One of the best and most exciting features of the microbrew is how unique the brews often are. The various flavors are often given names fitting for the region in which it is sold, to go along with a theme that the microbrewery has, or the way in which the beer is brewed. Microbreweries tend to use local products to create unique regional flavors for their brews.

The Woodstock Inn Brewery in New Hampshire has several excellent examples of microbrews. Pig's Ear Brown Ale is an award winning brown that has a hearty nutty flavor and a sweet finish. In the spring they have the Kane Country Maple Porter, a full-bodied and smooth dark ale brewed with pure maple syrup. Another one of their creations worth mentioning would be their Autumn Brew. It is a nut-brown ale brewed with apples, cinnamon and nutmeg creating a taste similar to apple pie. A microbrew certainly provides the opportunity to enjoy some rather unique brews.

The term microbrewery was first coined to reflect the size of the brewery. Socially the definition has since come to reflect an unconventional approach and attitude toward brewing. The technical definition of microbrewery in the United States is a brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer annually.

The way that microbreweries came to be so popular started with the prohibition. This caused many breweries to consolidate or shut down entirely. When prohibition was lifted their were only a few large companies that had survived and they were producing a mild lager. In order to get variety in their beer drinking many turned to brewing for themselves and some even grew into larger scale operations. These new microbrews quickly became popular and microbreweries sprang up rapidly. When a microbrewery and a bar are combined it is known as a brewpub.

With the microbrewery industry steadily growing and new and interesting brews arriving each season finding one to please you palate should not prove problematic. Some of the more well known New Hampshire microbrews includes Redhook Ale, Smuttynose, Franconia Notch Brewing Company, and Nutfield. So, grab a microbrewsky sit back and enjoy.