Meet the Brewer: Flying Goose Brewery’s Richard Marley
The brewery manager at this New London spot talks shop
With more than 70 craft breweries spread across the state (and new ones opening seemingly every week), it’s no secret that New Hampshire is home to some great beer. To help you get to know some of the Granite State’s favorite sudsy spots, we’re implementing a new series of “Meet the Brewer” profiles to introduce you to our top-notch New Hampshire breweries and the men and women behind them.
For our latest profile, meet Richard “Rik” Marley. Rik is the brewery manager of New London’s Flying Goose Brewery, a popular family run restaurant that offers their own handcrafted brews on tap. Read on to learn all about the 800-barrel-per-year capacity facility and their brewing operations manager.
About the Brewer
NH Magazine: What is your title at the brewery?
Rik Marley: I am the manager of our brewery.
NHM: How did you get into the brewing business?
RM: I am from five generations of German/Irish alcoholics and home brewing. I used to sell my home brew on Phish tour before “craft beer” was a thing. It was very lucrative, and I developed quite a following.
NHM: Why did you choose to work in New Hampshire? What do you appreciate about the craft beer scene here?
RM: I grew up in New Hampshire, and I love it. There is so much to do here, like skiing, biking, drinking beer, surfing, hiking and boating. I appreciate the intensity and passion of our brewers here in the Granite State. Sometimes we’re given short shrift in favor of our neighboring states, but I challenge them to a “Ron Burgundy” style alley battle. Seriously though, we’ve got some great breweries here like Neighborhood, Deciduous, Elm City, Schilling, Backyard, Kettlehead and the list goes on and on.
NHM: What style(s) of beer are you personally most fond of?
RM: I love smoked beers, IPAs and Dunkelweizen.
NHM: What’s your personal favorite of the beers you make?
RM: It’s hard to say because it changes all the time. Right now, I’m super excited about a barrel-aged Scottish wee heavy that we aged for a month and a half in Woodford Reserve smoked bourbon whiskey barrels. It is malty with subtle smoke and intense, but not overpowering with whiskey aromas and flavors.
About the Brewery
NHM: What’s your annual production size, in barrels?
RM: 800bbl with an estimated 1300bbl capacity.
NHM: When did you open to the public?
RM: The restaurant opened in 1993, and the brewery in 1996.
NHM: What sets you apart from other New Hampshire breweries? What’s unique about your style or mission?
RM: Kyle the Cellarman sets us apart. No other brewery has a Kyle or our expansive draft lineup, our own hard cider or our local menu. We are New Hampshire’s first solar-powered brewery with solar electric, solar hot water and our onsite treatment plant for brewery effluent. Start local, end local.
NHM: How many beers and what styles do you offer at any given time?
RM: WE have 20 draft lines, ales, lagers, sours, hoppy beers, dark, light and barrel aged. We also have our house-made hard cider.
NHM: What’s your most popular beer?
RM: That has to be Long Brother’s American IPA by a mile!
NHM: What’s next for your brewery?
RM: We just got a new mill and we might need some new kegs before summer.
NHM: Where can your beer be purchased?
RM: Find us at Hop + Grind, Tuckaway Tavern, Cask and Vine, the Flight Center, the Millstone at 74 Main, Bedford Village Inn, Ragged Mountain Resort, Lake Sunapee Country Club, Biederman’s Deli, Imperial Palace and select shops near you. If you can’t find it near you, ask your local bottle shop or beer bar to bring us on!
