MANCHESTER, N.H. – For almost a decade, To Share Brewing Company has sold alcoholic beverages it brewed on site. Last week, it took a significant step toward selling alcohol made off-site as well.
In a unanimous decision during the June 11, 2026 Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, the board approved a request by To Share Brewery co-owners Aaron and Jennifer Share modifying a stipulation attached to a variance they were granted at the board’s meeting on Nov. 9, 2017. That stipulation required that alcohol served on the premises must be beer brewed on the premises, as members of the board in 2017 feared that if the Brewery went out of business, then the variance could attract an establishment that would be harmful to the neighborhood. The fear of what could be placed on site if To Share went out of business also inspired other stipulations requiring closure of the facility after 10 pm on Thursday through Sunday and there would be no outdoor seating or outdoor music. In 2019, the board allowed expansion of the variance to allow more days and longer hours as well as 1,300 more square feet of space, the installation of a glycol water cooling unit and limited outdoor seating as long as no outdoor games are provided.
Aaron Share told the board that in 2020, the New Hampshire Liquor Commission restricted its licensing system and required the facility to obtain a Beverage Manufacturer License along with Restaurant Food Service and Restaurant Beer and Wine License. Additionally, he stated in a letter to the board that customer preferences and neighborhood needs have evolved over the years, implying that the ability to diversify its offerings would put the brewery more in-line with comparable small neighborhood restaurants.
Only two people provided testimony regarding the request: Brian Pratt of Canal Street, who praised the establishment in his support of the proposal and Mark Barton of 17 Hazel St. speaking in opposition. Barton, whose property is directly behind To Share Brewery, spoke at the hearing in 2017 and was one of only two people testifying that were not completely in support of To Share’s requests at that time. During that 2017 meeting, Barton stated that he generally supported the idea of the brewery but had some concerns. On June 11, he said that those concerns had grown after testifying that the Shares had dismissed his attempts to discuss noise and other issues.
Barton added that the Shares did not have a hardship, a requirement under state law for a variance, as they could continue to be a bar if the June 11th request was denied. Aaron Share responded that technically under New Hampshire state law, there are no bars as almost all establishments serving alcohol must also provide food. Jennifer Share added that the business applied for an American Express Main Street Fund Grant to host more events on the site and a denial of the request before the board during the June 11th meeting would make it difficult to fulfill the requirements of that grant.
In addition to the law change, members of the board acknowledged the impact of the city’s recently adopted zoning ordinance, which places To Share’s property on 720 Union St. in an MX-2 zone, which encourages neighborhood-scale service uses such as what they felt was being offered by To Share.
The primary point of contention came from concerns that music played indoors while a garage door in the front of the building was open constituted outdoor music since people outside could hear the music. There was an informal agreement between the applicants and the board to keep the door closed when music is being played inside.