Redhook Brews ‘Revolutionary’ Beer

Interested in promoting local revolutionary history and inspired by its own revolutionary” past, Redhook Brewery has teamed up with Exeter’s American Independence Museum to launch a new seasonal beer.

The aptly named American Independence Ale will be served at the museum’s Folsom Tavern, the inspiration for the beer — where beer has not been served for 100 years — as part of Redhook’s Backyard Brewery Series. The summer seasonal brew will also be available throughout New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont until early fall.

“We will be able to sell the beer. It’s a nice fundraiser,” said Julie  Tiebout, the museum’s marketing and development director.

Calling Redhook “socially aware and responsible,” Tiebout said the introduction of the brew benefits both organizations. “They’re giving us a chance to showcase the
museum and we’re giving them a chance to open up the Exeter market.” And when Red Hook informally launched the beer on May 17, “a lot of people we have never seen before came to the museum inspired by the beer and then became interested in our local history.”

Tiebout said Folsom Tavern was a beehive of activity during the American Revolution when Exeter was New Hampshire’s capital, and revolutionaries
had lots to discuss, a point that attracted Redhook to the museum, Redhook
spokesman Ted Lane said.

“This seemed like a natural fit,” he said of the relationship. “We’re always
interested in history as being a pioneer in this industry, and the museum saw
us as a pioneering brand. Thirty years ago in Seattle we were revolutionaries developing our unique brand of craft beer.” 

When Redhook started brewing beer in Seattle in the 1980s, consumers faced a limited choice of beer. Now there are more breweries in the United   States than before prohibition, and Redhook led the way for thousands of independent brewers offering consumers tastier choices.  Redhook opened a brewing facility and pub restaurant in Portsmouth in 1996 and has been going strong in New Hampshire ever since.

Also, the beer industry is about being creative, being unique, Lane said. “Going out for a beer is just not about having a beer. It’s meeting friends and having a
discussion. That’s what the revolutionaries did. They had beer to discuss
revolutionary topics, and that was just another beer occasion. They discussed
their daily happenings back then as people do today. And beer is one great part
that makes that happen.”

Redhookresearched what ingredients were used in colonial times and decided upon “a very basic recipe,” Lane said, relying on New Hampshire-grown ingredients. “American Independence Ale is a representation of those colonial beers that also uses our new-age technology, providing a uniformity of production
difficult to attain centuries ago. It’s an old beer with a new twist.”

And Redhook is very happy with how the beer turned out. “American Independence Ale is a crisp pale ale, American-style.  The locally grown malted barley and wheat give it a citrus and floral aroma. It’s medium in body and golden in color and has a nice dry finish.”

Besides its interests in brewing great beer and highlighting the region’s history, Redhook engages in several green practices, so much so that it has become a member of Green Alliance, a local green business union that certifies
and promotes sustainability-minded companies throughout the region.

Overall, both Redhook and the American  Independence Museum
are pleased with their budding partnership.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with a great member of the local community,” Lane said, “and we’re glad everybody enjoyed the beer at the party at Folsom Tavern on May 17.” Redhook’s Independence Ale will also be available to the public at the museums big festival on July 21^st.

“It was wonderful to work with them,” Tiebout said of Redhook. “They were so wonderful and timely in answering every question that I had. They made it a ‘win-win’ situation.”

To learn more about Redhook Brewery, visit www.redhook.com, for the Independence Museum, www.independencemuseum.org, and for the Green Alliance, visit www.greenalliance.biz.