Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. V
Not to hijack the thread, but I wonder how the quality of NH microbrews compares to that of the rest of the country, esp. PDX, the heart of the "microbrew revolution?"
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As someone who tries as many different beers as possible (I keep track on an app called Untappd, and have over a thousand unique beers logged after a few years), NH definitely has a solid selection as a state- Lakes Region is frankly pretty empty for microbreweries though, whereas the rest of the state is much more saturated. My partner and I went down to Portsmouth to give you an idea for a night and pub crawled to four breweries just by walking, and there was also a tap house with a hundred local beers on tap. Wolfeboro is the exception though with two microbreweries- I prefer Lone Wolfe (though there and Burnt Timber both sell beer for takeaway if you don't want to drink it there).
As for taste/varieties, I think the best thing in this region are the New England IPAs. IPAs got a reputation from out West in particular for being super bitter so a lot of people think they don't like them (and I don't like that kind either!), which is basically a great way to mask your mistakes in a batch when starting out. But the NE IPAs are not like that at all- they're hazy, some hops and not bitter (closer to a wheat beer than the traditional IPA), and probably my favorite variety these days. Sours are also popular, and can hit the spot on a hot day, but I'd say that's a national trend over a regional one.
I'm gonna stop now before I sound like an alcoholic.
