(Cheers!)

Maine, as it turns out is home to a growing movement of craft brewers and distillers. Do a google search for breweries in Maine and you will quickly see that there are over 50 breweries and probably more being added every month. For more information on the growing brewery trade check out the Maine Brewers Guild website. Here’s a link to the 2016 Beer Trail Online guide:

Click to access ME-Beer-Trail-Jan-2016.pdf

One of my favorite beers comes from the award winning Allagash Brewery located right on the outskirts of Portland.

If you are heading east on Route 302 take a left onto Riverside St. (there is a Hannaford’s on the corner) and drive less than a quarter of a mile and you will find Industrial Way. This small road is packed with all kinds of non-industrial businesses. Most importantly you will find Allagash Brewing, Foundation Brewing, D. L. Geary Brewing, and New England Distilling.

I highly recommend taking the free tour of Allagash and New England Distilling. Allagash gives free samples so what’s not to love about that. Their signature beer is their Belgian White which is really popular all over Maine. Allagash has become so popular and well known you can now find it as far west as Rochester New York. I recommend trying all their beers, but the Saison and Belgian White are my favorites. I can also recommend some of their newer beers like the 16 Counties and the Tribute beer Hugh Malone Belgian Style IPA.(Hugh Malone Belgian IPA)

(Allagash Tour Guide)

Other notable breweries that I have personally sampled include Gritty McDuff’s in Old Port, Foundation (across the street from Allagash), Sebago Brewing Company, Maine Beer Co (try the Maine Peeper, it’s excellent), Geary Brewing, Sea Dog, Ship Yard, and probably several others. One notable non-Maine brewing company is Tuckerman’s of Conway NH. They make a really nice Pale Ale.

In 2015, Allagash decided that 20 years was worth celebrating so they decided to throw a street fair. On June 27th, they closed off Industrial Way and brought in a bunch of other brewers, some food vendors, mixed in some live musical performance, and a picture perfect weather day. It was a huge success and tickets for the event sold out way in advance (glad I bought mine early.) It was a well organized event complete with shuttles from nearby parking lots so you didn’t have to walk several miles to get to your car.

Afterward, I went on the Allagash facebook page and told them what a good time it was and I recommended that they do it every year. They took my advice and held the second annual Allagash Street Fair this summer on July 9th 2016.

(I think this tank holds large quantities of beer making stuff)

Take a quick trip down Industrial Way to New England Distillers and see how they
distill whiskey, gin and rum. Buy some while you are there.