The autumn brews
by Rachel Forrest
"Brewery?"
Ah yes, that single, lovely word Organic Farmer Andy says toward the end of the day after we've both been working so hard — he, out on the farm harvesting squash and oak leaf lettuce or developing Web sites, me at my computer writing, then eating, then writing about eating.
We're hard-working folks who like to get a pint after work and usually we wind up at the Portsmouth Brewery and sip a big glass of IPA and do the New York Times crossword puzzle. Heaven. Our fave, the Hop Harvest, is gone, but there's still the Bottle Rocket IPA and many more new brews to come. More on that later. I have to admit that before I met Andy I wasn't really up on just how great a beer can be, but my eyes have been 
Tod Mott, Portsmouth Brewery Master Breweropened and I'll sometimes choose beer over wine even when I'm not in a craft brewery. Naturally this has led to trying many kinds of interesting beers, many of them seasonal, and great choices for Thanksgiving and holiday parties.
Some new brews out are from Peak Organic up in Portland, Maine. I had a chance to try their new Espresso Amber Ale and the Maple Oat Ale up in Portland at the Harvest on the Harbor festival and they're both very good. The Espresso Ale is made from a dark Sumatran coffee blend, organic and fair trade of course, roasted by Coffee by Design in Portland and the brew has a toasty character and a touch of sweet malt.
Peak Organic Brews: Find it on tap at 11 Water St. and Loaf and Ladle in Exeter and in bottles at Portsmouth Provisions and supermarkets I didn't find the espresso overpowering either, it was interesting and mellow. The Maple Oat Ale is good as well. The organic oats give it a smooth flavor and the maple syrup from Vermont adds a hit of sweet. Have it with your turkey or pumpkin pie. www.peakbrewing.com.
Also new on tap and local is ...the Shipyard Brewing Companies' Barley Wine Style Ale and Imperial Porter.... You can get it on draft and in 22 oz. bottles as the first releases in their new Pugsley's Signature Series. The Barley Wine Style Ale is made with six different malts along with three different hops which gives it a full body and a fruity nose. The Imperial Porter is very dark with plenty of malt and body but still with a bite from the hops. www.shipyard.com
Over at Redhook, I like the Long Hammer IPA with its Cascade hops, which gives it a good hop smell but not the bitterness that can sometimes come from overpowering hops. www.redhook.com. Also good this season is the Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner. They say it has "reckless" quantities of a rare Bavarian hop and after trying it I'd say it's pretty hoppy! Floral aroma but with a bold bitter finish. There's citrus, spice, but a balanced hop flavor. www.bostonbeer.com.
We're also big fans of the Dogfish Head beers. The company is in Delaware and it comes up with some doozies like the Raison D'Etre made with raisins and the 120-minute IPA that even we couldn't finish. Extreme beer indeed. We do like the 60- and 90-minute IPAs and the Punkin Ale is good this year as well. www.dogfish.com. Stone Brewery is another favorite, especially the Ruination IPA and the Arrogant Bastard Ale. www.stonebrew.com
But back to our Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose too, of course. So, Smuttynose just got its first shipment of 2008 harvested Cascade hops after a big sad hops shortage so it's hallelujah time at the brewery. Now they have the Scotch Ale in the stores in bottles with a bit of smoked grain in it and they'll be serving up the rare Really Old Brown Dog Ale, which now is like an old English barley wine instead of the brown porter style of olde. Look for that in December. In the meantime at The Brewery we're drinking the ALTernator, which is pretty strong and has a nice mild malty finish. I also like the smoked Dunkelweizen. The smoke isn't oppressive, just interesting. Right now their cask ale is the Blonde but with stinging nettle and licorice root but that's going to run out soon if not already so look for another Blonde Ale to replace it. www.smuttynose.com, www.portsmouthbrewery.com
And Hey, Andy? I'm almost done here. Brewery?
The Dish
Veterans Day American Wine Dinner at Black Trumpet. The Bistro recognizes five great American wines paired with American regional cuisine. Guest chef Mark Segal of Portsmouth's 100 Club will join Evan and the Black Trumpet crew. In celebration of our great country they want to honor and support post-9/11 soldiers and their families. Proceeds from the dinner will go toward organizations that help these honorable men and women and their families through difficult times. So that's on Nov. 11. $90 plus tax and tips. www.blacktrumpetbistro.com.
And on Tuesday, Nov 18, it's a Smuttynose Beer Dinner beginning at 7 p.m. upstairs at the Riverworks in Newmarket. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about beer brewing and tasting from the experts at Smuttynose Brewery along with a delicious four-course meal prepared specifically for Smuttynose beers. Call or visit online for reservations today. The Riverworks Restaurant & Tavern, 164 Main St., Newmarket, 659-6119, www.theriverworks.com.
Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Portsmouth. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Hear her on Wine Me Dine Me-the radio version alternate Wednesdays at noon. She can be reached by e-mail at rforrest@seacoastonline.com.
