doors. She knows she still has plenty to learn as well. There’s plenty of work that goes into owning a restaurant. Having her team and customers beside her makes that mountainous task achievable.

“Teamwork makes the dream work, right?”