Tag: 210506

Keeping the pace

Exeter Brewing Co. develops strong local following

For Justin Cooper and Eric Rackliffe of Exeter Brewing Co., slow and steady wins the race. Except there’s no race; it’s really just about enjoying the journey.

“We’ve just always had a plan to go at our own pace,” said Cooper, who started the Exeter-based brewery with Rackliffe about a year and a half ago, where they have since been pumping out an array of super hoppy IPAs. “We’re excited about the support we have. If we’re still having fun, we’re going to keep doing it. We keep asking ourselves that question … and the answer’s always been yes.”

The approach has worked as the brewery has developed a robust local following. You can only find Exeter Brewing Co. beers in a handful of locations, including Gerry’s Variety, On the Vine Marketplace and Blue Moon Evolution — and you should expect those establishments to sell out the day they receive shipments.

Don’t go to the brewery either, as it doesn’t have a retail operation or a taproom at this time. By the way, that’s just fine with Rackliffe and Cooper. Maybe someday they’ll expand, but for now, they’re good right where they are, they say.

Cooper and Rackliffe have known each other for more than 20 years. They were actually college roommates and both happened to spend time living in Colorado at the same time, which helped them stay connected. Cooper is from Vermont and Rackliffe is from Maine, and now they’ve landed right in the middle in the Granite State.

Rackliffe picked up the home brewing habit and the pair ultimately started brewing together. From there, they began sharing beer with friends and family and grew the effort until they effectively launched the brewing company at the Exeter Beer and Chili Festival in October 2019.

“It was such a success. We ran out of beer early,” said Cooper, who noted he and Rackliffe still work full-time outside of the brewery.

Let’s get to the beers.

“We tend to make beers we like to drink,” Cooper said.

That means hoppy IPAs, like Swasey Daze, which is a big, juicy New England-style IPA with “flavors and aromas of pineapple, citrus, peach, passionfruit, apricot and a hint of watermelon,” says the brewery.

All of the brewery’s offerings are named after local historic landmarks and figures, such as Broadside Double IPA, named after Dunlap Broadsides, which printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, or Jailhouse Spring Pale Ale, named after a well-known freshwater spring in Exeter. Purple Dinosaur New England IPA gets its name from the “iconic spring-mounted purple dinosaur” situated in a local park.

The Oated Sleeper caught my attention, and is “probably the simplest oatmeal stout you can make,” Cooper said. The stout comes in at 9.4 percent ABV so watch out.

“That’s been my approach all along: keep it simple, stupid,” Rackliffe said. “We don’t have 10 hops in each beer. We have a max of three hops. It just lets the ingredients show and shine…. Keep it simple and let the beer speak for itself.”

Frankly, at a time when some of today’s beer choices are a bit over the top, that’s a refreshing approach.

When it comes to IPAs, Cooper said most of their beers do have that “forward-facing juice” but they do finish a little bitter, as the duo have an affinity to “old-school” IPAs: “the finish isn’t as sweet.”

Moving forward, they’ll just continue to pace themselves, and they’ll continue to look for ways to collaborate with the local community. They have plans to team up with a local coffee shop for one brew and they plan to team up with the fire department on another.

“We’re boot-strapping. There is no outside money or investment. If the market is responding favorably, we’ll respond,” Cooper said.

What’s in My Fridge
New World American IPA by Mayflower Brewing Co. (Plymouth, Mass.)
I opened my fridge and saw this one in there. I don’t know how it got there but I didn’t waste any time grabbing it. I’ve had this before but, candidly, I don’t remember it blowing me away previously. But this time, wow. It’s definitely got a tropical kick and just enough bitterness to balance that out. Excellent American IPA. Cheers!

Featured photo: Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Steve Zyck

Steve Zyck of Mont Vernon is the owner and founder of Wood Stove Kitchen (woodstovekitchen.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @woodstovekitchen), a producer of all-natural drink mixes, including a mulling syrup and a hot toddy mix, as well as cocktail and mocktail mixers in a variety of flavors, like blueberry and lavender, strawberry and basil, and grapefruit and rosemary. Originally from Chicago, Zyck first came to New Hampshire as a student of Dartmouth College, later going on to hold multiple positions at humanitarian aid agencies and governments across Europe and the Middle East. He started Wood Stove Kitchen in 2017, making small-batch mixers for mulled wine, one of his favorite drinks, out of his own home. Today you can find his products at nearly every New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet statewide as well as at a number of small country stores and a few national retailers.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

For me, it’s a mason jar, hands down. I use my mason jars for pickling, as cocktail shakers, as measuring cups, as a glass. … There’s no single thing that is more useful in the kitchen.

What would you have for your last meal?

Gummy peaches and a white wine spritzer. Honestly, I’m still a kid at heart. I basically still have the core tastes that I did when I was 15 years old.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Al Basha Mediterranean Grill in Manchester. It’s a small place and they do a lot of takeout, especially over the past year, but they have absolutely wonderful baba ganoush, falafel and shawarma.

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your products?

Steve Carell. I’m a big fan of The Office and his movies.

What is your favorite product that you offer?

My personal favorite is my blueberry and lavender mixer. For me it’s just the perfect flavor combination of being fruity and tart. … I would say 99 percent of my products are used for drinks, but people always find other creative ways. I once had an email from a customer who said she uses the mulling syrup in her kids’ pancake batter. Then there was a time when my local general store here in Mont Vernon made holiday-spiced cupcakes with it.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

A lot of barbecue and a lot of smoking, not only in terms of meats but in other things. … I know so many people who bought high-end smokers and grills during the pandemic. I think this is going to be a great season for butchers.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My favorite thing to make is a beet salad, usually with boiled or steamed beets. Then beyond that, all of the other ingredients can change a little, based on what I have. Usually I’ll add cucumber, or sometimes sweet onion or shallots. … It’s an amazingly versatile salad that you can whip up with whatever you have around the house.

Blueberry and lavender gin fizz
Courtesy of Steve Zyck of Wood Stove Kitchen, woodstovekitchen.com

2 ounces Wood Stove Kitchen blueberry and lavender cocktail/mocktail mixer
2 ounces Barr Hill gin
4 to 6 ounces seltzer or club soda
Lemon wedge, fresh lavender or herbs to garnish (optional)

Mix the gin and blueberry and lavender mixer together, then top off with as much seltzer or club soda as you like. The honey, lemon and lavender in the mixer gives the drink a perfect balance between sweet, tart and floral and herbal.

Food & Drink

Farmers markets

• Cole Gardens Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Cole Gardens (430 Loudon Road, Concord), now through Oct. 30. Visit colegardens.com.

• Concord Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street in Concord (near the Statehouse), now through Oct. 30. Visit concordfarmersmarket.com.

• Contoocook Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon, at 896 Main Street in Contoocook (by the gazebo behind the train depot), now through October. Find them on Facebook @contoocookfarmersmarket.

• Exeter Farmers Market is Thursdays, from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m., at Swasey Park in Exeter, beginning May 6 and through Oct. 28. Visit seacoastgrowers.org.

• Francestown Community Market is Fridays, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the horse sheds near the Francestown Police Station (15 New Boston Road). Find them on Facebook @francestowncommunitymarket.

• Milford Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 300 Elm Street in Milford (across the street from the New Hampshire Antique Co-op), beginning May 8 and through Oct. 9. Visit milfordnhfarmersmarket.com.

• Peterborough Farmers Market is Wednesdays, from 3 to 6 p.m., on the lawn of the Peterborough Community Center (25 Elm St.), now through October. Find them on Facebook @peterboroughnhfarmersmarket.

• Portsmouth Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to noon, at Little Harbour Elementary School (50 Clough Drive, Portsmouth), now through Nov. 6. Visit seacoastgrowers.org.

• Salem Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon, inside the former Rockler Woodworking building (369 S. Broadway, Salem). Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

• Wolfeboro Area Farmers Market is Thursdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., at Clark Park (233 S. Main St., Wolfeboro), beginning May 6 and through Oct. 28. Visit wolfeborofarmersmarket.com.

Featured photo: Steve Zyck

A fruitful expansion

LaBelle opening new restaurant, culinary market and sparkling wine barn in Derry

Nearly a decade after opening their flagship location in Amherst, LaBelle Winery co-owners Amy LaBelle and her husband Cesar Arboleda are expanding to a 45-acre property on Route 111 in Derry. The new space, opening in several phases over the coming weeks and months, will introduce a brand new restaurant concept, a retail market, and an onsite sparkling wine tasting barn, along with performance and event spaces and a nine-hole golf course.

A former attorney, LaBelle became inspired to pursue winemaking following a visit to a winery while on vacation in Nova Scotia in 2001. She founded LaBelle Winery in 2005 at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, later moving the operations to Amherst in late 2012. Last December, she and Arboleda closed on the former Brookstone Events & Golf space in Derry.

“We’ve been trying to expand the LaBelle brand for some time,” she said. “We came and toured this property … and just fell in love with it. It’s a beautiful spot.”

In addition to offering all new types of menu options out of the restaurant and market, LaBelle said a new line of sparkling wines will be produced out of the tasting barn, which will soon be built on a three-acre vineyard. Here’s a look at each core aspect of LaBelle Winery Derry.

Americus Restaurant

With nearly 300 seats inside and more than 100 others on an outdoor terrace overlooking an onsite pond, Americus Restaurant, due to open this month, is roughly four times the size of The Bistro at LaBelle Winery in Amherst. The name “Americus” was chosen as a tribute to the American Dream — Arboleda, LaBelle said, came to the United States with his family as a child from Medellin, Colombia, while her family also immigrated here just a few generations prior.

“We both have a strong belief in work ethic and a love for this country,” LaBelle said. “We also developed a wine in tribute to the American dream called Americus. … So we decided to name the restaurant after it, because I think it follows suit that we took this huge leap of faith.”

The interior space of Americus includes multiple round booths and high-top tables, a full bar with beers and wines on draft, and a 50-person private dining room separated by glass doors.

Unlike the restaurant in Amherst, which has a heavy focus on French bistro fare as well as a concept of pairing food with many of LaBelle’s wines, Americus will offer New England contemporary farm-to-table cuisine with “lots of international flair thrown in,” she said.

Former Bedford Village Inn executive chef Peter Agostinelli was recently brought on board as LaBelle Winery’s culinary director, overseeing all of the company’s food and beverage operations. Agostinelli is a longtime friend of LaBelle’s and an industry veteran who also spent a few years at the nationally acclaimed Grill 23 & Bar in Boston.

“Peter and I really wanted to create a menu that was approachable and familiar but incredibly elevated,” LaBelle said. “You can sit in the dining room and have a fancy anniversary dinner of a rib-eye for two with charred garlic and lemons … [or] you can have the most casual meal here after you play a round of golf with your buddies, … maybe some wings or some wood-fired pizza and beer on draft. It’s going to be one of those places where you’ll see everything.”

The kitchen is also much bigger than the one in Amherst, she said, and will similarly serve as a shared space for the restaurant and the event ballroom. Much of the bulk production of items like sauces, salad dressings and pastries will also be moving from Amherst to Derry.

Americus will be open for dinner to start, according to LaBelle, with plans to eventually expand to lunch on weekdays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

LaBelle Market

Housed in the former pro shop of Brookstone’s golf course will be LaBelle Market, a retail space offering prepared and made-to-order foods that’s also due to open soon.

The market will feature menu items handwritten on chalkboards, as well as outdoor seating beneath a covered veranda and windows overlooking the golf course and vineyards. In addition to coffees and espresso drinks, food offerings will include everything from house pastries like croissants, muffins, Danishes and scones, to breakfast sandwiches, platters for catering, prepared entrees, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, prime cuts of beef, marinated beef tips and chicken, house pastas, house ice cream flavors and wood-fired pizzas to go.

“You’ll be able to either grab something on site if you’re golfing … or take it for a picnic on the vineyard once it’s installed,” LaBelle said. “It will be great for people who don’t want to cook or are busy with family and saying, ‘Oh gosh, what are we going to have for dinner tonight?’ You can come here and grab everything you need. … There will be convenience items too, so good quality local milk, eggs, bread, things like that.”

Other items for sale will be from The Winemaker’s Kitchen, LaBelle’s line of artisan culinary products, which include jams, sauces, marinades, vinegars and cooking oils, as well as new offerings to be bottled, like a few new salad dressing flavors, a bloody mary mix and a triple citrus sour mix. The 2,400-square-foot building is also serving as the check-in spot for golfers.

“The pro shop that was here was mostly an empty building that was vastly under-utilized,” LaBelle said, “so now it’s really going to be brought to life.”

Vineyard visions

Directly to the east of LaBelle Market, in the area of what used to be Brookstone’s driving range, plans are currently underway to install three acres of vineyards, vegetable and flower gardens.

“It’s going to be awesome for picnicking and walking, and there will be a wedding ceremony space right in the middle of it,” LaBelle said. “So right in the middle, you’ll have this gorgeous ceremony space, and [couples] can get married among the vines. It’s going to be incredible.”

A sparkling wine tasting barn, a newly built structure for the property, is also coming soon. That will include a tasting room in the front, a production space in the back and wine storage in a basement. LaBelle’s dozens of wines will be available for sampling, plus a new line of red, white and rosé sparkling wines debuting with the space. Grape varieties set to be planted soon will take about two years to produce fruit for winemaking.

Across the parking lot from the vineyard is the newly renovated ballroom and onsite bar, which will be used for wedding receptions, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties and other functions. LaBelle said the ballroom will also host a 15-show summer concert series, beginning on Thursday, May 27, with James Taylor tribute act JT Express.

“We’ll be doing wine tasting classes and cooking classes too,” LaBelle said. “We developed a kids’ cooking class in Amherst last summer that was a lot of fun, so we’ll do that here.”

LaBelle Winery Derry
Includes Americus Restaurant and LaBelle Market, as well as an onsite golf course, event spaces and a soon-to-be sparkling wine tasting barn
Where: 14 Route 111, Derry
More info: Visit labellewinery.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram, or call 672-9898

The Links at LaBelle Winery
LaBelle never had a dream of owning a golf course but said she realized it’s not unlike owning a restaurant, vineyard or market.
“To me, it’s hospitality,” she said. “I’m inviting you onto my property to have an experience, to have fun, [and] to make a great memory spending time with your friends.”
The Links at LaBelle Winery, a nine-hole par 3 golf course, and a miniature golf course called Mini Links, both opened to the public on May 1 following a restoration process. According to LaBelle, the entire nine-hole course can be played in roughly an hour and a half.
Memberships are available that include two wine tasting cards, unlimited golfing access, preferred tee times and advance booking. Beginning this summer, there will also be golf lessons for adults and golf camps designed for kids.

Feautred photo: Aerial shot of the new LaBelle property opening in Derry. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/05/06

News from the local food scene

• Return of the market: After canceling its winter season, the Milford Farmers Market will be returning outdoors one month earlier than normal, on Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to market manager Adrienne Colsia. This will be the town’s largest outdoor market yet, with between 17 and 20 vendors on the schedule each week selling a wide variety of products like meats, fish, vegetables, baked goods, wine and craft beer, coffee beans and personal care products. The market will continue outdoors, rain or shine, at 300 Elm St. in Milford (across the street from the New Hampshire Antique Co-op) through Oct. 9. Visit milfordnhfarmersmarket.com.

• Fresh catch: The Merrimack County Conservation District (10 Ferry St., Concord) is taking orders for a trout sale for fish lovers looking to restock their ponds, offering New Hampshire-raised disease-free rainbow and brook trout in 6- to 8-inch or 10- to 12-inch sizes. Orders are due by Tuesday, May 11 — bagged 6- to 8-inch trout can be picked up at the Conservation District’s Concord center on Sunday, May 16, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The fish must then be released to your pond immediately. Larger trout will be directly delivered to your pond (you do not need to be a Merrimack County resident to participate). Visit merrimackccd.org to fill out an order form.

• Souvlaki to go: Join Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) for its next boxed Greek dinner to go event on Sunday, May 16, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through May 12, orders are being accepted for boxed meals, featuring chicken souvlaki, rice pilaf, Greek salad and a dinner roll, for $15 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email [email protected] or call 953-3051 to place your order. The church is also planning a similar event for June 13, when fresh gyro sandwiches will be available. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Shop (and eat) local: Nearly 40 local vendors will participate in the inaugural Henniker Handmade & Homegrown event, set for Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Henniker Community Center park (57 Main St.). Prepared food will be available on site from Abby’s Cafe, while the Country Spirit Restaurant will also be selling candied apples and other sweet treats. Other happenings will include live music performances from Walker Smith and Decatur Creek, as well as raffles and various items for sale like jewelry, pottery, soaps, body care products, candles and more. Admission is free — raffle tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance online. Email [email protected].

• Gate City Brewfest update: In lieu of its traditional beer festival and wing competition format, this year’s Gate City Brewfest will be pivoting to a live concert to be held at Holman Stadium in Nashua on Friday, Aug. 27. “After much deliberation and working within the city guidelines, it was simply not feasible to bring you the Gate City Brewfest beer festival model you are used to this year, but we do plan to return to that model in 2022,” reads a recent post on the event’s Facebook page. The live concert being planned in its place will offer both stadium and pod-style lawn seating on the field, plus an assortment of beer, non-alcoholic beverages and food options available, according to the post.

On The Job – JC Haze

JC Haze

Voice-over actor, JC Haze Voice Over

JC Haze is an independent voiceover actor and producer based in Manchester and a voiceover instructor at NH Tunes in Manchester.

Explain your job and what it entails.

On a day-to-day basis, I could be auditioning for clients [based] locally or around the country and around the world. … Seldom do [clients] hire you right away. You could be auditioning with a dozen or so other voice talents. … They send me a little script … and I sit here in my in-home studio and produce a demo and send it to them and hope they call me back and tell me I got the gig. … Once they’ve hired you for the gig, the client will tell you what they’re looking for, and you just need to deliver the goods. … If I’m recording at home, I’ll send them a bunch of takes. … If you’re recording in a professional recording studio, the client will be there with you, directing you.

How long have you had this job?

I launched JC Haze Voice Over about 14 years ago, in 2007 … but I had been doing a lot of voice recordings since I first got into the radio and broadcast business in 1979.

What led you to this career field?

I always wanted to do something with my voice. … Listening to radio commercials, I’d think, ‘I could do that. … I could use my voice to make clients happy, and to make myself happy, and to pay the mortgage.’ … When I was let go of a programming job in radio, I decided that it was time to be more of a business person for myself … so I created my own voiceover business.

What kind of … training did you need?

You don’t need a college education to be a voiceover actor. What you do need to have is thick skin. You have to be ready for a lot of people saying ‘no’ before you get the occasional ‘yes.’

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Since I’m working in my own studio, I don’t have to worry about that, outside of the occasional Skype or Zoom call. I can wear whatever I want, whatever is comfortable.

How has your job changed over the last year?

During these days of Covid, a lot of work has been on the shoulders of the voiceover talent to do in their own studio. They record [at home] and email the to the agency or client so that no one has to go into a studio. Once Covid restrictions are lifted, we’ll probably go back to some [in-studio recording], but I think a lot of companies have realized, ‘Hey, we don’t need to have the voiceover talent drive 40 miles to come to our studio. They can do it in their own studio … and we can direct them over the phone or a Zoom call if we want to.’

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

It’s really important to back up your audio files. I knew that, but you always think, ‘[A computer crash] isn’t going to happen to me.’ Then, you have a computer crash and you lose everything.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

We’re not making tons of money. It’s like any other industry, where there’s a top 5 percent making 70 percent of the money. You have to really want it … and you have to work really hard to make money doing it.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at Brooks Brothers clothing store, down in the shipping department.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t give up, and don’t stop believing in yourself; just keep plugging away.

Five favorites
Favorite book: The Art of Voice Acting by James R. Alburger
Favorite movie: Blazing Saddles
Favorite music: The Beatles and ELO
Favorite food: A good salmon and a good ravioli
Favorite thing about NH: Coming from New York, I like the slower and more relaxed pace here, and the friendly vibe.

Featured photo: JC Haze

Treasure Hunt 21/05/06

Dear Donna,
Enclosed is a necklace belonging to my great-grandma that I believe is of the Victorian era and made of brass. I have tried to research it but came up with nothing. There is also a cup and saucer, also belonging to my grandma, that says “J.P.L.France” and then “Limoges.” I believe it could be of some value, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jackie from Pelham

Dear Jackie,
Let’s start with your tea cup and saucer. The mark “J.P.L.” stands for Jean Pouyat Limoges. This was done during the middle to late 1800s. Definitely part of a much larger set for dining.

You are right about Limoges china having value, but in today’s market even value can sometimes be a tough market. The value on china is in the makers and mostly in the larger more uncommon pieces that are in excellent condition (which is hard to find). Then it would be in the hand painting designs (patterns). There is quite a history behind Limoges, and it’s interesting to read about in books or online to find out more about yours.

The value would be in the $25 range for the tea cup and saucer. Finding a buyer might be tough. though. in today’s market.

As far as your sweet necklace, unless pieces like it are marked it’s tough to find a value. So some things can give us a clue: material (gold or silver would have a higher value than brass); age (tough to tell in this case) and maker (if not signed then go by the design and condition).

It looks to be an earlier style, maybe from the same estate and period of time as your tea cup and saucer or a bit later. I think we’re safe to say it is in the $40 range but I would have it checked by a professional to confirm my view from here.

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