On March 15, 44B.C., the “Ides of March” made famous by Cato and Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was assassinated after declaring himself dictator for life – essentially a new king - by senators who wanted to preserve the Roman republic. It was during this shakily-auspicious lunar period when I found myself transfixed by a circa-2nd century A.D. Roman mosaic of the god Mercury at the brand-new Caius Farm Brewery in Branford, and sipping a beer called “Brutus.” Cosmic.

“Caius” isn’t just the name of the place, it’s the name of its owner, one Caius Mergy: a Middlebury College Classics major with a Masters in Classical Archaeology from the Oxford University in England, who then decided to graduate at the top of his brewing classes at the Siebel Institute in Chicago, and the Doemens Academy in Munich. You know, for fun. Long time readers of this column will know about my history dork-dom (it’s my undergrad degree, too), and I mention with a name like that, Caius’ parents must have also been into classics.