Back in early January I wrote that Nashua’s Spyglass Brewing was preparing brand new and much larger space near exit 1. Today I can report that the beer gods have smiled upon us: their new space is now fully up and running, brewing is happening, and the bar and kitchen are open to serve the public.
The owners tell me that this new space has been absolutely slammed with customers. I can attest to that; on a recent Saturday afternoon I sat at the bar and watched a constant stream of customers placing orders the entire time I was there. I also counted nine staff behind the bar, five in the kitchen, and one person dedicated to selling cans, and I suspect there were others I did not see. When asked if they had seen any slow-down in business since opening their new space, a bartender held up thumb and forefinger with barely perceptible space between them.
The Space
Spyglass now occupies the entirety of a brand-new building. They have more space for brewing, more space for customers, more parking, and they have added a kitchen. Once the weather turns nicer, they will have outdoor seating.
On my recent visit I was reminded a bit of Bissel Brothers in Portland, Maine. A very industrial-looking space, but also comfortable and well illuminated with plenty of natural light streaming through the vast glass expanse which fills most of the east-facing front of the building. East-facing windows means no blazing sun during most operating hours. A portion of their customer seating is located one flight up, directly over the bar, providing a view out over the entire main floor, including the brewing area.
All the brewing fermentation vessels are visible from the seating areas on either floor. It’s a lot of shiny metallic hardware, offering pure beer nerd heaven!
The Food
My recent visit was after noon and I hadn’t had lunch yet, so I ordered a falafel and fries to accompany my flight. Spyglass calls their particular take on this a “falafel gyro,” and, wrapped in a pita, it fit that bill. Greens tasted very fresh, and falafel was flavorful & just a bit crispy. I may have detected a bit of pickled onion adding some extra delicious flavor. With sauce it was also a bit messy, but when ordering something called a falafel gyro, a bit of messiness should really be expected, and they did have plenty of napkins. The fries were sprinkled with something extremely tasty, and I left nothing behind.
A full food & beer menu is available on their website. I foresee another visit to try their Cuban sandwich.
The Beer
I ordered a single flight wth two IPAs and two fruited sours:
| Closures | 8.3% ABV | Double IPA |
| Citra, Mosaic, Cashmere hops | ||
| Hello World | 8.5% ABV | Double IPA |
| Citra, Chinook, Strata hops | ||
| Raspberry Oscillation | 5.2% ABV | Sour Ale w/ Lactose |
| Raspberries, Bananas, Marshmallow Cream, Vanilla | ||
| Harmonic Motion | 5.2% ABV | Sour Ale w/ Lactose |
| Cranberries, Pineapple, Cherries, Pecans, Marshmallow | ||
All were delicious. I swear, the fruited sours were like milkshakes — which makes sense given that both contain lactose (milk sugar). So I considered them dessert. That kind of beer may not be for everyone nor all the time, but at the very least can make for a delightful diversion. Spyglass offers plenty of other types of beer. Their menu overall is strong on IPAs, but they always have a variety, and with their new space and much greater capacity and through-put, they expect to vary their menu a bit more than in the past.
I had offered to bring back some cans of IPA for a friend but by the time I finished lunch and my flight, they were already out cans for many of their beers. So this time I left with only a single four-pack, of the raspberry sour. At home that night it was delicious — as I said, like a milkshake.
Also available on tap as I write this:
| State Machine | 6.6% ABV | NE IPA |
| Citra hops | ||
| Fuzzy Logic | 7.8% ABV | Double IPA |
| Citra, Nelson, Galaxy hops | ||
| Cosmic Background | 10% ABV | Triple IPA |
| Citra, Mosaic, Riwaka, Waimea hops | ||
And in can pours:
| Aspect Ratio | 8.3% ABV | Double IPA, NE style |
| Simcoe, Nelson, Moutere hops | ||
| Laminar Flow | 6.9% ABV | NE IPA |
| Citra, El Dorado hops | ||
| Spatial Proximity | 8.0% ABV | Double IPA, NE style |
| Citra, Motueka, Mosaic, Idaho Gem hops | ||
| 5th Layer | 5% ABV | NE Session IPA |
| Citra, Nelson, Simcoe hops | ||
| Soliton | 8.4% ABV | Oated Double IPA |
| Strata, Ella, Galaxy hops | ||
| Polymorphic | 8.3% ABV | Double IPA |
| Citra, Motueka, Cascade hops | ||
| Binary Stars - Riwaka | 7.2% ABV | NE IPA |
| Citra, Riwaka hops | ||
| Dark Flow - coconut chocolate | 11% ABV | Imperial Stout |
| brewed w/ chocolate & toasted coconut | ||
The Data
Spyglass Brewing‘s newest incarnation is just off exit 1 (aka the Spyglass exit), located at…
306 Innovation Way
Nashua, NH 03062
Phone: (603) 546-2965
Website: https://www.spyglassbrewing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spyglassbrewing/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spyglassbrewing/
Email: info@spyglassbrewing.com
Hours:
Wed: 11:30 am – 9 pm
Thu: 11:30 am – 9 pm
Fri: 11:30 am – 9 pm
Sat: 11:30 am – 9 pm
Sun: 11:30 am – 6 pm
Last call for food & beer is 30 minutes before closing time.
