NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Within the red brick-dominated small town elegance of Nashua’s hilly village lies compact lodge-styled MARTHA’S EXCHANGE RESTAURANT & BREWERY. Its archaic maple column design, snug central bar, pastoral left side dining area mural, and copper brewing kettles rekindle memories of ancient Americana.
A candy shop-turned-brewpub in 1993, the quaint multi-sectioned retreat serves sandwiches, wraps, and salads to go alongside a revolving ale selection that may include well-respected seasonal beer such as Ale Capone, Smoked Porter, or Vanilla Bean Stout.
On New Year’s ’06, tried sharp perfume-hopped wheat-chaffed corn-husked lemon-dabbed Volstead 33, dry-spiced stone-fruited wood-etched Indian Head Red, and nicely peculiar banana-sweet bubble-gummy cherry-sherry deviance Golden Perch IPA
Candi-sugared tropical-fruited orange-peeled grapefruit-embittered Abbot’s Habit Belgian Tripel and soft-tongued, nutmeg-cinnamon-spiced, fig-sugared, orange-juiced, tobacco-dried seasonal Magi Winter Warmer were even better.
During two-hour January 2010 stopover at onetime trading post, found three more amiable libations. Spiced hops provided ballast for orange-fruited caramel-malted Arkenstone Amber Alt and milder orange-peeled lemon-limed wood-singed floral-tinged Biscuit City Pale Ale. Best choice this snowy afternoon was Steeplechase Porter, a black chocolate-malted coffee-burnt dark-spiced dry body with charcoal, tar and cinder remnants.
