Brewpub Visit: Portsmouth Brewery

I’ve found that many people are surprised when I tell them that beer pairs well with almost any cuisine and quality of food, and that in most cases, beer actually pairs better than wine. There are so many wonderful things about pairing beer with food. First, beer is relatively inexpensive compared to wine, so experimenting is affordable. Second, beer pairing is more relaxed than wine pairing since there is no hard and fast rules about which beers pair well with certain foods. With a variety of styles from around the world, beer can easily be matched with different foods; you only need to know where to start. One of my first jobs in the industry was at a brewpub in Cambridge, MA called Brew Moon. This job was my first real introduction into the world of pairing beer with food. Before beginning at Brew Moon, I’ll admit that I never considered pairing beer with food as my education up to this point centered mainly on wine. By working with the chefs and the head brewer, I learned more about different beer styles and was able to extend my pairing experience from wine to beer.

Since my time in Cambridge the industry has made a push toward developing menus consisting of more than pizza and burgers. Some brewpubs have worked to show consumers how well beer and food can complement each other. But unfortunately many places still limit their offerings to “pub grub”. Brewpubs across the country are finding that the more beer and beer styles consumers try, the more interested they become in how to pair them with food. One such place is The Portsmouth Brewery located in beautiful Portsmouth, NH about an hour and a half from Boston. The Portsmouth Brewery is very easy to find, right in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. It is definitely the place to go in Portsmouth, lots of different people, families, couples, singles, etc. The atmosphere is great, very casual and the staff is friendly and attentive. They had 10 beers on tap, great selections including five seasonal and three Smuttynose brews (Sister Company).

The food was good, great variety on the menu ranging from nachos with jack cheese, to grilled pizzettas, to wild mushroom strudel. Portsmouth has really taken a step in the right direction with their food offerings to pair with the incredible beers they have on tap. I was also very pleased to find that they infuse their beers with dessert to take the experience to another level.

One thing of note if you have trouble pairing items Portsmouth provides it customers with a great tool. They have on the menu “The brewer’s table, No. 5” which is their beer recommendations with some of their more creative dishes which every brewpub should have. Like the sweet potato & black bean croquettes which they pair with old brown dog or biere de garde.

This is one brewpub that is looking to enhance the experience of their consumers by putting forth a creative and exciting menu for the ever changing palates of this new generation of beer drinkers, and we need more out there.

Here are my three favorite beers with pairings from my visit to Portsmouth Brewery:

3) Portsmouth Hefeweizen
Pours a caramelized sugar color with blonde highlights throughout leaving a small white head. The aroma is fig, bananas, sweet fruit, and small amounts of citrus, cloves with a similar smell to "Mr. Clean" in a good way. The taste is buttery and malty. It continues with a fruit background followed by wheat, grainy taste then takes you to a very light honey hoppy mild carbonated finish. Very nice Hefe, I find it nice and true to the style. I paired this beer with prosciutto, fontina & vidalia onion Pizzetta. The wheat, honey flavors in the beer and caramelized onions from the pizzetta really compliment each other and the saltiness of the cheese really cuts into the sweetness of the hefe.

2) Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager
This beer pours a golden color and leaves a very thin white lace that disappears quickly. As I smell this beer I get some grassy, earthy, essence, along with some sour grape fruitiness. This beer hits the palate with a bland tartness that really leaves you wanting for the malty sweetness to balance it out. The beer continues to give you that grapefruit, tart smacking feeling but has nothing to balance it out with so the flavor is dominant but still delicious. I had to pair this with the Raspberry cobbler. The bitterness, tangy aspect, and carbonation in the beer really attacked the sweetness of the raspberry filling and the crust. The acidity that was in the raspberry filling also really refreshed the palate allowing you to taste every bite and not dull your taste buds.

1) Portsmouth Crazed Cossack Russian Imperial Stout
Pours a jet black elixir and leaves a thick tan head brown and soft. The aroma is sweet nutty with a chocolate background. Wow the sweet malt, roasted barley, and chocolate notes massage your palate making this similar to Scottish ale than a more brisk hoppier Imperial, but not disappointing by any means. This is a fantastic brew that finished hoppy with a slight alcohol presence on the palate. I paired this beer with a Pulled pork sandwich, sounds weird but it really worked well together. Most people pair beer like wine light beer with lighter fares, but not me. I look for similarities or contrasts in the food and drink, then I make the decision. The sweetness from the pork really brought out the sweet nutty character in the stout. Then the smokiness from the pork also accentuated the roasted barley in the beer, making each bite even better. Although I would traditionally pair the Imperial stout with a smoked cheese or a lighter chocolate dessert. I felt that the sweet/smoky flavor in the pork really went with the roasted barley of the stout. I would definitely make a marinate with this imperial as a base to marinate the pork in... future note.

Frank Bennett