We’re almost halfway through January, woohoo! No offense, January, but we always find this month a bit of a letdown after all the festivities, feasting, and presents that the holidays bring.
There is one thing that does always bring us good cheer though…beer! Luckily for us, we live in one of the best states in the nation to find lots of delicious locally brewed beer.
Here’s this week’s guide to the latest beer releases, rundowns of what’s on tap, upcoming brewery events, and a roundup of Maine beer news.
Beer This Week is Sponsored by: Tigpro Stainless Fabrication
Tigpro specializes in the design, fabrication, and installation of high-quality, custom-built brewing systems, tanks, process piping, and supporting equipment to the brewing industry. With more than a decade of experience, the Tigpro team can design a brewing system to meet your brewery’s unique needs.
Upcoming Releases & Events
We’re really digging the big wave of IPAs heading our way this week from brewers across the state, from Blaze Brewing to Definitive Brewing to Nonesuch River. We can’t wait to spend our Friday and Saturday sampling all that hoppy goodness. Then, on Sunday, there’s only going to be one thing on our mind and that’s Let’s Do Brunch Milk Stout from Foundation Brewing. French toast flavors? Yes, please!
Thursday, January 14
Blaze Brewing Co.
28 Pearl St., Biddeford; 18 Broad St., Bangor; 198 Main St., Bar Harbor; & 5 Bay View St., Camden
Jam Flow, IPA (7%) & Shoreside (Strawberry, Raspberry, & Cranberry), Wheat Ale (5.5%)
Jam Flow is brewed with a wheat heavy grist and then dry-hopped excessively with Amarillo and Mosaic. This combination yielded an incredibly juicy, bright, and soft beer. Jam Flow smells and tastes like fleshy orange, ripe mango, and pink Starburst.
Shoreside (Strawberry, Raspberry, and Cranberry) is a slightly tart Wheat Ale conditioned on a large amount of strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry puree. The beer pours a deep red and tastes like pie filling, red Sour Patch Kids, and liquid summer.
Corner Point Brewing
1 Rochester Street, Berwick,
Zozobra, Milk Stout (4%)
Zozobra is a Milk Stout that has red and green chiles from New Mexico along with Mexican chocolate. Available in cans only.
Friday, January 15
Fore River Brewing Company
35 Park Ave., South Portland
All Hands, Brown Ale (7%)
All Hands is a smokey Brown Ale that has a smooth, roasted mouthfeel and hints of caramel, chocolate, and smoked malt. It is brewed annually in collaboration with, and in support of, the South Portland Fire Department. This is the first year All Hands was brewed at the new production space at Park Avenue, although it was a little different since Fore River couldn’t invite all the firefighters into the brewery for brewing and packaging.
All Hands is available now in four-packs for online ordering, both curbside pickup and delivery, and will be available on draft at the Park Ave outdoor tasting room starting Friday at 2:00 p.m. This beer only gets released once a year and it sells out quickly, so plan accordingly.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way, #5, Portland
Let’s Do Brunch, Milk Stout (6.3%)
This French toast-inspired Milk Stout is 6.3% ABV, and aged over heaps of coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon, packing in all the flavors of our favorite meal of the day. Let’s Do Brunch will be available when Foundation reopens at noon after being closed for a few weeks to spruce up their tasting room. We can’t wait to go back!
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Rd., Unit 15, South Portland
Smokey Copper Ale (5%)
Brewed in the tradition of a classic German Rauchbier, Island Dog adds smoked malts to give this incredible beer a robust, smooth, and smoky character. On draft and in cans to go, only at the taproom.
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Definitive Ale, IPA (6.7%) & Lens, Triple IPA (10.3%)
Definitive Ale is back this week because even a day without their signature IPA is too long! This IPA is always dry-hopped with Pacific Northwest and Australian hops and bursting with tropical fruit flavors and aromas. Their Triple Dry Hopped Triple IPA, Lens, is also back. This beer dials in at 10.3% ABV, with a fruity, fluffy body that will put a smile on your face. It tastes and smells like hazy pineapple clouds, orange creme popsicles, and the first days of Summer! Both will return this Friday in Portland and Saturday in Kittery.
Saturday, January 16
Baxter Brewing Co.
120 Mill St., Lewiston
Howl Together, Pilsner (5.2%)
This clean, slightly hoppy Pilsner is the result of Baxter’s recent collaboration with Man Up to Cancer, a support group for men dealing with isolation and depression during cancer treatment. Howl Together will be available at The Pub starting Saturday, and at retail shortly thereafter.
SoMe Brewing Company
1 York St., Unit 3, York
Impy Ocie, Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Impy Ocie is a no-frills imperial version of SoMe’s Ocie’s Oatmeal Stout, aged for a year in a bourbon barrel from their neighbors Wiggly Bridge Distillery.
Release Date TBD
Nonesuch River Brewing
201 Gorham Road, Scarborough
Red, Irish Style Ale (4.4%) & Double IPA (8%)
Red was canned on Monday. It’s an American take on the Emerald Isle classic. It’s Fuggle-hopped for an earthy start to a richly roasted finish. This is Nonesuch River’s most popular draft beer since it pairs exceptionally well with food. Especially pizza, pasta, and burgers!
Double IPA is scheduled to be canned today, Thursday! It’s the spirited beer child of British and American innovation and done in the west coast style. It’s malt-forward, with earthy undertones and citrus notes.
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New Releases
It’s a good thing we mentioned earlier that we’re excited about all the new IPA releases because that is what the majority of our featured breweries have been brewing up for us this week! If you’re not a fan of big hop flavor, never fear, we also have news of new Saison and Brown Ale drops to share.
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Battery Steele Brewing
1 Industrial Way Units 12 & 14, Portland
Axion, IPA (6.8%) & Vagabond Dreamer, IPA (7.2%)
Axion (formerly Onsight #1) is a double dry-hopped IPA built on a base of American 2 Row barley and oats for a silky mouthfeel and clean finish. Hopped with a hefty portion of Citra and Galaxy, it imparts notes of soft mango, guava, apricot, and a pleasantly dank finish.
Formally known as Onsight #7, Vagabond Dreamer starts with a simple grain bill of American 2-row barley, oats, wheat and combined with generous amounts of Citra and Vic Secret. The blend of yeasts creates a pillowy soft, saturated mouthfeel that carries notes of melon, stone fruit, berries and gives way to a resinous, deep citrus finish.
Geary Brewing Co.
38 Evergreen Dr., Portland
Off Trail Brown Ale (5.5%)
Off Trail Brown Ale has chocolate and caramel flavors with enough citrusy hop flavor and bite to balance and compliment the malty base. This Brown Ale blends a traditional English style with an American flair.
Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial St., Portland
Transcendent Saison Vol. 2 (6.5%)
This naturally refermented Saison features Southern Cross hops, tropical fruit, a hint of funk, and a punchy, dry finish.
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson Street, Portland & 48 Sanford Drive, Bldg. B, Gorham
EL DORADO DOUBLE DRY HOPPED OH-J, Double IPA (8.1%)
EL DORADO DOUBLE DRY HOPPED OH-J is the newest member of the DDH OH-J squad and brings intense lemon aromas with undertones of pineapple and potpourri. Its delicious ripened fruit flavors mingle against lemon drop candy and a firm bitter finish.
Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main St., Westbrook
Jonah, Double IPA (8.1%)
Mast Landing’s latest batch of Jonah hit the tasting room last week. This DDH double IPA is crisp and citrus-forward, thanks to a mélange of bold and expressive hops.
Sebago Brewing Company
616 Main St., Gorham
NED, IPA (7%)
NED is back for the winter! This West Coast-style IPA has a bold piney hop flavor with a hint of rye. A nice alternative to an ultra-fruity New England IPA.
On Draft
Help support local breweries while sampling these flagship beers and rising stars. Here’s a taste of what you’ll be able to enjoy at select breweries this week.
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Available for growler pours.
- Concrete-Aged Golden Ale, Tripel (9%)
- Interlude, American Wild Ale (9.8%)
- Evora, American Wild Ale (9.9%)
- Fox Leap, Sour Ale (8.3%)
- Little Sal, Sour Red Ale (6%)
Austin Street Brewery
1 Industrial Way, #8, Portland
- Patina, Pale Ale (5.3%)
- Six Grain, Milk Stout (6.4%)
- Pactolian, German Pilsner (5.0%)
- Neverender, DIPA (8.0%)
- Pallino, Italian Pilsner (5.9%)
Baxter Brewing Co.
120 Mill St., Lewiston
- Logger Road, Lager (3.9%)
- Stowaway IPA (6.9%)
- Couple More Miles, IPA (5.9%)
- Classic Brown, Brown Ale (6%)
- Ted’s Red, Red IPA (6.5%)
Maine Beer in the News
Maine Beer in the News
We were a little light on local craft beer news this week. Our guess, lots of folks are still recovering from the holidays. But here are the latest Maine beer tidbits we were able to dig up for you, dear readers.
Ultimate 6er | Ski-Themed Beers
Après-ski. Taken literally, it is a French phrase that means “after ski.” However, to anyone who has ever skied, snowboarded, or been anywhere near a mountain in the winter, it is so much more than that.
Craft beer topic of Zoom program Jan. 20
The Vose Library’s Jan. 20th Zoom with Vose Wednesdays at 6 p.m. program “What’s Brewing: Craft Beer Today” will feature a talk by Bill Stinson, the owner, and operator of The Pour Farm Brewery.
Sea Dog Brewing renovates Portland, Maine bowling center into new Alley Brewpub
Families and friends in South Portland, Maine, were left without bowling last year when Easy Day Bowling Center on Broadway closed. (Scroll down to find the feature on Sea Dog)
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 us to learn more.
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