BREWERY SCENE
by Jeff Rogers
MANCHESTER, NH – We had a house guest leaving soon, and for her final Saturday in Manchester we wanted to go somewhere interesting. I mentioned Republic Brewing, our newest brewery – would she like to join us there for beer and tacos? She said sure, she had a meeting first but afterward that would be great. Cool – plan made.
Of course, as part of my clever plan I figured she could be fresh millennial eyes on Republic Brewing and give me her perspective. Yes, always let someone else be the guinea pig if you can!
The Space
We arrived a little on the early side on Saturday, about 5, and managed to snag a parking spot right next door in the lot of Hometown Coffee Roasters (also owned by the owners of Republic.) That’s a pretty small lot so I was surprised we were able to get in there.
Then we stepped next door, into Republic. The place was full and very lively. I began to worry that finding space for our small party of three might be a challenge. The bar did not have room for us. We did find a single empty small table with one lone chair next to it. But no problem, the staff saw us right away, went off and brought two additional chairs. Soon we were comfortable.
We looked at the menu and chose some drinks. Our guest was more of a wine person and chose a glass of the Tiamo Pino Grigio. My wife went for the Spyglass Czech Style Pilsner. I chose the Zest Sour Raspberry Ale. Once we had chosen our drinks, ordering was a simple matter of walking to the register at the end of the bar, placing our order and paying, then carrying our drinks back to the table.
My wife is a Manchester native and rarely goes to local restaurants or bars without seeing someone she knows, but after surveying the room she stated, quite surprised, that she recognized not a single face among the clientele. Pete Macone, one of the owners, mentioned that some of the customers were from the new apartments at 75 Canal St. Nice to see them getting occupied so fast.
In a few minutes, my wife noticed some space open at the bar, so we moved there. More room for the tacos we were contemplating! We probably could have managed at the table, but it might have been a little tight. By the way, the bar top is concrete and was poured by the owners Pete and Mike themselves. These guys don’t shy away from the hard work!
While we were seated at the bar, Pete stopped by and we chatted a bit. Once upon a time, at the restaurants Republic and Campo Enoteca, Pete had been responsible for the enjoyable music that played in their front rooms. And so it is at the new Republic Brewing. Among the music we heard that night:
- Tired of Being Alone – Al Green
- Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel
- Older – Parcels
- Don’t Play (feat. Mood Talk) – Jungle
- Moving On – Roosevelt
- That’s Where It’s At – Sam Cooke
- Monogamy – Cherub
- Stay A Child – FKJ
- Juno – Parra for Cuva
- Moonflower Glow – Joka Beatz
- Sunday Vibes – Masego & Medasin
- IHM – FKJ
- Do I (Where We Are) – Cherub
That playlist is some seriously soulful curation covering many decades!
I complimented Pete on his choice of music and he excitedly told me about the subwoofer and amplifier in the back room. So of course I had to go have a look.
While were gazing at this electronic awesomeness, I mentioned how when I had first walked in I thought the music might be a bit too loud, but after walking further into the room, sitting down, hearing the clientele chatting, I realized the volume for the music was just right. You could hear it clearly without trying too hard, but could also hear the people at your table too. A very enjoyable experience. And while I saw no visible acoustic treatments, neither did I notice any harsh echoes.
But that was enough geeking out about subwoofers and amplifiers, time to return to my Zest Sour Raspberry Ale, and order some food.
The Food
Our guest ordered the Kale Caesar and said it was delicious. My wife got the fish tacos, also delicious – I had a bite. I had the crispy cauliflower tacos which are absolutely top notch. My only regret is that we did not split an order of the Republic Handcut Fries with capers.
On a previous visit I tried the pork tacos and black bean tacos and can heartily vouch for them also.
The Beer
I had been looking forward to the Zest Sour Raspberry Ale since my last visit. And my anticipation was soundly rewarded. This is one of the best raspberry sours I’ve had anywhere. The sourness is present but not overwhelming, no puckering is needed. And the raspberry is also definitely present but not too strong. As Goldilocks might say: “Just right!”
I could happily have had another Zest but in the interest of research I felt I should have something else. Also in the interest of research I felt it should be one of Republic’s own beers brewed by Mike himself. So I went with a Picture IPA. I’ve gone on record here many times as not really being an IPA guy, but I will say I find the Picture to be in some undefinable way more to my taste than the Bella. Not sure why. I encourage you to try them both yourself, then ask Mike about the differences.
I also tried a taste of my wife’s Czech Style Pilsner from Spyglass, and I found it pretty good. I should state up front that my personal gold standard there is the Czech Pilsner from Moat Mountain Brewing Company in North Conway. Hmmm, time for a taste-off? Maybe so, maybe so.
Our Guest’s Review
She absolutely loved the vibe. The music, the diverse crowd, a few parents with kids, a few older folks.
She appreciated that they offered wine in addition to beer, and overall found it very comforting. She could imagine coming there at a less busy time with a laptop and doing a bit of work with a glass of wine – or maybe a beer.
Just the Facts
Republic Brewing Company is located at…
72 Old Granite Street,
Manchester, NH
Phone: (603) 836-3188
Parking Options:
Street spaces are limited. Also consider…
Center of NH Parking Garage
65 Granite St, Manchester, NH 03101
SNHU Millard Parking garage
75 South Commercial Street, Manchester, NH 03101
Website Facebook Instagram Email
Hours:
Wed: 3 – 8:30 p.m.
Thu: 3 – 8:30 p.m.
Fri: 1 – 9 p.m.
Sat: Noon – 9 p.m.
Sun: Noon – 7 p.m.
Kitchen will close 30 minutes before doors.
Unfortunately, only dogs recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the American with Disabilities Act, trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities, are allowed.
Map
