WHITE MOUNTAIN BREWS & NEWS

By Clem McAuliffe

PUT A SWIG IN YOUR STEP THIS SPRING!

Well, we have made it through another long winter, only to be rewarded with our yearly Muddy Gras here in the Big Messy. I’ve changed my shoes so many times, I started singing a familiar tune, “It’s a beautiful day in the brewery. A beautiful day for a NEIPA. Would you be mine; could you be mine; won’t you be my NEIPA,” sans cardigan.

My spring cleanup mainly consists of collecting all the lost dog toys now visible after the snow melts, and cleaning out my beer fridge in the basement, being sure to practice what I preach, FIFO (first in, first out). I’ll be making room for a new slew of brews. Granted, it’s a way more fun chore than finding room for snow tires, but it doesn’t carry the same weight on the chore scale. So, I won’t be expecting any homemade meatballs for a job well done. Nonetheless, I shall bravely rummage through my refrigertory receptacle, carefully clearing out my coffers for I know what treasures lay ahead.

The spring specials being served up at Saco River Brewing in Fryeburg, Maine are a great motivator for those rainy-day doldrums. Starting with a perfect transitional brew, their Munich Style Dunkel is a 5% ABV clean drinking German-style brown lager that’s malty and refreshing. I wish my transitions were this smooth! Another German-style lager is their Maibock, pronounced “my bock.” This seasonal delight is brewed months in advance and then released in May to celebrate the arrival of spring. Light malt body, a touch of hop spice, and the 7% ABV fill out the full palate. In my brain, Maibock means “my beer,” so keep your mitts off my Maibock! Saco River has been doling out a heavy dose of lighter lagers and loving them. Munich Helles (light lager), Pilsner (hoppy lager), Schwarzbier (black lager), and Kolsch (none-of-the-above lager). Plus, they haven’t slowed down on their luscious IPA production. Thank you, baby Jesus! Added to their already deep bench of flagship IPAs is Tourist Trap Imperial IPA. Chock full of gaudy Citra, much too much

Mosaic and an enormous amount of Amarillo, this eye-catcher is a 9% updated version of the beloved Batch 300. People will be talking about this beer, saying things like “I Love It,” “This is so smooth,” and “Honey, you’re going to have to drive.” Check social stuff for special events. Like food parings with Fryeburg Kitchen and food trucks or tech clinics with Pro Tune in Jackson. The clinics include summer bike and winter ski tuning by master mechanics, and some free suds to wash down the wax and dirt.

At Moat Mountain Brewery & Smokehouse in North Conway, May means amore. I’m always in the mood for a little ooh la la, and their lemongrass ginger Wit, Ooh La La, cheers me up, too! The 5.6% wheat beer is light and fruity like Molly Ringwald’s lip gloss, and the low IBUs will never leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. (Dan just suspended my poetic license for that one!) Moving on, Moat springboards the always anticipated, never complicated, and sure-to-get-you-intoxicated, Call It A Day. This 8.3% flagship DIPA entices delicious pleasures of pineapple, tangerine, and melon, with a peckish soft bitter finish. This just in! Clockwork Mandarina fans clamoring maniacally get their wish. More of that juicy hazy NE pale ale that’s easy on the noggin, 5.6% ABV, but full of wholesome hop flavor. I say put that in your glass and drink it. They say that was the plan, idiot! I know 911 is a joke in Flava Flave’s town, but Flavah of the Day is no joke in my town. This 7.2% revolving hop IPA killed it last time around. Citrusy with a glittering gold mouthfeel, our local Flavah was hip and hoppy all night long. A brand new Chocorua Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter is their latest collaboration with Tamworth Distilling. The last batch sold out faster than it takes to drink one. Simply stated, it was magnifiglorious. This last beer is closest to their hearts. A special Mimosa Brut IPA was brewed as a tribute to a local great chef, and even better man, Jim Davis. To be featured at Moat Mountain Smokehouse.

Start your spring out optimistically and fall into a Summer Pils from Tuckerman Brewery in Conway. The 4.5% ABV single-hopped pilsner is packed with Citra hops and plenty of orange peel for added zestfulness. Whether you’re drinking hard or hardly drinking, this crushable pal keeps the train on the tracks. Tuckerman will be sending out a small batch of the perfect beer for the perfect day, 50 Cent Day IPA, the 5.7% NEIPA is a superb drinker that’s hazy and golden in color. The double dry hop adds big flavor with a blast of citrus and tropical aroma. Exclu-

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(207) 256-3028 www.SacoRiverBrewing.com 10 Jockey Cap Lane, Fryeburg, ME

sively at the tasting room is the return of Granite State Hard Cider, a 6.4% bubbly dry hard cider made from NH-sourced ingredients. Dawn Patrol IPA will also poke its sunny head out. A 6.5% double dry-hopped NEIPA with a pure hop haze. ‘Skuse me while I kiss the sky. The beer garden stage with live entertainment will return as soon as mother nature cooperates. Check the website for full lineup and other events through the season. But wait, there’s more! An open-flame pizza oven! Toppings are locally sourced from the friends at Davis Natural Produce and the doughs are made using their iconic Tuckerman Pale Ale. I’ll take a pint of pepperoni and a slice of Pale Ale. Sign up for their newsletter for the latest beer releases, music and event info, giveaways, and more!

This year is Woodstock Inn Brewery’s 40th year in business and they’re releasing five special anniversary beers! First up is Gnosh, a double red ale. Look for it in stores now in 16-ounce, four-pack cans. Gnosh has notes of caramel with a great hop balance and orange and citrus notes in the nose. This beer is a nod to one of their OG (original) beers, Red Rack Ale. The “G” is silent. Gnosh, also spelled nosh, means to munch. Many people know Woodstock Inn Brewery for great beer, but they’re also widely known for delicious New Hampshire eats. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They decided it would be pretty cool (and meta!) for their award-winning restaurant to have its own beer.

The brewery is releasing a total of five beers, and each one honors a different part of the business and history. Gnosh is the food beer. Next up will be Hoppily Ever After, in honor of all the terrific weddings they’ve hosted. Then, Get a Room is the “Inn beer.” Brew number four is Destination, because that’s what North Woodstock, NH is! The fifth beer is dedicated to their customers—and its attributes and style will be chosen by them! More on their 40th at www.woodstockinnbrewery.com.

Hobbs Brewing on Route 16 in Ossipee has some fair-weather friends returning. First is River Drifter, a 4.5% light and sluggable corn lager. Brewed for a float, but the right beer for any season or any reason. Following River is Lake Life, a classic American pale ale made with Citra and Simcoe hops, lending a bit of citrus and pine to a mildly malty, slightly sweet backbone, 5.9% respectfully. The next visitor is Cold Brook. This sneaky 5% brew

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sports the flavor of a NEIPA but drinks like a lager. Smooth, crisp and loaded with hop flavor and aromas from a generous dry hop. So, join Hobbs for live music, fresh beer and delicious food.

The crew at rek’•lis brewing in Bethlehem are dealing out some great IPAs—Pretentious Hopper and Clouded Judgement, to pick a couple of favorites. Hopper is a 7% fruit-forward juice bomb overfed with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo, which give it a prominent nose and plenty of forementioned juiciness. Pretentious with a big nose, no wonder I like it. Their Premium Lager is the latest beer that’s got them stoked. Tagged “beer that tastes like a beer,” this 6.5% lager reminds you to appreciate the simpler things in life, like your dog running across a muddy lawn and then jumping into your wife’s car. Ahhh … the simple life. The rek’•lis team will also be releasing a few barrel-aged big boys: Bright Side of Darkness barrel-aged stout, Rhythm of the Night barrel-aged chocolate stout, and Anonymous Triple IPA aged in gin barrels. Name still to be determined ... I suggest Juniiipa.

Ledge Brewing Company has stayed rock solid and has quickly become a great in-and-out stop for a quickie between the legs of your journey. (Uh, oh! Dan just revoked my poetic license!) Looks like I’ll have to finish this legit. Great beer, great location (Town Hall Road between 16 & 16A), and their flagship brews are flavorful and drinkable. Those are two of my favorite traits for a beer! Boilerplate IPA, a 6.9% NEIPA and Smolder, a smoked porter, are both new arrivals, plus a brand-new spring bock is in the works. Boilerplate is floral and hoppy with a bitter backend, classic IPA. They will soon be unleashing their first barrel-aged imperial stout, a rich and complex beer called Midnight Run that was held captive in Tamworth Distilling barrels for over a year. One barrel was a red wheat whiskey and the other, apple brandy. I hope DeNiro appreciates the movie shoutout and joins the locals at Open Mic night on Thursdays or the Fly-Fishing Jamboree in May. If you haven’t hit the Ledge yet, I’m sure you will. I know I have.

Thank you to all the owners, brewers, and fans of the Valley beer scene. You keep my job fun and my hobby challenging. If you have any questions, visit me at the Vista Bev & Market on the corner of Route 16 and Hurricane Mountain Road.

Cheers! Clem

Clem McAuliffe, owner of Vista Bev & Market, loves beer. He loves talking about beer, reading about beer, writing about beer and, of course, drinking beer. All who enter the store quickly understand the benefit of asking, “Clem, what am I drinking today?”

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