Kelsen Brewery and Taproom — Restaurant in Londonderry

Kelsen Brewing Company in Londonderry, NH for some crisp beer, pizza & a burger on a hot summer afternoon. I had frequented the Derry location a good amount the past few years, but hadn't spent to much time in the new spot yet. Although I'm more of a fan of the previous taproom & space in Derry I understand with the demand for their pizza why they would move where they have. The most popular beer Kelsen releases would have to be their BATTLE AXE IPA I assume since I see it in stores & on tap in a good amount of spots locally. I'm more a fan of their traditional offerings & the stouts/barleywine's they make, but more on that next.

On this trip I grabbed four different half pours I hadn't tried yet. I started off with two different sours, STRANDED (CRYPTIC PROJECT) & ITALIAN WEISSE - LEMON & LIME which drastically varied in quality from the STRANDED (CRYPTIC PROJECT) easily being the winner. I then moved on to the MARAUDER - MANGO WHEAT ALE which was just okay. Luckily the last beer I tried on this trip was the winner, VERDANT MAIBOCK STYLE LAGER had tons of flavor & was super drinkable for a 7%. Some of my favorites from over the years that I have enjoyed were the CHERNABOG Dark Lager, VINATTA Stout, IRONSIDE Barleywine, PARADIGM Brown Ale & the GALLOWGLASS Wee Heavy. Highly recommend checking out those if available on tap when you are here.

As I said before I was definitely more of a fan of the previous location, the aesthetic was better & fit the taproom more. This new location is less brewery feeling & more of a restaurant feel. Theres a good amount of bar seating, some hightops & tables as well. I have found that the service hasn't been the best the few times I've been in compared to the previous location to. I got two half pours of sours like I talked about earlier & they both looked the same. When I asked the beertender which one was which he just said "that's the sour" & pointed at one of them. Luckily after a few sips of each I was able to figure it out myself, but it's important that people know what they're drinking. It wasn't busy & I wasn't looking for a history or breakdown of the beer, just wanted to know which was which. The food was excellent as usual though & of course I reccomend the pizza, as well as the burger. I'll be back in the next few months to check them out again....

Was surprised to find the brewery in a little strip mall, actually walked right past it the first time. Came in to a sign that says wait to be seated. I took there awkwardly for a bit and decided a seat at the bar will do. Ashley the bartender was awesome. You would have never known by her energy that she was there since 10am (overheard this conversation). I ordered the Verdant Maibock Style Lager and was a bit disappointed when the beer came back without any sort of head on it. After taking a look around, none of the other beers poured had a head really. I used to bartend so I can confirm it's not from a lack of experience pouring (again, she was awesome and had good knowledge of the beer menu when asked for recommendations - she's an asset!). I'm thinking it was maybe towards the end of the keg? but the flavor was still pretty good. I also had the handheld chicken with mozzarella.. yummy! Came out nice and hot. The fries were a bit cold but had good flavor. Overall, service was good. Would come back, but with a sweatshirt! It was freezing in here.

Correction: right before leaving, there was ONE beer with an...

Being a pizza “snob” who grew up on the Jersey shore in the 60s, 70s and 80s, I always hunt for the best pizza wherever I am (now a resident of NH for the past 30 years), I had the opportunity to unexpectedly meet Matt, the owner of Kelsen’s, at another local establishment a few weeks ago. I was shocked to find out that he had a place which was known for their pizza, and I had no idea it existed! Well, my first visit did not disappoint … the sauce, the thin hand-tossed crust and the sauce-to-cheese ratio combined to produce one of the best pizzas I have had in years. The bar/restaurant is inviting and relaxed, with an equally great atmosphere and friendly service. And to complete the experience, they offer a really nice selection of craft beers to please any palate, Kelsen’s is a local gem, and i cannot wait to explore the other menu items aside from their pizza selections (I did try the pork ribs in a teriyaki glaze — delicious and fell off the bone). Thanks Matt, for providing such a wonderful place to eat and relax. As a pizza snob, they are a 10 in my...