Portsmouth Brewery will host Andy Crouch, author of the newly released “The Good Beer Guide to New England,” on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 5:15 p.m.

In his book, Crouch profiles nearly 100 establishments in New England, offering a description and history of each, as well as insights into each brewmaster’s philosophy and brewing style, according to a press release from book publisher University Press of New England. At each stop, he covers the range of beers available, identifies the flagship product, and highlights his personal choice for the best beer on the menu.

Portsmouth Brewery is a worthy visit for Crouch and Co., as it serves some award winning ales of its own. In 2005 alone, their Wheat Wine Ale was awarded a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival; Shoals Pale Ale earned a silver medal at the Great British Beer Festival; and Smuttynose IPA, Old Brown Dog and Shoals Pale Ale each earned a silver medal at the World Beer Championships, among other awards.

So raise a glass with Crouch, then start mapping your trip to other breweries around the region. The Portsmouth Brewery is located at 56 Market St., Portsmouth, 603-431-1115.

Last year, Portsmouth photographer Brian Smestad artistically rendered mouthwatering dishes from some of Portsmouth’s favorite restaurants in “Portsmouth,” the first in his Portrait of a Restaurant series of fine-art photography cookbooks. Next up is “Newburyport,” featuring recipes, arranged by season, from downtown restaurants coupled with photographs from around town. A book signing with featured chefs will be held at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport’s Market Square on Monday, July 31, 5-9 p.m.

Your peanut butter in my chocolate or my chocolate in your peanut butter? The pair of Dover establishments owned by restaurateurs Loius Hamel and Jay McSharry-Dover Soul coffee shop and martini bar and Little Louie’s restaurant-have recently reshuffled into a whole new combination. Little Louie’s closed earlier in the summer, with some of its menu now being served at Dover Soul, as described in a recent press release: “Dover Soul has grown into what was Little Louie’s dining room, serving dinner nightly and placing more emphasis on the night club dimension of the martini bar.” The change has left fans of the pleasantly dark little coffee bar feeling a bit elbowed out by a crowd more interested in martinis than iced coffee, but the owners feel they’re on the right track.

“We’ve designed Dover Soul to be a restaurant/night club venue rich in imagination and resourcefulness,” said Hamel in the press release. “We want people to use this place as a retreat-a place where they can be comfortable and not put off by pretense or expense.”
On Wednesday, July 12 at 5 p.m., the public is invited to celebrate the reincarnation of Dover Soul, with martini samples, free passed hors d’oeuvres, and the debut of a new Wednesday music series. The NH Edge, an Internet podcast devoted to the showcasing local music, will be hosting a new music night, kicking things off with Craving musician Brian Scanlon at 7:30 p.m., followed by Jupiter 2 and Heavens to Murgatroid at 8:30 p.m.
Twenty-five percent of the night’s proceeds will be donated to Seacoast Hospice, a non-profit organization providing end-of-life care for local families.

Dover Soul is located at 364 Central Ave, Dover. Dinner is served nightly starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 603-834-6961.

Jewell Towne Vineyards recently appointed Rich Collins as director of sales and marketing. Collins, best known locally as the wine buyer and general manager for Attrezzi in Portsmouth, holds a number of professional certifications in the field of food and wine, including advanced certification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (a preparation for the Master of Wine designation) and a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, according to a press release from Jewell Towne. 

Collins plans to spearhead additional marketing efforts, to expand the monthly Wine Club offerings, and bringing Jewell Towne wines into an untapped market for local wines outside of New Hampshire once interstate shipping is approved. In addition, he plans to keep customers informed of winery events, awards, and news releases through a new e-newsletter and through the winery’s Web site, at www.jewelltownevineyards.com.

Jewell Towne’s wines are sold at the South Hampton winery, in approximately 60 boutique wine shops, and in many New Hampshire Hannaford grocery stores and state liquor stores.
Jewell Towne Vineyards, located at 183 Whitehall Road in South Hampton, 603-394-0600, is open May through Dec. 31, offering complimentary tastings and tours Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.