Best of NH 2022 Breweries, Wine, Spirits, Cocktails & Bars

Don't just eat local, drink local! Discover locally made wine, beer and spirits, plus where to find inventive cocktails, cozy pub vibes, beer and wine shops and more.

June 20, 2022

New Hampshire Magazine Staff,

Editor’s Picks

Robert Spruill talks with guests at Editor’s Pick New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery

Farm-to-Spirit
It’s about as local as spirits can get at New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery in Winchester. On the farm side of things, they grow cider apples, grapes, blueberries and juniper berries on their 50-acre property. Then there are the small-batch spirits, including the excellent Ashuelot vodka, which is made with locally grown apples from Pine Hill Orchards and Apex Orchards, and potatoes from Simerowski Farms. Stop in at the tasting room from Friday to Sunday to try their vodka, single-malt or bourbon whiskey, gin, varieties of rum or moonshine.

Sports Tavern Tradition
This North Conway local favorite is anything but a hole-in-the-wall. Delaney’s Hole in the Wall has become a tradition in the valley for visitors and regulars for over 20 years. The behind-the-scenes team is made up of a bunch of creative bandits who round up the finest and freshest local ingredients to provide you with a delicious meal. Virtually everything on their menu is made from scratch, and if there is a certain ingredient you want added or left out, no problem, they can do it. Their sassy, inventive recipes will have you “saddling on up” and become part of the family too.

Sweet Cello
Turning ordinary desserts into culinary adventures and traditional cocktails into crafty creations, Morécello is a multifunctional liquor that you’ll want to add to your own collection of spirits. Frank Marino of Black Cove Beverages in Meredith created the blackberry after-dinner drink from a generations-old secret family recipe that dates back to his ancestors in Sicily. It is akin to limoncello but far tastier, far healthier, and without the acidity. It is traditionally enjoyed ice-cold in small servings to promote hearty conversation. Its syrup-like consistency makes it perfect for blackberry snowcones or even as a maple syrup substitute for your Sunday morning stack of pancakes.

Editor’s Pick Vine 32 Wine + Graze Bar

Wine Discovery
Feeling like you’re in a wine rut? At Vine 32 Wine + Graze Bar in Bedford, you’re encouraged to try new things — and to take matters into your own hands. The 32 in the name refers to the rotating selection of 32 wines, which come in as little as 1-ounce pours, giving you the opportunity to taste without committing to the price and amount of a full pour or bottle. Plus, you’re invited to explore via their self-serve system. It works like this: You purchase a card, put your glass under the spout, insert the card, choose a 1-, 4- or 6-ounce pour, push the button, remove the card and enjoy.