Schilling Beer Co. Opens in Littleton
There’s craft beer happening north of the Notch!
Schilling Beer Company opened this fall in one of the oldest commercial buildings north of Concord – a converted 18th century gristmill building on the Ammonoosuc River in Littleton.
The local history of the building is combined with primarily Belgian, Czech and German brewing traditions – with an eye to modern techniques. “Schilling is where innovative brewing science meets continental European traditions in the White Mountains,” says co-owner Jeff Cozzens. “Our ales and lagers are inspired by centuries-old Belgian, Czech and German brewing, but are defined by their modern relevance and creativity.”
Cozzens and Schilling’s head brewer, Cozzens’ longtime friend John Lenzini, grew up in Michigan (another craft brewing hot spot) and spent time living overseas in Germany, Austria and Scotland. Eventually they chose to settle with their families in the North Country of New Hampshire for, Cozzens says, the quality of life and access to the outdoors.
The brewery and Riverside Taproom, which serves wood-fired pizzas and a selection of entrée specials, is a family-run affair. Cozzens’ youngest brother, Stuart, is the general manager; his other younger brother, Matt, is the CFO. Matt and his business partner, Jim Smolak, were heavily involved in the Northern Michigan beer scene where they started the 7 Monks Taproom. The brothers’ father, Bruce, is the chairman and Jeff’s wife Monica supervised the brewery’s cozy, rustic interior design and helped create the logo.
So what type of beer will you find on tap? Here’s a short list for an example: Rustic Belgian Brown (5.1% abv), Kamarade Baltic Porter (9% abv) and the Erastus Belgian-style Tripel (8.7% abv). In addition to the beer made in Schilling’s small-batch brewery, they also offer a rotating selection of guest taps that represent a large spectrum of excellent craft brewing.
The Riverside Taproom
Courtesy photo
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“Schilling is the culmination of many dreams and hard work,” says Cozzens. “John Lenzini brews truly inspired, world-class continental European-style beers. However, we take equal if not greater pride in the fact that when people taste Schilling, they sample integrity, family and the beauty of North Country 'community' in every sip,” he adds.
Littleton’s Main Street has long been known as one of the last classic New England main streets – in fact, back in 2003 The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center recognized the town's revitalization project with a Great American Main Street Award.
In the years since, says Cozzens, there’s been an influx of young professionals that has served to add to the growing progressive arts and culture scene that’s rooted in a love for the outdoor adventure that the picturesque White Mountains offer. Add great, local craft beer into that mix and you have a recipe for making Littleton a truly cool place to be.
Schilling Beer. Co.
18 Mill St., Littleton
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(603) 444-4800
