November 25th, 2013
Two Breweries, One Pub
After a night of flash mobbing in Dover, NH, my “Thriller” dancers and I were looking for a spot to go for warm air, tasty brews and some snacks. Dancer Karin, being from Dover, suggested we try this new brew pub just around the corner; she had heard it had just opened that day. We burst in noisily from the cold street to find: chairs turned upside down on the tables, construction equipment and the smell of wood and fresh varnish. It appeared that they were, in fact, not open yet. But that didn’t stop them from inviting us in and pouring us beers anyhow.
One Love Brewery (http://onelovebrewery.com/) and 7th Settlement Brewery (http://7thsettlement.com/), located at 47 Washington St in Dover, had the vision to join forces and create two brew houses under one roof along with a brew pub. After taking our orders, founder of the 7th Settlement Brewery, David Boynton, took Karin and I on a tour. The brew house was clean and pristine with shiny fermenters and sparkling brew tanks all made by Tig Pro out of Portland, ME. The huge windows allow guests a clear view of the brew house and the process of brewing beer. The kitchen (which we could not tour due to it just having been sanitized for opening) will offer a delightful menu of snacks, appetizers, sandwiches and other delights to wash your beer down with. What was really fascinating was there there was not a keg or bottle in sight. The brew house boasts pour tanks that have lines which run under the floor from the brew house and directly to the taps behind the bar for pouring. Never will they have to keg or bottle their products (which is great assurance for freshness and constancy in flavor), unless of course they choose to distribute one day.
When my beer arrived, which was a First Batch Brown by 7th Settlement (5% ABV brown ale that is lightly sweet in flavor with a clean, bitter finish and is absolutely delightful and easy to drink) I sat down with, Josh Henry, one of the brewers from 7th Settlement to discuss their beer, their philosophy and their enthusiasm over brewing commercially. Henry, who has been brewing independently for 7 years, is excited for his first commercial brewing opportunity. He is a lover of American and English style ales and his next brew project is an Imperial Brown Ale with an anticipated 7.5% ABV called 1623, named for the year Dover was first settled (man…these guys sure know their history!). He and other brewer, Nate Sephton currently have an American Winter Wheat (5.2% ABV) in fermentation which is soon-to-be-on-tap. Sephton has a love for Scottish ales among others and plans to bring this style to 7th Settlements offerings. Owner and head brewer of One Love Brewery, Michael Snyder, is a lover of German and Belgian style beers and is planning to release a Kolsch on tap at the brew pub.
Henry explained that 7th Settlement and One Love Brewery both have a mission of responsibility to local agriculture and the environment. They use grain from Valley Malt in Massachusetts and buy as many ingredients from local farms as possible for their beers. Henry says they want to “keep the dollars in [their] community.” They also give the spent grain (the remains of the grains used in the brewing process after the sugars have been extracted for fermentation) to local cattle farms for the cows to eat, thus reducing what they discard and supporting other local business. Keeping their trash to a minimum is of importance to them (Henry even mentioned that founder Boynton wants to throw out no more than one bag of trash a day), and they will use compostable take home containers to encourage patrons to do the same.
While distribution isn’t part of their current plan, expansion already is. Henry explained that they currently have three fermenters with plans to expand to eight. They want to expand slowly, however, as space in the brew pub is at a premium right now. The current plan is to add two new fermenters, in which they plan to produce both ales and lagers, every few months.
As we finished our chat, I asked Henry who his brew heroes are. I was really excited by his answers. You might expect a new commercial brewer to say names like Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, or even Tod Mott formerly of the Portsmouth Brewery and mastermind behind the sensational Russian Imperial Stout, Kate the Great. I mean, all of these guys are world renowned and greatly respected in the beer industry. However, Henry names breweries such as H.C. Berger and O’Dell Brewing both of Ft. Collins Colorado, where Henry used to live and these of local brew fame: Nicole and Annette of Throwback Brewery in Hampton, NH and Butch of Earth Eagle Brewery in Portsmouth, NH. Well, after trying what 7th Settlement has to offer, I’d say that these guys will with out a doubt be playing right in the same league as Henry’s heroes.
7th Settlement Brewery and One Love Brewery are now officially open for business in Dover, NH. Next time you’re in town, make sure you stop in. And if you’re not in town, it’s well worth making a special trip. I want to extend a special thank you to these guys for giving us the extra special treat of hanging out in their brew pub the night before the official opening. And I wish to offer congratulations on the feat of opening not one brewery, but two under one roof. I can’t wait to get back up to Dover and drink with you all again.
Cheers and Beers!
Lisa, The Hefeweizen Hunny
