Days of the Beer, October 25

The beer for today is Smuttynose Brewing Co. Portsmouth Lager.

Today, the USS New Hampshire will be (is/was) commissioned. The commissioning ceremony is at 10 a.m. in Portsmouth NH.

The USS New Hampshire is a Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarine. It is the fourth ship of the navy to be named New Hampshire.

The ship was christened on June 21, 2008 at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Conn, by Cheryl McGuinness. McGuinness is the widow of a former Navy pilot, who was co-pilot of one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

Originally, Smuttynose had planned to produce a special one time beer, called Granite Ghost Ale, for the occasion. However due to label bureaucracy, the beer had to be cancelled. New Hampshire is the Granite State.

The ship will be launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

As to the beer:

Named in honor of our hometown's 375th anniversary, Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager is a full-flavored, medium bodied continental-style beer - deep golden in color, featuring a mouth-pleasing maltiness subtly balanced with spicy imported Saaz hops. One taste of this fine lager tells you this is no ordinary beer: From its mellow, velvety body to its lingering, fresh hop finish, Portsmouth Lager is smooth, complex and satisfying.

So, for the USS New Hampshire, have a beer brewed in New Hampshire.