White Birch Brewing

Conspicuously located in a strip mall off Route 3 — you probably thought you were going to have to ask that guy with the long grey hair and hemp shirt for directions to some log cabin
Quite frankly, craft beer zealotry annoys me to no end — I have an almost physical reaction to phrases like ‘hop forward’. Give me a choice between a bottle of Bud and a Dogfish Head and I’ve got the Bud cracked faster than you can say ‘360 Minute Quadrupel Wet Hopped IPA’. Conversely, I’m not so cyncial as to not acknowledge the fact that good beer tastes great when done right.
And White Birch’s beer is done right. I’ve sampled about 5 or 6 of their brews, all good, all well balanced. Balance is an overlooked virtue in these days of excess and extremity; why brew something tasty, or even drinkable, when the a la mode thing to do is hop the shit out of it? It’s sort of analagous to what’s going on with New American cuisine — drown them in butter, duck fat and marrow. The Belgian Pale Ale is a pretty safe bet, goes down almost too easy.
Good front of house service too, which is a miracle in itself in the craft beer industry.

We stopped by here on our way home from VT to boston. Easily accessible location, a few miles off 93. Free tasters. Due to NH liquor laws they cant serve pints since they don’t serve food. We brought our own food in, had a few tasters and got a bomber to go. Good beer, great prices. They have an apprenticeship program for brewers and then bottle and feature their beers. Pretty cool program. Was surprised to hear they distribute in 16 states.

I am by no means a beer expert, I just drink a lot of craft beer and am a beginner home-​brewer. White Birch is probably one of my favorites, nor necessarily based on quality, though I think it is high, but because of the passion, commitment, and kindness of everyone there. The place is a little strange, no thrills, but what more do you need? The growler prices aren’t bad, either.

Although it is nice to have a place close to home to have fresh draft beer I was disappointed to learn that they will only be open 3 days a week for growler fills.
If you run out of beer on Saturday you are out of luck until Thursday as they are not open Sunday through Wednesday.
This will certainly help Milly’s business. They will fill my growler 7 days a week.

This is a review of the beer itself, never been to the brewery.
Being from NH, and a huge supporter of local business, I had to try White Birch Brewing once I say it. I picked up their Hooksett Ale first, which is a nice belgian style ale, and gave it a go. Must say, I was not disappointed at all.
Now the brewery seems to be growing pretty quickly, and they have seasonals that sound like they might be able to take White Birch to the next level.

Great beer crafted by knowledgeable, friendly brewers. I keep redefining my «favorite». Have been 3 times, most recently during a very fun tasting held on a Saturday afternoon. Other, community-​linked events deserve attending. Looking forward to a future dinner/​beer event. Buying at White Birch is really consuming locally.

White Birch Brewing has only been in business since 2009, but, like a fizzy head of CO2, has risen rapidly to the top of the microbrew universe. When I first started drinking White Birch, in 2009, they were called a «nanobrewery» which is smaller than a «microbrewery» and only slightly more pretentious. But they somehow managed to distribute their beers to New York City, where I bought them, where they were recommended, where the person who recommended them to me (big George from the now defunct Spuyten Duyvil Grocery) was completely right about them. I’ve been a devoted fan and supporter ever since. One reason to support White Birch is that their beers are fantastic, all around. These guys do not seem to swing and miss, and even the best breweries have their duds. Another reason, however, is that they’re the real deal. White Birch isn’t a «microbrewery» that is secretly owned by InBev. They’re a locally owned producer of regional beers and fantastic ones at that. I guess this is supposed to be a review of their tasting room. Very low key and really just for tasting and purchases, not for hanging out, you can certainly come in for a casual chat with the brewer who happens to be pouring for you. Lots of things to try, though I wish they were fresher and out of a tap rather than bottle pours. But you’re still able to get some beers from kegs (they have a growler refill program), and they have many bottles you can’t get elsewhere (Bert’s Better Beers down the road has an arguably even better selection). A visit to the source is a pilgrimage for beer geeks, and a chance to talk to a brewer is really special. Don’t pass up that chance if you’re even remotely close by. And reserve some space in your trunk.

Fun hour to spend on the weekend. they give samples of several beers and all are unique and delicious!

White Birch Brewing recently moved from its old building in an industrial part of Hooksett into this more centrally located site on Hooksett Road. The new place contains a wall of beers with many bottles of different varieties, including the popular Hooksett, Trippel, and Belgian Style Pale Ales. They also have newer styles including Farmhouse Red, Wrigian, and Route 6. BF had purchased the $ 5 for $ 20 Living Social and choise a growler of Hooksett Ale as well as bottles of Farmhouse Blonde and Night Falls.
We were able to sample a couple of the brews and chat with the guy, who was very helpful, working behind the counter. BF had no problem picking out beers.
Not only does Bill Herlicka brew a mean beer, but he is also very active in the local community. The first-​ever Southern NH Brewers’ Festival was held at White Birch’s former location, and it was a success. BF and I also attended the Brewer’s Dinner at SNHU a few weeks ago, in which one of SNHU’s student chefs developed a delicious tasting menu to pair with four of White Birch’s equally delicious beverages. We had four courses and four beers, all for the unheard-​of price of $ 10 per person. It’s fantastic that Bill works not only with other brewers but with culinary students.