New England Brewfest

Woodstock Inn and Station brewery

135 Main Street

North Woodstock, NH

03262

(603)-745-3951

            Woodstock Inn and Station Brewery opened in 1982 and began brewing it’s own beer in 1995.  They are one of New Hampshire’s most well known brewpubs and, as I have noted in an earlier article, they are growing.  They are currently undertaking a 2.9 million (yes I said million) dollar expansion.  This expansion affects the whole facility not just the brewery.  The additions will include: increased seating in the restaurant, a function space, bigger brewery, as well as some alternative energy sources.  Exciting times in northern NH and my recent conversation with Scott Rice, owner of Woodstock, helped me to understand the changes that are going on.

The Brewery

Woodstock Inn and Station Brewery, one of New Hampshire’s most well known brewpubs, is having growing pains.  They have hit a point in beer sales where they can bring all their beer production under their own roof.  Currently, only 1300 barrels of beer a year is made at the northern NH brewpub and is used to fulfill demand at the hotel and restaurant. The rest of the beer sold by the brewery, which totals about 4500 barrels, is currently made at Shipyard Brewing in Portland, Maine.

5000 barrels was the magic number that Mr. Rice says allows them to expand and bring every thing back in to New Hampshire.  Woodstock uses a seven barrel (217 gallon) brew house to feed the hotel and restaurant.  In order to maintain their overall production, they will be investing in a 30 barrel (930 gallon) brew house as well as 30 and 60 barrel fermentors and a new bottling line with plans for a small canning line in the future.  According to Mr. Rice, the increased fermenting capacity will allow them to ramp up production on their full time and seasonal beers as well as bring back some brews that were retired.  I am sure that there will also be room for some new beers in the future as well.  Woodstock has an incredible amount of distribution for a small brewery and they plan to solidify their footprint in New Hampshire because Rice says “we are a New Hampshire business”.  Woodstock will also be entering the arena of green companies.  The new building, that will house the brewery and a function space, will have 85 solar panels on the roof equaling 20 kilovolts of electricity production, the largest north of Concord, according to their blog.  With this they will be adding an industrial sized pellet stove to create heat and hot water for the brewery and the rest of the building.

The Plan

The time line for this project has already begun with the moving of the Deachman building, which acts as a guest house, to a new spot on the property.  This allows an open area for the new building to be built.  The Deachman building was a guest house that Woodstock has invested a lot of time and money into over the years which is the reason for moving it rather than demolishing the building and building a new one else where.  At this point the vacated area is being used for parking but in March of this year, the main bar will shut down and construction will begin.  The main bar should reopen sometime in July, the brewery by October, and the rest of the project by December 2012.  The hotel, restaurant and a second bar will remain open throughout the construction.

Over all, the expansion will be doing a lot for this northern NH business as well as the town.  When finished, Woodstock Inn and Station Brewery will be adding more jobs and attracting more visitors which will bring more revenue into both the business and town.  Woodstock will be adding 40 seats to the restaurant, a 150 seat function space, enlarge the brewery, and bring beer production back those who care the most about it.

For more of my writings on this and other beer subjects, go to: www.nhbeerscene.blogspot.com

Smuttynose Brewing

225 Heritage Drive

Portsmouth, NH 03801

603 436 4026

           Smuttynose is the oldest New Hampshire based brewery in the state and is named for a small island in the Isle of Shoals archipelago.  The logo is an image of the Common Harbor Seal that is commonly seen in the Gulf of Maine.  The brewery was created in 1994 by Peter Egelston. He attended an auction at the old Frank Jones Brewing Company, and agreed to buy it as a joint effort between himself and the owner of the former Ipswich brewing Company (now Mercury Brewing).  The partnership between the two men ended shortly after the deal was completed.  Smuttynose is currently situated at the site of the old Frank Jones brewery, with some of the remaining tanks still in use today. From this small beginning, comes a brewery that has become synonymous with New Hampshire.   Today, my guide John “JT” Thompson Smuttynose’s Minister of Propaganda, showed me the inner-workings of the brewery and how it will be changing over the next year due to two major projects they are undertaking.

The Brewery

            As it stands now, Smuttynose is pretty close to its maximum beer making capacity.  They use a fifty barrel brew house two to four times a day, 5 days a week to fulfill the demand for their beer.  With this system they brewed almost 40,000 bbls (barrels) over the past year but with increasing demand, they must increase production.  This leads us to the first of two expansion projects the brewery is undertaking.

                                                                                                                                The first project that is underway as we speak is the addition of new tanks in the brewery at the Heritage Avenue facility (their current location) adding almost 10,000 bbls to the yearly output.  There will be three 200 bbl fermentors, a 200 bbl brite tank, and a new kegging machine being put in a new renovated portion of the brewery.  For those of you who don’t know, a brite beer tank is a vessel where the beer goes after fermentation to settle out any remaining yeast of other particulates.  This is a necessary step at Smuttynose, because they don’t filter their beer before packaging.  JT says that these tanks will enable Smuttynose to keep up with demand for Old Brown Dog Ale, which was contracted brewed by another company.  It will also allow them to expand their Big Beer Series, as well as release some new products, that my guide preferred not to talk about.  The tank installation is slated to be completed early in 2012.

            The second, larger project that the brewery is working on is one that has given them quite a bit of trouble over the years.  This is the third attempt to find a new permanent location for the brewery.  The first site they selected was in the town of Newmarket in 2004.  Smuttynose wanted to rehabilitate an old mill and install the brewery as well as a restaurant. The town was unable to reach a decision and thus ended the first endeavor.  The second attempt, on a plot of land in Portsmouth, had a similar end due to community resistance to the project.  Today, Smuttynose is repurposing the Towle Farm property in Hampton, New Hampshire to be the new home of the brewery.  They are rehabilitating some of the current structures to be used as a visitor center, restaurant, and offices.  The brewery will be a purpose built building where most of the equipment they now own will be installed. This project is expected to be finished sometime in 2013.   

The Beer

         Smuttynose produces quite a few styles of beer, including the only Saison I have had from a New Hampshire brewery.  They offer year round and seasonal beers, a Big Beer Series, and a hard to get Short Batch Series. 

Full Time Beers

Shoals Pale Ale – An English Style Pale Ale

Old Brown Dog – An American Brown Ale

Star Island Single – A Abbey Style Ale

Finest Kind IPA – An IPA

Robust Porter – A Classic Porter

Big A IPA – A Double IPA

Seasonal Beers:

Summer Weizen – Summer Wheat Ale brewed with Chamomile

Pumpkin Ale – Traditional Pumpkin Ale

Winter Ale – Loosely styled after a Belgian Dubbel

Big Beer Series:

            The Big Beer series is best explained by the information on their website:

“Big Beers in Big Bottles”: Launched in 1998, our Big Beer Series consists of rotating editions of limited release beers. Because of the small quantities we produce, and the sporadic nature of their release, coupled with the fact that we don’t make every style every year, these beers are sometimes maddeningly hard to find.”

 I did, however, want to explain the subscription part of it.  You can sign up to get a half or full case of each of the next nine releases in the series.  With the subscription you get: 54 or 108 bottles of beer depending on your subscription level, glassware, enrollment in Portsmouth Brewery’s Imperial Pint Club, and invitation to the release parties.  You will get a notice of the up-coming release and then you go to the brewery to pick it up. 

Short Batch Series

            This is a series that is created in twenty to thirty barrel single batches, and is available in draught form only.  You can find these beers in bars on the east coast.

             Smuttynose has been described as the “Home Brand” of New Hampshire. They are a successful craft beer brewery that is working hard to increase their production to meet the demands of a growing craft beer following.  They offer an array of beer, are widely distributed up and down the east coast, and they are building a new home for their brewery complete with restaurant and visitors center.  With all this going on, I think we can look for some exciting new changes in the years to come.

For more of my writings on this and other beer subjects, go to: www.nhbeerscene.blogspot.com

Smuttynose recently announced their plans for another expansion project to signifcantly increase their yearly production.  This email from Mr Thompson at Smuttynose explains what they are doing at one of New Hampshires oldest breweries.

     This expansion follows the same template of our most recent expansion, completed in the summer of 2010, but there are a few significant differences this time around. We'll be adding three 200bbl fermenters and a 200bbl bright beer tank as well as a second "Bulldog" kegging machine. The modularized nature of the project will give us the ability to add a fourth fermenter not long after the first three are online which isn't a definite but it's definitely on the table. Our growth has been just on either side of 30% this year (which we weren't exactly expecting), so this expansion is meant to allow us to better keep up with the growing demand, to bring Old Brown Dog production back in house and still be able to keep up with our smaller brands like Robust Porter and Star Island Single as well as allowing us to brew 200bbls of each Big Beer Release.  Over the last week we've had concrete guys in our warehouse, jackhammering, backhoeing and sawing up the existing concrete floor to put in the necessary ceiling reinforcements for the ceiling lift. Once those are in we can begin increasing the roof height and adding the roof portal through which the tanks will be craned. Our plumber has also been in pre-running glycol pipes for the coolant system connections. JV Northwest, the tank fabricator had a four month wait, (which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows what's happening with craft beer right now) so we expect to be able to take delivery of the tanks in early 2012 and put them right into place and work.

Here are some pictures that Mr. Thompson kindly sent me showing the work that is going on.

You can find more New Hampshire centric beer infor at  http://www.nhbeerscene.blogspot.com

     Brew fest you say! They're important? Why? If these are the things running through your head when you read the title of this article then, believe me, you are not alone. Before I became passionate about beer, I would have said that festivals were just an excuse to drink. But as my passion for beer grew, so too, did my dreams. I dream of someday opening a craft beer store, selling the finest that beer has to offer. That dream opened my eyes to the real reason festivals exsist. Well, three reasons actually: The expansion of our personal horizons as it relates to beer, meeting and thus, supporting our local breweries and taking ownership of our local beer culture. I think that New Hampshires breweries have much to offer and have been the craft beer communties little secret for long enough. It's high time everybody knows what we know.

     At beer festivals you have unencumbered access to both the brewers and their product. This provides an opportunity for learning about the brewery, the beer and the philosophy behind it's making. Brew fests allow for sampling a spectrum of styles that can broaden the beer lovers horizons. Where else, for the price of admission, do you get the chance to try so many beers that you may not be willing to try if you had to invest in a six pack. Being exposed to new styles of beer tranlates into less confusion and time spent trying to decide what to get while staring through the glass door at the cooler in the store.

     Lets talk about another reason to visit festivals, one that is less about the beer and more about being an active supporting member of your communty. Supporting local businesses. There is a big difference between buying from one of the big three nationally distributed brands and a local brewery. A study conducted by Andersonville Development Corporation in Chicago that I recently read states that 

For every $100 spent at a national chain, only $43 stays in the community. If that same $100 is spent at locally owned independent store $68 stays in the community.

When you buy from one of our local breweries, that money is reinvested in the local economy. This is especially true when our breweries are buying their supplies from local businesses. One such example is Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway, NH. An excerpt from their website:

Tuckerman Brewing Co. is committed to sustainable manufacturing with help from local New England companies. In other words, thinking green and supporting New England’s economy! Currently, TBC’s six pack carriers are manufactured in Hooksett, NH; case boxes come from Maine and are made using a sustainable forestry initiative.

Throwback Brewery in North Hampton NH, is another brewery that has based it's business on being an integral part of the local economy. They are working hard to find the supplies they need from local businesses. From their Vision Statement:

Just as more and more people increasingly want to know where their food comes from, we believe that people will also want to know where their beer comes from. Similarly, just as more folks are increasingly concerned about the carbon footprint and the costs associated with transporting their food across the country, we believe folks will soon start thinking the same way about their beer. To that end, our vision is to create beer that is sourced 100% from local ingredients and enjoyed in the local New England area.

These two businesses are not the only ones following this ethical and responsible path of operation. All our local breweries need us to invest in them, so they can return that investment to us.

     The third and probably most important reason for attending events like the New England Brewfest is that by doing so, you are taking ownership of your local beer culture. By attending fests, tastings and beer dinners, you show people that beer is not just a fizzy yellow drink. You are saying that you feel beer is worth spending your hard earned money and time on. You become both it's proponent and the driving force in the market. By talking to you at fests and other beer events, brewers learn what the public wants to be drinking. This is how a smart, succesful brewer stays ahead of the trend curve. Very much like supporting you favorite sports team, you can support good beer. Attend a brewfest, buy teeshirts, buy their beer and talk to your friends about what you like.

     All over New England, great beer is being produced in so many diverse styles. A brewfest is one of the most economical ways to sample different styles of beer. For this one day, you can meet the brewers, try their products and hear their ideas. Brewers don't get rich from making beer, but what they do get is the satisfaction of hand crafting a drink that has, for millenia, tied civilization together. So when you start planning your summer excursions, make room in your busy schedule to come to Lincoln, NH. for a great brewfest. You will be helping to support your local breweries as well as good beer culture.

                                                                                        Cheers - Bill

All roads lead to the New England Brewfest on June 30th, 2012 in Lincoln, NH.  Along the way, there are 18 participating breweries from last years BF for you to visit and win!  

Here's the deal:
We want you to show your love for our breweries all year long.  If you visit any of them, we want to know about it.  While visiting, take a picture of yourself (or your group) and post that pic on our Facebook wall, and you will be entered into a drawing for some VIP Passes to the 2012 New England Brewfest.  It's that easy.

1. Download the Roadmap to the 2012 New England Brewfest.
2. Visit each of the Breweries (on the map).
3. Take pictures of yourselves at the brewery, tasting all of their beers.
4. Post your pics on the New England Brewfest Facebook page.
5. Win great prizes, including VIP Passes to the 2012 Brewfest.

Don't forget to tell your story about that visit and #TAG that brewery in your pic.  Show them the love....

We'll see you at the Brewfest.  And... have fun (responsibly) at the breweries!  Good luck!

     November 3rd is International Stout Day.  Haven’t heard of it? I am not surprised; this is the first of what will hopefully become an annual event.  I generally don’t agree with arbitrarily chosen holidays, but I am willing to suspended judgment in this case.  I like the idea of a day devoted to a style of beer because of the focus it brings to that particular style.  I am of course biased in this case because I really like stouts.  And by like I mean love, this was my gate way to craft beer.  This style was, pretty much, responsible for the beer geek that stands before you today.  

     I think it was the color that first caught my attention.  When everybody else was drinking fizzy yellow beer, I was drawn to the deep black color and off white head of stouts. Then, the spectrum of flavors that I discovered made this style one of my favorites.  Recently I contacted some of our illustrious New Hampshire breweries and Brewfest regulars, to see how they are passing this upcoming beer “Holiday”.  Tuckerman Brewery is bottling their 6288 Stout and had this to say

 “Well, for International Stout Day, Tuckerman Brewery will be bottling & filling kegs with this year's 6288 Stout! The 6288 Stout is a winter seasonal for the brewery that we've been doing since 2007. It takes 3 months for the fermentation and conditioning process. It is sold on draught and in 4-packs, until it is gone for another year. It should be shipped and available around Thanksgiving. Tuckerman Brewery donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 6288 Stout to the Mount Washington Observatory.”

Another brewfest alumnus celebrating International Stout Day is Portsmouth Brewery.  They are having their Pints and Pages social.  From their website:

“We’re celebrating the first ever International Stout Day with our autumnal beer social. Special Guest Joshua Bernstein will be on hand to sign copies of his new book, Brewed Awakening. Josh writes about beer, cocktails and food for Imbibe Magazine, The New York Daily News, Edible Manhattan and Time Out New York.”

     While International Stout Day is not a true holiday, it is a really nice way to celebrate a venerable style that brings so much to the table.  Stouts offer up a diverse palette of flavors that work well in many foods.  Try making a chili where all the liquid additions (i.e. the water) have been replaced with stout.  I have done this with the 6288 stout from Tuckerman’s with wonderful results.  Stouts remind me of the colder months and are one of the go to styles for me when snow blankets the ground.  This style is also a nice change from the light colored and flavored beers that we have been imbibing during the warm months of our seasonal rotation.  So this thursday pick you favorite New Hampshire made stout and celebrate this great day.

See you soon

-Bill Walden

     I would like to take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is Bill Walden and I am a beer enthusiast. Well, maybe enthusiast isn't a strong enough term, perhaps "geek" is a better word.  Enthusiast seems so....so blah of a word to describe the way I feel about beer.  Enthusiast brings to mind men named Gerald in smoking jackets sitting over stuffed seats in a "parlor" some where.  I love beer. Not in that college way, where you drink to a fully mind altered state, but all it's wonderful facets.  I love making it, tasting it, cooking with it, it's color, it's aroma, and even the way a nice glass of beer can change the way a room looks.  I am like that kid in high school that could tell you everything his favorite Dungeons and Dragons hero was able to do.  Or that person at work who loves a particular sports team and can tell you all the teams stats from the beginning of time.  As a beer geek and a New Hampshirite, I believe that our fair state has a strong and vibrant beer culture. I also realized that there is a lack of organized information about beer happenings in NH, and this is what led me to start blogging.

     The New England BrewFest is a showcase event for the wonderful beers made in this part of the country.  So that is, in part, why I was given the opportunity to be a contributing writer for the New England Brew fest's blog, we share a common ideal.  We believe that beer from our "neck of the woods" as it were, are phenomenal and we want to bring them to you in a fun, family friendly, New Englandish way. 

    The craft beer industry is rejoining a path that it diverged from first, during prohibition, and later during the "lean years" when bigger breweries were buying up all the small ones.  Now that craft beer is on the rise again, we have such a wide variety of choices that I feel like a kid in a candy store, unsure where to start first.  That is why venues like The New England BrewFest are so important.  They act as meeting points for the brewer and the consumer, and a place to give people a chance to try beers that they might not otherwise invest in.  More importantly though, brew fest's help consumers put a face on the craft beer industry.  They let you say, " See the guy over there.  He makes my beer."   

     In future posts, I hope to bring you news about the brew fest itself, NH based breweries and Brew pubs, and general beer related information.  I also hope to help expand your knowledge about beer, how it's made, ways to use it everyday, and perhaps some historical tidbits as I come across them.    

So in the end, my name is Bill Walden and I am a beer geek.

The 2009 New England Brewfest will be remembered not only for the great beer, the large crowd, the smell of the BBQ, or the sounds of the bands...it will be the rainbow overhead that was just unbelievable.  Of course, the beer was the real reason we were all there and what a great selection it was.  There were 14 different breweries from all over New England that sampled over 40 different brews.  Phil's BBQ and Ahli Babbas plated us all up some great fare, and we munched on popcorn, pumpkin seeds, and chips with hot sauce all night long.  The tunes from the Pat Foley Band and Tore Down House, kept the crowd rockin' and dancin' throughout the evening.  All in all, over 1000 people came to enjoy the event and have some fun.  Here are some photos taken during the show:

Mark your calendars for next year's annual New England Brewfest, already scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2010.  The brewfest has been growing from its humble beginings just 4 short years ago with 8 breweries and 200 people.  Now, we have over 14 breweries and 1000 people.  This only happens because you help us to make the event better, and you help spread the word about the good time you had.  Please take a moment to tell us what you think on our feedback forum, and we'll see you next year!