Littleton, New Hampshire, is home to about 6,500 residents. Sitting on the banks of the Ammonoosuc and Connecticut Rivers, it exudes the quintessential New England feel; its honors include being crowned a “Top Ten Dream Town” by Outside magazine and one of America’s best Main Streets, according to Fodor’s Travel. Nestled in that downtown bustle is Schilling Beer Co., a European-inspired brewery that specializes in traditional styles while finding new ways to push the envelope.
John Lenzini, cofounder and head of brewery operations, was bitten by the homebrewing bug early. That only intensified while he was living in Austria and Germany, enjoying his daily ration of helles with his wife, Shannon. Traveling through Belgium and the Czech Republic only deepened the influence on the beers he creates now. He was coaxed into making a legitimate business out of the hobby by Jeffery Cozzens, cofounder and CEO, and Schilling launched in 2013 in a former grist mill just off of Main Street.
Originally on a five-barrel brewpub system, Schilling began carving out a range of traditional European styles. The pub setup helped them to figure out early on what was working, and what wasn’t, and what might become flagships and fan favorites. If the ethos of the current beer landscape is steeped in excess, Schilling was sitting somewhere off to the side, quietly and diligently executing some of the most difficult beer styles.