A Beer Run To Nashua: White Birch and Spyglass Breweries

Berliner Weisse. A "white" beer. Its origins are murky but in the 19th century, it was the most popular style of beer in the city of Berlin. That didn't last long as in the 20th century, it fell out of favor and there are now only a few breweries in Berlin that are still producing this style. However, this style of beer has become popular in the U.S., with numerous breweries making Berliner Weisse-style beers.

Last week, I spent a day exploring some of the sights in Nashua, New Hampshire, and in the Amherst Street region, I found two beer breweries, White Birch Brewing and Spyglass Brewing Company, and a distillery, Djinn Spirits. Unfortunately, the distillery was closed, as it's only open on the weekends. I'd done a little research on the two breweries, and though I'm not a huge beer drinker, there were beers they produced which intrigued me. So, I stopped by both breweries to taste some of their sour ales. 

White Birch Brewing, owned by Dave Herlicka, started as a tiny brewery in Hooksett back in 2009, moving to its Nashua location in 2018. It has a good-sized tasting room, which can handle about 80 people.

I sat at the bar and you can see their tap system, with 12 available beers. Some of those beers included: Mango-Peach Shake (Milkshake IPA with mango, peach & milk sugar), Indulgence (Belgian Imperial Stout), Hop Sessions (Session IPA), and Amarillo Hop Session (Session IPA dry-hopped with Amarillo). They produce small batches so their line-up changes on a regular basis. I was told that some of their beers, made only in 2-4 kegs, can sell out within a couple days. As soon as information about a new brew is posted on their social media, their fans rush to the tasting room.

They sell about four beers by the can, generally in four-packs, priced at $12-$20. You can also get a Growler Refill for about $15-$20. If you're drinking in the tasting room, you can get a 5 ounce pour for $2.50, a 12 ounce pour ($4.50 for less than 8% ABV, $6 above 8%ABV) or a 16 ounce pour for $6. You can also get a flight of four 5-ounce pours for only $8, a reasonable price to sample four different beers.

If you want a Flight of Four, you just check off the four beers you want to taste.

White Birch produces several different Berliner Weisse beers, which they describe as a "German style sour wheat ale." Their website also states that, "Napolean’s troops referred to Berliner Weisse as the “Champagne of the North” due to its lively and elegant character." At White Birch, their Berliner Weisse beers are traditionally made, as well as unfiltered and unpasteurized.

The earliest U.S. newspaper reference I found to Berliner Weisse was in the Alexandria Gazette & Virginia Advertiser, September 14, 1859. The article discussed that New York was experiencing lots of bad water, and that many lager beers were now equally as bad. Thus, "... habitual lager beer drinkers have given up their favorite, and taken Berlin Weisse (white) Beer."

Then, the Public Ledger (TN), June 21, 1875 reported on the Memphis Brewery, owned by Francis Schulz, which produced Berliner Weisse. This is the first U.S. newspaper reference I found of a U.S. beer brewery making this style of beer. The article stated, "A very palatable summer beverage is the celebrated Berliner Weisse beer manufactured in this city by Francis Schulz. This beer is superior to any manufactured in the North, and is growing rapidly in popular favor. Call for it at the saloons when you drink." 

I opted for a flight of four of their Berliner Weisse beers, and overall, I found them to be fresh, fruity, slightly sour, and refreshing. They are more dry than sweet, though the fruitiness could seem to be sweet to some people. These are the type of beers that would appeal to many people who generally dislike most beers, especially IPAs. The main differences in the flavor profiles of these beers are based on the type of fruits which were used to make them.

My favorite of the four was the Squeeze My Berries (5.5% ABV), made with blackberry and raspberry, and I'll note that this beer was almost named Tickle My Berries. The tasty berry flavors were bright and there was almost a bit of pulp in it. The Raspberry Passionfruit (5.5% ABV), made with raspberry and passionfruit, was also delicious, with a bit more of a tropical fruit flavor. The 2020 Ale (5% ABV), is made with raspberry, mango and black cherry, and also had a pleasing blend of fruit flavors, with a more subtle mango taste. The New Years Ale #1 (5.5% ABV), made with raspberry and cranberry, was my least favorite of the four, but only because it was too tart for my preferences due to the cranberry. If you love cranberries though, I'm sure you'd enjoy this beer.

I recommend that you check out White Birch Brewing for their Berliner Weisse beers, or to try some of their other beers.

Just down the street from White Birch, and next to the Djinn Spirits distillery, you'll find Spyglass Brewing Company, which opened in Nashua in 2018. The brewery was established by AV, Joe, Jonas, and John, described as "engineers/scientists/beer geeks/brewers." Their tasting room is medium-sized, with a small bar and a number of tables. It seems very popular as when it opened at 4pm, there were quickly numerous customers filling the tasting room.

Spyglass had 11 beers available on tap, including such items as Quid Pro Quoconut (Imperial Stout on Cacao and Coconut), Elastic Cloud (NE Double IPA w/Oats & Lactose), Spectrum (Triple IPA), and Aperture (Session Ale).  They sell only a few beers in a can, though you can buy an empty 32 ounce ($5) growler, which you can fill for $10-$16, or a 64 ounce ($7) growler, which you can fill for $18-$26. If you're drinking in the tasting room, you can get an 8 or 14 ounce ounce pour, ranging from $4-$8.

They only had one sour ale, the Mixed Berry Entanglement, so I bought an 8 ounce pour for $4.50. This is a Kettle Soured Ale, made with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. A Kettle soured beer is made in stainless steel, rather than in a wooden barrel like a traditional sour, and it is a much quicker process. I very much enjoyed this beer, with a delicious melange of fruit flavors, a pleasant tartness, and a clean, refreshing taste. I really liked the addition of the blueberry flavor. This would be perfect outside on a hot summery day.

I also recommend that you check out Spyglass Brewing Company. It may be relatively new to the Nashua scene, but it appears popular and their sour ale was impressive.

Nashua is only about an hour away from the Boston area, and it is worth the drive to check out these breweries. Hopefully, I'll get to Nashua one of these upcoming weekends to check out Djinn Spirits, and then report back.