New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s New Booze Law Will Hamstring the State’s Brewpubs

Published

6 months ago

July 16, 2025

New Hampshire’s New Booze Law Will Hamstring the State’s Brewpubs

The rationale behind New Hampshire’s new brewpub regulation is more headache-inducing than the beer.

On Friday, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed House Bill 242 into law. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. John Hunt (R–Rindge), will take effect in August and limits brewpubs in the state to self-distributing their beer to only one additional restaurant or business outside their premises. The bill is a follow-up to H.B. 1380, also sponsored by Hunt in 2024, which limited the amount of beer or cider a brewpub could sell to 2,500 barrels a year and permitted licensed brewpub owners to obtain licenses to sell their product on their premises in bars and at off-premise locations like grocery stores, so long as they didn’t have a manufacturing license.

If the law sounds like it will keep brewpubs small, that’s because it’s intended to do so. “This is what we call a very inside baseball bill,” Hunt told the New Hampshire Bulletin.

Hunt said that H.B. 242 was designed to preserve the state’s current regulatory system, describing New Hampshire as a “three-tier state,” where businesses operate as either beverage manufacturers, distributors, or retailers. By restricting brewpubs from becoming a one-stop shop that acts as a “bottler…distributor” and “retailer,” Hunt said the bill is intended to safeguard the “monopoly” held by beer distributors in the middle tier of this system.”Frankly, I think the relationship between the distributors and the licensees (retailers) is pretty sacred, and it works well, and there’s no reason to upset them.”

The bill was supported by the state’s restaurant and lodging trade group. “You have to understand, in order for one of these brewpubs to make enough beer to self distribute to more than one additional location, they would have to make an enormous amount of beer…and frankly, most of them didn’t think they could make enough beer to even distribute to another location,” Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, told the New Hampshire Bulletin. “Most of the folks in the industry that I’ve talked to didn’t really feel that the restriction was much of a restriction, because they could now own multiple brewpubs and restaurants.”

Rather than having the freedom to ramp up production and distribution, Somers contends that brewpub owners would rather start new brands and businesses from scratch.

This wasn’t the only booze-related bill that passed the governor’s desk: Ayotte also signed H.B. 467 and let H.B. 81 become law without her signature. H.B. 467 allows municipalities to create designated “social districts” where people can legally consume alcohol outdoors. These areas must be clearly marked with signs indicating the permitted times and boundaries, and all alcohol must be purchased from businesses within the district. Separately, H.B. 81 permits restaurant patrons to bring their drinks with them to the restroom.

While both laws ease some restrictions on consumer alcohol use, they stop short of meaningfully reducing the state’s overall control of alcoholic beverages. And now, New Hampshire’s brewpubs will face more hurdles to scaling up the production and distribution of their beer.

In keeping with that spirit, the state would be better served by promoting policies that encourage innovation, rather than anticompetitive laws like H.B. 242 that restrict consumer choice and unfairly penalize brewpubs for their market success.

The post New Hampshire’s New Booze Law Will Hamstring the State’s Brewpubs appeared first on Reason.com.

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New Hampshire

NH Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 7, 2026

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

05-14-15-21-39, Lucky Ball: 10

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Day: 1-5-7

Evening: 0-1-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Day: 6-8-6-9

Evening: 7-8-6-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

03-08-13-33-40, Megaball: 04

Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

16-19-21-25-34

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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New Hampshire

Civics 101: What’s happening with Venezuela?

Published

19 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Civics 101: What’s happening with Venezuela?

On January 3, the United States military carried out what the administration called a “large-scale strike” in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, amid several reported explosions and aerial bombardment.

Tune in to Civics 101 during Here & Now on Thursday, January 8 for a special edition breaking down one of the most unprecedented events in recent international affairs. This segment begins at 1:40 p.m. EST.

Listen to NHPR on your radio, stream us online, or just ask your smart speaker to “play NHPR.” You can also listen to this special episode of Civics 101 on demand.

In this episode, hosts Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice break down the history, context, and legality of what’s unfolding now — and what it could mean for Venezuela, the United States, and international law.