BDB Rating - 78
Stark actually appeared as Swiftwater on google maps so it took us awhile to figure it all out. Turns out Stark has been brewing for over 20 years and Swiftwater was just a small brewer renting out the equipment for a short period of time. The story just adds to how strange this place is. Stark is located in an old brick building...there are many around which Manchester is trying to repurpose with tech companies. Stark is located in the basement...as we walked down, it didn't seem like the most enticing place. It wasn't tidy and seemed odd as there were remnants of Milly's Tavern (which was located here many years ago)...they still offer full bar service to appease your non-beer drinking friends. We were a little overwhelmed with the long beer list. Fortunately they offer flights of 6 or 8 at a decent price. 3 of us got flights and covered almost all the beers. It is so exciting to get a flight in front of you but very disappointing when you can't discover a new beer to enjoy. This place is much more about quantity versus quality. Nothing was horrible but we didn't feel compelled like we usually do to order a pint of our favorite. The Hound IPA seemed to be the best of the bunch.
Overall this place could be good for a large mixed group of undiscerning drinkers looking for a small bite of pub fare during their happy hour. Stark has some character but will be a challenge competing with newer breweries if it doesn't refine some of their best sellers and spruce up the place.
