As part of my recent vacation, I was granted the privilege of visiting PeKu Publications World Headquarters, the hub around which this web site, along with its many companions, spins. Ably supported by my editor, I actually met, face to face, with Michele, our fearless leader. Our travel situation resulted in the meeting, perforce, being over lunch; and alas, it was just too late for the PeKu cafeteria to be open. So instead, we adjourned to a neighboring pub, where I selected a beer which I could report on for your ongoing illumination.
If companies as large as Exxon Mobil can be run out of tiny states like Delaware, is it not reasonable for a web-based media group to be run out of New Hampshire? And so it proves; PeKu is based in the town of Manchester, in that state. And it was at the suggestion of the server that I elected to try a very local product, 603 Brewery’s Winni Ale, made only a short distance away in Londonderry.
603 Brewery is, of course, named after the telephone area code for New Hampshire. By the same token, the beer is named after Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest of New Hampshire’s lakes and possibly the source of the water which goes into this beer. However, do not let the lack of inspiration in the name fool you. It seems that much of their creativity went into the beer that they brew.
Winni Ale is a classic amber ale. As seems usual for this variety, there is little citrus tang in the aroma, suggesting that the hops are added to the hot wort, the “barley malt soup” that is one of the earlier stages in brewing, rather than to the fermenting mixture after the yeast has been added. The hop bite is quite mild, and comes in late on each pull, so most of the flavor comes from the toasted barley. Overall the taste is mild and clean, and the hops at the end of each sip clears the palate admirably for the next bite or comment, whichever seems appropriate at the time. Note that this beer does come in at 6.6%, a little stronger than industry standard, but not enough to be particularly hazardous for most drinkers.
Unfortunately, while the 603 Brewery does bottle this beer, along with a couple of others, they do not as yet ship outside the state. While I can’t suggest that you should visit New Hampshire solely for the purpose of finding this beer, I can suggest quite strongly that if you happen to be in that state, you should definitely make the effort to try this beer.
I paired this beer with a ham panini at the pub and found it a very good match. 603 Winni Ale will likely be best with the stronger, but not necessarily spicier, flavors: beef, cheeses, mild sausage, and possibly Italian-style foods.