Rise of Republic Brewing Company
Manchester will soon have a new brewery to celebrate, Republic Brewing Company, making a nod to a fondly remembered restaurant from the pre-pandemic days. This new brewery has been in the works for a while, and is the vision of Pete Macone and Mike Brown.
BREWERY SCENE
by Jeff Rogers
MANCHESTER, NH – Manchester will soon have a new brewery to celebrate, Republic Brewing Company, which makes a nod to a fondly remembered restaurant from the pre-pandemic days. This new brewery has been in the works for a while, and is the vision of Pete Macone and Mike Brown. Pete was manager extaordinaire at Republic on Elm Street and sister restaurant Campo Enoteca, while Mike Brown has for a while now run Hometown Coffee Roasters (quite possibly the best coffee in town!) right next door to the new Republic Brewing.
Mike and Pete met mid- or post-pandemic, and in conversation discovered they shared some overlapping interests and complimentary skill sets. Most prominently, they shared an interest in bringing a great local brewery to Manchester. But they were too smart and experienced to plunge blindly in – first they started with some home brewing. Once they were happy with that, they moved up to some larger equipment, approaching professional level. They did several brews there and again were happy with they outcomes. Then for the real trial – take what they had produced and have it tasted by other professional brewers for feedback. They got positive feedback from brewers at Post & Beam, Candia Road Brewing Company, and Spyglass Brewing. One of the reviewers had emphasized the importance of canning and selling cans, but after tasting one of the brews, predicted it would sell from the taps so fast they wouldn’t have enough left to can! Quite the hearty endorsement!
I should be clear: this new spot will NOT be a revival of the Republic we all remember. Instead, it will be very much a new brewery which also serves some food reminiscent of the old Republic, and carries forward some of Republic’s atmosphere. Imagine you had a dream about Republic, but as often happens in dreams, things are curiously altered in this version.
Also, the brewery will be ENORMOUS compared to the old restaurant! If you’ve been to Hometown Coffee, imagine that space, but even larger. And it will have beer brewed ON THE PREMISES! Ed Aloise, the owner and head chef of the old Republic, will be involved in a consulting role. I have to admit, overhearing some of their conversations did make my mouth water!
Familiar Art
Here, some familiar art finds a new home over fun and comfy spots in the brewery.
The Space
The Republic Brewing Company space is at 72 Old Granite Street, immediately to the east of Hometown Coffee Roasters and just a few steps west of The Goat. This puts it across Granite Street from, and due south of, the Center of New Hampshire parking garage.
This is also very near to, and south west from, the Bank of America building at the corner of Elm St. and Granite St. This means it will also be a handy stop before attending events at the SNHU Arena.
Entering from the street are both a pedestrian door and a large overhead garage door with glass panes. This means that on nice days the space will be light and airy.
They have some space upstairs which they plan to use as private meeting rooms that can be reserved. These rooms will have windows into the larger main serving room.
Most of the art on the walls is supplied by photographer Claudia Rippee. You will recognize some of her pieces from the walls of the old Republic, of which she was co-owner. But there are also some new pieces here – for example a series of photos taken of the Prague Peace Wall in 2010, AKA the John Lennon Wall. Sadly this entire wall was painted over in 2014. But it will live on inside Republic Brewing, which has plenty of space for it! So bring your Prague friends here to revive old memories!
The Food
The brewery’s kitchen menu is a transformed and abbreviated recollection of the old Republic menu. Pete Macone assures me that Republic’s fries with capers will be back. The fish burgers will return transformed into tacos. Other items will undergo a similar transformation to give them a more casual brewery feel as compared to a plates-&-cutlery mediterranean restaurant.
Ingredients will be sourced locally using many of the same suppliers that the old Republic used:
• Chicken from Fowl Territory Farm in Temple NH
• Beef from Little Brook Farm in Exeter NH
• Pork from Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland NH
• Fish from Sal’s Fresh Seafood in Boston
• Fresh greens in summer from Moulton Farm in Meredith NH
The Beers
The pictures here should serve as proof that the brewing is really happening. Wet concrete floors, a bin full of wet grain – ah, the glorious life of a brewer!
Mike Brown has identified six beers to be their go-to brews on the menu, with plans to expand. He’ll start off with two IPAs, Bella and Picture, and their sister DIPAs, La Vita Bella and Picture of Nectar, accompanied by one pale ale, Story, and one sour ale, Zest. Later he expects to add some lagers and porters or stouts.
I had the pleasure of being present while he was brewing the sour ale, just bringing it up to boil. That step would be followed by the addition of some yogurt as a source of lactobacillus, then later followed by the addition of a large load of raspberries. I have high hopes for this one.
I also watched as he and Pete Macone raked spent grain out of the preceding tank, to be picked up shortly thereafter by a regional farmer, Darren Davis of Little Brook Farm in Exeter.
I also got to taste Bella, one of the IPAs, in a not-quite-finished state (prior to dry hopping). Nice color, nice cloudiness, and pretty tasty for not being done yet. I look forward to the finished version!
I had a brief flashback to high school chemistry as I watched Mike test the specific gravity of Bella.
It must be beer, it says so right on the side of the instrument! If only high school chemistry had been so pleasant!
Just the Facts
Republic Brewing Company will have an exclusive Founders Club soft opening on Friday, November 1, from 5-8 p.m.. First public open date & time to be announced soon – follow them on social media, or via their website, for more details.
Republic Brewing Company is located at…
72 Old Granite Street,
Manchester, NH
Phone: (603) 836-3188
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
