Celebrate Pride Month with a key lime gose, toast your own weirdness by trying a glitter-bombed sour, or twirl your mustache with a bougie Belgian aged in your choice of pinot or bourbon barrels.
To Share
Smokey’s Kangaroo (6.6 percent) is back on tap at To Share Brewing Company in Manchester as of last weekend. It’s described as a well-rounded, slightly bitter and hop-forward IPA with Simcoe and Centennial hops.
Kelsen
Kelsen Brewing Company in Derry has dropped a new batch of their Kelsen ESB (5.5 percent), a traditional English-style Extra Special Bitter brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal Malts, East Kent Golding hops and English ale yeast.
Don’t let the name fool you, its bitterness doesn’t overpower the drink, brewers say. It has a gentle bitterness balanced against a malty base with biscuity and nutty notes from the malts and early flavors from the hops.
It’s available on tap at the brewery and in bottles and growlers to go.
Ancient Fire
On June 17, Ancient Fire Mead and Cider in Manchester is releasing Makin’ It Happen (7 percent), a blueberry blossom draft-style mead that’s part of the meadery’s Makers Series. Blueberry blossom mead is said to be more “full-bodied” with some citrus notes initially and a wild, brambly quality in the finish.
It’s available on tap at the meadery and in growlers to go.
Then on June 23, Ancient Fire will release Lonestar Lemonade (7 percent), a seasonal favorite that didn’t come out last year because of the pandemic. It’s made with tart red raspberry and lemon and is the first release as part of the meadery’s 11-week-long summer camp-themed experience at their taproom and patio called CAMP AF.
It’s available on tap and in growlers to go.
CRBC
Candia Road Brewing Company in Manchester just released Spruce Goose (5 percent), an annual beer made with hand-picked spruce at peak tip season. It boasts aromas of summer citrus and freshly chipped cedar.
Candia Road has been making a version of this beer since 2013.
Dunkel, anyone?
Great North
Great North Aleworks in Manchester released its Dunkel Lager (5 percent), a Munich-style dark lager. It’s available in their tasting room or in growlers to go.
In celebration of Pride Month, they also released Love is Love (4.3 percent), a key lime gose that is described as refreshingly citrusy, and slightly tart. It’s brewed with coriander, sea salt, key lime, love, acceptance, and pride, according to brewers. It’s available in the tasting room or in growlers to go.
Also check out the newest Hazy Rotation (6.1 percent), their rotating New England style IPA. This is the 16th batch, but it brings back a popular blend of Simcoe, Citra and Lemondrop hops. It’s available on tap and in cans distributed statewide.
Daydreaming
Daydreaming Brewing Company in Derry has been busy! They recently released Day SMaSHing (4.9 percent), a helles lager made with Maris Otter and Target hops. It’s their first single malt and single hop beer, which has bready, nutty malt flavors combined with a slightly floral and herbal hop background.
Also out is Not What I Was Expecting (6.11 percent), a Vienna lager made to celebrate brewer Andy Day’s son Cameron who recently turned 21 years old and can share a beer with his old man.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more weight, Daydreaming is coming out with a series of Belgian Tripels under their Destiny label, starting with the re-release of their partly-reimagined flagship Destiny Belgian Tripel (8.5 percent).
It’s step-mashed and boiled long to create a bouquet of Belgian esters, subtle spices.
Variants include Destiny Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel (9 percent), which boasts ester, spice and vanilla flavors, and Destiny Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Tripel (9 percent), which has added fruity notes.
The beer is a tribute to the brewers’ beginnings in the craft beer scene a decade ago as the proprietors of the craft beer retailer The Drinkery in Londonderry, which Day started after sampling a Tripel by White Birch Brewing.
603 Brewery
On June 25, there’s a new experimental sour out at 603 Brewery in Londonderry. Check out E09 Sparkle Bomb Sour Ale (5.3 percent), brewed with raspberry, cherry pomegranate and edible glitter.
It’s a feast for your eyes as well as your stomach, with bright pink colors and a swirl of sparkling glitter. It will be available on tap and in cans distributed to market the following week.
Lithermans
On June 18, Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord is dropping Candy Everybody Wants IPA (6.2 percent), an IPA brewed with copious amounts of oats and double-dry-hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria hops.
Pipe Dream
On June 11, Pipe Dream Brewing Company in Londonderry released Squeeze Me Please! (6.6 percent), a hazy, New England-style IPA made with 450 pounds of bright tangerines, and MALTZAH Strawberry/Kiwi (4.5 percent), made with hundreds of pounds of fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit, the 11th fruit flavor of the MALTZAH series.
And on June 15, Pipe Dream dropped Juice Maze Sour (5.7 percent), a wild sour ale aged on 900 pounds of blackberries and raspberries, and Strawberry Blonde Ale (5.5 percent), a crisp, light-drinking golden ale aged on 400 pounds of ripe strawberries.
Got Brew News? Send it to ryanmlessard@gmail.com
