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You'll find it in the ingredients used at independently owned restaurants; at the farms growing the ingredients; within the culture of the area and the local people who make Mt. Washington Valley their home, and when it comes to the local craft beverage scene in the Mt. Washington Valley, you'll find it in the local breweries, distilleries, and wineries.
Build your own tasting tour of the valley's local beverage scene, and make your way to five breweries, two wineries, and one distillery that span from Fryeburg, Maine to Bartlett, New Hampshire. Enjoy each unique perspective on hand-crafted liquor, cider, wine, and beer at each of these locally owned businesses. Taste the difference between each beverage; feel the excitement from the local brewers, wine-makers-and distillers as they perfect their craft; spend time amongst locals who are enjoying a refreshing beverage after a day of hiking, biking, or skiing; and catch some entertainment in the form of live music, corn hole, or food trucks.
Follow along as we showcase each local brewery, winery, and distillery in Mt. Washington Valley! Pair your tasting tour with shopping, and dining, and make it an overnight stay! For more information on planning your Mt. Washington Valley vacation, sign up for our monthly newsletter!
The thing about going to Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Co. is that you’re bound to see someone you know - and not only someone you know, but someone you like.
Moat Mountain Smokehouse opened in 2000, and brought something completely unique at the time. The second brewery to open in Mt. Washington Valley, it paired a restaurant with its pours. Making everything from scratch from its sauces to its dressings to its rubs, and gave a very southwestern and Thai flair to its BBQ forward menu. It's food is so good that even "Guy Ate There." Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives featured Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery on its Food Network show.
You’ll find traditional menu items such as a caesar salad that made its way through the brains of the owner and original head chefs, and came out the other side as a Southwestern Caesar Salad with a homemade chipotle caesar dressing. Or the Longhorn Nachos - not only are these innovative because of the Texas style smoked brisket and homemade Austin BBQ sauce, but because they come out on a sheet pan instead of a plate. This ensures even distribution of all its toppings - a very important factor when it comes to nacho dynamics!
Over twenty years later the crew is still innovating and creating dishes that will truly satisfy every single person in your party. From its Vegetarian Thai Peanut Chili to its Hot Black Pastrami Sandwich, which features curry aioli, horseradish cheddar and homemade slaw, this sandwich is an excellent take on the traditional Rueben. Moat Mountain Smokehouse is also serving up BBQ platters that defy the odds of portions and flavor - such as the Carolina Style Smoked Pulled Pork or the Moat Mountain BBQ Meatloaf. And may we suggest, always go for their Cajun Fries when presented with the choice.
Head Brewer, Scott Simoneau, started out as a customer. Living in North Conway, NH because of its access to rock climbing, he would always stop in after a day in the mountains for a cold beer. When asked why he became a brewer, his answer is “because I drank here a lot! It only made sense for me to join the team.”
Back in early 2000, typical beers were mostly light bodied and flavored. Craft brewing hadn’t made a come-back from Prohibition yet, so heavier and full-bodied beers were scarce. Breweries in North Conway, NH area such as Tuckerman Brewing Company and Moat Mountain Brewing Co. were really innovative with the recipes they were bottling.
Recipes such as Moat Mountain Brewing Co.'s “Hoffman Weiss,” which is a German Heffeweisen style beer that features a subtle hint of banana and clove flavor stemming from the specific yeast used to brew it. It’s “Miss V’s Blueberry” beer is inarguably one of the best blueberry beers on the market, and Scott and his team take wild Maine blueberries and steam them to extract that distinct blueberry flavor you taste in Moat Mountain Brewing Co.'s beer.
Another aspect of what makes this hybrid of a brewery and restaurant is so cool, is that it is also brewing beer with food pairing in mind as well. Take for example Moat Mountain Brewing Co.’s Brown Ale - it’s a complex beer that is a perfect compliment to the BBQ the kitchen is preparing daily. The nuttiness and caramel in the Brown Ale really compliments the punchiness of the homemade BBQ sauces.
If you are already - or know you’ll become a fan of the beer at Moat Mountain Smokehouse, we suggest you join its famous “Mug Club!” A mug gives you access to 20 ounce pours for $5.75 - where all 14 Moat Mountain beers on tap are already one of the best deals in the valley at $6.00 a pour - a 20% discount on all dine-in orders on Monday’s and $1.00 off all growlers.
All beer is also sold in can form, and Moat Mountain Brewery distributes throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Co. is open Friday through Tuesday. It offers outdoor dining in the spring, summer and fall (which is subject to change). You’ll find fourteen beers on tap, poured in sixteen ounce and twenty ounce pours, as well as flights, where you get eight, five ounce pours. For those looking for an after-hours dining option, Moat Mountain Smokehouse offers a late night limited menu on Friday and Saturday, from 9:30pm to 11:00pm. You’ll find pizza, nachos and chili, among a few other top menu choices.
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