Best Brewpub: Obviously
a brewpub is both different and the same as a brewery. A brewpub has to have its own vibe,
preferably offer a great selection and variety of beer, and have great
food. The food can be pub grub or even
fancier, but it’s got to be a great accompaniment to whatever is on tap. It’s also helpful if the place offers
something special once in a while to get folks to visit.
Gold: Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH – For me, there
really is no contest on what my favorite brewpub was this year, the Portsmouth
Brewery. I visited 6 times (so far),
tried 29 different beers, stood in line for 5 hours in the cold to meet Kate,
and was honored to share brewer for the day with my buddy Wayne. The menu is great, but I always either get
their Spicy Curry mussels or their nachos (try them with the BBQ pork). I ate here 3 times a week when I worked at
the shipyard and always had the nachos, and the staff still calls out, “Hey
Jeff,” when I enter (I feel like Norm on Cheers). Always ask what’s on cask, although it is not
on the upstairs menu, and the staff will be happy to run down stairs to get a
pint. And the best part for me is when
we are wondering where to go out for dinner when we are out visiting the
family, Jenn almost always recommends the Brewery.
Silver: Selin’s Grove Brewpub, Selinsgrove,
PA –
Always on the Beer Advocate listing for top beer bars, I finally was able to
make the road trip to central PA to try this place out. Located along the river in an old stone
house, the quaint colonial atmosphere went well with the friendly staff. What made it one of the best this year? It
had outstanding food (I got the Hokey Pokey, a ham and cheese sandwich on a
soft pretzel roll) and a large, top quality, beer selection. The sampler gave you twelve samples of
diverse styles, all well done, and with two cask ales, one of them being bourbon
barrel aged. I loved the place, and would have stayed later if I didn’t have
five hours of driving to get home.
Bronze: Boston Beer Works, Boston, MA – I did say that a
great brewpub has to have great food, and when Jenn and I head to Fenway to
catch a game, we always go to the Boston Beer Works for food beforehand. I love the nachos (what else), and I love the
blueberry beer with blueberries floating in it. Always a great scene, especially when the Sox
are in town, a trip to the Beer Works is the kickoff (or the first pitch) to a
great day.
Honorable Mention: The
Flower Pot and the Brunswick Inn in Derby both brew on the premises, and are no
nonsense bars that I could spend hours in (and I have) chatting with
friends. Willimantic Brewing is a great
stop anytime we are heading down or back from the New England coast. And Long Trail Brewing is a great stop (half
way between Grandpa’s and home) alongside a beautiful mountain river. - 6208/13261"If you saw it in a commercial we don’t have it. Welcome to a Brewpub." – Sign at Pizza Port
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