Can you judge a book by it’s cover?
Last year, my family and I took a two night trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After spending the majority of the first two days with friends, we parted ways after a late lunch at the Woodstock Inn Brewery. Staying in Gorham, we took a circuitous route back to the hotel, north from Woodstock through Franconia. Here is where I first stumbled upon Iron Furnace Brewing.
Well not quite. The brewery was in the midst of being built; it just looked really nice, reminiscent of a barn, but welcoming and attractive. I made a mental note for my next visit.
The preamble
Roughly a year after discovering what would become Iron Furnace Brewing, I was able to visit. Again, a family trip to the White Mountains brought us back to Franconia. This time though, after a morning at the Basin and basking in the former shadow of the Old Man, we had lunch at Iron Furnace.
The village of Franconia is quaint, classic northern New England. Initially, I had passed Iron Furnace on my way to Sugar Hill (home of Polly’s Pancake Parlor). The brewery is located at 115 Main Street in Franconia.
The visit to Iron Furnace Brewing
I had no preconceptions going in. I had never had the beer nor had I even read about it. The same went for the food.
Upon arrival, the remnants of a bike race greeted us. The brewery is barn-like, painted the traditional red, but brand new inside. On the right-hand side is an indoor/outdoor space where a singer was entertaining a crowd with selections from the Paul Simon songbook.
No offense to either Simon or Garfunkel, but we decided to find a spot on the left-hand side, with the bar and a few tables and without the live music. More seating is adjacent to this room and also upstairs in the loft-style sitting area.
Iron Furnace: The beer and food
Even if the decor and ambiance are welcoming, it doesn’t mean the rest of the experience will be. Not so at Iron Furnace. I had a flight of beer, my wife and mom had a raspberry sour and my father also had a flight. My flight included an IPA, a Saison, a Stout, and a Sour. All were very good renditions of their genre, extremely enjoyable. The sour was a crowd pleaser as all four of us (of drinking age) had it in some capacity.
The food matched the beer exquisitely. Among the five of us (that eat solid food), we split a pizza, nachos, two paninis, and pretzels. Wow! Just as the beer, all of the food was perfectly done. The Bavarian pretzels were soft and delicious (a must-try), the large plate of nachos was tremendous as well and so were the paninis.
You can judge a book by its cover!
I completed the rare task of judging a book by its cover, or actually, a brewery by its facade, and it was moer than successful! A quick drive-by an unfinished building led to a most enjoyable brewery visit and lunch for the whole family a year later. The staff was very friendly and I even picked up a long-sleeve t-shirt for myself. The large portrait of the Old Man of the Mountain lines one wall of the brewery overlooking the taproom. The name Iron Furnace is in reference to the old stone iron furnace which is located nearby.
It’s the kind of brewery too that the food is so good that even non-drinkers will enjoy it as much as those who imbibe. The next time you’re in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, make sure to stop at Iron Furnace Brewing, to drink and eat! I know I will the next time I head off to the Whites!
For more breweries on Backyard Road Trips, click here, here and here.
