Yankee Brew News Archive

New Hampshire Brewery Inn Introduces Brewers Weekends

Originally Published: 04/96

By: Ken Spolsino

When I was a younger man, I'd make the jaunt to the White Mountains region of New Hampshire almost every weekend to enjoy the great outdoors. The Whites, as our friends at the Appalachian Mountain Club would call them, offer breathtaking beauty, outstanding climbs and trails more captivating than mere words could do justice.

I fondly remember this region as my four season playground. As age and sloth crept up on me the thought of blister-making hikes with a full backbreaking pack, eating freeze-dried food and sleeping on cold, hard ground became less appealing to me with each cholesterol elevating year. The worst part that I would often ruminate over (while desperately trying to light a fire with damp wood) is that no one ever came up with a way to perfect the process for a freeze-dried beer. Even the weight of a six pack becomes prohibitive beyond a five mile stretch of the legs.

Any hardened hiker will tell you that the best way to carry your food on a walk is in your stomach. If you apply this rationale to beer, I can tell you from experience that your hike will be shortened while the risk of a broken leg is heightened. My idea of roughing it these days consists of staying in a hotel room too close to the rattle of an ice machine.

While the White Mountains region remains popular with outdoor enthusiasts, a new age of roughing it emerged with the concept of the B, B & B: Bed, Breakfast and Brewing. Nestled in North Woodstock, New Hampshire can be found the answer to a long awaited dream. The Woodstock Inn, home of the Woodstock Brewing Company and Brewpub, offers the elegant alternative to those nature seekers that can no longer tolerate the rigors of pitching a tent in the dark.

Owners Eileen and Scott Rice offer outstanding accommodations in their 100-year old Victorian-style country inn. Each room is a masterfully furnished to offer relaxation to the most nerve wracked city-dweller crossing their threshold. If that work anxiety neck pain you've been nursing for some time feels like it will never abate, ask to book an in-room Jacuzzi feature for your stay.

The best part is that on premises can be found the Woodstock Brewing Company and Brewpub. It features a seven barrel Peter Austin brewing system run by head brewer Butch Chase. Five regular offerings, one root beer and three seasonals, are brewed by Chase during the year. Quaint names attributed to the local color are given to his beers like Lost River Light, Red Rack Ale, Loon Golden Ale, Pigs Ear Brown Ale and Old Man Oatmeal Stout. The brewpub offers four 5 ounce brew samplers for the indecisive, to half gallon growlers-to-go for patrons who know exactly what they want.

While the Woodstock Inn is located near tourist outlet shopping, hiking, and ski trails by the famed Kancamagus highway; their unique spin on getaway specials includes Brewers Weekends. It's their answer to city slicker cattle drives or marine research vacations in the Virgin Islands.

The weekend begins with a reception upon your arrival on Friday evening, where the brewing process is explained. "We start our guests out in the brewery at 7:00 a.m.," owner Eileen Rice explains. "Of course some wives may want to go shopping and some guys may want to sleep late. But they're all welcome to join in when they're ready."

According to their literature, "the apprentice brewers get to run through the entire process, from milling the grain to filtering and racking already-conditioned beer, to polishing the copper kettles.Guests are encouraged to ask questions about all aspects of the microbrewing business."

"We point out that the art of brewing beer is not as glamorous as beer commercials may make it seem," said Rice. "But we only get as technical as our guests want it to be."

A six course Brewers Dinner on Saturday evening and Sunday breakfast are also included in the package, along with your choice of a Woodstock Brewery t-shirt or hat. Prices start at $125 per person, double occupancy., for both nights accommodation and the extras. Several of these special Brewers Weekend getaway packages are available from mid-April through mid-June. Space is limited to 20 participants per session, however, so it is important that you book your weekend as early as possible.

The Woodstock Inn and Brewing Company is located on Main Street (exit 32 off I-93) in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. Phone in your reservation for this unique excursion at (800) 321-3985.

Pull quote:

Guests get to run through the entire brewing process, from milling the grain to filtering and racking already-conditioned beer, to polishing the copper kettles.

Photo caption:

Brewers Weekend guests learn hands-on brewing techniques at the Woodstock Brewing Company. (Photo: Ken Spolsino)