It looks like the weather gods (or possibly Keith Carson) are gifting us with some more warm weather for the weekend. We think this is the perfect excuse to hit up your favorite brewery or swing by someplace new you’ve been meaning to check out. These continue to be challenging times, and our talented and amazing brewers need your support. And hey, you win out too by getting the opportunity to drink some of the best beer in the country. And that’s not just our opinion, two Portland breweries just received some national awards that are a pretty BFD. You can read all about it in our Maine Beer in the News section.
Now, without further ado, 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
This is a good week to be an IPA fan in Maine because there are several new releases about to drop, including the legendary Dinner and Second Dinner from Maine Beer Company! We also can’t wait to get a taste of Definitive Brewing’s new Imperial Sour, which they describe as tasting like piles of sponge cakes, raspberry drizzle, and passionfruit. In addition, Footbridge Brewery is releasing their new Amber Ale, Okcovidfest, as well as kicking off a week-long fall celebration of beer and food.
Thursday, October 22
Blaze Brewing Company
28 Pearl St., Biddeford
Blinded by the Colors, DIPA (8%)
At Blaze Brewing, they normally try to strike a balanced and mindful approach to hoppy beers, providing drinkability with a gentle and soft hop punch. Welp, they threw the rule book out of the window on this one and turned it into a full-on juice bomb! Blinded by the Colors smells and tastes like orange juice, mango juice, and passionfruit juice.
Mast Landing Brewing Co.
920 Main St., Westbrook
Wavy Days, IPA (7%)
As the sun sets on October, Mast Landing is bringing back Wavy Days. This Azacca and Falconer’s Flight IPA brings forth candied grapefruit notes, sweet melon, and pine; and provides a big-time glow with every sip.
Friday, October 23
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Late Nite: Passionfruit Raspberry Layer Cake, Imperial Sour (8.1%) & Particles, DIPA (8.3%)
The newest entry in Definitive Brewing’s Imperial Pastry Sour series is here! Late Nite: Passionfruit Raspberry Layer Cake is a decadent desserty beverage that tastes and smells like piles of sponge cakes, raspberry drizzle, and the freshest passionfruit.
In addition, Particles is back! This double dry hopped Double IPA is brewed with Citra, Simcoe, and Topaz, and rocks a similar hop profile to Definitive Ale but with extra horsepower. This hop-saturated beer tastes and smells like ripe fruit orchards, kiwi peels, and lemon sorbet! Both beers will be available in Portland on Friday and Kittery on Saturday.
Maine Beer Company
525 US Route 1, Freeport
Dinner, DIPA (8.2%)
Dinner is served! Or rather, it will be on Friday at Maine Beer Co. This extremely popular Double IPA is dry, refreshing, and hoppy. For the best experience, the fine folks at Maine Beer recommend you enjoy it as fresh as possible. Done and done!
Saturday, October 24
Fore River Brewing
35 Park Ave., Portland
Bar to Barre at Fore
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cyclebar Portland and Pure Barre Portland have joined forces for Bar to Barre at Fore, a special 30-minute ride, and a 30-minute barre class to raise awareness and fight for a cure. Tickets are $25.
Sunday, October 25
Footbridge Brewery
25 Granary Way, Boothbay Harbor
Okcovidfest, Amber Ale
This beer may not be the cure for Covid, but the nutty aroma and toasty malt flavors of this mellow and smooth amber lager are sure to brighten your spirits! Footbridge Brewery is also hosting a socially distanced week-long fall celebration of beer and food, which includes daily entrée with drink specials and Okcovidfest commemorative mugs.
Monday, October 26
Maine Beer Company
525 US Route 1, Freeport
Second Dinner, DIPA
Following up fresh on the heels of Friday’s Dinner release, Maine Beer will next be gifting us with a helping of Second Dinner! What?! This is only the second DIPA brewed at Maine Beer Company and has notes of bright citrus, pineapple, and a strong fruit aroma. It utilizes Amarillo, Citra, HBC 522, and Idaho 7 hops and is being released in bottles and on draft at the tasting room starting at 11 a.m.
Release Date TBD
Corner Point Brewing Company
1 Sullivan St., Berwick
Pepo’s Fate, Pumpkin Ale (5.4%)
What’s better than pumpkins at this time of year? Our vote goes to combining Maine maple syrup, New Mexico pumpkins, and traditional spices to make a killer autumn classic brew. No tricks here…only a treat!
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
Tiller, Spiced Amber Lager (5.7%) & Cutter, DIPA (8%)
A smooth dark lager brewed for cooler weather, Tiller is mahogany in color with notes of caramel, rye bread, orange, and citrus spice. Smooth and warming. In a sea of IPAs, Cutter stands tall. This Double IPA sails with citrus and tropical fruit aromas and a balanced hoppy finish. Big, bold, and beautiful.
New Releases
We admit it, we’re suckers for clever beer names. And we have to say, this week’s releases don’t disappoint, and really run the gamut. We’ve got everything from the elegant-yet-frantic-sounding Dancing Madly Backwards to a beer name that sounds like the title of an amazing 70s movie that never was, Get to the Choppah. Craving cozy or cuddly? Try picking up Fall Colourz or Quantum Cuddle Kitten. Finally, in case you forgot that Halloween is just over a week away, Number of the Beast is here to remind you as it makes its annual return to haunt your dreams and delight your taste buds.
Atlantic Brewing Company
52 Cottage St., Bar Harbor
Ellen’s Coffee Stout (5.4%)
Brewed with locally roasted Crooked Porch Coffee and a touch of vanilla for a slightly sweet, creamy stout, Ellen’s Coffee Stout is now available in cans at Atlantic Brewing’s Midtown location.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Bldg. 13-W, Ste. 102, Biddeford & 82 Hanover St., Ste. 6, Portland
Jolly Woodsmen, Coffee Stout (7.5%)
Brewed with Speckled Ax Kenyan espresso, the Jolly Woodsmen is back to get you through the cooler months, ready to fuel the most voracious of fires and the most ardent of woodsmen. Sip one today and see if your palate can pick up on the notes of orange, cacao husk, cranberry, and bitter chocolate.
Bath Brewing Company
141 Front St., Bath
Get to the Choppah, Doppelbock (10.5%) & Sea Trial, Cream Ale (4.5%)
Getting the nod for most entertaining beer name this week is Get to the Choppah, a Doppelbock released in cans this week, with proceeds benefiting a children’s food program run by the Bath-area YMCA. In addition, Sea Trial, a Cream Ale, is available on draft only at the brewery.
Battery Steele Brewing
1 Industrial Way Units 12 and 14, Portland
Avalon, DIPA (7.5%)
After an extended hiatus, Avalon is back and sporting a fresh new label. This DIPA is extensively dry hopped with Mosaic, El Dorado and Amarillo — lending flavors of peach, mango, and ripe melon.
Bissell Brothers Brewing Company
4 Thompsons Point, #108, Portland
Wet Hop Lager, Kellerbier (5.5%)
This once-a-year treat is born from 100% Maine ingredients. Hopped with whole-cone Sterling fresh off the vine from The Hop Yard in Gorham, and brewed with pilsner from Maine Malt House up in Mapleton, Wet Hop Lager has a refreshing, crisp, and satisfying combination of fresh hop aroma and the brightness that you’d expect from a Kellerbier. A beer that truly represents the elegant simplicity of Maine-grown, Maine-made goodness.
Black Bear Brewing Co.
19 Mills St., Orono & 191 Exchange St., Bangor
Luck Spirit, IPA (4.5%)
A fresh batch of Luck Spirit, a hoppy session IPA, is tapped and ready for pouring at both locations.
Bunker Brewing Co.
17 Westfield St., Unit D, Portland
Fall Colourz, Sour (6%)
Fall Colourz is a Kettle Sour brewed with Maine ginger, maple syrup, apple cider, and cardamom. There is a sour candy apple aroma followed by warming apple/ginger/spice flavor with a nice cider/champagne dry finish.
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Jam Packed Super Bumble, Imperial Fruit Ale (8%)
Foundation Brewing is kicking off their brand-new series of tart Imperial Fruit Ales, Jam Packed, with Jam Packed Super Bumble, a riff off Bumbleberry Jam. This Jam is absolutely dripping with loads of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. The addition of a touch of vanilla brings in an extra silky sweetness, amplifying the flavors of the fruit.
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson St., Portland
Strig 2020, Harvest Lager (5.6%) & Quantum Cuddle Kitten, DIPA (7.8%)
With 100 pounds of fresh, locally harvested Cascade hops, Strig 2020 beautifully accentuates the nuances of local hop and malt varieties from right here in Maine. This easy-drinking lager is packed full of the pleasant aromas of freshly cut grass, cereal grains, and pear. Its flavor carries fruity notes of berry, grape, and lemongrass, fading into lightly toasted malt and a trace of gentle bitterness.
Lone Pine also has brought back Quantum Cuddle Kitten, their Double IPA. Brewed with a house-favorite hop lineup of Citra, Ella, and Vic Secret, this space cat has a delicious profile of tropical fruit and soft silky peach.
Marsh Island Brewing
2 Main St., Orono
Number of the Beast, New England IPA (6.66%)
Brewed once a year in collaboration with Nocturnem Draft Haus, this New England IPA has an ABV of…6.66%. Perfect if you lean more towards tricks than treats this time of year.
Penobscot Bay Brewery
279 Main St., Winterport
Wildfire Rauchbier (5.4%)
Brewed as a Marzen-style lager with a smokey, malty flavor, the smokiness and color of Wildfire Rauchbier comes entirely from using only specialty grains — Weyermann Rauchmalz for the signature flavor, Munich for body, Cara-Pils to add richness, and Carafa to give it its deep color.
SoMe Brewing Company
1 York St., Unit 3, York
Peanut Butter Whoopie Pie Stout (6.3%) & Crystal Persuasion Double Pale Ale (8.2%)
Whoopie pies and peanut butter go together like flannel and Bean boots. So, when you already make a Whoopie Pie Stout, why not add a peanut butter twist? Peanut Butter Whoopie Pie Stout is brewed with lactose, aged on cocoa, vanilla, and natural peanut butter flavoring to pay homage to the decadent treat that we all know and love.
Crystal Persuasion Double Pale Ale delivers hints of sweet, bready malt and a lemon-citrus zing from the use of Crystal hops on the nose, leading into a smooth and dangerously drinkable body underneath.
York Beach Beer Company
33 Railroad Ave., York
Dancing Madly Backwards, New England IPA (6%)
While this may sound like a summary of Ginger Roger’s movie career, Dancing Madly Backwards is actually a New England IPA dry-hopped with Vic Secret and Cashmere hops, and gives off notes of peach and tropical fruit.
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 Co.
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Available to-go in growlers
- Nocturna, Stout (9.5%)
- Dubbel, Belgian Dubbel (6.8%)
- Two Lights, Grape Ale (6.7%)
- Interlude, American Wild Ale (9.8%)
- De Nouveau Mêlé, American Wild Ale (5.3%)
Austin Street Brewery
1 Industrial Way, #8, Portland
- Patina, Pale Ale (5.3%)
- DDH Patina, Pale Ale (5.3%)
- Rally, Session IPA (3.8%)
- Offset, Double IPA (9%)
- Six Grain, Milk Stout (6.4%)
- Lawnmower, Brett Saison (4.5%)
Baxter Brewing Co.
130 Mill St., Lewiston
- Logger Road, Lager (3.9%)
- Stowaway IPA (6.9%)
- Couple More Miles, IPA (5.9%)
- Oktoberfest (5.2%)
- Ted’s Red, Red IPA (6.5%)
- Wicked Phantom, Stout (9%)
Maine Beer in the News
This week saw some exciting news for two Maine breweries — winning gold medals at a national beer festival! We’ll also look at how breweries like Maine Beer Company are working to be more sustainable, and how some local breweries are prepping to face the challenges of continuing outdoor service when the temperatures start to tumble.
Lone Pine, Allagash take home top prizes at national beer festival
The Maine breweries win gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
Breweries of All Sizes Can Embrace Sustainable Initiatives — Here’s How
The Brewers Association, ingredient suppliers, brewers, and others suggested that sustainability is not just a goal but a journey.
Outdoor dining helped restaurants survive the summer, but Maine’s winter will be a new test
Beer gardens, such as the ones at Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast and Mason’s Brewing Company in Brewer, often have heat lamps or fire pits available to keep diners warm as they eat and drink outside.
‘Total Maine with Steve Minich’ – Oct. 17, 2020
On this episode of “Total Maine with Steve Minich,” meet a Yarmouth man whose craft is helping to sell craft beer by designing standout labels.
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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