New Hampshire Distilleries, Cideries and Meaderies: A Tasting Guide

New Hampshire's craft beer scene gets plenty of attention, but the state also has a growing group of small distilleries, cideries and meaderies. Many of them are on farms or in historic buildings, and several pair a tasting room with food, a vineyard or an orchard. This guide covers six producers from our directory, from the seacoast to the White Mountains, with a focus on what each one makes and what a visit is like.

Please drink responsibly, plan a designated driver and check each producer's website for current tasting room details before you go.

Flag Hill Distillery and Winery, Lee

Flag Hill on North River Road in Lee calls itself the oldest distillery in New Hampshire. It is also a winery, so a single visit covers both spirits and wine, and the property is pictured at the top of this guide.

Flag Hill is more than a tasting room. Its website describes an on-site café, Avery's Café, a creamery and a wedding and event venue on the grounds. Lee is a rural farm town in Strafford County, close to the University of New Hampshire, which makes Flag Hill an easy stop on a seacoast trip.

Manchester Distillery, Manchester

Manchester Distillery is on Willow Street in Manchester, beside the historic JF McElwain Mill. Its lineup includes Workhorse Vodka, Botanica Gin, Double Bluff Bourbon and a chocolate liqueur, and it runs a tasting room for visitors.

Manchester is the state's largest city, and its old mill buildings are a reminder of its manufacturing past. A distillery beside a historic mill is a fitting stop if you are exploring the city's restaurants.

New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery, Winchester

New England Sweetwater Farm in Winchester was established in 2015 and describes itself as New England's premier African American family-owned distillery. It makes 18 expressions across five brands, including Clark and Chesterfield Maple Whiskey and Kingfish Gold Rum, and it offers tours.

Winchester is a town in Cheshire County that includes the village of Ashuelot and part of Pisgah State Park. A visit fits well with a day in the Monadnock Region, and maple whiskey is a distinctly New England pour.

Haunting Whisper Vineyards and Spirits, Danbury

Haunting Whisper Vineyards on Oak Ridge Road in Danbury is a winery, distillery and vineyard. It has been producing since 2005 and opened to the public in 2009, according to its website. Tastings are by reservation, so book ahead.

Danbury is a small town in Merrimack County, with about 1,250 residents at the 2020 census. A vineyard tasting here makes a quiet country stop away from the busier routes.

Crucial 10 Craft Cider, Thornton

Crucial 10 Craft Cider is on US Route 3 in Thornton, in the White Mountains. Its ciders include Northstar, a semi-dry flagship, along with New England Hazy, Bonez Dry and a Hopped Blueberry.

Thornton is a town in Grafton County. Crucial 10 is a natural stop on a White Mountains trip, and cider is a good choice for anyone who wants something lighter than spirits.

Over the Moon Farmstead, Pittsfield

Over the Moon Farmstead on Upper City Road in Pittsfield is a 98-acre working farmstead. It is home to Moonlight Meadery and Hidden Moon Brewing, and it serves farm-to-table dining.

Mead is made from fermented honey, and a working farm suits it well. Pittsfield is a Merrimack County town whose main village sits on the Suncook River.

Planning a tasting trip

New Hampshire is compact, but these producers are spread across the state, so it is best to pick one or two areas rather than trying to visit them all in a day.

• Seacoast and Manchester. Flag Hill in Lee and Manchester Distillery pair well with a city or coastal weekend.
• Merrimack County. Over the Moon in Pittsfield and Haunting Whisper in Danbury are both in Merrimack County.
• Monadnock Region. New England Sweetwater Farm in Winchester fits a Monadnock Region trip.
• White Mountains. Crucial 10 in Thornton fits with a mountain trip.

A few tips:

• Book ahead where required. Some tasting rooms, such as Haunting Whisper, take reservations.
• Check current details. Tasting room schedules and offerings change, so check each website before you go.
• Plan your driving. Use a designated driver, or stay nearby and make it an overnight.
• Bring ID. You must be 21 or older to taste.
• Ask about bottles to take home. Many producers sell bottles on site.

Choosing where to start

If you prefer spirits, start with Flag Hill, Manchester Distillery or New England Sweetwater Farm. Between them you can taste vodka, gin, bourbon, rum, maple whiskey and liqueur. If you prefer wine, Flag Hill and Haunting Whisper both make wine alongside their spirits, so you can compare the two at one stop.

Cider fans should head to Crucial 10, where the range runs from dry to hazy to fruit-forward. And if you have never tried mead, Over the Moon Farmstead is the place to start, with a brewery and farm-to-table dining on the same property, so the whole group can find something they like.

For a group with mixed tastes, a producer that makes more than one kind of drink is the easiest choice. Flag Hill, Haunting Whisper and Over the Moon each cover at least two.

Why visit a small producer

A tasting room visit is different from picking up a bottle at the store. You can usually taste several products side by side, learn how they are made and talk with the people who make them. At a farm producer, you may also see where the ingredients come from, whether that is a vineyard, an orchard or a beehive. Many of these producers also host events through the year, so it is worth following them online.

Pairing a tasting with the rest of your trip

Several of these stops are about more than the drinks. Flag Hill has a café and a creamery on site, which makes it easy to turn a tasting into lunch. Over the Moon serves farm-to-table dining on a working farmstead, so you can eat, taste and walk the property in one visit. New England Sweetwater Farm offers tours, a good fit for anyone curious about how spirits are made.

In Manchester, the distillery's setting beside the JF McElwain Mill puts it among the city's historic mill buildings, so it is easy to add a walk or a meal downtown. In Thornton, a cider stop at Crucial 10 rounds out a day in the mountains. And at Haunting Whisper, a reserved tasting at a working vineyard in a small country town is the whole point of the trip.

Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest distillery in New Hampshire?

Flag Hill Distillery and Winery in Lee describes itself as the oldest distillery in the state.

Is there a meadery in New Hampshire?

Yes. Moonlight Meadery is at Over the Moon Farmstead in Pittsfield.

Where can I find craft cider in the White Mountains?

Crucial 10 Craft Cider in Thornton makes several ciders, including its semi-dry Northstar.

Do I need a reservation for tastings?

It depends on the producer. Haunting Whisper Vineyards in Danbury asks for reservations. Check each website before you go.

Sources

• Flag Hill Distillery and Winery official site: https://www.flaghill.com/
• Manchester Distillery official site: https://manchesterdistillery.com/
• New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery official site: https://www.newenglandsweetwater.com/
• Haunting Whisper Vineyards official site: https://hauntingwhisper.com/
• Crucial 10 Craft Cider official site: https://crucial10craftcider.com
• Over the Moon Farmstead official site: https://overthemoonfarmstead.com/
• Lee, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee,_New_Hampshire
• Manchester, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester,_New_Hampshire
• Winchester, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester,_New_Hampshire
• Danbury, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danbury,_New_Hampshire
• Thornton, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton,_New_Hampshire
• Pittsfield, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsfield,_New_Hampshire