Portland Maine

[Theakston]

I'm planning a trip to Portland Maine in a few weeks. Any tips on the best beer bars, brewpubs and bottle shops would be appreciated.

Cheers!

[threecb]

It's been a few years for me, but Portland is a great beer town. I was there for a weekend and didn't get to any beer bars, but we hit 3 brewpubs.

Gritty McDuff's had a laid back atmosphere and very good beers. I think they had the best beer of the 3.
Sebago was more upscale, but the beers were good and the food was very good.
Stone Coast, I'm pretty sure, is no longer open as a brewpub. At least in the location that I was in. But the beers are available now.

And while you're there you should stop in Shipyard for tour and tasting. Alan Pugsley is a pioneer and trained many brewers plying their craft in the northeast and beyond. Don't dis the ringwood!

I know there's more around, and hopefully others will chime in. Also, since BeerAdvocate is a New England based site, they have a wealth of info in the beerfly section.

Have fun. We liked it so much, we've considered moving there!

[newportstorm]

Portland is a great beer town. Here are some options from BA's BeerFly (hope the link isn't too long):

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beerfly/list?path=%2Fbeerfly%2Flist&sort=name&name=&city=portland&s_id=ME&c_id=&zip=&area=&submit=+search+&brewery=Y&brewpub=Y&bar=Y&store=Y

Definitely have to hit the Great Lost Bear - one of the best beer bars anywhere, imho. And I believe that several of the breweries are located within the same industrial park area - walking/stumbling from tour to tour may be an option! Also, if you're a baseball fan, consider catching the Red Sox affiliate Portland Sea Dogs - I believe they have craft beer at the stadium.

Just prepare your tastebuds for the malt and Ringwood onslaught. I'm not certain that Maine brewers know what hops are! :p Seriously, lots of good beer to grab and take home. Steer clear of the Gritty's 12 oz. as they are contract brewed by Shipyard and riddled with buttery tasting diacetyl (sorry, 'threecb' Shipyard isn't my fave). Gritty's bombers are their own. Other beer highlights to find on tap or bottles:

-Bar Harbor Cadillac Mtn. Stout
-Atlantic Brewing Co. Coal Porter & Brother Adams Bragget (actually everything but their Blueberry appeals to me)
-Any Allagash, though you may have that in your area
-Casco Bay Riptide Red is solid
-Geary's Summer is a kolsch style beer with a new label every year designed by local art students - yea, collectible!
-Geary's HSA

Enjoy Portland. Cheers!

[chazwicke]

I echo the last couple of posts. Maine, in general, has some excellent beers. Not to mention lobster!

[Theakston]

We just got back from Portland. Great trip, thanks for all the tips. I avoided Allagash as I can get all of their beers here in DC (and I like them all)

Great Lost Bear is indeed an excellent beer bar with 3 hand pulled cask ales both times we stopped in.

I was expecting a lot of Diacetyl / Ringwood but, apart from the Old Thumper, didn't really find that so much. Shipyard had a nice Hoppy Fuggles IPA that I liked a lot. Geary's Summer Ale was hoppy and refreshing. I enjoyed their HSA on draft.

Stone Coast beers were good. I enjoyed the 420 IPA (after I was assured that it wasn't 420 on the Dogfish Scale).
Visited the Sebago Brew Pub and Gritty Mac Duffs Both had a good range of beers with decent IPAs and red ales. Brought back a few bottles from Bar Harbor brewing (including Cadillac stout).

Ate loadsa Lobstah! (Red's Eats in Wiscasset is the business).
People were really friendly....quite a shock after living in DC all these years!

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by Theakston
I was expecting a lot of Diacetyl / Ringwood but, apart from the Old Thumper, didn't really find that so much. Shipyard had a nice Hoppy Fuggles IPA that I liked a lot. Geary's Summer Ale was hoppy and refreshing. I enjoyed their HSA on draft.

Stone Coast beers were good. I enjoyed the 420 IPA (after I was assured that it wasn't 420 on the Dogfish Scale).
Visited the Sebago Brew Pub and Gritty Mac Duffs Both had a good range of beers with decent IPAs and red ales. Brought back a few bottles from Bar Harbor brewing (including Cadillac stout).

Ate loadsa Lobstah! (Red's Eats in Wiscasset is the business).
People were really friendly....quite a shock after living in DC all these years!

Funny. I avoid most Shipyard products except the Old Thumper. To each their own.

Good call on the Stone Coast 420. They've been shrinking their distribution lately it seems and I hadn't had that beer in some time. Nice IPA.

And I remember Red's Eats from my anniversary trip to Boothbay Harbor last year. We didn't eat as the line was up the block but it came highly recommended! We ate/drank at a local pub across the street with some Sheepscot beers on draft. Sounds like you drank plenty of Maine beer and had a good time.

Cheers!

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by Theakston
We just got back from Portland. Great trip, thanks for all the tips. I avoided Allagash as I can get all of their beers here in DC (and I like them all)

Great Lost Bear is indeed an excellent beer bar with 3 hand pulled cask ales both times we stopped in.

I was expecting a lot of Diacetyl / Ringwood but, apart from the Old Thumper, didn't really find that so much. Shipyard had a nice Hoppy Fuggles IPA that I liked a lot. Geary's Summer Ale was hoppy and refreshing. I enjoyed their HSA on draft.

Stone Coast beers were good. I enjoyed the 420 IPA (after I was assured that it wasn't 420 on the Dogfish Scale).
Visited the Sebago Brew Pub and Gritty Mac Duffs Both had a good range of beers with decent IPAs and red ales. Brought back a few bottles from Bar Harbor brewing (including Cadillac stout).

Ate loadsa Lobstah! (Red's Eats in Wiscasset is the business).
People were really friendly....quite a shock after living in DC all these years!

Never eaten at Reds but I have shopped for antiques in Wiscasset. By the way, Stone coast is the other brewpub that I could not think of the name that night in Cap City. I think it is also affiliated with Sunday River in Bethel, Maine. I've been to all of the breweries that you visited except Sebago. I visited Bar Harbor brewing when Todd was brewing in his basement. Maine has some very fine beers. There is a Lobster pound out on the otherside of the cove from Pemaquid point that is operated by the fishermans co-op. It is right at the docks. I usually try there. And we often get to Boothbay. Nice place to celebrate an anniversary, Newport. My wife and I love the Down east and Acadia coast. And even though I was not in Maine I had a 3 1/2 lb. Lobster at Sam and Harry's on Saturday evening. ( Was good but not the same as eating it in Maine). Anyway, sounds like you had a nice trip.

[Theakston]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I had a 3 1/2 lb. Lobster at Sam and Harry's on Saturday evening. :eek:


Was this a South Beach or an Atkins lobster?

I could seriously go lobstetarian.