It’s American Craft Beer Week! We challenge you to celebrate by visiting a new brewery and/or sampling a beer style you’ve never tried before. We’re sure that you’ll find some new favorites that will complement your go-to breweries (which you should def also show some love too because this past year+ has been rough, and who couldn’t use more 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
It’s getting Atomic over at Island Dog Brewing (that’s going to be a yes from us, Dawg), Definitive Brewing is taking Baby Steps to deliver us all kinds of chocolatey goodness, Corner Point is giving us some Bitter Pilz to swallow, but no worries because Maine Beer Company has a new Cream Ale to help wash it down, and Foundation Brewing is here to show us S’more Love to make everything all better.
Thursday, May 13
Island Dog Brewing
125 John Roberts Rd., Unit 15, South Portland
Atomic Dawg, Double IPA (8.5%)
Atomic Dawg is back and now hoppier and juicier than ever! It has a strong orange and citrus notes, a smooth finish, and is brewed with Amarillo, Azacca, El Dorado, Mandarina Bavaria, and Ella hops.
Friday, May 14
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Baby Steps, Double Milk Stout (7.2%) & Vanity World, DDH Double IPA (8.2%)
Baby Steps is stepping back into the tasting rooms this weekend. This Double Milk Stout with toasted coconut tastes and smells like German chocolate cake, Dutch cocoa powder, and decadence.
Definitive Brewing teamed up once again with their friends at Widowmaker Brewing to bring us a deliciously hazy DDH DIPA called Vanity World. Brewed with El Dorado, Citra, Citra Incognito, and Galaxy hops, this collab brew tastes like lychee mojitos, crisp watermelon rind, and peach juice. Both will be available starting Friday in Portland and Saturday in Kittery.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
S’more Love, Milk Stout (6.3%)
In our world, every summer is the summer of love – S’more Love! Foundation Brewing’s newest Milk Stout is a celebration of a classic summer treat. Starting with their milk stout base, they then added oodles of cocoa, gobs of marshmallow, and stacks of graham crackers. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to try the finished product!
Saturday, May 15
Corner Point Brewing Company
1 Rochester St., Berwick
Bitter Pilz, German Pilsner (4.3%)
This German Pilsner made with Contessa hops was named in honor of a local band called Bitter Pill that will be playing at the brewery on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. No word yet if they also sing about jagged little pills.
Monday, May 17
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
Black Barn Program No. 21 Cream Ale
Cream Ales originally were created to compete with mass-market Lagers in the 19th century. Traditionally brewed with 6-row barley and corn, Maine Beer Company’s version has 20% flaked corn in the mash. Cream Ales can use a hybrid ale/lager yeast to ferment warm and lager cold. Slightly hoppier and fruitier than traditional light lagers, the style is still a highly drinkable beer for warmer days.
New Releases
In case you couldn’t already tell, we’re approaching the beginning of the summer season, several breweries are here to remind us of the release of multiple Pale Ales for your drinking pleasure this week. We’ve also got a new Hard Seltzer, a Golden Ale, a handful of IPAs, and even a Cream Ale that gives us strong summertime/creamsicle vibes.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Bldg. 13-W, Suite 102, Biddeford and 82 Hanover St., Suite 6, Portland
Zealot, New England IPA (7.5%)
Pineapple meets pine resin. Hazy and luscious with local wheat and oats. Punchy yet harmonious. Kind of a chill description for a beer named Zealot if you ask us, but we’re here for it.
Belleflower Brewing Company
66 Cove St., Portland
Finch & Thistle, Pale Ale (6.5%)
Finch & Thistle is pouring pale golden hazy with aromas of big papaya, kiwi, pineapple, and stone fruit that will make you long for summer. This strong Pale Ale opens with flavors of grapefruit and other tropical citrus and stone fruit for a crispy taste that finishes with some light malt sweetness. Distelfink, the hex symbol on this label represents happiness and good fortune.
Bissell Brothers Brewing
38 Resurgam Place, Portland
Trois Rivières, Pale Ale (6.5%)
A collaboration between Bissell Brothers, Three Rivers, and Novare Res Bier Café, this Belgian Pale Ale is brewed with Saaz and Callista hops, Buck Farms pils, wheat malt, and flaked oats, then fermented in a stainless cube and conditioned for three months. We’re told that many action figures were harmed during the making of this beer.
Fogtown Brewing Company
33 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Fog Berry, Hard Seltzer (5%)
The third installment of Fogtown’s Hard Seltzer series, Fog Berry is brewed in extra-small batches with organic cane sugar and cranberries for a sweet little bubbly berry kick to get you into the swing of spring. Perfect for sipping after a perfect hike at your favorite local spot.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
DDH Venture, Double IPA (8%)
Prepare your taste buds; Foundation Brewing is coming at you this week with a surprise twist on a favorite – DDH Venture! They doubled up their beloved DIPA Venture’s dry hop of Mosaic and El Dorado for even more hoppy goodness. And who doesn’t love more of a good thing?! Only people who hate joy, that’s who. This also means they probably don’t like beer, so this beer clearly isn’t for them anyway.
Kennebec River Brewery
1771 US-201, West Forks
Whitewater Wheat, Wheat Bier (5.5%)
A light-bodied, well-carbonated White Ale brewed with Curacao bitter orange peel and coriander spice, Whitewater Wheat is crafted in the style of the classic Belgian witbiers and is a great summer thirst quencher!
Kennebunkport Brewing Company
8 Western Ave., Kennebunk
KBC Saison (5.9%)
A crisp, light-bodied, golden-colored Saison with prominent herbal aromatics. Notes of ginger, spice, and lemon zest shine throughout, and the finish is dry and mildly tart. This beer was brewed with lavender flowers and lemon peel and fermented with a Belgian Saison yeast strain.
Mason’s Brewing Company
15 Hardy St., Brewer
Psychic Warfar, Pale Ale (5.5%), Mushroom Cloud, IPA (4.8%), & Kiwi Kicker, Pale Ale (4.1%)
Psychic Warfar is a Hazy Pale Ale dry-hopped with Mosaic and El Dorado; Mushroom Cloud is a farmhouse IPA dry-hopped with El Dorado, Waima, and Wakatu hops; and Kiwi Kicker is a New Zealand Pale Ale dry-hopped with Columbus, Wakatu, Waimea, and Motuka.
Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main St., Westbrook
Vanilla Gunner’s Daughter, Milk Stout (5.5%)
This recent addition to the lineup pairs Mast Landing’s flagship Milk Stout with Madagascar vanilla beans for another layer of decadence.
Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury St., Portland
The Swallow IPA (6.8%) & Rocks Brewing Aussie Golden Ale (5.4%)
The Swallow IPA is a hazy New England IPA utilizing an experimental hop from Yakima Chief Hops, HBC 685. It also has a healthy dose of Mosaic hop and a touch of Triumph to create a well-rounded, approachable New England IPA.
Rocks Brewing Aussie Golden Ale is a collaboration brew between Shipyard and their mates Down Under at Rocks Brewing. It’s a hop-forward Golden Ale boasting plenty of Idaho-7 hops from Yakim Chief hops, along with Simcoe and Tales.
York Beach Beer Company
33 Railroad Ave., York
Orange Mainesicle, Cream Ale (5.5%) & Long Weekend, Pale Ale (5.5%)
Brewed with even more orange and vanilla this time around, Orange Mainesicle reminds us of summer days, with notes of chasing the ice cream truck.
Long Weekend is best enjoyed at sunset overlooking the water on a long weekend. It’s a touch hoppier than a traditional Pale Ale and brewed with pineapple to give you a hint of fruity sweetness that brings it all together.
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.
Battery Steele Brewing
1 Industrial Way, Units 12 & 14, Portland
- 12 oz. Triple IPA, Triple IPA (10.5%)
- Abstract Object, Milk Stout Series (7.2%)
- Avalon, Double IPA (7.5%)
- Looming Illusion, Blueberry, Apricot, Lime & Vanilla Gose (7.4%)
- Ascent, IPA (6.7%)
- Flume, Double IPA (8%)
Kennebec River Brewery
1771 US-201, West Forks
- Northbound Pale Ale (5.4%)
- Class V Stout (5.4%)
- Magic Hole IPA (5.9%)
- Big Mama Blueberry Ale (4.7%)
- Deer in the Head Light, Blonde Ale (4.5%)
- Sledhead Red (5.2%)
Sebago Brewing Company
616 Main St., Gorham
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- Pressed for Time, IPA (5.7%)
- Boathouse Brown Ale (4.7%)
- Barleywine 2020, Bourbon Barrel Aged BA 2020 Barley Wine (9.75%)
- Bog So Hard, Barrel Aged Cranberry Sour Saison (7.5%)
- Three Little Pinks, Fruited Barrel-Aged Brett (6%)
- Strata IPA, Single Hopped New England IPA (6.1%)
Maine Beer in the News
OK, this is a first. Despite going down many internet rabbit holes, we’ve been unable to locate any new articles this week featuring Maine beer, other than the standard “best of” listicles. Are we being punked? With so many breweries killin’ it across the state already, and more poised to launch this year, this seems in the words of the “The Princess Bride’s” Vizzini, “Inconceivable!” Anyways, here’s a link to a guide for celebrating Craft Beer Week instead, in case you need some ideas/inspo.
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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