Ray Mongeau visits the Woodstock Inn and Brewery.
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Woodstock Inn and Brewery review
Submitted by Ray Mongeau
It is not often you come across an
establishment that has it
all, but the Woodstock
Inn and Brewery, located in North Woodstock, New
Hampshire,
has everything: lodging, two in-house restaurants, a brewpub and its
own brewery.
It is a great place for a week or weekend getaway and a good alternative to an expensive overseas vacation. There is nearby skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, good food and a large selection of great micro brewed beer.
I arrived on a Thursday night and checked in to my room. It was a comfortable suite with its own gas fireplace and sitting area.
After cleaning myself up a bit I headed down to the Woodstock Inn and Brewery's Woodstock Station, an informal bar-lounge, that was part of an original railroad station with lots of photographs and paraphernalia from the early history of Woodstock.
Anxious to try the Pig's Ear Ale I had heard so much about, I ordered myself a pint along with the menu special of the day, Chicken Parmesan.
Woodstock Inn and Brewery
The Pig's Ear brown Ale lived up to its claim. It had a pleasant dark brown color with a perfect two finger head. The ale was thick, rich and creamy with a slight nutty chocolate toasted taste. I can see why this ale keeps raking in awards.
When my meal was served I ordered another Pig's Ear and enjoyed it along with the meal. In fact, the Chicken Parmesan was a great value at $4.95. It was not the frozen breaded patty made from processed meat that I expected from an inexpensive special. The chicken was a tender piece of breaded chicken breast sautéed and complemented with provolone, marinara and linguini. I would have stayed longer at the lounge but I was too tired from my long drive though the mountains and headed off to bed.
I awoke at about 7:30am and decided to have breakfast before meeting with Butch and Rik at the brewery. Breakfast is served in the Clement Room Grille and I must say that this was the first time I ever received a gourmet breakfast as part of a package deal, included with the price of lodging.
The menu is large, making a choice difficult, but I took the easy out and opted for the western omelet. It was perfect; the eggs were fluffy but not overdone, the ingredients fresh and not overcooked. After taking the time to enjoying my breakfast, I headed to the brewery.
As you turn off of Main Street and head to the Woodstock Inn and Brewery's parking areas, the brewery is visible on your right. It is easily seen through the large picture windows as you pass by and the brewpub is located inside the building directly behind the brewery.
The brewery uses the open vat method of fermentation and it has a total of four vats. With all the ales the Woodstock Inn and Brewery offers, the brew workers are always busy.
I am
amazed that they can produce as much beer (and with great quality) as
they do.
It is my opinion that the
brewery is the icing on the cake to a stay at
the Woodstock Inn and Brewery.
I met Butch Chase, the brewery manager and Rik Marley, one of the brewery workers in the brewpub. Rik was very eager to show me the brewery and explain the Inn's brewing process. I started out with one of the Woodstock Inn and Brewery's specialty brews, the Pemi Pale Ale.
The ale is loaded with hops and it
borders
on being an IPA. It is made with pale barley with a bit of wheat to add
body
and fermentable sugar. Crystal malt
is also added to create a rich golden color. It has a bouquet of
aromas, a fine
golden color, a two finger head and a taste of hops that will hold the
drinker's
interest throughout several pints.
Next, I sampled the Woodstock Inn and Brewery's White Mountain Weasel Wheat Ale. The beer has a yellow-gold color with no after bitterness and does not have any heavy taste of bread or yeast. It is a light beer with a crisp dry aftertaste. The carbonation of the brew reminded me of the carbonation found in rich full-bodied champagnes. It is made from a fifty-fifty ratio of barley and wheat berries (small grains of wheat vs. the normal use of larger wheat grains). This brew would definitely go well with food, especially a pasta dish.
The Red Rack Ale is a heavy, malt brew with a good balance of hops and malt. It is similar to the Pemi Ale brew except it has a slight chocolate malt taste and a slight toasted chocolate aroma. The color is dark ruby-red-brown and again it has an excellent rich head. While I did not find myself particularly fond of this brew, there is no doubt that many would find this ale to be an excellent apres ski refreshment.
The last beer I tried at the
Woodstock Inn and Brewery was the Wassail (Winter) Ale.
This
without a doubt was my favorite. It is a heavy malt brew with over 9%
abv. Its color is a deep ruby red with a thick creamy head and
the taste of toasted nuts and a wee bit of chocolate.
It will definitely warm you on those cold New England winter nights. It would go down well sitting by an open fireplace during a romantic interlude. I could not resist and brought home a growler to enjoy on these cold winter nights.
There are so many brews made at the Woodstock Inn and Brewery that I could not try them all in one day. Here's a list to whet your appetites:
Main
Brews
Red Rack Ale
Pig’s Ear Brown Ale
White Mountain Weasel Wheat
Old Man Oatmeal Stout
Specialty
Brews
Loon Golden Ale
Lost River Light
Pemi Pale Ale
Seasonal
Brews
Kane Country Maple Porter (Spring)
Raspberry Weasel Wheat (Summer)
Cogsman Ale (Summer)
Autumn Brew (Fall)
Wassail (Winter)
The brewery also has several Brewer Weekends that would delight brew heads and anyone interested in learning to brew beer. The package price is a bargain for two nights lodging, breakfast, lunch, and dinner is included along with a commemorative Woodstock Inn and Brewery T-shirt or hat.
Before I left for the day, I decided
to have a late lunch. I
mused over the menu and decided on the Fireman's
Feast. An 8oz New York sirloin with sweet chili glaze and
caramelized
onions served on a garlicky French roll. I chose to have a Pemi Pale
ale with
the meal and the ale complemented the meal well. I did not leave hungry
and was
tempted to turn around and stay at the Woodstock Inn and Brewery for a
few more
days.
Visit the Woodstock Inn and Brewery website.
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