Attention procrastinators: Christmas is less than 10 days away. Are you done with your shopping yet? No? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Beer, merch, and gift certificates from Maine breweries make the perfect gift for everyone 21+ on your list. Heck, some breweries even have merch for the future beer enthusiasts on your list, making for truly one-stop shopping. You’re welcome!
Here’s this week’s guide to upcoming brewery events, the latest beer releases, and a roundup of Maine beer news.
Sponsored by: Tigpro Stainless Fabrication
Upcoming Releases & Events
It’s a Whiteout over at Blaze Brewing, Corner Point Brewing has not one, not two, but 3 Ho’s, there’s a lot of Hype over at Definitive Brewing, and there are some Impure Thoughts floating around at Foulmouthed Brewing.
Thursday, December 16
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Maine Brewers Guild Collaboration IPA
Brewed to support the Maine Brewers’ Guild, this beer represents the unified voice of Maine’s brewers and the beer industry in our state. For a twist, Allagash fermented their version with a Lithuanian farmhouse yeast to create a blend of intense hop aromatics along with fruity esters from fermentation. All proceeds from the sale of their Maine Brewers’ Guild IPA—only available on draft—will go directly to the Guild, and yes indeedy, this one’s tasty.
Blaze Brewing Company
28 Pearl St., Biddeford
Bayview (Holiday Edition), IPA (6.7%) & Whiteout, Imperial Milk Stout (8%)
Holiday Bayview is brewed with a simple grist and then dry-hopped excessively with El Dorado and Mosaic hops. This combination, along with a multi-step dry-hopping process, has yielded an incredibly juicy and soft beer. Holiday Bayview smells and tastes like ripe orange, ruby red grapefruit, and vibrant mango.
Whiteout is brewed with maple, coconut, and graham cracker. Whiteout pours a daunting jet black with aromas of freshly baked pie. The flavors of coconut, chocolate, maple, and graham cracker are all seamlessly intertwined. Whiteout drinks smooth and is ready to provide comfort on those cold winter nights.
Friday, December 17
Corner Point Brewing
1 Rochester St., Berwick
3 Ho’s, Winter Warmer Spiced Ale (7.7%)
3 Ho’s is a winter warmer that blends cinnamon and nutmeg with molasses and peppermint. It has an ABV of 7.7%, but drinks smooth.
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Through the Prism, Double IPA (9%) & Euphoric Hype Machine, Sour (6.7%)
Through the Prism is a collaboration with Belleflower Brewing Company. Dosed with Citra Incognito in the whirlpool, and Citra Lupomax, Bru-1 Lupomax, and Mosaic Spectrum in the dry hop, this beer is truly larger than life, sitting at a formidable 9% ABV. This hop-heavy double dry hopped Double IPA tastes and smells like New World stone fruits, freshly cut pineapple, and berry medleys.
Euphoric Hype Machine is a special, small-batch collaboration with 608 Brewing Company and a blend of each of their double fruited sour offerings. For this iteration, Definitive conditioned the beer with hundreds of pounds of fresh blackberry, raspberry, and lightly toasted coconut. The result is a refreshing, tart, and approachable 6.7% fruit bomb. This brew tastes like raspberry pina coladas, berry vanilla crush smoothies, and relaxing strolls by the ocean shore.
Both beers are available Friday in Portland, Saturday in Kittery.
Fore River Brewing Co.
45 Huntress Ave., South Portland
Woodwell Vienna Lager (5.5%)
Taking its cues from the gently roasted and caramelized Vienna malts from which it gets its name, Woodwell Vienna Lager joins the ranks of Fore River’s 2021 winter beer releases with toasted maltiness, delicate dryness, and a subtle floral spice from Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops. Lovingly described by the brewers as liquid toast, Woodwell arrives with a bright copper color and an ABV of 5.5%.
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St., South Portland
What’s new at Foulmouthed Brewing this week? So many beers.
Local Beer is an American Blonde Ale (5.2%) brewed with all local hops and malts. It’s also refreshing and delicious. What more could you need to know?
Impure Thoughts IPA is a New England IPA (7.5%) brewed with Idaho 7 and Comet hops.
Malcontent DIPA is a West Coast-style Double IPA (8.5%) for the bitter types who are not content with the normal number of hops.
Yuzu Kosho Gose (4.5%) is brewed with yuzu lemon and chili peppers for a slightly spicy kick.
Saturday, December 18
Bissell Brothers Brewing
38 Resurgam Place, Portland & 157 Elm St., Milo
Angels with Filthy Souls, Maple Barrel-Aged Porter (11.6%)
Bissell’s annual imperial porter is brewed with a plethora of English malts, two gallons of Sawyer’s Maple Farm syrup per barrel, and is then aged for a year-long slumber in bourbon barrels. Save the milk and cookies for the reindeer—this beast of a beer is what any bad Santa is really after.
New Releases
We are starting to feel spoiled as Allagash showers us with yet more Love, Banded Brewing is Bring-ing the Light, Fogtown is having Second Thoughts, and Foundation has visions of Jam Packed Plumberr-ies dancing through their heads.
Allagash Brewing Co.
50 Industrial Way, Portland
From Maine, With Love #12, Saison (7.7%)
Savor an unexpected taste of the tropics with this rum barrel-aged dark farmhouse ale, inspired by nightfall in Puerto Rico. From Maine, With Love #12 features undertones of fig and toffee, all enveloped by an unmistakable cloak of rum. It clocks in at a pleasantly warming 7.7% ABV.
Austin Street Brewery
115 Fox St., Portland & 1 Industrial Way, #8, Portland
Dichotomie Saison
Dichotomie Saison was brewed in collaboration with Après and is moderately hopped with classic European varieties. It features notes of banana, clove, and ripe orchard fruits.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Ste. 102, Biddeford and 82 Hanover St., Ste. 6, Portland
Lightbringer, Red IPA
Inspired by the solstice, Lightbringer has energetic notes of strawberry, citrus, and pine and is balanced by flavors of sage and cookie dough, and warmed with a hint of ginger. Lightbringer is sure to saturate your winter blues with thoughts of brighter days.
Barreled Souls Brewing
743 Portland Rd., Saco
Munro, Scotch Ale (10%)
Munro is a strong Scotch ale with big rich malt flavors reminiscent of dark caramel, fig jam, and hints of smoke.
Fogtown Brewing Company
25 Pine St., Ellsworth and 33 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Second Thought, Double IPA (8.3% ABV)
Winter finally hit this week, and so did a fresh cold batch of Second Thought. This juicy Double IPA features heaps of Maine-grown organic oats, and is triple dry-hopped with Ekuanot, El Dorado, and Lemondrop.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Jam Packed Plumberry, Imperial Sour
Jam Packed Plumberry is a fabulously fruited holiday offering brewed with milk sugar and fermented with plums, raspberries, and vanilla beans. Just like a visit from the Sugar Plum Fairy herself, it’s positively magical. Bright, tart plum and raspberry flavors pirouette across the palate, wrapped in a silky sweet garland of vanilla.
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Road Unit 15, South Portland
Atomic Dawg, Double IPA (8.5%)
If you tried Island Dog’s Toxic Dawg and found it a little extreme for you, don’t fret. They’ve brought back a different beer that, if the name is to be trusted, is clearly a way more subtle beer: Atomic Dawg! I mean, it has a dog on the can, how strong could it be?!
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson St., Portland and 48 Sanford Dr., Gorham
The Holy Donut’s Triple Berry Glaze, Imperial Sour (8%)
Lone Pine’s partnership with The Holy Donut has resulted in a new imperial sour version of Beer With Donuts. This new iteration of The Holy Donut’s Triple Berry Glaze combines the delicious flavor of Holy Donut with a MASSIVELY fruit-forward sour ale.
Triple Berry Glaze was brewed with whole Triple Berry Glaze donuts from The Holy Donut, then fruited heavily with strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry. Fruit forward, and balanced with a gentle tartness, this beer is wonderfully hazy, vibrantly magenta, and clocks in at 8% ABV, making it a refreshing but thick and full-bodied sipper.
Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main St., Westbrook and 200 Lower Main St., Freeport
Solidus, Scottish Ale (5.2%)
The weather lately is calling for a beer like Solidus. It’s crisp, warming, and toasty at a smooth 5.2% ABV.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
Xi, IPA (6.8%) & Pilot, West Coast IPA (7.2%)
Brewed in celebration of Rising Tide’s 11th anniversary, Xi has a low bitterness and is a round and pillowy New England IPA bursting with notes of tangerine, mango, papaya, coconut, and cherry.
Pilot is a small batch brewed on Rising Tide’s pilot system. It has big notes of grapefruit and pine, with subtle notes of orange zest, caramel, and pineapple.
York Beach Beer Co.
33 Railroad Ave., York
By the Way, Double IPA (8.5%)
Bright, crisp, classic, and hoppy—we love this West Coast Double IPA!
Maine Beer in the News
Learn about a project “brewed” up at Foulmouthed Brewing to help Mainers keep warm during the long winter months.
Brewery owner hosts ‘knit nights’ to clothe cold Mainers
Donations benefit the Maine Needs nonprofit.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Maine Beer This Week! If you own a brewery or other beer business and would like to be featured in upcoming issues, please email or call us to learn more at [email protected] (207) 209-2094
