They're called "craft beers" — beer made fresh and often in small batches at nanobreweries and sold virtually over the counter from the brewer to the customer. They're the hot item for the discriminating beer connoisseur, and they're are ready to take off in the Seacoast.

They're called "craft beers" — beer made fresh and often in small batches at nanobreweries and sold virtually over the counter from the brewer to the customer. They're the hot item for the discriminating beer connoisseur, and they're are ready to take off in the Seacoast.



Portsmouth, North Hampton, Hampton and Newington all have nanobreweries, and across the river in Maine, microbreweries are opening in York in December and in Kittery in the spring.



Laws in Maine and New Hampshire differ on what constitutes a small brewery, and on how much beer people can sample in a tasting room before taking home a capped jug of their choice. Neither state requires food to be sold in these tap rooms, as the business is considered a brewery first and foremost.



It is in many ways "the Wild West for craft beer" these days, said Paul Lorrain of Funky Bow Brewing in Lyman, Maine. Both Maine and New Hampshire only instituted laws governing small breweries in 2011, and modifications to the law have already been made in New Hampshire.



Wild West or not, the craft beer market is here to stay. In Maine — considered by the industry to be the No. 4 state in the country as a craft beer destination — the state has issued more than 40 licenses for microbreweries. In New Hampshire, seven nanobrewery licenses have been issued — many in the Seacoast — "and we're being asked all the time about them," said N.H. Liquor Commissioner examiner Jim Barbuti.



The allure, said those who are involved in the business, is in that "micro" moniker.



"We're growing organically," said Alex McDonald of Earth Eagle Brewings on High Street in Portsmouth. At one year old, Earth Eagle right now has the equipment to brew two barrels of beer at a time. "This allowed us to get into the industry and start small. The goal is to grow into a larger pub, but do it gradually so we can do it out of pocket."



Different laws, different states



In New Hampshire, a nanobrewery is defined as one that sells no more than 2,000 barrels, or 62,000 gallons, of beer a year. Brewers are allowed to have a hospitality room, where they can sell a 4-ounce sample per label per person up to 12 ounces of beer.



A customer can either sample the brew or just walk in without sampling and purchase a 32- or 64-ounce glass bottle called a "growler." The term is believed to date to a time when beer was carried home in a lidded pail, and the sound that escaped from the lid as the beer sloshed was similar to a growl.



In New Hampshire, pre-bottled growlers cannot be sold, so the bottles are filled as the customer watches.



No food is required to be served in the tasting room, and the size and number of seats is not defined in the law. The hours of operation are slightly more confined than a bar or lounge, with doors closing at 11:30 p.m.



During this past legislative session in New Hampshire, an amendment was passed to the nanobrewery law to allow the sale of pints in the tasting room as long as food is available.



Earth Eagle is planning to do just that, and is getting ready to build a small kitchen to sell paninis, stews, appetizers and the like, McDonald said.



McDonald makes clear that Earth Eagle "is not a tavern, we're a brewery," and the hours reflect that. It is open from 4 to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. On the other hand, "having the door open to sell beer is very important to our business model," he said.



Maine is, overall, less restrictive than New Hampshire. Maine refers to "microbreweries," defining them as a place that sells up to 50,000 gallons of beer a year. However, while only a 4-ounce sample size can be sold in New Hampshire, Maine has no size limit on samples.



This makes Lorrain of Funky Bow Brewing laugh. "I can't sell you a 12-ounce beer, but I can sell you anything I want if I call it a sample."



As in New Hampshire, "food in this environment was not specifically addressed," said Larry Sanborn, division manager of the Maine Division of Liquor Licensing Enforcement.



Unlike in New Hampshire, brewers can pre-fill their growlers that day for sale over the counter.



Two microbreweries are opening in southern York County in the next few months. SoMe Brewing Co. is expected to open in December in York. And in the spring, Tributary Brewing Co. will open in Post Office Square in Kittery.



Master brewer Tod Mott, who is opening Tributary, said he can't wait to get back to the brewing business. He had been the brewmaster at Portsmouth Brewery and created the well-respected Kate the Great beer.



He said Tributary will have a modern tap room, with 2-ounce and 9-ounce samplers that people can drink on-site, as well as the growlers to take home. Tributary will also give tours of its facility, he said.



Mott was clear that Tributary will not be a bar.



"Ideally, people will drink a couple of samples and take beer away with them. The last thing we want is someone pounding down beers for hours," he said.



His business model does not include food, although he's pleased that Vida Verde, a trailer that sells Mexican food, already operates during part of the year in the Post Office Square lot.



He agreed that Maine is the place to be when it comes to craft beer.



"It's crazy," he said. "There are 43 permits right now and three in the works, we being one. But it's wonderful."