USA, NH: Great Rhythm Brewing Company to move to new Portsmouth location
Great Rhythm Brewing Company will soon close its Portsmouth craft brewery and open a new production facility across town. A new taproom is not part of the business' immediate plan, however, Portsmouth Herald reported on January 14.
West Road will become the new home of Great Rhythm's beer production. The business will shut down its 105 Bartlett St. brewery, tasting room and outdoor beer garden overlooking the North Mill Pond after its final day Jan. 19.
The brewery's co-founders, Kristen and Scott Thornton, are working to open their next beer production space at 235 West Road, the former home of CPH Mechanical. The couple hope to fully move in and pick back up by the beginning of February, according to Scott Thornton.
However, Great Rhythm's new digs do not include enough space for a new taproom, meaning fans of the brewery won't be able to sit and sip beer on West Road. Thornton said the owners will search for a separate Portsmouth space to open a new taproom.
"It’s definitely bittersweet," Scott Thornton said in an interview Monday afternoon. "We loved being over here and creating this space here on Bartlett Street. But we’ve got to go. There’s so many really good memories that we've had here and the biggest thing we want to extend is a huge thank you to all the customers that came through the doors here at our Bartlett Street location."
The Thorntons began leasing the 235 West Road unit in May and have been working to renovate the space ever since.
"We just received the timeline that we need to be out of this building by the end of January so we are hoping to be moving this equipment this week," Scott Thornton said of the Bartlett Street location.
Great Rhythm opened its Portsmouth brewery in 2016.
The brewery announced its upcoming move on Jan. 7.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have called this space home,” the company stated last week. “Sharing our passion for craft beer with you, building community around our brews, and creating lasting memories within these walls has been an absolute honor. Unfortunately, as many of you know, this building is undergoing redevelopment, and we must say farewell.”
The 152-unit, three-building Residence at Islington Creek project was approved by Portsmouth’s Planning Board in April 2021 at 105 Bartlett Street. A resident fight against the prospective development reached the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which in 2023 upheld approval of the development.
The developer, Iron Horse Properties, is working to obtain a development agreement to begin the project, according to recent comments from Peter Britz, the city's director of planning and sustainability.
The Thorntons founded Great Rhythm in 2012, first creating their beer brand in Ipswich, Massachusetts, then moving their brewing production to Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton before settling in Portsmouth.
“Over the past several months we’ve been hard at work building out our new brewery space on West Road in Portsmouth and we’re looking forward to getting brewing operations up and running there soon,” the company's statement announcing the move reads. “We’re so excited to share this new chapter with you all soon.”
Great Rhythm sells six year-round canned beers, including its Squeeze India pale ale, Tropical Haze India pale ale and Resonation Pale Ale. The brewery offers a rotating “Soundcheck” series of India pale ales, sour beers and limited releases each year, including an Oktoberfest lager, an Italian-style pilsner, blonde ale and a Baltic porter, among others.
15 January, 2025
