Great Rhythm - WTF

Didn’t realize they were still brewing at Smutty. How is that possible with a pretty good sized craft brewery?

I’ve had an alright time the few times I was there, but was always mid afternoon on a weekday and pretty quiet. A lot of work from home types on laptops. I have always been disappointed with the variety offered though. Like, it’s almost always 5 varieties of pale/IPA/DIPA and almost indistinguishable in a taster flight.

 

Its a good spot, and is almost always relatively quiet in all the times I've been there which I found somewhat strange since their beer is pretty popular. But I do agree the lack of style variety is a problem. In my recollection, they have only done 1 dark beer which was an Imperial Stout and quite good. But it gets old going in and all they have is the same 3-6 IPA/Pale Ales on draft in the small size glasses.

Not sure whats going on with the brew house, but it has always been in use when I have been there.

 

Great Rhythm is kind of the joke "copycat" Brewery in NE

 

You seem like a pleasant fellow.

 

I have laughed at their labels a few times in a "come on, that's clearly a ripoff" manner.

 

I will agree with the variety and can art. Wish they had a few more styles on draft and a more unique label design. However, anytime I've been in, there have been at least a dozen people sitting and enjoying tasters. They sell out of cans pretty quick throughout the week, especially during the summer. I drove by on a Saturday they released Double Squeeze and there was a line past the parking lot. I think the love is there from the locals, there's just no hype to make it crazy all the time. If I'm looking for a quick beer/bite after work I'm usually hitting up Liars Bench.

 

Never been to the tap room but had a few beers I've enjoyed by them. Squeeze being one. I don't concern myself with labels.

 

Live in town and it's sad that I'll go out of my way to garrison city over them 20 minutes away.

I agree with many of the points in this thread. But nh and certainly seacoast nh has a bit of trouble with "great" or "hyped" beer in general. One of the big issues being distribution and also being sandwiched between the great stuff out of MA and Maine. But I can walk to Maine from Portsmouth across the bridge and get tons of good stuff draft.

 

I stopped in on a trip in mid-September. It was a mild Thursday night with the windows open and around 10 people in the tap room. They had eight beers available on draft and six available in packaged goods.

Thought Squeeze and Hi-Fi were good offerings.

 

And of course the original TH growler and manila/elastic string tag wasn’t a rip off of Hill Farmstead....

 

Nice job on the advocation, bro. I'm sure that judging a brewery by their off days with an attitude like that is going to have the (well aware of their current less-than-great situation and still trying to do their job) servers bowing at your feet with kindness and gratitude.

Maybe they were having trouble with the brew system? Maybe they were mid upgrade or had electrical problems in the back? Maybe they just (GASP) ran out of beer?

I've been to highly regarded breweries on what has obviously been very bad days for them and found that a little patience and understanding goes a long way. I'm sure if you were in that beertender's position, you'd be thrilled to be fielding such questions and attitude, amirite?

Dude, if you're going to judge, do it when you have more information from say, another visit, when more beer may be available and the servers aren't stressed about not having product?

....but I do agree that the Squeeze labels are a bit problematic. Definitely trying to evoke Julius and the beer is not near enough like it for them to be selling it as such. On my several (pleasant, well-stocked) visits, I've skipped over it in favor of their other tasty brews.

 

I hear that it's "one bad day" but that is the current climate of having around 7,000 breweries now open in the US. Very competitive environment, so owners need to be detailed to minimize bad experiences whether it is the beer itself, morale of retail staff, etc.

 

Like others have said, it must have been a rough day for them for some reason. On most days I've been there, they have at least 5 or 6 beers on tap, usually 1-3 types of 4 packs available. The 4 oz sample pours only never really bothered me. If you like a beer you can always grab a few more pours of it.

If you ever have a chance to go back, try Double Squeeze, Hi-Fi, and Wedge. Those are the 3 I like enough to go and grab 4 packs when they are available.

 

Up the road in Portland is another apparent Julius clone complete w the packaging to go w/it —a lot of breweries marketing/branding are overlapping. I’ve had beers from both places and will check em out again.
http://i68.tinypic.com/2e158qp.png

 

If you make a beer to taste like an orange and name it to get that point across, what are your branding options really? TH isn't really setting the world ablaze with originality with most of thier branding and beer names.

 

TIL you can't have orange can art or name your beer that starts with a J because it's a ripoff of Tree House.

 

I haven't tried any of these beers, but many of the hazy New England IPAs look like and taste like orange juice. Don't see a big issue here. Also, isn't Julius a reference to Orange Julius?