Maine

Since 1986, Maine has been at the forefront of the craft brew movement. The state is home to over 20 micro breweries and 15 brew pubs which produce more than 100 different brands. Wherever you travel in Maine, you'll find locally made ales and lagers that are sure to please. 

Maine is divided up into 8 main areas, for easy reference the areas and the breweries are listed at the foot of the page. We based ourselves in the Greater Portland area in mid November 2007 and were not disappointed. We had been longing to go to New England in the winter as all the breweries usually do a stout and a porter!

Our first port of call was the ALLAGASH BREWING COMPANY.  I have been longing to visit here, to sample their Belgium style ales and see how they compare to the real thing? Since their inception in 1995, Allagash has been crafting 15 barrel batches of distinctive, Belgian style ales.  Recently released were the Dubbel and Tripel Reserve beers in cellarworthy, cork topped bottles. 

Visitors are welcome to tour the brewery and visit the gift shop, our favourite was Allagash Dubbel at 7%abv, a dark mahogany colour with ruby hues and a complex malty taste. The finish is dry with subtle hints of chocolate & nuts.

Another long awaited visit was to GRITTY MCDUFF'S.  Since 1988, Gritty McDuff's has been creating fine, handcrafted ales and traditional pub fare. From there humble beginnings as a small brew pub in Portland's Old Port they have grown to become the brew pub of choice for Mainers and folks "from away". 

Gritty's were at the forefront of the brewing renaissance in the Maine. Founders Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer goal was to create a true, English style pub serving fresh ales and great food, and to have fun doing it. 

The accolades for Gritty McDuff’s have been piling up. Gritty’s has frequently been awarded the titles of “Maine’s Best Brew Pub”, “Best Maine Microbrew” and “Best Bar” in statewide polls. Gritty’s ales have been repeat winners at the annual Real Ale Festival in Chicago and have also appeared as Featured International Selections at the Great British Beer Festival. Our long time favourite is Black Fly Stout at 4.1%abv its the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all malt stout packed with roasted flavours. Six different grains are used in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops.

One of our favourite visits this time was to SUNDAY RIVER STONECOAST BREWING COMPANY opened in 1992 (CLOSED 2008 Oh woe is me!!) with a passion for great microbrews and conceived Sunday River Brewing Co., a very successful brewpub nestled at the base of Sunday River ski area. Then they added Stone Coast Brewing Co. in Portland in 1995. 

They are the fastest growing Microbrewery in Maine. We were torn between 2 beers here; Stone Coast 420 IPA India Pale Ale A west coast style IPA with a rich golden hue. A very hoppy beer. perfect with spicy Mexican food and Buffalo wings, and Black Bear Porter Deep, dark, robust porter finished with Cascade hops for a west coast feel

D L GEARY BREWING CO  founded in  October, 1983 by David and Karen Geary who shared the vision of producing world class products on a small scale for local and regional consumption. 

At that time, there were only 13 so-called microbreweries in the United States, almost all of them in California and the Pacific Northwest. 

In the winter of 1984, David Geary began a period of training and research in Scotland and England. With the help of Peter Maxwell Stuart, a Scottish nobleman and brewer who arranged introductions and itineraries, he worked in a half-dozen small commercial breweries from the highlands of Scotland to the south coast of England. 

On our visit we were given a full tour, along with a bottle to sup as we went along.  The brick vessels used in Geary's brewing process were imported from the British Isles.  As Brewing was in full swing the tour was excellent and so too was the beer, which was replenished regularly.

Geary's produces 8 beers, most based on British recipes:- Pale Ale , Hampshire Ale, London Porter, Summer Ale, Autumn Ale, Winter Ale, Wee Heavy and Imperial IPA. 

There was the  obligatory souvenir shop on site and we availed our selves of a case of beer to while away our evening back at our digs!

SEBAGO BREWING COMPANY opened in South Portland, at the Maine Mall in1998. Sebago is well known for their casual upscale brewpubs and their fresh craft beers. They brew American style beers and use only the best ingredients and water from the great Sebago Lake and never pasteurize or use adjuncts. They have 3 locations; South Portland the original location, opened in May 1998. A downtown location is situated in Portland's Historic Old Port. After opening in May 2000 Sebago Downtown was instantly popular among tourists, the local business community and many people in need of late night dinner. 

The Gorham is the local favourite. Nestled in the Gorham village. We were spoilt for choice here with 3 dark ales to choose from but we eventually opted for Slick Nick Winter Ale.  The caramel and black malts we use to brew Slick Nick gives it the deep amber colour. It is an insidious brew and there strongest beer. It is a perfect match with rich sauces, BBQ, grilled meats and hearty sandwiches or simply enjoyed as a stand alone meal. 6.2% abv. mmmm!!