Breweries Revive Littleton’s Riverfront Scene

Schilling Beer Co. and Wildbloom Beer have become two of the clearest markers of Littleton’s recent visitor economy, as the northern New Hampshire town uses breweries, riverfront space and Main Street retail to pull more travelers north. A May 22 report by the New Hampshire Union Leader described Schilling as a magnet for visitors from Boston and New York and tied the brewery’s growth to busier sidewalks and fewer empty storefronts in town. Littleton’s own tourism and chamber groups now market the same mix of downtown shops, riverside walks and breweries as a core part of the town’s pitch to visitors. ### How did Littleton’s brewery story start on the riverfront? Jeff Cozzens arrived in Littleton in 2013 and found, by his account, a bygone gristmill, a derelict warehouse and an underused stretch of riverfront along the Ammonoosuc River. He went on to launch Schilling Beer Co. with his brothers and a friend, according to the Union Leader. The brewery says its original brewpub opened in 2013 after the restoration of a circa-1797 gristmill, and that it expanded in 2018 with a production brewery, aging facility and tasting room on the river’s edge. (yahoo.com) Schilling now operates from Mill Street in Littleton, with a pub, kitchen and tasting room clustered by the river. The company describes itself as a European-inspired brewery focused on lagers, and regional tourism listings promote its riverside setting as part of the draw. ### What role did Wildbloom play on Main Street? Devin Bush opened Wildbloom Beer in Littleton in 2020 and later added a tap room on Main Street in 2022, according to the Union Leader report carried by Yahoo. (yahoo.com) Bush told the paper that roughly 85% of his patrons come from Littleton and nearby communities, a sign that the brewery serves both visitors and regular local customers. (schillingbeer.com) Wildbloom’s tap room operates at 42 Main Street, on the second floor across from Chutters, according to business listings and a 2023 profile in New Hampshire Magazine. That location placed another brewery directly in the downtown retail corridor rather than on the edge of town, adding to the concentration of food-and-drink stops on Main Street. ### What evidence is there that the breweries changed downtown traffic? (yahoo.com) Jim Alden, who has owned Chutters on Main Street for 20 years, told the Union Leader that “the beer travel phenomenon is a real thing” and said a world-class brewery had drawn people into town who then walked around and visited other businesses. He also said Littleton once struggled to attract people north of Franconia Notch, but now benefits from a larger cluster of stores. (mapquest.com) Littleton’s town manager said Main Street traffic has peaked at 20,000 vehicles a day on summer days in recent years, according to the same report. The New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau lists Littleton’s 2024 population estimate at 6,032, underscoring the scale of that seasonal visitor flow relative to the town’s size. (yahoo.com) ### What else is clustering around the breweries? The Union Leader reported there are at least 50 places to eat in Littleton, citing Cozzens, who said there were empty stores when Schilling arrived and that sidewalks seemed less busy then. He said artisan businesses have since appeared and that people are regularly out exploring town. The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce now promotes the town as a place to “live, work, and play,” while tourism pages steer visitors toward independent shops, galleries, restaurants, breweries and the riverwalk. (yahoo.com) Those descriptions do not credit breweries alone, but they show how beer, retail and outdoor access are being sold together. ### What comes next for Littleton’s downtown calendar? Discover Littleton lists First Fridays Music and Art Around Town in June, July and August 2026 in downtown Littleton, with the Farmers Market scheduled every Sunday from June to October. (yahoo.com) The same calendar lists an Independence Day celebration on June 27 and Concerts in the Park starting July 3 at Remich Park. Littleton’s tourism pages also continue to direct visitors to current downtown happenings through GoLittleton.com and merchant listings. (littletonareachamber.com) That gives Schilling, Wildbloom and neighboring businesses a set of named summer events already on the calendar as the next test of how much traffic the town can keep pulling to its riverfront and Main Street. (discoverlittleton.com)