Beer and Brew Pubs in Northern NH

Amid the natural beauty of the Northern parts of NH are several great craft beer spots.

Tuckerman's Brewing Co. is named for Mount Washington's Tuckerman Ravine.

Updated September 2015: This story originally appeared in our inaugural Beer Guide in 2013. Since then many more breweries have opened their doors. In addition to the ones listed here, you can now check out One Love Brewery in Lincoln and Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton.

Don't stick to just the southern half of the state! James Sanborn recommends several spots serving craft beer from local breweries to pubs and inns in North Conway, West Ossipee and North Woodstock.

Craft beer is a booming business and you don’t have to look any further than the North Conway region to see signs of the tremendous growth. As we finish up 2013 there are three major projects nearing completion with two breweries moving into new facilities and a new restaurant/tavern/brewery opening just down the road in Ossipee.

Tuckerman Brewing Company was one of the first craft breweries in the area and they will be celebrating their 15th year in business by moving into a new facility. The new brewery is located across the street from their existing spot and they hope to be in by the end of the year. If you have not been to their current brewery, you only have a few more months to get there. Tours start at 3 p.m. on Saturday and are $5 per person, which includes tastings and a pint glass that you can keep.

If you like beer and have spent any time in the White Mountains, then you have probably enjoyed food and beer at Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewing. This year there have been lots of tanks arriving and their lawn now looks like a showcase of stainless steel. The brew pub is small and certainly cannot accommodate any additional tanks, so they purchased and are renovating the Limmer Barn in Bartlett. This will become the new brew facility and should be ready this winter. Next time you visit ask your server if the Helles Lager is on, you will not be disappointed.

Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company in West Ossipee will become the newest member of the craft beer community when they open later this fall. Located about 15 minutes south of Conway on busy Rte. 16, Hobbs Tavern will have a full menu, bars on both the first and second floors and probably some outdoor seating, weather permitting. The new owners have almost completely renovated the restaurant and recently ordered their seven-barrel brew house.

In addition to these three projects, the Woodstock Inn, Station & Brewery brought brewing back to their facility in 2013 with a much-needed expansion. For the past few years their beer was contract brewed at Shipyard in Portland, Maine, but bottles are now on the shelves that were brewed and bottled right in North Woodstock.

Keep your local economy going by supporting your local brewer — drink local!

James Sanborn, also known as the Insurance Guy, enjoys beer and sells insurance to craft beer-related businesses including breweries, beer bars/restaurants, distributors and package stores. He also runs the Insurance Guy Beer Blog, insuranceguybeerblog.com, which documents the wide variety of beer he drinks as well as brewery visits, events and info on where to buy and drink beer. Send him a message and you can grab a beer.