Somethin's Brewing in Downtown Concord

Last Saturday, I swung on down the street for a pre-dinner brew from the hottest, new place in town -Concord Craft Brewing. I was thrilled to be greeted by brick walls, industrial-legged stools, and a bright red barn-style door. It's that old-world-meets-modern-convenience aesthetic; there's nothing I like more. Couple that with the shiny brewing gear out back, and these brew-masters have a recipe for success!

Naturally, I wanted to try everything. My friends and I spit a flight of the six beers they had on tap: Kapitol Kolsch, 4 Rivers Red, Town Pound Porter, NH House Session IPA, Old School IPA, and Granite State Chocolate Stout. We were impressed by how light and fresh everything tasted. The hop lovers of the group were thoroughly pleased with the balanced flavors of the Old School IPA and all agreed that the Four Rivers Red was a smooth, and delightfully easy drink. We plan to return when the double IPA goes on tap in a few weeks, if not sooner!

I caught up with Founder Dennis and he assured me that his team prioritizes local and organic ingredients. He emphasized how they use only whole grain barely malt instead of pre-processed malt extract. A home-brewing wannabe, I pushed Dennis for the inside tips and tricks so I too could make awesome beer. He stressed the importance of cleanliness throughout the process, especially when bottling.

If you aren't up to the home-brewing challenge, thats a-okay! You can bring Concord Craft beers home with you. My favorite beer container is the growler. Growlers are typically a 32-64oz glass/stainless steel/ceramic container with an air-tight lid to seal in that beery freshness. You can purchase them at most brew pubs, fill them up with beer on tap that will be good for several days, and return to re-fill them for a discounted price! It's a reusable alternative to buying one-time-use bottles or cans. You can purchase a growler from Concord Craft or bring your own (so long as it doesn't have a label*).

 *Current alcohol regulations do not allow breweries to fill growlers that are from other breweries.