Brewing Community and Possibility - Hoptimystic Brewing

Staying Hoptimystic... 

Step inside one of Hoptimystic Brewing’s locations in Enfield or Sunapee, NH, and you’ll find a vast offering of cider, beer, andseltzer with creative names such as “Hoptmyst Prime” (their double New England IPA) and “Blood Sweet and Tears” (a hard seltzer). In addition to delicious drinks and a friendly staff, you’ll also find two entrepreneurs with a big dream and a commitment to brewing up a sense of community with as much passion as they pour into their beverages!

Hoptimystic Since Day One

Hoptimystic Brewing was started in 2020 by two entrepreneurs who had a desire to provide high-quality craft beers to New Hampshire. Despite initial success, the former owners decided, for personal reasons, to close their doors in November of 2022. Seeing an opportunity to bring their own dream to life, Dan and Kelly Thomas purchased the business in July of 2023 with the intention of moving it to their hometown of Bow, NH.

“There aren’t a lot of options in Bow for places to spend time and socialize, and we wanted to be the ones to build something great for folks,” Dan shares.

With established brand recognition and cleverly named drinks (we’re suckers for some dry humor and a good pun), Dan and Kelly kept the existing name and began working towards their own optimistic vision for Hoptimystic Brewing. To open their desired location in Bow, they had to first acquire financing for the capital to build on the newly purchased plot of land. The goal is to have a 2400 sq. ft. tasting room, complete with a wood-fired pizza restaurant.

If it Were Easy, Everyone Would Do It

But because it’s not easy all the time, Dan’s grateful for having found the support and guidance of the NH SBDC.

After purchasing the business and the property, they approached a local bank to find out about the loan process and potential financing. The bank directed them to the NH SBDC, where Dan and Kelly got paired up with Business Advisor Amy Bard.

From the start, Amy set reasonable expectations and stood by their side as they navigated the many challenges to overcome. Amy helped them create a strategic, thorough business plan to have to offer banks as they sought financing.

Despite the proven success of the former owners, local banks still considered Dan and Kelly’s venture a startup due to the new location. Faced with a lot of “no’s”, they went back to the drawing board with the business plan and refined where needed.

After hitting a significant wall in going the bank route, Dan regrouped with Amy, discouraged by being told no so many times. Amy helped him put together a pitch deck, highlighting exactly what the financing would be used for and sharing the story and vision of Hoptimystic. Amy even attended a meeting with a potential lender and was able to help Dan perfect his presentation further from there.

In the end, Dan and Kelly were able to secure private funding rather than going through a bank. They were able to put to use all the valuable pitch decks and plans they’d created alongside Amy to present to their future investor.

Dan and Kelly appreciated how well Amy not only understood their challenges but also prepared them for the fact that there would be hurdles to overcome. Her support and guidance were invaluable, and they couldn’t have been more appreciative of her sticking with them through it all.

Growth Opportunities and Future Expansion

As they work towards their ultimate goal of building and opening the Bow location, the brewery continues to grow its reputation and reach. They had an opportunity to do a “pop-up” tasting room in Sunapee, NH, in June of 2025. It was a huge hit, and as a result, they were offered a local commercial space at Sunapee Harbor. The location has exceeded expectations thus far and helped to further grow their community and mission.

Vision-Forward

Today, Dan and Kelly are in the 70+ hours a week phase of entrepreneurship and keep plenty busy between the two locations. They employ a collaborative, unified staff of nine between the Enfield brewery and the Sunapee tasting room. Kelly handles the social media, event planning, and community engagement, while Dan runs the day-to-day operations, builds relationships with customers and partners, and keeps working on the site plans for the Bow location.

Dan shares that they’re not looking to be massive and overly commercial, like some of their competitors. Instead, their goal is to set themselves apart because of their community partnership and long-term relationships.

Reflecting on Dan’s determination, Amy shares:
“Dan is dedicated to his concept, and his tenacity overly impressed me. Even when he kept hearing ‘no,’ he pushed forward and we tried new things. Ultimately, he found the investor he needed to take the next steps and I look forward to working with him on the next phase when he comes up for air!”

Dan plans to engage with Amy and the NH SBDC once again in the near future as he seeks permanent food offerings for both existing locations, gains site approval for Bow, and secures the capital needed to brew his dream into existence.

Regarding the NH SBDC and its ongoing support, Dan reminds business owners that, “You don’t know what you don’t know! Don’t hesitate to rely on the NH SBDC and start early.”