There’s a sense of something new in the air. Not only do we have a brand-new administration in the White House, but this week’s newsletter is practically bursting at the seams with all the latest beer releases we have to tell you about.
We don’t know about you, but we feel a sense of optimism today. Of course, that could also be because the weekend’s almost here…
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
If we had to use one word to sum up this week’s upcoming releases it would be “flavorful.” There are several Sours coming to a brewery near you brewed with peaches, apricots, cherries, oranges, raspberries, mangoes, watermelons, bananas, and even graham crackers!
To be clear, these flavors are spread across a spectrum of Sours, not just one beer, although that combination would be quite something! There are also plenty of Stouts, Ales, and IPAs ready-to-go and seeking a spot in your fridge.
Thursday, January 21
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St., South Portland
Oh Sh!t The Fuzz (6.5%) is a Sour Ale brewed with only the fuzziest of fruits. If you like ‘em tart and fruity, you’re sure to love this peach and apricot delight.
Slumber Party Fashion Show (5.8%) is a bright, ruby Red Ale that isn’t sour as a base but gets a nice bit of tartness from a big addition of Balaton tart cherries. It’s perfect if you want a beer that’s sweet and fruity without all the acidity.
Also coming out today is Damn It to Helles (5.2%) a Helles Lager and Hop Apothecary (7.1%) a West Coast-style IPA.
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
Black Barn Program No. 18 Imperial Stout
Brewed with eight different malts, this Imperial Stout has upfront sweet aromatics of dark chocolate, molasses, and red licorice, followed by notes of dark fruits, and undertones of coffee, toast, oak, and tobacco.
Yes Brewing
609 Main St., Westbrook
Peach Mango Parfait, Watermelon Pom Parfait, and Black Razz Parfait are Kettle Sours with lactose and clock in at 5.1% each. All are available for pickup orders starting today.
Friday, January 22
Barreled Souls Brewing Company
11 Mill Brook Road, Saco
Banana Lasers, Stout (13%) & Phoenix, Sour (6%)
Banana Lasers is aged in Maker’s Mark barrels for a year, then finished on banana, vanilla, and graham cracker. Phoenix is a Sour brewed with bananas, vanilla, and graham crackers. Both were brewed in collaboration with Mortalis Brewing Company.
Fore River Brewing Company
35 Park Ave., South Portland
The Wilcox, Coffee Stout (9%)
The Wilcox is a dark, rich, Coffee Stout loosely based on the popular Vietnamese coffee style. Fore River Brewing Company, Vacationland Distributors, and Empyreal Beverages brewed this in collaboration with Meg Wilcox, whose husband Corey, passed away unexpectedly this summer. Corey was a loved and respected member of the Fore River family and worked closely with them throughout the years as a distribution rep for Vacationland. This is a one-off beer, and won’t be available for long.
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Flightless Wonder, IPA (6.1%)
Foundation Brewing has brought back their ode to our favorite flightless wonder, the kiwi bird! Flightless Wonder is a New England IPA dry-hopped exclusively with New Zealand hops, brewed to highlight their unique and delightful flavors. Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops deliver notes of limeade, white grape, and apricot, making this IPA a true refresher.
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Dazzle, Milkshake Double IPA (8.2%) & Zoom, Imperial Sour Ale (9%)
This “dazzling” new brew is a Milkshake Double IPA with cherry, orange, vanilla, and lactose. Dazzle tastes and smells like cherry bomb pops, orange dream bars, and vanilla sugar cones from the ice cream truck!
Zoom — an Imperial Sour Ale with raspberry, tangerine, lemon, and vanilla — is back! This strong specialty beer tastes and smells of melted rocket pops, freshly blended berries, and sweet, tangy raspberry lemonade. Both beers are releasing on Friday in Portland and Saturday in Kittery.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
Course Made Good, Double IPA (7%)
A super fruity double IPA meant to keep you on course. Course Made Good is juicy with big notes of passionfruit, pineapple, and citrus balanced by subtle bitterness and smooth mouthfeel. This is the perfect Double IPA to bring on your next adventure.
Monday, January 25
Airline Brewing Company
22 Mill Ln., Amherst
Heather Ale (5%)
An ancient beer brewed by the Picts and kept secret from the Scots, Heather Ale was immortalized by Robert Louis Stevenson and resurrected by Airline Brewing.
Release Date TBD
Nonesuch River Brewing
201 Gorham Road, Scarborough
Nonesuch Blonde Ale (4.8%)
Freshly canned yesterday, Nonesuch Blonde is a Golden Ale made to be an easy-drinking, anytime Ale. It’s delicately bittered with Golding and Saaz hops. Nonesuch also has both Blonde and the Pom Blonde, which is infused with pomegranate juice, on draft.
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New Releases
It’s all about variety at our breweries this week. From Lagers to Porters, Double IPAs to Ciders, and Stouts to Weizendoppelbocks, Maine brewers have been hard at work brewing up beers to satisfy every palate. No matter if you’re looking for something light and crisp, dark and delicious, or a hop bomb, you’re sure to find whatever you’re craving at tasting rooms and stores across the state.
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Airline Brewing Company
22 Mill Ln., Amherst
CHUR, IPA (7.2%)
Here comes a new one for all our Kiwi mates, CHUR! Super-fresh tropical hops from the land of the Māori in a New England Style IPA.
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Heart of Hearts, Sour (6.1%) & Fine Acre, Golden Ale (5.5%)
Brimming with bountiful tartness and raspberry richness, this ode to love is laden with flavor. Heart of Hearts is a ruby-colored, foudre-aged sour beer rested for four months on fresh-plucked raspberries.
Allagash’s first year-round Certified Organic beer is here — and it is tasting quite good. So good, in fact, that it’s a 2021 Good Food Foundation Good Food Awards Finalist. Fine Acre is now available in the tasting room and is currently making its way out across their distribution footprint.
Bissell Brothers Brewing
38 Resurgam Place, Portland
One Little Stone, Dark Lager (5.8%)
This Czech-style dark lager, first brewed by the women of Bissell Brothers, debuted back in May of 2020. Our Little Stone has a complex grist bill, thoughtful hopping, diligent lagering, and respect for tradition which combine to create a beer perfect for any season. A dark and roasty grain bill backs up this lager hopped with Saaz and Mittelfrüh, bringing balanced notes of baker’s cocoa, bran muffin, and wheat toast.
Fogtown Brewing Company
25 Pine St., Ellsworth
One for the Doctor, American IPA (6%)
One for the Doctor is brewed with rolled oats and toasted hemp seeds, dosed with Amarillo and Galaxy hop terpenes.
Funky Bow Brewery and Beer Company
21 Ledgewood Ln, Lyman
Cover Charge, Double IPA (7.5%)
Cover Charge DIPA is back in cans. And with a bear for a bouncer (check the can), we’re pretty sure EVERYONE is going to pay up.
Gneiss Brewing Company
94 Patterson Rd, Limerick
Impact Crater, Weizen Doppelbock (7.5%)
Darker and stronger than their Weizenbock Tweiss, Impact Crater plays on a delicate balance of chocolate malt with phenolic notes and fruity esters from fermentation. With a silky smooth mouthfeel from a backbone of wheat malt, this Weizendoppelbock is a great accompaniment to the cold Maine winter, fires, and rich meats or mushrooms.
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Rd., Unit 15, South Portland
Das Lager (5.5%)
Das Lager is back! This classic German-style beer is well-balanced, complex, and light-bodied. Flavors range from a mellow mix of slightly malty, floral, piney and citrus notes, ending with, a crisp smooth finish.
Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial St., Portland
NAMA, Lager (5.3%) & Cuckoo for Coconuts, Imperial Porter (8%)
Japanese for “fresh,” NAMA is a light, clean lager inspired by the 100% malt Japanese lagers and is available on draft now. Cuckoo for Coconuts is an Imperial Porter aged on toasted coconuts and should be available on shelves this week.
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson Street, Portland & 48 Sanford Drive, Bldg. B, Gorham
Chaga Stout, (8%)
Chaga Stout is a cold-weather favorite among the LPBC crew. Brewed with antioxidant-rich Chaga mushrooms from North Spore in Westbrook, Chaga Stout presents a subtle earthiness complemented by notes of vanilla and roasted malt.
Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main St., Westbrook
Arizona Sun, Double IPA (8.1%)
Arizona Sun is a 100% Citra hopped double IPA — a blast of citrusy, tropical goodness to put a shine in your day.
Ricker Hill Mainiac Hard Cider
11 Ricker Hill Rd., Turner
Mainiac Mac, Cider (5%)
This juicy treat packs big McIntosh aromas, fresh-off-the-tree flavor, and a refreshing effervescence. On the Ricker Hill family farm, they still pick apples by hand, ferment in small batches, and blend every batch to taste.
1110 Minot Ave., Auburn
Macchiato Stout (4.1%)
A rich, roasty milk stout with malty sweetness balanced with a hefty shot of Coffee By Design’s Espresso Barista.
Tributary Brewing Co.
10 Shapleigh Rd., Kittery
Canadian Pilsener (4.9%), inspired by Labatt and Molson, was created to inaugurate the hockey season. This beer presents itself with restrained bitterness, a tinge of sweetness, and a delicate floral aroma that is balanced by the prevalence of biscuit-like malt character that ensures it can be sessioned from when the puck drops until the buzzer sounds at the end of the 3rd.
Mocha Milk Stout (5.5%) is infused with Cholaca cacao extract and cold brew from La Mulita Coffee and is dark, rich, and silky smooth. The coffee is prominent, while the chocolate character subtly rounds out the palate, and hosts a range of roasted malt flavors in between.
IPL (6.0%) has a grapefruit pith that greets the front of the palate, which transitions to a poignant orange citrus character, and subtle pine in the finish. A portion of this batch was aged in Caledonia Spirits Tomcat Gin barrels and the hints of botanicals meld well with the overall hop profile and lend a touch of oak.
York Beach Beer Company
33 Railroad Ave., York
Antithetic Aesthetic, White Stout (8%)
Rebellious and bold, the aesthetic of York Beach’s new ale is antithetic to what you know as Stout. This White Stout features massive notes of cocoa, with the subtle sweetness of vanilla, and is cut with locally roasted Anthony’s coffee. It’s blonde in color and is a full-bodied beer that’ll make a unique addition to your Stout collection.
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.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
- Afterglow, IPA (7%)
- Coffee Burnside, Brown Ale (5.1%)
- Double Double, Imperial Milk Stout (11%)
- Juicy Jam, Tart Fruit Ale (5%)
- Spiffy, Double IPA (8%)
Geary Brewing Co.
38 Evergreen Dr., Portland
- Geary’s Pale Ale (5.2%)
- Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale, Strong Ale (7%)
- WindHold IPA (6.8%)
- Riverside IPA (7.2%)
- Welcome Home Stout (6%)
Lone Pine Brewing
219 Anderson St., Portland
- Tuxedo T-Shirt Cannon, IPA (7.7%)
- Strig Harvest Grisette (4.7%)
- Dream Team, Double IPA (8%)
- Choco Tuesday, Pastry Stout (8%)
- Portland Pale Ale (5.2%)
Maine Beer in the News
This week we have the inspiration behind one local brewery’s beer label, a look at some of the best places to imbibe al fresco, an overview of the current state of Maine’s breweries, and a new gluten-free brewery coming to Biddeford.
Artist recreates Mt. Battie for Blaze Brewing Co’s latest beer King Tide
A new beer made by Blaze Brewing Co. has an interesting backstory on its autumnal, artistic label.
Stay warm with a cold one at these Maine breweries
Ten breweries with the best outdoor seating areas for winter.
A glass half full is the current state of Maine brewing industry
Ten months ago, Maine’s brewing industry came to a screeching halt the day after one of the biggest beer-drinking days of the year, St. Patrick’s Day.
Lucky Pigeon Gluten-Free Brewery
A new brewery specializing in gluten-free beer is under construction in Biddeford.
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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