OK, truth time, we wrote some of this newsletter while binge-watching Netflix’s new dating show “Sexy Beasts.” It is truly…a show that people paid money to make. Anyhoo, should you decide to check it out for yourself we HIGHLY recommend doing so with one or more of this week’s latest beer releases in your hand? Or both of your hands. Or paws. Whatever, you do you.
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
Surf’s up at Banded Brewing, Blaze Brewing is getting a little Nuts, Foulmouthed Brewing has a case (cases?) of Blue Balls (we’re not even going to insert a joke here), and Definitive Brewing is upta’ Camp.
Thursday, July 22
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Bldg. 13-W, Ste. 102, Biddeford and 82 Hanover St., Ste. 6, Portland
Surf Logger, Lager (5%)
Surf Logger is back for its fourth season! This collaboration with Aquaholics is something we look forward to each year. Surf Logger is a crushable post-surf beer which brings waves of citrus, fresh cut grass, melon, and a gentle salinity from sea salt. The sea salt for this beer was harvested from Fortunes Rocks, Banded Brewing’s head brewer’s favorite surf spot.
Blaze Brewing Company
28 Pearl St., Biddeford
Let’s Get Nuts, Sour Ale (7%) & Bayview, IPA (6.7%)
Let’s Get Nuts was brewed in collaboration with Two Villains Brewing in Nyack, New York. This beer is loaded with pineapple, coconut, vanilla, lactose, and Sabro hops. Let’s Get Nuts is a tropical bomb and tastes like coconut cream and Dole Whip.
Bayview is 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. Bayview smells and tastes like ripe blueberries, ruby red grapefruit, and vibrant citrus.
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St., South Portland
Phase Transition, New England IPA (6.8%) & Blue Balls, Dark Saison (12%)
Phase Transition has notes of mango and pineapple and a strong finish of doing good, since proceeds go to Ales for ALS, benefiting ALS research.
Blue Balls is a Belgian Dark Saison brewed with Maine blueberries. It’s dark, malty, fruity, and at 12% ABV, perfect for sharing with a friend.
Friday, July 23
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Camp Beer, Session Ale (4.2%)
This crisp Session Ale was designed to be your quintessential campfire beer. Clean and crispy, floral on the nose with a satiating bready finish, Camp Beer will hit the spot all day long. It’s a refreshing brew that is the perfect companion for all your summer activities, from campfire hangs to happy hours on mountaintops.
New Releases
We’re pretty jazzed for the new Sours coming at us from Corner Point, Foundation, Liquid Riot, and Yes Brewing — but only one brewery named their new Sour release after comedy icon Betty White, so excuse us while we make our way up to the ‘Gust to pay a visit to Cushnoc Brewing.
____________________________________________________________________________
Corner Point Brewing Company
1 Sullivan St., Berwick
PuckerPuss, Sour (3.4%)
PuckerPuss is Corner Point’s first Sour. It’s smooth and tart, with hints of peach and cherry.
Cushnoc Brewing
40 Front St., Augusta
Betty White, Imperial Golden Sour (9.5%)
An Imperial Golden Sour, Betty White (the beer, not the icon) was aged in a port barrel with house microflora then blended with strawberry and kiwi. Tart, fruity, and refreshing.
Fogtown Brewing Company
25 Pine St., Ellsworth and 33 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Parlor Tricks, Belgian-style Quadrupel (11%)
Parlor Tricks was brewed with a medley of local and old world grains including spelt, wheat, and roasted crystal malt before going into American oak bourbon barrels for six months along with several pounds of tart cherries. After properly conditioning on a house strain of Brettanomyces, this Belgian-style Quadrupel got the cold-brew treatment with single origin roasted Speckled Ax Coffee from San Juan de Pueblo Libre in Peru. Coffee and roasted malts belie the true tart and unctuous beverage awaiting. Freshly brewed cold brew quickly gives way to jammy sour cherries on the first sip. Parlor Tricks is surprisingly smooth and light in body for something so densely layered.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Bumbleberry’s My Jam, Sour Ale (5%)
This most berrylicious Sour Ale is brewed with milk sugar for silky sweetness, and fermented over the magical medley of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries for major deliciousness.
Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial St., Portland
Pace Yourself, Sour Blonde Ale (6%)
Brewed in collaboration with the Old Port Pub Run, Pace Yourself is made with fresh orange zest and tangerine puree. Lightly dry hopped, it’s refreshing on its own or after a run
Norway Brewing Company
237 Main St., Norway
Sunday Surf, Session IPA
This Session IPA was brewed with heaps of Blue Ox Malthouse wheat malt and Maine Grains flaked wheat with a touch of Citra and Mosaic hops in the kettle for a crisp body. Fermented with Norwegian Kveik, traditional farmhouse yeast, and dry hopped liberally with Mosaic.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
Chebeague Island, IPA (6.5%)
The largest island in Casco Bay and originally prized as a fishing ground by the local Abenaki people, Chebeague Island is now home to a vibrant year-round and summer community. In beer form it’s pleasantly sweet and smooth with a big melon, stone fruit, and tropical fruit character.
Saco River Brewing
10 Jockey Cap Lane, Fryeburg
Comptonia, Barrel-aged Saison (6.3%)
Comptonia is aged for one year in white wine barrels with spontaneous fermentation, giving it a nice oak and funk profile.
Sebago Brewing Co.
Multiple locations
Yellow on Friday, Pilsner (5.1%)
Yellow on Friday, Sebago’s classic German-style Pilsner, was brewed with delicate pilsner malts and balanced with heavy-handed whirlpool additions of German and Czech hops. Lagered super cold for over a month, Yellow On Friday is the perfect crisp, clean beer for hot summer days.
Yes Brewing
609 Main St., Westbrook
Trawl, Mixed Berry Sour (5.1%)
Trawl is a fruited lactose Sour made with a mix of blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry additions.
________________________________________________________________________________
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.
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St., South Portland
- Frobscottle, Sour Ale (4.8%)
- Grawlix, IPA (6.4%)
- Local Beer, Blonde Ale (5.2%)
- Luminous Monolith, Wild Ale (8%)
- Mr. Giggles, Belgian Golden Strong Ale (11%)
- Sir Squirrel, Brown Ale (5.8%)
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Rd., Unit 15, South Portland
- ClearCut IPA (6%)
- St. Hubbins, Blackberry Gose (4.2%)
- None More Black, Black IPA (7%)
- Capt’n Strawberry, Fruit Ale (4.8%)
- Pear of the Dog, Imperial Gose Sour (7%)
- Unit 15, Saison (6%)
Norway Brewing Company
237 Main St., Norway
- Life’s a Beach, Farmhouse Ale (3%)
- Sunday Surf, Session IPA (4.5%)
- Lust for Gold, IPA (6.5%)
- Maine Mountain Haze, IPA (6%)
- Bam’s Brown, Brown Ale (5.6%)
- Queens of Karaoke, Sour (9%)
____________________________________________________________________________
Maine Beer in the News
Bangor on Tap is back, and more and more breweries are embracing the hard seltzer craze.
Fans of hard seltzer are finding lots to love in new flavors flowing from Maine’s craft breweries
With fewer calories and less alcohol than beer or cocktails, hard seltzer appeals to health-conscious drinkers – and many others.
Bangor On Tap Returns To Waterfront With Beer, Food + Live Music
The seventh annual Bangor on Tap will be pouring up good times and great beer on the Bangor Waterfront in September.
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.
