Distributed for University Press of New England
The Good Beer Guide to New England
With wit, enthusiasm, and a deep respect for the craft of brewing, Andy Crouch profiles nearly one hundred establishments in New England, offering a description and history of each, as well as insights into each brewmaster’s philosophy and brewing style. For each brewery and brewpub profiled, Crouch covers the range of beers available and identifies its flagship product; he also highlights his choice for its “best beer,” which is rarely its most popular or best known offering. Crouch offers judicious evaluations of food, ambience, and of course, the beer; he also provides information on the availability of tours, directions and parking, hours of operation, entertainment, local sights of interest, and whether beer is available for take-away. In addition, he includes essays on the brewing process, understanding and appreciating beer, and a list of “eleven great New England beer bars.” Whether well-brewed beer is the focus of a trip or a welcomed complement, beer enthusiasts and novices alike will find this guide a worthwhile companion wherever they travel in New England.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments • Introduction • How to Use This Guide • Connecticut • Southport Brewing Company (Branford, Southport, and Stamford) • Olde Burnside Brewing Company (East Hartford) • Cambridge House Brew Pub (Granby) • City Steam Brewery Café (Hartford) • Troutbrook Brewing Company (Hartford) • Hops Grillhouse & Brewery (Manchester) • Brü Rm at BAR (New Haven) • Cottrell Brewing Company (Pawcatuck) • The Brew Pub at Mohegan Sun Casino (Uncasville) • New England Brewing Company (Woodbridge) • Willimantic Brewing Company (Willimantic) • about beer and the brewing process • Maine • Gritty McDuff’s (Auburn, Freeport, and Portland) • Atlantic Brewing Company (Bar Harbor) • Bar Harbor Brewing Company (Bar Harbor) • Maine Coast Brewing Company / Jack Russell’s BrewPub (Bar Harbor) • Sunday River Brewing Company (Bethel) • Freeport Brewing Company (Freeport) • Kennebec Brewing Company (Gardiner) • Sebago Brewing Company (Gorham, Portland, and South Portland) • Liberal Cup Public House and Brewery (Hallowell) • Federal Jack’s / Kennebunkport Brewing Company (Kennebunk) • Andrew’s Brewing Company (Lincolnville) • Bray’s Brewpub and Eatery (Naples) • Bear Brew Pub (Orono) • Allagash Brewing Company (Portland) • Casco Bay Brewing Company (Portland) • D. L. Geary Brewing Company (Portland) • Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland) • Stone Coast Brewing Company (Portland) • Slopes Northern Maine Restaurant and Brewing Company (Presque Isle) • Rocky Bay Public House and Brewing Company (Rockland) • Oak Pond Brewing Company (Skowhegan) • Kennebec River Brewery (The Forks) • Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company (Whitefield) • understanding beer styles • Massachusetts • Amherst Brewing Company (Amherst) • Nashoba Valley Winery (Bolton) • Beer Works (Boston and Salem) • Boston Beer Company (Boston) • Harpoon Brewery (Boston) • Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (Boston and Braintree) • Cambridge Brewing Company (Cambridge) • John Harvard’s Brew House (Cambridge, Framingham, and Manchester, Connecticut) • Cape Ann Brewing Company (Gloucester) • Barrington Brewery and Restaurant (Great Barrington) • The People’s Pint (Greenfield) • The Tap Brewpub (Haverhill) • Paper City Brewery Company (Holyoke) • Cape Cod Beer (Hyannis) • Mercury Brewing Company (Ipswich) • The Concord Brewery (Lowell) • Cisco Brewers (Nantucket) • Owen O’Leary’s (Natick) • Northampton Brewery (Northampton) • Offshore Ale Company (Oak Bluffs) • Berkshire Brewing Company (South Deerfield) • Opa Opa Steakhouse and Brewery (Southampton) • Hyland Orchard and Brewery (Sturbridge) • Watch City Brewing Company (Waltham) • Wachusett Brewing Company (Westminster) • Buzzards Bay Brewing (Westport) • enjoying beer • New Hampshire • Tuckerman Brewing Company (Conway) • Elm City Brewing Company (Keene) • Franconia Notch Brewing Company (Littleton) • Italian Oasis Restaurant and Brewery (Littleton) • Milly’s Tavern (Manchester) • Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company (Merrimack) • Martha’s Exchange (Nashua) • Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grille (New London) • Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewing Company (North Conway) • Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery (North Woodstock) • Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth) • Redhook Ale Brewery (Portsmouth) • Smuttynose Brewing Company (Portsmouth) • Seven Barrel Brewery (West Lebanon) • respecting beer • Rhode Island • Mohegan Café and Brewery (Block Island) • Coastal Extreme Brewing Company (Middletown) • Coddington Brewing Company (Middletown) • Trinity Brewhouse (Providence) • Union Station Brewery (Providence) • eleven great new england beer bars • Delaney’s (New Haven, Connecticut) • Eli Cannon’s Tap Room (Middletown, Connecticut) • Great Lost Bear (Portland, Maine) • Sunset Grille and Tap (Allston, Massachusetts) • The Moan and Dove (Amherst, Massachusetts) • The Publick House Brookline (Brookline, Massachusetts) • Horseshoe Pub and Restaurant (Hudson, Massachusetts) • Redbones (Somerville, Massachusetts) • Barley Pub (Dover, New Hampshire) • Mews Tavern (Wakefield, Rhode Island) • Mr. Pickwick’s (Stowe, Vermont) • VERMONT • Madison Brewing Company (Bennington) • McNeill’s Brewery (Brattleboro) • Long Trail Brewing Company (Bridgewater Corners) • Bobcat Café (Bristol) • American Flatbread—Burlington Hearth (Burlington) • Switchback Brewing Company (Burlington) • Three Needs Brewery and Taproom (Burlington) • Vermont Pub and Brewery (Burlington) • Trout River Brewing Company (Lyndonville) • Otter Creek Brewing Company (Middlebury) • Rock Art Brewery (Morrisville) • Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse (Norwich) • Magic Hat Brewing Company (South Burlington) • Shed Restaurant and Brewery (Stowe) • Alchemist Pub and Brewery (Waterbury) • Maple Leaf Malt and Brewing Company (Wilmington) • Harpoon Brewery (Windsor) • Glossary • Index • About the Author