The Packie Brings Craft Beer Breweries to the People!

BREWERY SCENE

by Jeff Rogers

MANCHESTER, NH – Sometimes you need to scratch that itch, but you don’t want to drive for an hour to find that special back-scratcher. Sometimes your tastebuds are longing for some creative elixirs, or especially refreshing ales or lagers, and the closer to home you can find them, the better for everyone. Sometimes you want some beers brewed in other countries or on other continents, even if you’re not willing to travel there.

Or maybe you want to choose an exotic combination of styles and flavors, a unique expression of your very own tastes, and bring that combo home where you can have it right in your own fridge, within easy reach when thirst strikes.

Thirst? Itch? My metaphors are getting entangled. My main point is that there’s a solution for that itch – and luckily, for that thirst, too. That solution is The Packie on Manchester’s West Side or their sister shop in Hooksett. I recently met someone who was loudly singing their praises, so it went to the top of my must-visit list. I made it there Friday afternoon, and it was a delight.

The Space

I parked my car and crawled over a mound of dirty snow, then made my way toward the store. It looks pretty modest from the outside, just another box in a strip mall. But the signage is clear and hard to miss.

Inside, the space is not large but is extremely well organized.

Clear overhead signs call out beverage categories:

• New Hampshire
• Hard Seltzer & Other Beverages
• Hard Cider & Mead
• New England
• IPAs
• USA
• Gluten-Free & Ginger Beer
• Imports
• Sour / Wile
• Non-Alcoholic

The Beer

Purely by chance I walked into a tasting being given by Henniker Brewing.

Daniel Migneault from Henniker had brought six beers to the tasting, some new-ish, some old stand-bys. Here’s what he had:

• Henniker Kolsch
• Sour Flower
• Hugs From
• Flap Jack
• Working Man’s Porter
• King Misanthrope

I’d had some of these before, while others were new to me. I tried the Sour Flower, the Flap Jack, and the King Misanthrope. All were delicious. Details follow…

Sour Flower – Dry Hopped Sour Ale – 5.6% ABV

This was a mild sour with a bit of fruitiness and sweetness, nothing to make you pucker, far from overpowering. A great mild sour. Possibly a good introductory beer for people who expect that they won’t like sours.

Flap Jack – Maple Double Brown Ale – 7.0% ABV

A great brown ale with just a hint of maple, noticeable more on the nose than on the tongue. I brought home a four-pack.

King Misanthrope – Russian Imperial Stout – 10% ABV

For me, this was the huge winner of the evening. Aged on toasted maple wood cured with Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey from Steadfast Spirits Distilling Company in Concord, NH. Notes of chocolate, coffee, maple, charred wood, & whiskey. A four-pack of this followed me home. I brought it to a friend’s house later that evening, and she loved it too.

After tasting some of the Henniker beers, I browsed the shop a bit. They seemed to have a richly varied selection, with a lot of imported beers. I ended up bringing home, in addition to the Hennikers I mentioned above, a couple more…

Jack’s Abby Smoke & Dagger – Smoked Black Lager – 5.6% ABV

Reminiscent of Smokin’ by Great North Aleworks, in the style of a German Rauchbier (literally “smoked beer” in German). Clean mouth-feel, not heavy.

Stowe Cider Peach Habanero – Cider – 5.5% ABV

Delicious. The peach is present and pleasant but not overwhelming. The habanero is stronger (when was habanero ever weak?) but also not overwhelming. This is hot, but not insanely hot — if you don’t like spicy flavors you might want to avoid this one. Me, I loved it.

The Packie is the brainchild of owner/founder Jon Pinches and his wife Sarah who fills the roles of marketing director and assistant hiring manager. They’ve been in business now for seven years. They carry a huge selection of craft beers, also ciders, wines, and meads, available in singles, packs, cases, and kegs. If you don’t see your favorite beer on their shelves, let them know and they’ll try to stock it.

Upcoming Tasting Events

@Hooksett

• Friday January 24th – 4-6 p.m. -Great North Aleworks

@Manchester

• Friday January 24th – 4-6 p.m.- Spyglass Brewing Co
• Friday January 31st – 4-6 p.m. – Zero Gravity Brewing Co
• Friday February 7th – 4-6 p.m. – Schilling Brewing Co
• Friday February 14th – 4-6 p.m. – Moat Mountain Brewing Co

Just the Facts

The Packie has two shops, located at…

Shop #1
  581 Second St. Unit F,
  Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: (603) 232-1236
Website: https://www.thepackienh.com
Facebook/Twitter/Insta: @thepackienh
Email: manchester@thepackienh.com

Hours:
  Tue-Sat: 11 – 8
  Sun: 11 – 5
  Closed Mondays & Major Holidays

Shop #2
  88 W River Rd,
  Hooksett, NH 03106
Phone: (603) 518-8069
Website: https://www.thepackienh.com
Facebook/Twitter/Insta: @thepackiehooksett
Email: hooksett@thepackienh.com

Hours:
  Tue-Wed: 10 – 7
  Thu-Sat: 10 – 8
  Sun: 10 – 6

Below are online lists of in-store availability. Jon tells me they keep them very up-to-date.

Beer & Cider list for Manchester ••• Beer & Cider list for Hooksett

Maps

Manchester shop:

Hooksett shop: