Trip to NE next month

Hi,

Kettlehead in Tilton is a newer brewery that has been making some great brews. Not too far.

Stoneface is a good stop for some brews and a meal. In Portsmouth area there are a few options including Great Rythym, Earth Eagle, Portsmouth Brewing, Deciduous. It is also easy to jump over the ME border into Kittery area. You can get ME distro brews and hit places like Tributary.

 

Agree - you probably want to spend a day or at least an afternoon on the seacoast. Weekend days are busier but the smaller breweries aren't open early in the week (deciduous, great rhythm, loaded question).

If you are looking for haze and based on Manchester, you're probably better off going to Boston area or Portland ME.

If you respond back with tentative day plans I can offer more help.

 

If you're interested in some hiking, I'd recommend making your way north through the White Mountain National Forest and Franconia Notch. There's some easy hikes in and around Franconia Notch State Park, like the Flume Gorge which is more of a walk than a hike, and it'd provide a great excuse to visit Schilling in Littleton for a late lunch/early dinner. It's 1.5 hours from Manchester, but worth a visit especially if it's your first time in NE.

Edit: Also, as @jhavs mentioned, Kettlehead would be on the way in Tilton and Biederman's Deli & Pub in Plymouth is a great lunch spot.

 

Hill Farmstead is more than an hour and a half drive from Manchester... but it's Hill Farmstead.

Assuming you don't actually want to make that haul, Armsby Abbey in Worcester is roughly in between Trillium and Tree House, has Hill Farmstead and a ton of other amazing stuff on draft, and great food.

Other than that... can you be any more specific about what kinds of places you'd like to visit/what kind of experiences you'd like to have? New England is a very densely packed area that has a little bit of everything, so you should pretty much be able to make this trip into anything you want it to be.

 

Armsby would be on your way to/from Treehouse from Manchester and is a good spot to get HF as mentioned. If this trip is all about the beer and you really want to get the highest end IPA, then Boston or Portland should be in your itinerary. If the point is to hang close to Manch, then here goes.

In the immediate Manchester area, Pipe Dream, Great North, 603, and From the Barrel have been doing good things. I've been really happy drinking Pipe Dreams recent IPA and IIPAs, and their tap room is a good spot.
Concord is close (20 mins), and Lithemans has been getting good reviews. I've only had a few of their beers but a buddy of mine was there recently and loved it. Concord Brewing is solid as well.
Kettlehead is a little further, about another 15 mins from Manch. But, probably my favorite NH brewery. Wide range of beers/styles, very nice tap room. I've never eaten there, but the food looks good.
If you venture over to the coast, Portsmouth has Great Rhythm (pretty much IPA only), Earth Eagle (good food, interesting beers) and Liars Bench (good beer, wide variety of styles) and nearby is Stoneface (good beer and food) in Newington, Garrison City in Dover, and Deciduous in Newmarket (pretty much IPA only, but excellent). If you end up in Newmarket around eating time. my wife and I just had an excellent meal at the Oak House (burgers and sandwiches, but great). There's also a beer/burger bar in Durham called Hop and Grind with only NH brews. They've had Kettlehead, 603, Lithemans, Pipe Dream, From the Barrel, Garrison City, Deciduous, and Stoneface on in my recent visits.

 

Backyard Brewery and Kitche. in Manchester is a great stop. Well worth it for both food and beer. Second Kettlehead as well.

 

I’ll 2nd the Backyard rec. Good beer & even better food. Nice patio if the weather’s nice.

If interested in a production brewery taproom in the Manchester area I’d recommend Great North in Londonderry. Good beer there.

 

Grab a bite at Republic downtown on Elm St. Fantastic local food.
Drink Misguided Angel from Litherman's Limited. (Pick up a 4-pack at The Packie.)

 

Row 34 next to Trillium Fort Point for all things seafood with a great draft list as well. If you go to Trillium Beer Garden I would suggest State Street Provisions for seafood as well. And Gingerman near there for a big draft list.

Since you are doing Sam Adams I would suggest Galway House for clam chowder and Vee Vee(usually has multiple Trilliums on draft but only open for dinner hours) or Canary Square for beer. Sam Adams has become a much better experience with the addition of the beer garden, taproom and barrel room(the new scotch aged peach sour is disgusting though).

 

^Swamp Turtle Brewing is half a mile from Sam Adams brewery in JP, worth a visit as well.

 

If you’re that close to Hill Farmstead and you truly love beer you must go. You won’t regret it one bit. You can hit up Schilling in Littleton on your way there or on the way back.

I’d go there over Tree House 100 times personally.