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Monday, December 03, 2007

Snow Blower Stout to be offered by Sumttynose Brewery this winter

Snow Blower Stout to be offered by Sumttynose Brewery this winter at the Mason and Barley Pub. Sounds like a great idea. Lets take a trip!!

Sean
2Beerguys.com

Drink Craft Beer, You've Earned It!!




Brew for the people: Smuttynose crafts special stout for local pub

By AARON SANBORN
Foster's Daily Democrat
updated 12:00 p.m. ET, Fri., Nov. 30, 2007


Dover, NH - It's a beer they call their own. A smooth, dark stout that finishes with a hint of coffee was just what Barley Pub owner Scott Mason wanted when he approached Smuttynose Brewing Co. with the idea. Mason wanted a "session beer," one that people could enjoy after work, or over a snack with friends.

And with a name like Snow Blower Stout, it's a beer bent on bringing every belly to the bar.

"We were looking for something that fits what we do here better, a local-type beer," Mason said at the beer's unveiling Thursday. "We wanted something not too high on alcohol, easy to drink but not to light or watery; something interesting."

As Mason explains at the debut party, it is a beer that won't overwhelm you with alcohol, but still leaves just enough flavor in your mouth. With glass upon glass of the dark stuff lining the bar, the beer seemed a success.

The impetus behind the new beer was to provide customers with a beer that represented the pub and community. In the past, the pub's identity has been attached to it's special winter promotion of offering Guinness for $2 a pint every time it snows, dubbed "when it snows it flows," Mason said.

Ultimately, Mason wanted a "session beer," where people could have a few after work but not be overwhelmed by its alcohol content. He also wanted a craft brew he could use to replace Guinness as his "snow" beer.

"I'm excited and honored that Smuttynose did this," Mason said. "When I asked, they didn't hesitate, they were more than willing to do it."

A few weeks ago, Mason and Barley Pub staff went down to the Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmouth and helped Smuttynose Brewer J.T. Thompson brew just the right beer. Thompson was at the pub Thursday, uncorking the first keg and pouring the first beer. Thompson said the beer's taste had just the right amount of sweetness and roasted flavor. He was also able to level the beer's alcohol content at 4.0. As a point of reference, Budweiser and Bud Light are about 5.0 and 4.3 percent alcohol respectively.

"You can have a few of these beers and not be knocked on your butt," Thompson said.

As of late, there has been a trend of pubs requesting "extreme beers," beers with high alcohol contents, Thompson said. But he hopes Snow Blower Stout will be a start of a new trend.

"I hope we see more of these session beers brewed and less extreme beers, and get the trend back to center," he added.

Along with a unique taste, the beer was also ushered in with a unique tap handle crafted in the shape of snow blower blades and a shield, designed by local artist Chris Smith.

A large crowd packed into the pub to grab a first taste of the stout and most gave the beer a thumbs up.

"It has a nice finish to it and doesn't fill you up, like a lot of stouts do," said patron David Cass.

Portsmouth resident Josh Smith said he liked the beer's roasted barley taste and was pleased how the pub and brewery teamed up to make the beer.

"It's great that a local pub would contact a local brewery to brew something good and appealing for local people," he said.

The beer will be offered at $4 a pint and will be part of a new winter promotion dubbed "when it snows it blows," where the beer will be sold at $2 a pint. The beer will be served until spring and then pulled for the summer, only to return again next winter.

Link to article

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