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Need a gift? Try some UNH-made beer, smoked fish or kelp oil

Scott Ripley/UNH
/
Used with permission
The trout and kelp used in two of the gifts this year are harvested from this aquafort.

Students and faculty at the University of New Hampshire are putting out a unique set of holiday gifts this year, ranging from beer to smoked fish for the charcuterie board.

For the beer lover in your life, this year, the UNH Brewery Science Lab is pouring two dessert beers: a gingerbread Belgian, and a wheat beer made with a touch of locally harvested kelp.

“One of the things I get to give the students is this opportunity to create a really well-made product and put it out into the world and see other people enjoy it,” said Cheryl Parker, the brewery’s manager. “I don't think that's an experience that many students get to have in college.”

Beers are available for purchase in growlers on campus during two upcoming tasting events: Dec. 5 and 12, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. inside Barton Hall Room 111.

Sales from the beer are redirected back into the program, allowing students the opportunity to experiment with different ingredients, Parker said.

If you need something to soak up that beer, consider UNH’s locally made smoked steelhead trout. The fish are raised in an off-shore platform managed by the school’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. The trout is then smoked by the Boston Smoked Fish Co. with a mixture of brown sugar, tamari, salt and other spices. Orders can be placed through a school website.

A UNH faculty member is also offering a facial oil infused with kelp harvested off the coast in Kittery. Cold Current Kelp is billed as a luxury skin care product with benefits including hydration, brightening and anti-aging benefits.

And if you’re the browsing type, there’s a UNH Makers Expo on Friday Dec. 6th, where students and faculty will offer a range of locally made gifts.

Todd started as a news correspondent with NHPR in 2009. He spent nearly a decade in the non-profit world, working with international development agencies and anti-poverty groups. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University. He can be reached at tbookman@nhpr.org.