And now for something completely different…a brewery! Garrison City is a relatively new nano-brewery in downtown Dover, NH. They’ve got a fairly unassuming street presence, but that’s the only thing about the place that’s mild. I was introduced to the brewery a few weeks ago, as I have a friend who lives about five minutes away, on foot. He’d been in a couple times and had picked up some of their “Crowlers” (more on that in a minute), to share with me.  Two weeks ago, I was finally in Dover and had the time to pay a visit myself. What an awesome place!

The brewery has a wonderful modern-contemporary feel with tall “family-style” wooden bar tables, a matching bar along the long side of the rectangular tasting room, and a massive television behind the bar displaying their beer offerings and descriptions. The brewery only offers tastings, a flight of six tasters for $9. They serve the beer on a wood paddle in the shape of a leaf, arranged according to the list on the TV. Since you can’t get a full pint, I bought three Crowlers to go. I’ll be reviewing those in the coming weeks.

So, now you’re wondering, “What the hell is a Crowler?” Well, it’s a combination of a can and a growler. It is a 32oz can, sealed right before your eyes on the bar using a special can sealer designed by Ball Canning and Oskar Blues Brewery. One of the proprietors of the brewery mentioned that there are only about 100 Crowler sealers in the world, so they’re doing something quite unique to add to their overall coolness factor. While enjoying our flights, the time somehow flew by, and before we knew it, the tasting room had been closed for half an hour, and we were simply chatting away with the employees.

Garrison City Beerworks has stepped up to the plate with the ferocity needed to play in the big league of nano-breweries and compete with the best. I’m hoping they can get fully entrenched in Dover and continue to churn out awesome brews for many years to come. I can’t wait to go back.

<>Beer Man