Seacoast Breweries Bracket Sweet 16: Your votes will determine the winners

We have reached the Sweet 16 in the Seacoast Breweries Bracket, where our readers are choosing the favorite craft beer brewery in Seacoast New Hampshire and southern York County, Maine.

The competition is presented by Seacoastonline.com and Fosters.com, and we invite you to vote each week through the final round. The bracket started with 28 breweries. Twenty-four competed in the first round with 12 winners advancing to the round of 16, along with four breweries that received first-round byes.

Today, we are announcing the first-round winners and the start of voting for the second-round matchups.

Twelve Seacoast breweries were voted winners in first round

The first-round results from voting held March 1-5 are as follows: Liar’s Bench Beer Co. (2,642 votes) defeated SoMe Brewing Co. (1,280); Sawbelly Brewing (1,009) defeated Sebago Brewing Co. (698); Stripe Nine Brewing Co. (4,443 votes) defeated Batson River Brewing (2,876); Portsmouth Brewery (970) defeated Omnium Brewing (465); Woodland Farms Brewery (1,401) defeated Throwback Brewery (1,179); Empty Pint Brewing Co. (889) defeated Seadog Brewing (617); Back Hill Beer Co. (1,252) defeated Earth Eagle Brewings (1,081); Definitive Brewing Co. (21,339) defeated Czar’s Brewery (18,731); Chapel + Main (1,138) defeated Kennebunkport Brewing Co. (341); Tributary Brewing (1,262) defeated Whym Craft Pub and Brewery (420); Loaded Question Brewing (1,992) defeated Garrison City Beerworks (1,394); Four Pines Brewing Co. (2,920) defeated Topwater Brewing Co. (1,552).

To better ensure fairness, we have taken some steps to tighten up the voting process this week. There is no perfect system in online polls, but, with your cooperation, our hope is that everyone will view this competition in the spirit it is intended: a fun opportunity to highlight and celebrate local craft brewers.

How to vote in Seacoast Breweries Bracket

Voting begins Wednesday, March 8 for the bracket's Sweet 16 round and runs through Sunday, March 12. Scroll below to find descriptions of all 16 breweries and vote. Click or tap for your choice of the winner in each of the matchups.

We'll announce the Sweet 16 round winners Wednesday, March 15, along with the matchups for the quarterfinals, and a new round of voting will begin. The cycle will repeat every Wednesday-Sunday for each round until the champion is announced in early April.

Liar’s Bench Beer Co. vs. Sawbelly Brewing

Liar’s Bench Beer Co., Portsmouth: By definition, a “liar’s bench” is a place where locals gather to talk and share their stories, which oftentimes are embellished just a wee bit. There’s no need to embellish the fact that this brewery, which was founded in 2016 by University of New Hampshire college roommates Dane Nielsen, head brewer, and Dagan Migirditch, has one of the most unique setups around. Tucked away in an old plumbing supply warehouse off Islington Street, Liar's Bench boasts an eclectic tasting room that gives way to a sprawling beer garden behind it. Love Duck, a pale ale, and Young Upstart, a tasty IPA, are two of the staples on a rotating and playful tap list.

Sawbelly Brewing, Exeter: Named for the fish that graces Exeter’s town seal, Sawbelly Brewing has become a staple for both great craft beer and tasty elevated pub fare at its sprawling Epping Road location. With a large outdoor beer garden and plenty of live entertainment, owners Jim and Diane Stilian, Dave Dalton, and Susan Garland certainly have got you covered. Keeping with the fish theme, try a full pour of either the Fresh Caught, a 7.3 ABV IPA, or the always popular and hazy Palefin  — you won’t be disappointed.

Stripe Nine Brewing Co. vs. Smuttynose Brewing

Stripe Nine Brewing Co., Somersworth: Suffice to say, the somewhat sleepy Somersworth Plaza woke up in a hurry, when the Kelly brothers — Tom, Patrick and Sean — opened Stripe Nine Brewing Co. in 2019. The trio gutted an old pharmacy and in short order the brewery has become a fixture in the town and the larger craft beer community. Sean Kelly handles the brewing and his authentic Ukrainian stout, Resist, raised $5,000 for the war-torn country. Stripe Nine, which also boasts delicious wood-fired pizza and plenty of live entertainment, hosts a popular brewfest each fall at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee.

Smuttynose Brewing, Hampton: A true heavyweight in any craft beer bracket, Smuttynose Brewing Co. is  one of New Hampshire’s original craft breweries. After starting in Portsmouth in 1994, it spread its wings to a sprawling campus off Towle Farm Road in Hampton. You can still find tried and true favorites like the iconic Finestkind IPA and Old Brown Dog Ale, along with a slew of new classics from head brewer Dan Shubert and his talented staff.  With a beer garden, restaurant, and plenty of live entertainment, it is a Seacoast staple.

Portsmouth Brewery vs. Woodland Farms Brewery

Portsmouth Brewery: In a rapidly growing landscape that has seen many of the establishments in this brewery bracket challenge crop up in the last decade, Portsmouth Brewery proudly stands alone. Nestled in the heart of Market Square since 1991, the iconic brewpub holds the title of the state’s first brewpub and craft brewery. Founded by craft beer visionary Peter Egelston, who went on to found Smuttynose a few years later, the brewery has served as the ultimate public house in downtown Portsmouth for the last 32 years. Along the way, many talented brewers have passed through its seven-barrel brew room, including Tributary Brewing founder Tod Mott.

Woodland Farms Brewery, Kittery: Woodland Farms, a century-old dairy farm in Kittery, may have been sold by the Rowan family back in the 1970s, but certainly lives on in this friendly family-run craft brewery on Route 1. Patrick Rowan is the head brewer and runs the operation along with his wife Michelle and uncle, Fred Perry. The tasting room opened in 2017 and is dotted with memorabilia and pictures from the farm’s hay day. Along with a wide selection of IPAs, lagers and mixed fermentation sours, Woodland Farms has also pioneered some of the area's first non-alcoholic craft beers.

Great Rhythm Brewing Company vs. Empty Pint Brewing Co.

Great Rhythm Brewing Company, Portsmouth: Standing out as a craft brewery in a target-rich environment like Portsmouth is not an easy task, but it's one Scott Thornton and his Great Rhythm Brewing Co. have passed with flying colors. The once-vacant warehouse space behind Ace Lumber on Bartlett Street in Portsmouth’s once-sleepy West End has been transformed into a sparkling magnet for beer lovers across New England. When the weather warms up the two large garage doors in the expansive tasting room roll up, and beer lovers can grab their favorites — Tropical Haze and Squeeze are as good a place to start as any — and head for the large patio overlooking North Mill Pond.

Empty Pint Brewing Co., Dover: They have been emptying many a pint in downtown Dover at this friendly four-barrel brewery since 2018. Tomahawk, a very tasty American pale ale with a “silly amount of hops,” according to head brewer and co-owner Ryan Bubar recently made a very welcome return to the tap room, which features eight beers on tap and food. It is is just a short walk from fellow Dover breweries Garrison City and Chapel and Main. Good things come in threes!

Back Hill Beer Co. vs. Definitive Brewing Co.

Back Hill Beer Co., Rochester: Peter LaPlante, owner and brewer at Back Hill Beer Co., located at 73 Pickering Road in Rochester, has said there are five major ingredients to a perfect beer: Water, malt, hops, yeast and love. Two-plus years into the brewery’s existence, it’s clear that LaPlante is using ample amounts of all five, especially the latter. Utilizing a five barrel system, he has kept all 11 taps flowing in a very welcoming tap room that sits on the first floor of the historic Gonic Mill. In Times Between, a pale ale that packs a punch, along with Triple Crown, a dry hopped blonde ale, have already become crowd favorites.

Definitive Brewing Co., Kittery: Opening up a brewery in the shadow of national craft beer giant Allagash Brewing is not for the faint of heart, but that is exactly what a group of friends did in 2018 at Portland’s famed brewery epicenter on Industrial Way and Definitive Brewing Co. has not looked back since. In May 2020, the brewery brought its top-notch tap list to Route 1 in Kittery, much to the glee of many a weary shopper who would rather sip a Spirals, one of Definitive’s trademark juicy double IPAs, than tackle the spiraling checkout lines of the nearby outlet stores.

Deciduous Brewing Company vs. Chapel + Main

Deciduous Brewing Company, Newmarket: When handicapping any Seacoast craft beer bracket it would be foolhardy to look past this powerhouse in Newmarket. Although it features a small tasting room, Frank and Maryann Zagami’s brewery has been delivering big flavors for quite some time, much to the delight of beer lovers across the state and beyond. Whether it be any one of their juicy IPAs or fruity sours, there are very few craft brew lovers in the area who don’t have “12 Weaver Street, Newmarket” saved in their GPS.

Chapel + Main, Dover: Looking for the ultimate craft beer chapel to not only visit on Sundays, but the rest of the week as well? Beer lovers from across the Seacoast have been heading to this brewpub on the corner of Chapel and Main streets in Dover since its grand opening in 2017. The space, which sits 60 inside and another 50 outside at a spacious beer garden dotted with colorful wall art, offers great beer from longtime brewer Dave Yarrington and equally sumptuous food from its collaboration with Kittery’s Black Birch. Dragon in the Seas, a slightly hazy IPA, is the only regular on a diverse tap list that includes several German and Belgian traditional styles.

Tributary Brewing vs. Loaded Question Brewing

Tributary Brewing, Kittery: It’s safe to say that beer lovers across the Seacoast were blessed in 2014 when legendary New England brewer Tod Mott, decided to open his own brewery on Shapleigh Road in Kittery with his wife, Galen. Tod Mott, who was known for brewing the iconic Harpoon IPA and the highly acclaimed Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout for the Portsmouth Brewery, is still pushing the brewing envelope at Tributary, which has become a magnet for beer lovers across the region. Kate the Great, now named “Mott the Lesser” still hits the taps twice a year at Tributary and, as you can imagine, does not last too long.

Loaded Question Brewing, Portsmouth: Just up the street from other breweries in the craft beer mecca that is Portsmouth’s West End, is the equally popular Loaded Question Brewing. The somewhat hidden warehouse space has proved to be the ultimate laboratory for founder and head brewer Tom Bath, who continues to push the brewing envelope much to the delight of his large and faithful following. One of his first creations, the flavorful Double IPA Sparkle Toes named for what his daughter called her shiny painted toes, remains a very popular choice at the fun-loving brewery, which also offers an outdoor beer garden.

Stoneface Brewery vs. Four Pines Brewing Co.

Stoneface Brewery, Newington: What started out with a winning entry in the Boston Homebrew Competition in 2013 has snowballed into one of the most popular craft beer brands on the Seacoast and beyond for Stoneface founders Peter Beauregard and Erol Moe.  With that award winning IPA recipe still in the fold along with other staples like the popular Half Clip and Full Clip, the duo has seen their Newington brewery grow exponentially over the last decade with a planned 23,400-square-foot brewing facility and restaurant just down the street on tap next for this fixture.

Four Pines Brewing Co., Hampton: It’s back. After opening 10 years ago next to the Community Oven on Route 1 in Hampton, Four Pines Brewing Co. returned in 2022 after a long hiatus. The inspiration of local restaurateur Shane Pine, the brewery is named for Pine and his three children and connects to his bustling restaurant and bar next door. Jason Bourassa handles the brewing and his Naughty Pine, a 5.9 ABV IPA, and Foggy Amber, a 5 ABV red ale, have already become staples in the restaurant.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast Breweries Bracket Sweet 16 craft beer poll: Vote here