LOCAL FLAVOR MEANS A LOT OF THINGS WHEN YOU VISIT MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY!

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!

Saco River Brewing.

What's Saco River Brewing's favorite beer? The next one its coming out with!

Located in Fryeburg, Maine, the beer at Saco River Brewing is owned and brewed by Conway, New Hampshire local, Mason Irish. He's bridging Maine and New Hampshire with a shared love of great beer.

I love the creative process of creating a new beer. From concept to creation, I love digging deep into the practice of consistency. The supply for agricultural product is so variable, that I have to become really savvy with how I create the same high-quality product even when my go-to ingredients are hard to get.  

Brewing and bottling since 2016, Saco River Brewing celebrates its anniversary each July, and for its sixth year in the business of brewing, it's ringing it in with the release of its VI Session IPA. Mason has been working on it for three years, and his discipline has paid off. He's ready and excited to share it with the brewery's guests.

Since opening, Saco River Brewing has grown from a one barrel operation to thirty. It offers twelve taps for beer, and one tap for its hard seltzer, where you get to customize your flavor with up to three options. With each beer Mason brings the same attention and dedication to getting all the elements that make a beer great to each one.

Not only is he constantly working on his own craft, but he's also collaborating with other breweries and non-profits to create beers that give back to the community. He says he learns a lot from other brewers and loves the knowledge exchange. One release coming up will be in support the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust (USVLT) for their most recent land project in support of Jockey Cap. This peak lives right across the road from Saco River Brewing is working on a hoppy style beer to be released in October, where a portion of proceeds will help USVLT purchase a 50% ownership stake in Jockey Cap in order to gain access to improve trail maintenance and conservation efforts.

This ties-in perfectly with Mason's love for outdoor recreation in Mt. Washington Valley. Living in Conway, NH and brewing in Fryeburg, ME allows him to really take advantage of the lifestyle the Valley has to offer. He skis, bikes, hikes, and loves being on the water between these two communities. He believes that the more access you have to recreate on land and water, the more buy-in there is to protect it, which is why working with non-profits like Upper Saco Valley Land Trust is so important to him.

The Details.

Saco River Brewing is open Tuesday through Sunday. You can find it at 10 Jockey Cap Lane, Fryeburg, Maine. You'll find indoor and outdoor seating, and It hosts food trucks regularly and updates to when and what is available on its Facebook. It also offers live music every Tuesday, and joins forces with its neighbor - a specialty food and deli market to offer Taco Tuesday.

Learn more about Mt. Washington Valley's breweries, wineries and distillery here:

Ledge Brewing Company, Alpine Garden Winery, Cathedral Ledge Distillery, TUCKERMAN BREWING COMPANY, MOAT MOUNTAIN SMOKEHOUSE AND BREWERY

‍

For complete trip planning resources and information, explore this site, visitmwv.com, or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to talk to a Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce rep.