It’s the Fourth of July and chances are you’re spending the day at a barbecue, enjoying more than your usual share of hamburgers and hot dogs as you await the evening’s spectacular fireworks display.
Ah, but there’s something else that’s most likely part of the mix, something that has become so engrained in American culture, it’s right up there with apple pie, baseball and the Bald Eagle: beer.
Independence Day is the biggest beer-selling holiday, according to a 2008 study commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Twenty-three million cases of beer were sold during the holiday period that year. That’s a lot of brewskis.
Americans are certainly a beer-loving bunch, but perhaps there is no one who has a bigger passion for our frothy friend than Peter Telge, owner of Milly’s Tavern in Manchester. The tavern, located in the heart of the city’s historic millyard, offers 16 microbrews.
Manchester’s only brew pub, Milly’s uses premium ingredients, along with water from local Lake Massabesic.
Telge has always loved high-quality beer, recalling the days when he would opt for the more expensive premium beer while his friends were buying the cheaper stuff. Telge has been working in the restaurant industry since 1983 when he started as a bartender. But it was in 1992, during a visit to the Boston Beer Festival, when he began envisioning the possibility of opening his own brewery. “That started it. When I went to the festival, I fell in love with the industry,” he said.
Peter Telge, owner of Milly’s Tavern in Manchester, enjoys a cold one in his brewery.
In 1994, Telge realized his dream, opening his own brewery first as Stark Mill Brewery and later as Milly’s Tavern in 2002. When asked why he chose to dedicate his life and career to beer, Telge said it just always felt right. “There’s nothing like after a hard day of work, having a cold, good beer,” said Telge as we sat at a table at his pub on a bustling Thursday evening. “You’re watching the ball game on a nice, hot day, you want a beer in your hand.”
When he wanted to open his own microbrew, he knew he had to do some serious homework. Although the type of homework Telge engaged in is something any beer lover could only dream about. “My research consisted of three years of going to every brew pub I could possibly go to,” he said.
As much fun as it may seem to brew beer for a living, Telge takes his job seriously. He started out by buying a $500,000 brewing system and, after talking with other brewers, coming up with a list of ideas on what kinds of beers he wanted to make. Developing new recipes for beers was a trial-and-error process, he said. “You learn by your mistakes and you learn from your successes. It’s like baking a cake. You make a really good cake and you want to remember how you did it. You do something that’s not so good, and you make sure you don’t do it again.”
Telge’s first four recipes – Amoskeag Harvest Ale, Tasha’s Red Tail Ale, Mt. Uncanoonuc Golden Cream Ale and General John Stark Dark Porter – are all still on tap, along with 10 other beers, including the Fisher Cat Ale and the ManchVegas IPA. “Hoppy, bitter, a lot of IBUs,” Telge said, when describing the ManchVegas IPA.
It’s a probably a good time for a lesson on beer terminology. Under each beer on the Milly’s Tavern menu, it lists things like IBUs, which stands for International Bittering Unit – the scale used to measure hop bitterness in beer. The menu also indicates each beer’s SRM, which is the Standard Reference Method, a scale used to classify the color of beer in the USA, along with the ABV percentage, or alcohol by volume.
As we chatted, Telge offered me a sampler of the pub’s variety of beers. Dedicated writer that I am, I forced myself to try as many as possible. Is my job tough or what? I especially enjoyed the Milly’s Oatmeal Stout. When I mentioned to Telge that my favorite beer is Newcastle Brown Ale, he suggested I try the Castlefield Brown Northern English Ale. Of course, it was delicious.
The pub offers seasonal ales, the most popular of which is the pumpkin ale. Telge said he purchases 300,000 fresh New Hampshire pumpkins to make the beer. It is served with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg on the rim. When Milly’s first offered it, Telge said they went through 14 barrels in six days. “It turned out to be a phenomenal beer,” he said.
BREW AT HOME: Although it’s always nice to go out for a beer, more and more people are choosing to brew their own beer at home. Perhaps it is that true American spirit of self-sufficiency. Jeff Walch is the owner of Jasper’s Homebrew & Winemaking in Nashua, where those looking to start home brewing can find all the tools they need. Walch offered up some tips to those looking to start home brewing:
Keep your brewery clean: By far the single most important step in home brewing is to keep your equipment well-cleaned and sanitized. It is easy.
Start with the proper brewing equipment: Just like cooking a tasty meal requires proper kitchenware, brewing requires authentic brewing equipment.
Always use fresh ingredients: Gourmet cooking requires the freshest ingredients. So does home brewing.
Be creative: Don’t be afraid to explore different beer styles and push a given recipe’s envelope. This is how beer styles are born!
Have fun! The number one reason people brew at home is because it is fun. Invite some friends over, tip a few cold
ones while you brew, and enjoy!
Something’s Brewin’
Photos by Kevin Harkins
It’s the Fourth of July and chances are you’re spending the day at a barbecue, enjoying more than your usual share of hamburgers and hot dogs as you await the evening’s spectacular fireworks display.
Ah, but there’s something else that’s most likely part of the mix, something that has become so engrained in American culture, it’s right up there with apple pie, baseball and the Bald Eagle: beer.
Independence Day is the biggest beer-selling holiday, according to a 2008 study commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Twenty-three million cases of beer were sold during the holiday period that year. That’s a lot of brewskis.
Americans are certainly a beer-loving bunch, but perhaps there is no one who has a bigger passion for our frothy friend than Peter Telge, owner of Milly’s Tavern in Manchester. The tavern, located in the heart of the city’s historic millyard, offers 16 microbrews.
Manchester’s only brew pub, Milly’s uses premium ingredients, along with water from local Lake Massabesic.
Telge has always loved high-quality beer, recalling the days when he would opt for the more expensive premium beer while his friends were buying the cheaper stuff. Telge has been working in the restaurant industry since 1983 when he started as a bartender. But it was in 1992, during a visit to the Boston Beer Festival, when he began envisioning the possibility of opening his own brewery. “That started it. When I went to the festival, I fell in love with the industry,” he said.
Peter Telge, owner of Milly’s Tavern in Manchester, enjoys a cold one in his brewery.
In 1994, Telge realized his dream, opening his own brewery first as Stark Mill Brewery and later as Milly’s Tavern in 2002. When asked why he chose to dedicate his life and career to beer, Telge said it just always felt right. “There’s nothing like after a hard day of work, having a cold, good beer,” said Telge as we sat at a table at his pub on a bustling Thursday evening. “You’re watching the ball game on a nice, hot day, you want a beer in your hand.”
When he wanted to open his own microbrew, he knew he had to do some serious homework. Although the type of homework Telge engaged in is something any beer lover could only dream about. “My research consisted of three years of going to every brew pub I could possibly go to,” he said.
As much fun as it may seem to brew beer for a living, Telge takes his job seriously. He started out by buying a $500,000 brewing system and, after talking with other brewers, coming up with a list of ideas on what kinds of beers he wanted to make. Developing new recipes for beers was a trial-and-error process, he said. “You learn by your mistakes and you learn from your successes. It’s like baking a cake. You make a really good cake and you want to remember how you did it. You do something that’s not so good, and you make sure you don’t do it again.”
Telge’s first four recipes – Amoskeag Harvest Ale, Tasha’s Red Tail Ale, Mt. Uncanoonuc Golden Cream Ale and General John Stark Dark Porter – are all still on tap, along with 10 other beers, including the Fisher Cat Ale and the ManchVegas IPA. “Hoppy, bitter, a lot of IBUs,” Telge said, when describing the ManchVegas IPA.
It’s a probably a good time for a lesson on beer terminology. Under each beer on the Milly’s Tavern menu, it lists things like IBUs, which stands for International Bittering Unit – the scale used to measure hop bitterness in beer. The menu also indicates each beer’s SRM, which is the Standard Reference Method, a scale used to classify the color of beer in the USA, along with the ABV percentage, or alcohol by volume.
As we chatted, Telge offered me a sampler of the pub’s variety of beers. Dedicated writer that I am, I forced myself to try as many as possible. Is my job tough or what? I especially enjoyed the Milly’s Oatmeal Stout. When I mentioned to Telge that my favorite beer is Newcastle Brown Ale, he suggested I try the Castlefield Brown Northern English Ale. Of course, it was delicious.
The pub offers seasonal ales, the most popular of which is the pumpkin ale. Telge said he purchases 300,000 fresh New Hampshire pumpkins to make the beer. It is served with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg on the rim. When Milly’s first offered it, Telge said they went through 14 barrels in six days. “It turned out to be a phenomenal beer,” he said.
Milly’s Tavern – 500 Commercial Street, Manchester, NH
(603) 625-4444 www.MillysTavern.com
Jeff Walch of Jasper's Homebrew & Winemaking
BREW AT HOME:
Although it’s always nice to go out for a beer, more and more people are choosing to brew their own beer at home. Perhaps it is that true American spirit of self-sufficiency. Jeff Walch is the owner of Jasper’s Homebrew & Winemaking in Nashua, where those looking to start home brewing can find all the tools they need. Walch offered up some tips to those looking to start home brewing:
Keep your brewery clean: By far the single most important step in home brewing is to keep your equipment well-cleaned and sanitized. It is easy.
Start with the proper brewing equipment: Just like cooking a tasty meal requires proper kitchenware, brewing requires authentic brewing equipment.
Always use fresh ingredients: Gourmet cooking requires the freshest ingredients. So does home brewing.
Be creative: Don’t be afraid to explore different beer styles and push a given recipe’s envelope. This is how beer styles are born!
Have fun! The number one reason people brew at home is because it is fun. Invite some friends over, tip a few cold
ones while you brew, and enjoy!
Jasper’s Homebrew and Winemaking Supply - 4 Temple Street, Nashua
(603) 881-3052 www.BoomChugalug.com