Bulk of Smuttynose Brewing campus in Hampton poised for sale

A sale is looming for of the bulk of the Smuttynose Brewing Co. campus, ending a storied chapter in New Hampshire beer history.

The adjacent restaurant, however, is planned to remain open and operated by the brewery after the property is subdivided. The buyer remains unnamed. The property, located at 105 Towle Farm Road, hit the market on Oct. 15 with a $7.895 million price tag. It was listed by The Boulos Company.

Finestkind Brewing, the parent company of Smuttynose, which is considered the state’s original craft brewery, announced in January 2025 its merger with the Mass. Bay Brewing Company to form the Barrel One Collective. That same year, large-scale production at the Hampton site ceased, and in October, the industrial brewing equipment was auctioned off to various bidders.

“We do have an opportunity (to) sell a portion of the property, and that is going through the usual system of approvals and permitting,” said the Barrel One Collective’s vice president of marketing, Rob Day.

“At the time (we merged), our outlook was to build a path to large-scale brewing in that location again, and that was what we communicated at the time,” he added. “As the year and industry progressed, that concept seemed less likely.”

A Finestkind representative, according to town records, will be before the Hampton Plan Review Committee on Jan. 28 to discuss subdividing the lot to separate the restaurant from the rest of the campus. The representative will also examine a proposal for parking expansion and outdoor storage “for pool equipment wholesaler to occupy former brewery building.”

The pool equipment wholesaler sells to pool installers and is located in Stratham, said Joseph Coronati, the vice president of Jones & Beach Engineers, in a letter to Hampton officials.

“The intent of this project is to subdivide the property into two lots, expand the parking in front of the former Brewery and add fenced in outdoor storage in the rear of the building,” he added. “The restaurant, tavern, and outdoor seating and entertainment area will remain as is.”

The listing includes the industrial brewing building, a barn, and 5.46 acres of land with expansion potential. Buyers can opt to purchase the brewery building and barn for $6.056 million, the expansion acreage for $1.839 million, or both.

The factory was built in 2014 and has served as Smuttynose’s headquarters. Though the industrial-level brewing will end in Hampton, Day said small-scale brewing onsite will still occur.

Once Finestkind and Mass. Bay Brewing Company merged, the bulk of Smuttynose’s beer production moved to other Barrel One Collective brewing operations in Boston and Windsor, Vermont.

The rise and fall of Smuttynose Brewing in Hampton

Smuttynose was founded in 1994 by Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis in Portsmouth, though the brewery eventually moved to the 14-acre Towle Farm Road campus in Hampton. The facilities, complete with offices and the restaurant, cost $16 million.

In 2018, the brewery was sold in a foreclosure sale to Provident Bank for $8.25 million and was later purchased by North Hampton-based Runnymede Investments, which allowed brewing to continue at the Hampton campus.

The new owners later acquired Wachusett Brewing Company and Five Boroughs Brewing Co.

When Finestkind announced its merger with Mass. Bay Brewing Company, marketing director Rob Day noted brewery mergers have become increasingly common. He said 2024 marked the first year in which more breweries closed than opened as companies pooled resources to survive a challenging economic climate.

Brands under the Barrel One Collective’s ownership, according to its website, include 15 labels, including Dunkin’ Spiked, UFO Beer Company, The Shed Brewery, Otter Creek Brewing Co., and Catamount Brewing Co.

“Each of these decisions is meant to give us the opportunity to double down on the community space that is so important to us and the Smuttynose brand even amidst the headwinds of a challenging business climate,” Day said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald. Reporting by Brandon Ng