New Hampshire to the Core
Catching up with 603 Brewery in Londonderry
 Stop by 603 Brewery in Londonderry for samples. Photo by Melissa Boulanger. |
You’d be hard pressed to find a brewery that loves New Hampshire more than this one. You can’t really argue against the point considering the very name. 603 Brewery in Londonderry crafts outstanding beers while sharing its passion and love for both craft brewing and the Granite State.
“We very much pride ourselves in being a beer for the 603 to pay homage to our name,” co-owner Tamsin Hewes says. “It’s given people a reason to root for craft breweries in New Hampshire.”
If you like a variety of beers, then you’re in luck – they make beers of all colors and styles. Let’s start with the Winni Ale – 603’s current bestseller and tribute to Lake Winnipesaukee. Winni Ale was the first beer the team distributed and has been a staple ever since. The smooth, amber ale gives drinkers a gentle hop bite at the end of every sip.
The 18 Mile Rye Ale is another pride and joy if the brewery. It’s made with rye and pilsner malt to yield a spicy (but not too spicy) flavor. 18 Mile Rye Ale’s name refers to the length of New Hampshire’s tiny coastline and the seacoast town of Rye.
603 regularly distributes six to eight beers around the state and pours 10 beers on tap at its tasting room at 12 Liberty Drive.
“We don’t brew one style, so there are so many possibilities if you don’t like one type of beer,” co-owner Geoff Hewes says. “It’s exciting for us because we get to play with the different beers we come up with and people get excited about it.”
White Peaks is the brewery’s extremely light IPA that salutes New Hampshire’s White Mountains. It has all the crisp flavor you would expect from an IPA, but is surprisingly light. 603’s IPA selection also includes the Cogway and 9th State Red. 603 also produces a stout (Granite Stout) and wheat beer (Waterville Wheat).
Geoff and his wife, Tamsin, launched the brewery in 2012 with longtime friend and brewmaster Dan Leonard. The team opened its first location in Campton before expanding to Londonderry in October of 2013 to make its brewing system larger.
Tamsin says 603's growth is an example of how New Hampshire craft beer has bloomed over the last few years. 603 is one of now over 50 breweries located across all regions of the state.
“It’s a lot of fun right now because New Hampshire has had so much room for growth in the beer industry,” Tamsin says. "I think it’s absolutely wonderful how many breweries have popped up in the state. It’s a great product to drink locally and it’s terrific that we have been able to start bringing that local product to the state.”
You’re in for a special treat if you stop by 603 this summer. The brewery is serving its summer seasonal beer called "Summatime," a light, refreshing beer with a noticeable floral and citrus hop profile. It’s the perfect beer for summer in New Hampshire.
