Throwback Brewery
I had the amazing opportunity to tour the Throwback Brewery in the seacoast of New Hampshire.
I was so very excited to meet Annette and Nicole the founders of Throwback Brewery. Everything about them is inspiring: their vision “to create beer that is sourced 100% from local ingredients and enjoyed in the local New England area”; their energy & passion for brewing; and the beer they let us sample.
And what a great group of people I was able to complete the tour with: Brian (@SeacoastBevLab) & Lisa (@Lisa_m_Smith), as well as Jeff and Kate from Seacoast Eat Local.
Check out the cookies that Jeff & Kate brought -they went really well with the beer I must say! (the sticker is a Girls Pint Out sticker I gave to Annette & Nicole)
But let’s get to the beer - as Annette has all of the “beers of the rainbow” for us to sample.
Hog Happy Hefeweizen: A traditional style hefeweizen, but with less of the banana and clove notes that many hefs have.
Hefe-rye-zen: This was similar to the Hog Happy, but brewed with rye. I do like rye beers, so I preferred this one over the Hog Happy. But there were other taster who preferred the traditional hefeweizen.
Hopstruck American Red IPA: Definitely the more hoppy of the beers. But not over the top. The self-proclaimed hop head at the table really liked this one.
Campfire Smoked Porter: Strong smell of smokiness, and you can taste the smokiness, but it was very enjoyable - not over the top. After the tasting Annette has some of the grain that was smoked & let us smell it - wow!
Dippity Do: A great American brown with a nice malty taste.
Maple Kissed Wheat Porter: I’ve tried several maple beers before. I often feel like they have an artificial taste about them. But this brew was nice, not a lot of maple in the aroma, but it was well balanced in the flavor. Just the right amount.
Poblano Pilsner: A test batch, that they grabbed for us to try. To be fair, I’m not a fan of the pilsner style, I prefer darker beers. So I was surprised that I liked it at all. The beer smells like a fresh cut pepper. I think the added flavor made it more interesting to me.
Jalapeño Pilsner: Another test batch. Brian was telling us how he had just tried a jalapeño beer, that he described as “liquid nachos”. The pepper in this beer sat in the back of your throat. It was very tasty. We decided it should be served with a wedge of cheese on the glass. I liked it, but can’t see drinking more than one at a time.
But the beer I would drink all night long - the amazing …
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout: I’m in love. I want them to brew this beer first, I may actually install a kegerator just to get a keg of this beer. It tasted like the best homemade peanut butter cups I’ve ever had. I agree 110% with Brian, when he says, “This may indeed be the best Stout I have ever had. (Shhh, don’t tell Kate the Great just yet!!)”. Simply amazing.
All of the beer has been brewed on their home brewing equipment - while Annette and Nichole are working hard to get all the proper paperwork completed and their equipment up and working to brew bigger batches:
They’ll be selling growlers at their site - once they’re producing bigger batches.
(check out Annette’s necklace - wouldn’t you love to own that? I would!)
Hands down one of the best Saturday afternoons I’ve ever spent - it felt like hanging out with some long lost friends. The topics ranged from craft beer, favorites, not so favorites, the local community - where the grain comes from, where the spent grain is going, local restaurants (sushi, anyone?), and the House Bill 262. After a few samples, the names that Jeff & Brian were coming up with were very amusing & creative.
Speaking of creative - all the art work is done by a local artist - the labels will definitely stand out on the shelves (& hopefully some will make it to some t-shirts).
I can’t wait for Throwback to begin brewing & distributing!!
They are hoping to be able to showcase their beers at the ACBF in Boston in June. If you see their name on the list - it is worth the wait in line to try any of their brews.
Be sure to learn more about them, their vision, and their continued adventure to brew their great beer at www.throwbackbrewery.com
A HUGE thank you to Anette & Nicole for allowing us to sample some great beer, answering so many questions, and just being an inspiration with their philosophies of sourcing from local farmers. Their “no farms, no beer” are words for all of us to live by.
☮, ♥, craftbeer!
-d
PS: Read Brian’s take on the day at his blog: Seacoast Beverage Lab
You can see more of my photos from the tour on my flickr site.
