Yankee Brew News Archive

What's Brewing: Maine/New Hampshire

Originally Published: 02/97

By: Mark E. Hall

It's Christmas Day and 35 degrees. Looking out the window I see blue skies, sun, and ZERO snow. What's wrong with this picture? In all honesty, I could be majorly depressed because I like snow--lots of it.

However, I am finding solace in one of my favorite Christmas brews; and there are many. Still reeling from the record 19 brewers at this year's Maine Brewers' Festival where many brewers introduced this year's version of their winter offerings, I can look forward to a long season of drinking fine brews.

Also introduced at the Maine Brewers' Festival were several versions of Thetford Red Ale. This was a beer brewed by three different Maine brewers using the same recipe and the same hops, grown in East Thetford, Vermont by Jonathan Blumberg's Maine-based company, hopCulture. Blumberg has put in three years of effort to reintroduce commercial hop growing to New England, where hops were once a major cash crop.

As most consumers like "one-stop" shopping to take care of their Christmas gift woes, I can say the same for my drinking; although I wouldn't consider it a woe. Once again, Portland's The Great Lost Bear, my favorite watering hole, is showcasing a great assortment of seasonal beers, including many of those introduced at this year Maine Brewers' Festival.

On any given night, you can sample Portland locals Shipyard Prelude Ale, Geary's Hampshire Ale (this beer can get you ripped in a hurry), Katahdin Spiced Ale, and Gritty's Christmas Ale. If you're looking to cover more geography, you can try Harpoon's Winter Warmer, Boston Beer Works Christmas Ale (figs?), and venture West to sample Pyramid's Snow Cap Ale which tips the scales at 6.9% A.B.V. If you're lucky, and hit the Bear on the right night, you can try some of the Maine products in their cask-conditioned version.

Like the Geary's Hampshire Ale ad says: "Available only while the weather sucks." Let's hope the weather sucks for a while.

Maine

Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing told me he's adding another 60 barrel fermenting tank which will increase his capacity by 50% from 2,000 to 3,000 barrels yearly; just in time for next summer's rush. His anticipated move into the Massachusetts market has been put on hold, but by the time you read this, his products should be available for purchase in the state of New Hampshire.

Gritty McDuff's of Portland is once again coming out with a new bottled product. This time it's their Winter Wheat which is now out in 22 oz. bottles. Gritty's bottled products now total a complete six-pack, as they presently have 6 bottled beers to choose from. In addition to their Best Bitter and Best Brown in 12 oz. six-packs, you can pick up the Black Fly Stout, Halloween Ale, Christmas Ale, and the new Winter Wheat in the 22 oz. version.

Maine Coast Brewing's Tom St. Germain has given everyone a good reason to visit Bar Harbor this winter. In addition to hiring a full-time distribution person, his brewpub will be open throughout the winter season. Here you can sample his new Dark Winter Wheat (5.5% ABV) which according to Tom is a "chestnut ale". His next anticipated move is to make more of his products available by bottle. In the next few months look for his Espresso Stout (3.5% ABV), Black Irish Stout (6.0% ABV), Dry Stout (4.5% ABV), Oatmeal Stout (5.5% ABV), and Imperial Stout (7.5% ABV) to be available in 22 oz. bottles throughout the state. Each bottle will say Maine Coast Brewing Stout on the label, with the particular style on the neck.

If you have a chance to venture up to Bar Harbor this winter you can sample some of the above Stouts, Winter Time I.P.A., Bar Harbor Pale, Bar Harbor Gold, and the new Dark Winter Wheat. Sounds like a good reason to take a drive.

Sea Dog Brewing of Camden/Bangor recently introduced its Sea Dog "Motley Crew" Variety Pack. This 12-pack carries 3 bottles each of their 4 styles currently available in bottles: Windjammer Blonde, Old Gollywobbler Brown, Old East India Pale Ale, and the four month old River Driver Hazelnut Porter. It's currently for sale in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Eastern New York.

The "beer doctor," Steve Gorrill of Sheepscot Valley Brewing, has been busy in Whitefield, as he recently brought out his Munich Dunkel, a dark, malty lager (4.8% ABV). He's also re-introduced his Lucifer's Hammer which comes in at a whopping 8.5% ABV. He describes this creation as "drier than a Pilsner, light bodied, flavorful with fairly high carbonation". Steve is also using two different yeasts for this "high" alcohol product. A Trappist yeast helps with the "clovey-spicy" flavor profile, and a white beer yeast helps to lower the final gravity.

Steve has joined five other Maine brewers who currently have their own web page. You can check it out at: http://www.tiac.net/users/bcsbob/sheepscot. While you're at it, take a look at the Maine Brew Page on the Web. Six breweries including Gritty's, Katahdin, Shipyard, Maine Coast Brewing, Sugarloaf, and Sheepscot have their own individual pages. The Maine Brew Page has information on every Maine brewer, and I'm sure more individual pages will soon follow. While you're here, try the brewery locator map, which will direct you to every brewery in Maine. If you're making a road trip, this will help immensely. The Maine Brew Page is located at: http://www.maine.com/brew/

New Hampshire

New Hampshire, which at my last count has 12 breweries to Maine's 24, is making a valiant effort to catch up with their neighbors. At press time, there is another brewery in the works, which was originally reported in Yankee Brew News last spring.

Originally slated to open last summer, New Hampshire Custom Brewers, located in Manchester, is in the building stages and is planning on having everything ready sometime in March. Co-owners Tom Dufresne and Art Lyford, plus Head Brewer Jon Thomas are currently building their 15 barrel New World system. All three have excellent backgrounds as Tom is a 20 year veteran of the Coca-Cola Company. Art checks in as an avid homebrewer who attended college in Portland, Oregon during the beginning of the beer rage in the 1970s. Head Brewer Jon spent time at Hill County Brewing in Austin, Texas.

They are looking to start with three 23 barrel and three 30 barrel fermenters and are looking at a Pale Ale (Cream Ale) as their first product. A more hoppy (Red or I.P.A.) is being penciled in as their second offering sometime late in the spring. Manchester, also home to the Stark Mill Brewery, was chosen "because Manchester is located in the center of the state, and the city is great to work with," says Tom. New Hampshire Custom Brewers is also looking for investors. If you are interested in information on the brewery or investing, you can contact Tom or Art at (603)624-0695.

Head Brewer Richard Young of Castle Springs Brewing Company, profiled in the last issue of YBN, and recently spotted at last fall's NH Public TV Craft Brewers' Sampling says things are going very well at the new brewery. His American Wheat, I.P.A., and Porter have been well received, and he is currently dabbling with a lager. Look for something new from the brewery in the coming months.

Nutfield Brewing is at it again, as they have released their third seasonal ale. Released before Christmas for the winter season, their Winter Frost is an English type porter with a deep red hue and a predominantly roasted malt flavor. The beer was named in honor of Robert Frost, one of New Hampshire's most famous residents. If this beer is as successful as their first two seasonals (Summer Wheat, Harvest Ale), it will be hard to find. But I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find it.

In other Nutfield news, they are now selling their beer in the state of Connecticut. Already available in New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, this now makes five states for this growing company.

Looks to me as if a bigger slice of the beer pie is there for the taking, if you take into account the non-stop introduction of new breweries and new products. Hopefully there is enough room for everyone!