While we’re happy we’re not getting the scorching temps of that OTHER Portland, it would be nice if Ma Nature remembered it’s actually supposed to be summer. We’d like to officially submit a request for sunny skies and temps in the 80s, who’s with us? OK, so the weather has been a bit gloomy as of yet, but luckily there is one thing that never fails to cheer us up and that’s 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.
Sponsored by: Tigpro Stainless Fabrication
Tigpro specializes in 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
Allagash is spoiling us today with the release of three beers, including two brewed in their amazing Coolship. Not to be outdone, Blaze Brewing is also releasing three beers, including two IPAs and a Lager. Definitive Brewing and York Beach Beer may not be dropping three beers this week, but they’re not exactly slacking either, with each brewery releasing two beers in the coming days. So. Many. Beers!
Thursday, July 15
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Coolship Cerise, American Wild Ale; Coolship Cerise Estate, American Wild Ale; & Two Lights, Grape Ale (6.7%)
Coolship Cerise is a spontaneously fermented Ale aged on cherries and Coolship Cerise Estate is a spontaneously fermented Ale aged on cherries grown right at Allagash. Their little orchard is tucked back behind the Coolship, so the fruit of their combined labor was only a matter of time. Both Coolship Cerise and Coolship Cerise Estate will be available in limited amounts at the tasting room along with 4-packs of Two Lights, Allagash’s summertime ode to cold beer and sparkling wine. Ever so slightly tart, crisp, and dry, it’s brewed with Sauvignon Blanc grape must and fermented with two yeast strains: first with lager yeast, then with Champagne yeast. And heck yeah, it’s every bit as refreshing as you’d expect.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Bldg. 13-W, Ste. 102, Biddeford and 82 Hanover St., Ste. 6, Portland
Quaff Our Kolsch
Quaff Our Kolsch was brewed in collaboration with Nosh, which will be hosting a release party for the new brew today starting at 5:30 p.m.
Blaze Brewing Company
28 Pearl St., Biddeford
Blinded By the Sea, Double IPA (8%); Bangin’ Chains, IPA (6.2%); & Little River, American Lager (5.3%)
Blinded By the Sea is a collaboration with Vitamin Sea Brewing Company and loaded with Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops. This beer is incredibly juicy and dangerously drinkable. Blinded By the Sea smells and tastes like pineapple nectar, mango smoothies, and very ripe oranges.
Bangin’ Chains is Blaze Brewing’s newest IPA hopped with Galaxy and Simcoe and smells and tastes like grapefruit soda and fresh cantaloupe. Bangin’ Chains is a beer made for tossing discs and enjoying an afternoon on the course. It’s bright and juicy with incredible drinkability.
Little River is a hyper-refreshing and crisp Lager brewed for the heat of the summer. It’s brewed with a grist of Two Row, Six Row, corn and rice; and then gently hopped in the kettle with Mittlefruh and Simcoe. It’s a beer meant to be enjoyed with friends and family.
York Beach Beer Company
33 Railroad Ave., York
Milpool Tropical IPA (7%) & Wit Hot American Summer, Belgian Style Witbier (4.6%)
Milpool Tropical IPA is dry-hopped with Aloha, Calista and Sabro hops and best consumed from a coconut. This 7% New England IPA will take you right to the tropics.
Coming in at a crushable 4.6%, Wit Hot American Summer is as refreshing as they come. Like the arrival of the last day of summer camp, it’s gone before you know it.
Friday, July 16
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Definitive Ale (6.7%) & Euphoric Nights, Double Fruited Sour Ale (6.7%)
Summer always feels more complete when a fresh batch of Definitive Ale is ready for sipping. This classic is dry-hopped with Pacific Northwest and Australian hops and bursting with tropical fruit flavors and aromas.
Euphoric Nights is back and sporting a whole new taste. Sweet, savory, nutty, and delicious, this variant of their double fruited series is made with blueberry, banana, and peanut butter flavor and tastes like a thick and filling smoothie from your favorite juice bar. Both are available on Friday in Portland, Saturday in Kittery.
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Rd., Unit 15, South Portland
Pineapple Habanero, Spicy Fruit Ale (6%)
Fermented on pineapple and habaneros, this Spicy Fruit Ale has a fruity aroma and flavor with HEAT!
SoMe Brewing Company
1 York St. #3, York
Mic Check #1, IPA (6.5%)
Brace yourself for the first iteration of SoMe’s Mic Check IPA series at SoMe. These small batch brews will feature a rotating lineup of hops for limited release at the brewery only. Mic Check #1 features Nelson, Motueka and Citra hops.
Saturday, July 17
Lone Pine Brewing
219 Anderson St., Portland and 48 Sanford Dr., Gorham
Mosaic Double Dry Hopped OH-J, Double IPA (8.1%)
Featuring a massive Mosaic dry hop, this version of Mosaic Double Dry Hopped OH-J holds a gorgeous haze structure and brilliant gold color with aromas of wafting orange cream, grapefruit peel, subtle vanilla, and marshmallow. This heavy showcase of Mosaic hops creates a round, luscious punch of cantaloupe, ripe pineapple, and citrus. Tropical fruit and berry round out the party, leading to a clean, soft finish.
Sunday, July 18
473 Bigelow Hill Rd., Skowhegan
Live Blues Tonight, Smoked Rye Ale (6%)
This cool-fermented Rye Ale is an ode to the blues. Smoked malt and earthy hops blend together to celebrate the experience of live blues music. Aromas of applewood smoke and tobacco give way to brown sugar and caramel. Live Blues Tonight drinks crisp and clean with a medium body. Grassy and spicy notes mix with smoke and cherries to give the beer a complex but drinkable flavor. A great beer to drink while enjoying the reemergence of live music. Live Blues Tonight is a collaboration beer with the The Maine Blues Society. While you sip this smooth and smokey brew, you can listen to blues bands compete at Bigelow Brewing in the Road to Memphis Competition from 12-5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 20
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
A Tiny Beautiful Something, Pale Ale (5.5%)
This single hop Pale Ale is brewed to highlight the flavors and aromas of El Dorado hops and has notes of orange marmalade and apricot, floral aromas, and a bit of spice.
New Releases
Baxter Brewing and Fogtown Brewing are both slinging Hard Seltzers and Foundation Brewing is getting musical with the release of Wolfgang, a Vienna-style Lager (we see what you did there, Foundation!). However, what truly makes this week special is the return of one of the best names in beer in our humble opinion — Pantless Thunder Goose!
Atlantic Brewing Company
52 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Flat Hat, Pale Ale (5.3%)
Flat Hat is a crisp, refreshing Pale Ale, brewed with Hallertau and Saaz hops and Maine-grown grains. A portion of the proceeds from this beer will go to support the water quality monitoring of Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park through their neighbors, Friends of Acadia.
Bath Brewing Co.
141 Front St, Bath, ME 04530
Now available on draft at Bath Brewing Company! A crisp, refreshing beer with a solid hop presence. Hopped with Citra and Mosaic, it blends tropical and citrus flavors into an absolutely crushable beer. Perfect for Day to Day operations!
Baxter Brewing Co.
130 Mill St., Lewiston
Baxter Hard Seltzer (4.8%)
They say variety is the spice of life. And nowhere does that ring truer than in the world of craft beer and brewpubs. For guests looking for something outside of a traditional beer lineup, Baxter presents Baxter Hard Seltzer. This lemon-lime sparkling beverage is available at The Pub in 16oz. cans and on draft.
Bissell Brothers Brewing
38 Resurgam Place, Portland
DBL LUX, Double IPA (8%)
DBL LUX is chewy, pillow-soft, and dripping with stone fruit tones. Hopped with tons of hand-selected Mosaic and a kiss of Chinook (as a nod to the original pilot recipe from 2014) with notes of overripe peach, angel food cake, and Orangina.
Fogtown Brewing Company
25 Pine St., Ellsworth and 33 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Fog Blue, Hard Seltzer (5%)
This small-batch Hard Seltzer is brewed with organic cane sugar, lemon juice, blueberries, and Huëll Melon Hops.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Wolfgang, Vienna-style Lager (5.5%)
Wolfgang is made with a blend of Continental and Maine-grown malts and Tettnang hops. It’s malt-forward with a crispy clean finish, and highlights the light, toasted bread crumb character that Vienna malt is known for. The Foundation crew hopes that you agree that Wolfgang is a “masterful composition.”
Kennebec River Brewery
1771 US-201, West Forks
Sledhead Red, Red Ale (5.2%)
Sledhead Red is an incredibly smooth Red Ale with moderate bitterness upfront, which gives way to a delightful malty finish. Brewed using five European malts and three varieties of domestic Northwest hops, Sledhead Red is now being carbonated with nitrogen for that smooth creamy texture.
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
Black Barn Program No. 23, Double IPA (8.5%)
While Pale Ales and IPAs are Maine Beer’s forte, they like to try out some DIPA recipes from time to time. Black Barn Program No. 23 is a Double IPA featuring Amarillo, Idaho 7, and Strata hops, and is the first time they have used Strata in a production beer. The malt bill features local Blue Ox Malthouse Rye and Vienna malts, and the beer has aromas of orange, grapefruit, mango, caramel, pine, and bread.
Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main St., Westbrook and 200 Lower Main St., Freeport
Pantless Thunder Goose, Double IPA (8.3%)
A rare beast, but one that will never go extinct, Pantless Thunder Goose is a fan and staff (and Beer This Week!) favorite. It has a tropical and balanced flavor profile that showcases the bold possibilities of El Dorado, Topaz, and Mosaic hops.
Nonesuch River Brewing
201 Gorham Rd., Scarborough
Oh Bee Hazy, IPA (7%)
Oh Bee Hazy (pronounced using your best Austin Powers accent) is a Double Dry Hopped New England-style IPA. It’s brewed with the finest English pale malt and a drop of honey. Ekuanot and Idaho 7 do the heavy lifting in this brew while Crystal comes in to steal the show. You’ll notice aromas of tangerine and pineapple. Oh Bee Hazy is dank, bright, and dipped in honey and has a modern yet classic feel.
SoMe Brewing Company
1 York St. #3, York
Mainely IPA, IPA (5.1%)
Mainely IPA is a New England-style Session IPA featuring Maine-grown malt, and Citra and Galaxy hops.
Trinken Brewing Co.
144 State Rd., West Bath
Hanau Hefeweizen (4.5%)
Hanau Hefeweizen has hints of banana and clove and is back in cans.
van der Brew
30 Summer St., Winthrop
Oh No, Fruit, Blonde Ale (6.6%)
This apricot-enhanced small-batch Blonde is very juicy, slightly sweet and tart, and has minimal hoppiness. On tap now and perfect for summer sipping.
________________________________________________________________________________
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.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Bldg. 13-W, Suite 102, Biddeford
- Charms & Hexes, Fruited Sour Ale (5.2%)
- Dark Orb, Schwarzbier (5%)
- Harris Helles, German-Style Helles w/Maple Sap (4.5%)
- Stynax, Pale Ale (5.4%)
- Veridian, IPA (6%)
- Greenwarden, Spruce Tip Pale Ale (5.6%)
Cushnoc Brewing
40 Front St., Augusta
- All Souls, IPA (6.2%)
- Darth Helmet, Schwarzbier (5%)
- Colonial, Brown Ale (9.6%)
- SturgeonFox, American Wild Ale (5.8%)
- Braggot, Honey Beer (11.5%)
- Tequila Codename Sensei, Double IPA (7.6%)
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
- Ishmael, American Copper Ale (4.9%)
- Pisces, Gose (3.6%)
- Back Cove, Pilsner (5.1%)
- Zephyr, West Coast India Pale Ale (6.5%)
- Maine Island Trail Ale, Session IPA (4.3%)
- Blueberry Squadron, Sour Ale (5.7%)
____________________________________________________________________________
Maine Beer in the News
From booze-free beer to marketing to the importance of yeast, there’s a lot going on in local beer news this week.
Tap Lines: The yeast among ingredients of favorite Maine beers may be the most important.
At Allagash and Maine Beer Co., those distinctive flavors are dependent on particular strains.
Maine brewers tap into ‘cause marketing,’ research questions effectiveness
Cause marketing is a term you’re likely unfamiliar with, but it is a strategy you’ve probably noticed.
Have You Tried Maine’s First Non-Alcoholic Beer?
Woodland Farms Brewery’s non-alcoholic IPA looks like a beer, and it tastes like a beer, but it doesn’t buzz like a beer.
If You Can’t Beat ’em, Brew ’em
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.
Know someone who loves beer? Do your friend a solid and share this newsletter with them!
Want more beer? Follow us on social media to stay in the know on all the latest beer-y goodness.
