It’s well documented that we are huge fans of beer. And we mean huge.
So, of course, when we learned we’d be making our way up to the Lake Sunapee region for a day of fun and sun, we almost immediately began looking for a spot to find some local beer.
Sure, in an area that attracts tourists from all over during the summer (and winter) months there’s got to be plenty of local watering holes to find a cold pint. But we were looking for something locally made – and delicious.
That’s when we stumbled across The Flying Goose.
Since we would be heading up to New London for a show at the New London Barn Playhouse in the evening, it only made sense to try one of the many beers that The Flying Goose creates at its 40 Andover Road location (a quick trip from Exit 11 off I-89).
We found a seat at the bar and scanned the chalkboard list of brews that were currently available for drinking. It was a mix of Flying Goose staples and seasonal creations, and let’s just say it was not easy to narrow it down to just one.
So instead, we opted for a flight that consisted of five mini beers that allowed for a much easier decision making process – although still difficult.
Being fans of hoppier creations, we opted for the Flying Goose Pale Ale, the Long Brothers American-Style IPA and the Lupulin Suplex Double IPA. Unfortunately they were out of the Lupulin Suplex Double IPA, so we went for the Ereclea Pale Ale, one of the newest seasonals.
We also know that not everyone enjoys a bunch of hop flavor in their beers, so we added the Pleasant Lake Pilsner and off a recommendation from someone at the Mount Sunapee Adventure Park, the Wild Kong Russian Imperial Stout.
The Flying Goose Pale Ale at 5.8 percent alcohol by volume was really smooth. It had a good hop flavor, but not overwhelming and perfect for someone trying to venture into the hop world of adult beverages.
The Pleasant Lake Pilsner was a nice surprise. Some pilsners lack a lot of flavor in our experiences, but this is one we’d definitely go for again. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon.
Now, we were big fans of the Flying Goose Pale Ale, but the Ereclea blew it out of the water in our opinion. It was the perfect balance of hop flavor and drinkability. If you’re in the area, make sure to grab one before it runs out.
The Long Brothers IPA had a nice hop smell to it and the taste to match. It’s 6.9 percent, so not too strong, but enough for that IPA bite we love.
When it comes to the world of Russian imperial stouts, it’s not really a beer we order all that often. It’s a good style of beer, but heavy and strong and one that we couldn’t drink too many of. But for 10 percent, it didn’t have that dramatic alcohol taste. It’s aged two months in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, but it was the addition of vanilla beans that created a much more drinkable beer.
It’s also a seasonal, which we think would be better suited for a cold winter’s day than in the summer.
All in all, we give The Flying Goose the Insider stamp of approval. The only disappointing part of our visit was that we couldn’t taste test them all.
So if you’re in the New London area, stop in for a pint or a flight. Trust us, you’ll leave happy.
