Beara Irish Brewery mixes ingredients from Ireland and the Seacoast
to create unique brews
By Leslie Modica, photos by Chloe Kanner
At first glance, a strip mall on Lafayette Road seems like an odd place for a craft Irish brewery — so much so that the sign for
Beara Irish Brewing Co. at 2800 Lafayette Road simply reads IRISH BREWERY, as if to dispel any confusion.
But inside, visitors can find all the elements that harken back to an authentic Irish pub. First off, it’s small. There are a few stools at the bar next to the glass doors that lead to the brewery, a drink rail, and just four tables. On Saturdays, there’s live Irish music. The musicians sit at a table with their beers, just like at pubs in Ireland.
“We want to be a community brewery,” said owner Michael Potorti.
But, despite the small details at the brewery itself — an Irish flag, a U2 poster — the Irish connection is strongest in the beer itself, which uses imported barley from the Irish Malting Company, based in Cork, Ireland.
“I wondered why these grains couldn’t be used in beer. That’s when I started experimenting with Irish barley to use as a base for our beer.”
— Beara co-owner Michael Potorti
It’s an idea that Michael and Louise Potorti came up with while in Ireland. Louise grew up in Bere Island, located off Ireland’s southwest coast. There, Michael said, the food tastes better because the ingredients are high quality.
“We had bread in Ireland and it was really good bread,” Michael said. “And I wondered why these grains couldn’t be used in beer. That’s when I started experimenting with Irish barley to use as a base for our beer.”
After winning a few home brewing contests, the Potortis ran a successful Kickstarter campaign before opening their doors late last year.
“We put everything into this, we jumped off the cliff,” Louise said. “That’s one thing about Mike and I, we always do these really irrational things.”
“You gotta live life,” Michael added.
Michael Potorti with one of his three daughters.
Beara now offers five varieties of beer. The most popular is the O’Sullivan Stout, a dry oatmeal stout bearing Louise’s maiden name. Although all of the beer uses the distinct Irish barley, Beara also uses local ingredients whenever possible. For example, the Honey Brown uses honey from SeaBee Honey in Rye, and the Maple Wheat uses maple syrup from Barrington. Beara also offers a Rye Craic IPA. Craic, a Gaelic word, has no literal English translation, though it is usually associated with the fun, warmth, and camaraderie found in Irish pubs.
Their most recent brew is the one Michael is most excited about. During a recent trip to Cork, Ireland, Michael stopped in Rising Sons Brewery and gave them a bottle of the Rye Craic IPA. The gift led to a partnership between the two breweries in which they sent each other recipes to brew. The recipe from Rising Sons became Beara’s Survivor, a pale ale named in honor of May Barrett, the only survivor of the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania.
Taps at Beara Irish Brewing in Portsmouth.
Beara held a Survivor kickoff party at Ri Ra, which now features their beer on tap, and the owner of Rising Sons flew to Portsmouth to pour the first pint. In Cork, May Barrett’s grandson pulled the first pint of Beara’s recipe.
Of course, Beara will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, this time in two places. At its brewery and taphouse, Louise will pour pints and serve up corned beef on rye while revelers listen to live music and watch traditional Irish step dancers.
At Grill 28 at the Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, Michael will be on hand for a beer dinner with appetizers, corned beef, and dessert paired with Beara’s brews. The cost is $45 and it begins at 5:30 pm.
The brewery is also starting a new crowd-funding campaign via Indiegogo to raise $15,000 to purchase another fermenter, more kegs, and other equipment that will allow the brewery to increase its output.
