Chef Jon Brings YOU These New Summer Weeklies

Just in time for those warm nights when you just don't want to cook, the Portsmouth Brewery proudly presents new weekly specials!  These rotating dishes are available all day long, so stop in at your convenience.

We'll see you at the pub!
 
Monday: Orange-Mint Cous Cous- Cous cous seasoned with orange zest, fresh mint and saffron, served with bursted cherry tomatoes and grilled cucumbers marinated in yogurt, thyme and rosemary. 

Tuesday: Smoked Pork Sandwich- Spice-rubbed, smoked and pulled pork shoulder, served on a ciabatta roll with corn guacamole, peach slaw and salsa verde 12.95 Meatless Option features smoked tofu.

Wednesday: Grilled Tuna Nicoise Tuna- grilled tuna steak served over local mixed greens with tomatoes, red onions, haricot verts, hard boiled eggs and roasted fingerling potatoes, tossed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Meatless option is a choice of either tempeh or roasted tofu

Thursday: Summer Lamb Kabobs- Two skewers of tender lamb kabobs grilled medium rare, interspersed with mushrooms, onions, peppers and tomatoes and served alongside roasted fingerling potatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Meatless Option features tofu kabobs.

Friday: Grilled Pork Tenderloin- Pork grilled to temperature, served alongside sweet corn succotash, potatoes boulangere, and finished with an apricot gastrique.

Saturday: New England Lobster Roll 5oz of hand-picked Maine lobster meat, tossed in a lemon-chive aioli, on a toasted and buttered hot dog bun.

Sunday: Spaghetti and Meatballs Two giant house-made pork and beef meatballs tossed in slow-cooked marinara sauce and served over fresh handmade spaghetti, with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese. Meatless Option features eggplant “meat”balls 

Beer and Food Updates...Because That's What We Do!

Chef Jon has just released new entreés for your summer dining pleasure! They're available all over the Brewery, in the Jimmy LaPanza Lounge, both dining rooms and the beer garden. 
         -Char-griled New York Strip, hand-cut and trimmed, grilled to your liking and served with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. You can also add (for a fee of course) a gorgonzola gremolata or a pearl onion, mushroom and stout demi-glace.
         -Lemon Ginger Salmon: a grilled fillet of Atlantic salmon glazed with a lemon-ginger gastrique over a drizzle of chili oil alongside jasmine rice and sauteéd broccolini.
         -Dijon Statler Chicken: a crispy, seared breast and wing of hormone-free chicken sauced with a  Dijon-ale cream witha  side of garlic roasted potatoes and the vegetable of the day.
         -Mediterranean Pasta: a melange of kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fire-roasted peppers and roasted, whole garlic tossed with fresh, handmade linguine in a butter-ale sauce, topped with Pecorino Romano curls.

Tomorrow, (Friday, June 26), we've got two new beers coming on tap. A new batch of Oatmeal Pale Ale, made with flaked oats, oat malt and a beguiling blend of Simcoe and Nugget hops. We've got 14 barrels of this silky smooth elixir waiting just for you.

Chef Jon and his team have prepared for a run on our popular Spicy Curry Mussels because Thaizenheimer is back and it might be the most perfect beer-food pairing to come out of Portsmouth Brewery! This American-style wheat beer has been kicked up a notch with infusions of ginger, galangal, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves; it's just perfect for sunny weather day drinking.

Finally, as of, July 1, you will be responsible for cleaning your own growlers. After more than a decade, we're getting out of the growler cleaning business. We're lucky that our fellow Seacoast breweries have done an excellent job teaching the importance and ways of clean growlers.

Last but not least, we'll be open for Portsmouth's fireworks in July 3!  You can't see them from inside, but we'll be happy to refresh you with a cold beer when the bombs are done bursting in air.

We'll see you at the pub!

Chef & Brewer Team Battle

Can our chefs chef?  YES, THEY CAN!  Can our chefs brew? Find out for yourself on Wednesday, May 14, from 6pm-8pm, at the Portsmouth Brewery's next beer social:

Collaboration and Competition combine as each chef/brewer team has created an exclusive beer  to be paired with a special dish. You won't be able to try these beers anywhere else (unless we have a small amount leftover after the social) so make sure you reserve your tickets today.

Welcome Pairing:  A Collaboration
       An assortment of Flavored Popcorns paired with Portsmouth Pale Ale

Team A: Chef Jon Hebert and ex-Head Brewer Tyler Jones
      Duck l'Orange with smashed peas and rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes paired with
      Chocolate Orange Porter

Team B: Chef Dez and Head Brewer Matt Gallagher
      Smoked Lamb Lolli Chops with Tzatziki Nage & a Cucumber Mint Gelée paired with
      Downtown Hazy Brown

Team C: Chef Rolf and Brewer Tyler Sildve
      Nasi Goreng with fresh Vegetables and Shrimp paired with Grischezuan

Dessert: A Collaboration
     Croque-en-Bouche paired with Wheat Wine

There are vegetarian options available, so please let us know your dietary preferences when you make reservations.

Reservations are $35 (including tax and gratuity) can be made now on the phone (603-431-1115) or in person at 56 Market Street.

We'll see you in the Jimmy LaPanza Lounge!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Matt Gallagher is our new Head Brewer!

Change is in the air at Portsmouth Brewery as Head Brewer Tyler Jones is departing to become part owner and Head Brewer at the newly-formed Black Hog Brewing Company in Oxford, Connecticut. Current Assistant Brewer Matt Gallagher, Tyler’s first hire at the Portsmouth Brewery, will take over as Head Brewer. 

Tyler started at the Portsmouth Brewery as an assistant in 2007 and, after a seven month stint at sister brewery Smuttynose, returned in the summer of 2012 to become Head Brewer.  “As a 21 year old, I looked at the brewhouse during my birthday celebration and dreamed of having a chance to try it out someday. Needless to say, to have brewed so many batches here is an unbelievable dream to have come true,” said Jones. The departing brewer listed Ginga Ninja (his wedding beer), Royal Impy Stout and the historical, botanical beers he brewed with Heirloom Gardener, John Forti, as favorites from his time at the helm.

Matt Gallagher started as a bartender at the Portsmouth Brewery but moved into the brewhouse after less than a year. Asked about his vision for the Brewery, Gallagher doesn’t see any massive shifts on the horizon: “Tyler has done such a great job keeping beers on tap and keeping the quality up, that I’ll simply maintain that. I am however, looking forward to bringing our customers what they most want.” Matt says talking to customers is one his favorite parts of the job and that it offers a great chance to learn his immediate market. “Hops are on everyone’s minds, so I plan on always having an IPA on tap. Many patrons have also given me feedback on our saisons and I’ll be revamping those, as well, while continuing to brew all the rotational beers our patrons love to drink.“   

May 2 will be Tyler’s last day at Portsmouth Brewery. With Gallagher’s experience he’ll be able to hit the ground running, said Jones, “Matt is an excellent brewer. He’s already created a few popular beers, like Night Nurse black IPA and Grizzly Skinner imperial pale ale, and I look forward to drinking all of his new brews when I return to the Seacoast. I know he’s not short of ideas or skill.”  

About the Portsmouth Brewery: 

New Hampshire’s original brewpub has been serving all types in the heart of Portsmouth’s historic Market Square since 1991. Founded by the folks behind the Northampton (MA) Brewery, the creative cuisine of Chef Jon Hebert seeks to use as many local ingredients as possible in both brewpub standards and internationally-inspired dishes for more adventurous eaters. Beer offerings from Head Brewer Matt Gallagher cover virtually every style as well as other ideas that defy categorization.  The Portsmouth Brewery is open from 11:30am to 12:30am, 363 days a year. 

Spring Brings New Weekly Specials!

It's absolutely gorgeous outside, which means today is the perfect day to debut our Spring 2014 weekly special menu. The menu is available as of today, April 14, should you need the healthy power of quinoa to finish up your taxes late tonight. 

Take a look below and plan your Portsmouth Brewery visit accordingly.  We'll be glad to see you!

Monday:

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes

Vegetable patties of roasted sweet potato and quinoa with cumin, baked and served with crispy kale chips, house-marinated artichoke salad and avocado cream. (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)

$10.95

Tuesday:

Pork Schnitzel Sandwich

Crispy fried, tenderized pork loin on a ciabatta roll with dijonnaise, Boston Bibb lettuce and grilled onions.

$11.95

Wednesday:

Jerk Roasted Chicken

A half chicken roasted with a jerk spice rub and grilled with spicy jerk BBQ sauce, served

with sweet potato puree and mango slaw. 

$15.95

Thursday:

Korean Beef Stir Fry

Tender, thin-cut beef marinated in soy, ginger, pear and beer, served with mung bean noodles, Thai chilis and fresh vegetables. 

$15.95

Meatless Option: Substitute Marinated Tofu $10.95

Friday:

Chimichurri Grilled Steak

Flank steak marinated in fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil and mild spice, grilled and served with mofongo and grilled onions and peppers.

$19.95

Meatless Option: Substitute Chimichurri Fried Tofu $10.95

Saturday:

Crab Pappardelle

Pappardelle pasta with lump crab tossed with fava beans, English peas and a cognac tomato sauce topped with fresh pea tendrils.

$20.95

Meatless Option: Same great dish without crab $12.95

Sunday:

Traditional Boiled Dinner

Corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage served with yellow mustard and soda bread.

$14.95

Spring Out of Hibernation at our next Beer Social, April 16

Join our brewers and culinary team as they celebrate the flavors and bounty of spring! Spring can be too easily overlooked on the beer calendar, but there are plenty of delicious styles that are perfectly suited to the thawing season and we're confident the weather will have caught up by April 16!

Space is limited and reservations are $35 including tax and gratuity. You can reserve your seat over the phone, or in person at Portsmouth Brewery now.

Here's the menu:

Opening: Crispy Root Chips (carrot, parsnip, beet, and potato) 
Beer: Kölsch 

1st Pairing: Goat Cheese-stuffed Squash Blossoms & Watercress Salad topped with Blood Orange segments, shaved Radish and fresh herbs 
Beer: Saison Printemps 

2nd Pairing: Asparagus Soup with a Lemon Crème Frâiche 
Beer: Murphy’s Law Red Ale

3rd Pairing: Seared Pork Tenderloin with sautéed Fiddleheads, stuffed Mushrooms and Morel cream sauce 
Veggie Option: Sautéed Gnocchi with Fiddleheads, stuffed Mushrooms and a Morel cream sauce 
Beer: Schwartzbier 

Dessert: Blood Orange Napoleon with Orange Crème Anglaise 
Beer: Belgian Wit

We hope you'll join us at the pub!

The Portsmouth Science Café Spring 2014 Series begins March 5

We're excited to host another round of Portsmouth Science Cafés in the Jimmy LaPanza Lounge.  If you're new to the science cafés, you've been missing out on a really cool opportunity.

Presented by NH EPSCoR, The University of New Hampshire and Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth Science Cafés bring university level research on timely topics to the general public in a casual setting. In this case, the setting is our own Jimmy LaPanza Lounge.  

Doors will open at 5pm, so you can grab a pint and order dinner before the presentation begins at 6pm. Each café is free and open to the public, which means you have a great opportunity to learn some cutting edge science.  The schedule is posted below so you can plan ahead to get your science on.

If you want to see what the cafés are like ahead of time, a podcast archive can be found here. 

March 5, 2014:  The Tides They Are A-Changin’

UNH professors Larry Mayer and Diane Foster lead a discussion on sea changes—from ocean mapping in the Arctic to beaches in a changing environment.

Mayer is director of UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering and the co-director of the NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center. He has been chief or co-chief scientist of numerous expeditions, including two legs of the ocean drilling program and seven cruises on the USCG Icebreaker Healy mapping unexplored regions of the Arctic seafloor in support of a potential U.S. submission for an extended continental shelf under the Law of the Sea Treaty.

Foster, associate professor of mechanical and ocean engineering, examines small-scale transport of sediment in response to waves and mean flows (from sand grains to shorelines).

April 9, 2014: Rain, Roofs and Roads:  Hydro-Logical Thinking for a Clean Water Future

Stormwater is rain runoff that flows across roofs, roads or other hard surfaces. The runoff contributes to flooding and can carry pollutants, including road salt and nitrogen, into our rivers, lakes coastal waters. Jamie Houle and Alison Watts of the UNH Stormwater Center will discuss some of the steps communities and residents can (and are) taking to reduce stormwater runoff.

Watts is an assistant research professor in the UNH department of civil engineering. She has a strong interest in sustainable resource management and is currently working with municipal and watershed organizations to develop adaptive management strategies for water resources threatened by land use and climate change. Her research includes contaminant transport in storm water, statistical analysis of hydrologic data; ecological assessment of stormwater wetlands.

Houle is the program manager for the Stormwater Center. His responsibilities include directing and managing the Stormwater Center's growing body of research projects. Areas of expertise include the design and implementation of innovative stormwater control measures, including porous pavements and subsurface gravel wetland systems, low impact development (LID) and green infrastructure (GI) planning and implementation, operation and maintenance, and water resource monitoring.

April 23, 2014: Changing Families, Changing Communities: A Twenty Year Perspective

Sociologists Mil Duncan and Kristin Smith lead a discussion on the changing nature of families, from declining blue collar work to wives as bread winners and economic recession.

Cynthia "Mil" Duncan is founding director of the Carsey Institute at UNH, which she oversaw from 2004 to 2011. Currently, Duncan is the research director at AGree, an initiative bringing together diverse interests to transform food and agricultural policy in the United States. Widely recognized for her research on rural poverty and changing rural communities, Duncan was a sociologist at UNH for 11 years before leaving to become director of the Ford Foundation’s Community and Resource Development Unit in 2000.

Smith is a family demographer at the Carsey Institute and research assistant professor of sociology at UNH. Her research interests focus on women’s labor force participation and work and family policy. Smith has examined women’s employment, earnings, and wives’ contributions to overall family economic well-being; how families cope with economic turmoil due to either economic restructuring or recessions; the low-wage caregiving workforce; and workplace flexibility and policy.

Portsmouth Beer Week 2014 starts Saturday!

Portsmouth Beer Week returns for 2014!  Tyler, Brennen, Chef Jon and the rest of our team at New Hampshire's original brewpub have put together an excellent slate of events to celebrate the craft beer culture of the Seacoast.  With the exception of the Big Game, Big Beer Dinner, everything is open to the public; just come on down to the pub. 

Sometime during the week, we'll tap a collaboration beer, Red Rye IPA, that was made with Pete Beauregard from Stoneface Brewing: It's 6.5% and hopped with Citra and Amarillo. Stoneface has just begun brewing and hasn't yet shipped any beer out (as of publishing of this post). We're very excited to share this one with reveling beer drinkers!

In-House Tap Takeover: A some point in time during the week, we'll announce a Portsmouth Brewery Tap Takeover. That's right; no guest beers, just what we make here. It happens once a year during Portsmouth Craft Beer Week, so don't miss out; we'll announce it on Facebook and Instagram.

Feb 22: Lapanza Lounge Imperial Stout Fest: Like black tie dress, we've been saving these kegs for a special occasion and they'll go on tap when we open the Jimmy LaPanza Lounge: Firestone Walker Parabola, Goose Island Night Stalker, Founders Imperial Stout, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy and Smuttynose Imperial Stout.  Tyler thought this would be an excellent way to prime pumps for the March 3 release of our own Royal Impy Stout.  

Feb 28: FIRKIN FRIDAY!! At lunch time we'll begin serving a cask-conditioned firkin of our collaborative red rye IPA, brewed with new kids on the block, Stoneface Brewing.  This cask is dry-hopped with Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra hops because, HOPS!  

March 2: Big Beer, Big Game Dinner (6pm-9pm), an exclusive Imperial Pint Club member event! Chef Jon and his team have really pulled out the stops on this Portsmouth Brewery first.  Reservations are $65 and include gratuity and beer pairings.  It's not too late to join the "IPC!"

              -Wild Boar Country Terrine wrapped in boar bacon with New Hampshire brie, beet-pickled quail eggs and toasted crostinis; Paired with 2012 Wheat Wine
              -Beer-braised Rabbit with creamy polenta, grilled escarole and kumquat compote; Paired with 2013 Scotch Ale
              -Thyme-roasted Elk with potato boulangére, boar bacon, roasted Brussels sprouts and Bordelaise sauce; Paired with 2012 Barleywine
              -Opera Cake paired with an exclusive cask of double-oaked Royal Impy Stout aged on cacao nibs
   

March 3: Royal Impy Stout release:  Our imperial stout will be on tap at 11:30am, when we open our doors. We're also packaging 2014's release in cage and corked 375ml bottles; it's a classy package for a classy beer. We're only bottling 93 gallons of it this year, a 31 gallons more then last year but still not much, so make sure to pick up your bottles early. Each bottle retails for $10 and there's an 8 bottle limit.  

In-House Tap Takeover: A some point in time during the week, we'll announce a Portsmouth Brewery Tap Takeover. That's right; no guest beers, just what we make here. It happens once a year during Portsmouth Craft Beer Week, so don't miss out; we'll announce it on Facebook and Instagram.

There are plenty of other events taking place during the week.  Smuttynose has a big slate and other breweries and venues do as well, like the Sheraton Harborside and Book & Bar.  Check out the 2beerguys website for more info.

Beers and Food Around the World on February 12

2014's first beer social, Hops and Heat, was a spicy good time. This write-up on Star Shaped, a blog kept by one of our regulars gives a great account of the kinds of things you can expect when our culinary team (Jon, Des and Rolf) collaborates with our brewing staff (Tyler, Matt and Tyler).

Join us on February 12th, as we go Around the World in five courses of beer and food.  Tickets are available to Imperial Pint Club members exclusively until January 26, when sales open to the public. Reservations are $35 and include gratuity.  Here's the menu:

Departure- USA:  Fingerling potato skins with house-made smoked bacon and aged Vermont cheddar cheese, paired with Cream Ale.  Meatless option: sub tempeh bacon

Stop 1- Czech Republic: Smazeny Syr (Fried cheese with a frissee salad and tartar sauce), paired with Stephan Urquell Pils

Stop 2- Belgium: Endive quiche (endive leaf filled with warm mushrooms and house-made smoked bacon), paired with Saison l'Hiver. Meatless option: sub tempeh bacon

Stop 3- Germany: Sauerbraten (Red wine-marinated pot roast with house-made knoedel and caraway-braised cabbage), paired with Winterweizen. Meatless option: braised tempeh

Destination- England: Blackberry and Current Crumble topped with house-made toffee ice cream, paired with Old Stub Foot Strong Ale.

If this sounds like an event you'd want to attend (and really, why wouldn't you?), you can make reservations with your server when you stop in or give us a call (603-431-1115).  As always, we will be happy to host you for this or any of our other upcoming beer socials.

-March 2: Big Beer Big Game for Imperial Pint Club Members Only

-April 16: Out of Hibernation

-TBD: Not Your Average Garden Party

-May 14: Master Chef Hopped Edition

It made it around Africa...

 

Hey all, 

So everyone probably knows the story of how IPA came into existence.  The British were stationed in India and there low abv, low hop, beers were spoiling on the sea journey from England, around the tip of Africa and then to India.  So the Brewers decided to up the hopping and up the abv, both preservative qualities in a beer, and low and behold the beer made the journey.  So that got me thinking...it would take at least 3 months to sail from form England to India... So what would a 3 month old IPA cask taste like.  

So the last batch of Bottle Rocket IPA (brewed in August) I racked off a Cask of Bottle Rocket IPA, dryhopped it with Summit and let it hang out at cellar temperatures...until today.  If you come down the the Jimmy Lapanza Lounge tonight you can see what the sailors were drinking so many years ago. It held up amazingly, still lots of hop aromatic, but the bitterness is subdued just enough. 

Makes me want to do this again!  Let me know what you think. 

Cheers,

Tyler

Because You Need Something Even More Special....

Portsmouth, our bustling restaurant city by the sea, hosts several restaurant weeks each year, to bring new folks to try our fantastic offerings, while shaking regular diners-out from their usual haunts. We've been a happy participant for many moons and we will be for this fall's festivities as well. Restaurant Week runs from November 7-16.

Executive Chef Jon Hebert and his sous chefs Des and Rolf have crafted this seasonal, pick-three, prix fixe menu for your enjoyment. It's available as long as our kitchen is serving food, for both lunch and dinner. You can even pick your three beers!

RESTAURANT WEEK MENU

$16.95 includes a 3 Beer Sampler

1st course:

Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Dip with roasted pumpkin seeds and fried pita chips 

or 

Cup of Soup of the Day

2nd course:

Sage and Dunkel-Rye marinated Grilled Pork Chops with apple and beer-braised red cabbage, sweet potato puree and apple cider reduction

or 

Wild Mushroom, Roasted Squash and Beet Risotto with Pecorino Cheese

or 

Sumac-dusted Scallops with spaetzle and a wilted arugula and lentil salad

Dessert:

Warm Gingerbead Pudding with Old Brown Dog Caramel Drizzle

or 

Scoop of Gelato

If you're coming in, don't forget to bring your City of Portsmouth Parking Tickets. We'll take your payment and ticket, deliver it to City Hall and give you a free pint of beer! Who says paying the piper has to be painful?

Options, options! Get your new food options!

Just in time for autumn, the World Series and the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, Chef Jon has unleashed new Cheaplie and Weekly Specials menus for your gustatory pleasure. Check out the line-ups!

Weekly Specials

Mondays: Delicious Veggie Enchiladas stuffed with poblano peppers, onions, black beans, sweet corn, house-made queso fresco and topped with enchilada-ale sauce, jack cheese and avocado cream

Tuesdays: Italian Roast Beef Sandwich- Tender roast beef marinated in rosemary, garlic, oregano infused IPA and served on a toasted baguette alongside house-made giardiniera and basil-pesto mayonnaise

Wednesday: Korean Beef Tacos- Same awesome mixture of house-made bulgogi beef with avocado, daikon, chili paste, house kimchee and cucumber-rice salad; different day!  You can get this meat-free.

Thursday: Old Brown Dog Lamb Tagine- Lamb stewed with Smuttynose Old Brown Dog, Moroccan spices, chick peas and golden raisins, served over herbed cous-cous.  This also available meat-free.

Friday: House-Smoked Baby Back Ribs- dressed with homemade BBQ sauce and served with potato salad, coleslaw and cornbread.

Saturday: Portuguese Seafood Stew- A hearty tomato-ale stew full of linguica, littleneck clams, P.E.I. mussels and local pollack with a grilled baguette topped with roasted red pepper romesco sauce.

Sunday: Stout Meatloaf- Like Mom used to make, but with beer, locally-foraged mushroom gravy and a stout balsamic reduction.

New Cheaplies- best enjoyed in the Jimmy LaPanza Lounge.

Monday: Mushroom Gravy Cheese Fries- if this were a New Jersey diner, these would be called disco fries and they wouldn't be as good.  $1 per order

Tuesday: Dollar Tacos- Your choices of beef, chicken or poblano-black bean.

Wednesday: Sloppy Joe or Lentil Joe Sliders, $1 each

Thursday: Mini Cheesesteaks or Braised Tempeh Sliders, $2 each

Don't forget, every night at Portsmouth Brewery is Parking Violation Night.  Bring your  City of Portsmouth parking ticket and payment in and we'll send it to City Hall and give you a pint!  Civics never seemed so fun, did it?

New beer Friday as well....

Hey all,

With the fun Firkin going on for Firkin Friday I almost forgot about new beer Friday.  Today we are rolling out the 2013 Portsmouth Brewery home brew winner, Kate Rogers, beer... Cherrywood Smoked Porter.

We tweaked the beer slightly, since it was being release in the fall vs summer, by upping the ABV to 7% as well and increasing the body slightly.  But this beer wont disappoint.  It has some nice sweet smoke flavor that its almost immediately followed by some malt and Caco nib sweetness.  But as a good Porter should, this beer finishes quite clean, tempting you for another sip.

I couldn't have picked a better day to release the beer because today weekly special form the kitchen is Smoked Baby Back Ribs.  Talk about a food and beer pairing made in heaven...I know what i am getting for lunch!

Cheers,
Tyler

Firkin Friday...

Hey all,

We haven't had a  Firkin Friday in a while so i thought i would get one out there for you guys.  We have a fun firkin that i know you are going to want to try.  It is the Pumpkin Ale primed with cheesecake.  You heard right it has cheesecake in it from our friendly bakery across the square Popovers.  We did a cask of last year with the cheesecake in it and it turned out awesome.  you will get some vanilla note from the cheese cake itself as well as some nice gram cracker crust flavors in there.  All of them melding so nicely with the slightly spiced Portsmouth Brewery Pumpkin ale.

Dessert in a glass... Hope you enjoy.

 
Cheers,
Tyler 

Weekend Beer fest...

Hey all,

So, this Saturday is the NH Brewfest held out back at Redhook, that I am always excited to attend.

As the web site states, we will be bringing a pin of Oaked Imperial Pumpkin Porter for the VIP session, as well as our Oktoberfest, Portsmouth Pale Ale and Pumpkin Ale for the rest of the general sessions.  However, I have a 4-tap jockybox and I hate to leave a tap open. That's exactly why you should swing by our booth for a sneak peek of the Hop Harvest III, brewed with wet Mosaic hops.  The flavor profile of Mosaic is crazy.  The descriptions we've read cover everything from citrus, pine, earth, herbal, mint, bubblegum, blueberry, lime peel, and black pepper.  I am certainly excited to see what we get from it at Portsmouth Brewery and I hope you are too.

See you on Saturday!

Cheers,
Tyler

Pumpkin is on...

Hey all,

It's Friday so the new beer for today is our Pumpkin Ale.  All the pumpkin beer fans out there stand up and cheer all at once....ready...one...two...three....YES!

I wanted to talk a bit about the history of the pumpkin ale.  I know there is a larger company out there that pushes the Cinnamon/Sugar rim on the Pint of Pumpkin ale.  But like every beer we make, we make sure it is as true to style as possible.  The Pumpkin ale comes from the early settlers of our fine country.  They had been making beer like they had in the old country, with just malt, hops, water and yeast.  But in the early days we didn't have as many malt house across our country and most the the malt was still underneath European control.  So to stretch their malt supply as much as they can the used large quantity of local starchy ingredients to still get the alcohol they were looking for in their beers.  One of those local starchy ingredients was Pumpkin.  So by using a large percentage of Pumpkin in our beer we pay homage to the recipe of our forefathers as well as adding great mouth feel and giving it beautiful orange color.  We do spice it, but very lightly, allowing the spice note to complement the beer flavor of the beer.  I mean, i want my beer to taste like beer, don't you?

Since the original Pumpkin ale didn't have a cinnamon and sugar rim on it; I suggest you come on in and enjoy a pint of Pumpkin Ale like it should taste!

Cheers,
Tyler

Couldn't wait for Friday...

Hey all,

So if you have been noticing I have been doing "New Beer Fridays" for the past few weeks where i put on a new Portsmouth Brewery beer on tap every Friday.  But with the change of the weekly special of the Korean BBQ Tacos to Wednesday I really wanted to pair the Hop Harvest II with it.  So I decided that there is nothing wrong with New Beer Hump Day and put on the Hop Harvest II!

So all you hop heads out there get in here and try this beer.  Big...I mean big, citrus off of the 120# of wet Citras used in the brew. 

Cheers,
Tyler

Pumpkin time!

Hey all,

So, we got our pumpkins in!

 

Pumpkin Ale is in the fermenters as of today!

Cheers,

Tyler

Hop Harvest III...?

Hey all,

I just got the call.  Our wet Mosaics are on a plane and headding our way.  We will be brewing the HHIII Friday and Saturday!

Cheers,
Tyler

Fall is coming...

Hey all,

So with the cold bite in the air this morning, it is obvious that fall is coming soon.  As you can see from the "What's in the Works" section to the left we already have Octoberfest, Hop Harvest I and Hop Harvest II fermenting away.  I know that a lot of you have been drinking other pumpkin ales now for weeks, if not months, and that's what I want to talk to you about now.  I am not sure when the fall seasonal became such a huge seller for all large scale production breweries out there, but in order to capture more of the market the pumpkin ales and/or Oktoberfest bier have been coming out earlier and earlier every year.  I am pretty sure I saw a pumpkin beer display in August this year.  Crazy!

With this being said I wanted to let you guys know how we make our pumpkin beer at the Portsmouth Brewery and how that affects when we release it.  We use locally grown pumpkins from Blueberry Bay Farms in Stratham, NH.  We use 100 pounds of fresh, local pumpkins in each 7 barrel batch.  We think it's vital to use pumpkins that were grown the same year that we brew the beer.  Fresh and local is the best after all!  As you know farming is much like making a fine ale; you can't rush the process if you want to get good results

So long story short, I am making a Pumpkin Ale (as well as a double batch of the Imperial Pumpkin Porter) this year.  But the pumpkins still have a week or so before they hit their perfect ripeness.  So keep an eye out on the in the "What's in the Works" sidebar of this blog to see when our Pumpkin Ale is under way.  It will be worth the wait!

Cheers,
Tyler