Hello, fellow lovers of Maine craft beer! We’re officially in flannel season, and there are plenty of local brewers ready to help give you major fall vibes with pumpkin beers, Märzen-style beers, and beers named for a certain celebration in Germany that is on our personal bucket list to attend someday. Here’s to the season of hygge!
Here’s this week’s guide to the latest beer releases, upcoming brewery events, and a roundup of Maine beer news.
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Upcoming Releases & Events
It’s getting spooooky at Allagash with the release of their annual pumpkin beer, Ghoulschip. Pumpkin not your thing? No sweat, Banded Brewing has you covered with their Gisland Farm Gose, brewed with native sumac. More of a traditionalist? Fear not, Blaze Brewing’s Windward Pale Ale is just the ticket. Keep reading to see what other new releases are making their way to tasting rooms and store shelves near you over the next few days.
Thursday, September 16
Allagash Brewing Co.
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Ghoulschip, Pumpkin Beer
Ghoulschip is brewed with fresh, local pumpkins, molasses, and raw pumpkin seeds. On All Hallows’ Eve itself, Allagash sends the beer to rest among the specters in their Coolship, where it collects wild microflora from the chill Maine air. The beer then ferments in a stainless tank on their house yeast before heading into oak barrels, where it sits in waiting for up to three years. Although Ghoulschip isn’t spontaneously fermented, Allagash brewers rely on natural microflora to sour it. The finished product is a blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old beer. In the first sip, caramelized malt and a mild acidity balance Ghoulschip’s subtle earthiness. The finish of this light golden beer is dry and tart.
Banded Brewing Co.
32 Main St., Ste. 102, Biddeford and 82 Hanover St., Ste. 6, Portland
Gilsland Farm Gose Release Party (Portland location), 4-9 p.m.
Banded Brewing created Gilsland Farm Gose, a German-Style Gose brewed with native sumac, to benefit Maine Audubon and wants you to come crush some with them tonight at their Portland location. In honor of the occasion, Banded will donate $1 from all Portland draft pours for the evening to Maine Audubon. Additionally, 10% of the total sales of Gilsland Farm Gose will go to support Maine Audubon as well. Some folks from Maine Audubon will be on hand starting at 7:30 p.m. to answer questions about their organization and its amazing efforts.
ABOUT THE BEER: This tart and refreshing Gose was brewed with native sumac, sustainably foraged from Gilsland Farm. The base of this beer is a German-style Gose made with coriander and salt; the sumac adds tart and citrusy layers to the brew.
Bigelow Brewing Company
473 Bigelow Hill Rd., Skowhegan
Hot & Steamy Kölsch (4.8%)
This clean and bright beer was brewed in collaboration with Norway Brewing Company to be a thirst quencher. Notes of lemon and orange citrus are balanced with a floral presence and a slight bready malt character on the nose. Hot & Steamy Kölsch tastes of pear and citrus and is complimented by a light malt background. This beer is a perfect way to start your evening or unwind after a long day. With an entirely local grain bill from Blue Ox Malthouse, hops from Bigelow’s hop yard, and Norway’s house Kölsch yeast you can feel good about drinking this collaboration as well.
Blaze Brewing Company
28 Pearl St., Biddeford
Windward, Pale Ale (5.5%) & Barker, Cream Ale (4.5%)
Windward is the culmination of Blaze’s interchangeable series. Dry-Hopped with Citra and Amarillo, it’s a juicy fruit-forward beer with a modest ABV. Windward smells and tastes like mango nectar, kiwi, and lime.
Bark is a collaboration with Meet York County. Mike from Meet York County was one of Blaze Brewing’s first supporters. When he came to the Blaze crew and asked to brew a Cream Ale, they could not have been more stoked! Bark is a straight-forward Cream Ale that is crisp, refreshing, and perfect to enjoy this time of year.
Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial St., Portland
Raspy Trouble, Sour Brown Ale (7.5%)
Raspy Trouble is a Sour Brown Ale aged on Maine-grown raspberries. The sour tartness blends with chocolate and dark fruit.
Friday, September 17
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland and 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Particles, Double IPA (8.3%) & Break, Double Milk Stout (7.2%)
Particles is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Citra, Simcoe, and Topaz. It 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.
Break was conditioned on hand-selected local coffee beans from Tandem Coffee and arrives just in time for the turning temps. This beer is decadent and silky smooth with flavors and aromas of fudge, freshly ground hazelnuts, and a brisk fall afternoon. Both beers will be available Friday in Portland, Saturday in Kittery.
Sebago Brewing
Multiple locations
Oktoberfest, Märzen-style Lager (5.8%)
Sebago Brewing’s Oktoberfest is back! This Lager is an homage to the Märzen style served in Bavaria and throughout Germany. So grab your favorite stein and say it with us: PROST! Oktoberfest will be available while supplies last on draft and in cans at all Sebago Brewing locations.
SoMe Brewing
1 York St. #3, York
Agamenticus Amber, Red Ale (4.7%)
Go for a hike. Have an Aggie. This classic American Amber Ale is the perfect companion for a cooler day, and is named for the mountain in town. Cans will be available in the tasting room starting on Friday.
York Beach Beer Company
33 Railroad Ave., York
Long Weekend, Pineapple Pale Ale (5.5%)
Best enjoyed at sunset overlooking the water on a long weekend, Long Weekend is 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.
Saturday, September 18
Corner Point Brewing
1 Sullivan St., Berwick
3rd Anniversary Party
Corner Point Brewing is celebrating their 3-year anniversary this weekend, both Saturday September 18 and Sunday, September 19. There will be live music both days from 3-6 p.m. The food truck Hot off the Press will be there on Saturday, and a pop-up kitchen with custom menu from Gravy will be there on Sunday. There will be a battle of the bands and beers as The Reconstructed plays on Saturday and Bitter Pill plays on Sunday. Corner Point will bring back their German Kölsch, The Reconstructed; as well as their German-style Pilsner, Bitter Pilz. They will also release a brand-new beer called Buried Alive, an 8% double New England IPA loaded with Mosaic, Citra, and Galaxy hops. 
Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #5, Portland
Oktoberfest
Mark your calendars and dust off your dirndl, Foundation is throwing an Oktoberfest party! Sign up for the Stein Hoisting Contest by 3 p.m. to try your hand (and wrist, arm, and shoulder!) at winning some great prizes, or kick back and cheer on the brave souls who do. Lucky Lou’s will be join in serving up the good stuff, and Gretel Oktoberfest Lager will be flowing all day long. Prost!
SoMe Brewing
1 York St. #3, York
Surf Re-Evolution 2021, New England Style IPA
Brewed in collaboration with Grain Surfboards, this crushable New England Style IPA features Mosaic and Citra hops in addition to a hefty dose of tangerine puree.
Urban Farm Fermentory
200 Anderson St., Portland
White Peach IPA
White Peach IPA is brewed with Belgian-style yeast and fresh-squeezed peach juice.
New Releases
Fans of Sours and Stouts are going to like what we’ve got for you in our new releases section. But don’t worry if that’s not your thing, we’ve also got IPAs, Lagers, and more to tell you about.
Atlantic Brewing Company (Midtown)
52 Cottage St. & 15 Knox Rd., Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale (5.1%)
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale is now available in cans! Atlantic Brewing Company has been brewing Blueberry Ale for over 25 years, and this brew stands alone as a beer first, ending with a subtle berry finish. This amber ale isn’t overly fruity—there’s just enough berry flavor to complement the hops. Available at both locations and in distribution around the state.
Bangor Beer Co.
330 Bangor Mall Blvd., Bangor
Blubarb, Sour (5.4%)
There’s a new addition to the Wandering Fruit family—Blubarb! Classic blueberry flavors are balanced with just enough rhubarb to remind you of your favorite pie. The flavor is topped with a tart finish that gives you the zing you expect in a fruited Sour.
Barreled Souls Brewing
743 Portland Rd., Saco
Sourpuft Girls, Sour (6%)
This Sour Ale was brewed with blackberry, strawberry, and marshmallow. And if the name isn’t ringing a bell, you might want to revisit a certain 1984 comedy classic.
Baxter Brewing Co.
130 Mill St., Lewiston
Sea to Summit, Kölsch (5%)
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE – AUGUST 25, 2021 — Baxter Brewery’s Sea to Summit beer is seen during sunset at Otter Cliffs in Acadia National Park, Wednesday, August 25, 2021. (Photo by Ashley L. Conti/Friends of Acadia)
Anyone who’s ever run a marathon knows it takes a lot of grit and determination to finish the race. That same tenacity also goes into keeping our state’s natural resources and public lands healthy and vibrant. The folks at Baxter Brewing believe that both these efforts deserve a fine reward, and so this year they revamped their Maine Race Series beer, Sea to Summit. Brewed with Noble hops and traditional German yeast that pays homage to the Kölsch-style ales of Cologne, Germany, this year’s Sea to Summit will provide a thirst-quenching reward for those running the MDI and Millinocket Marathons. And with proceeds going to Friends of Acadia and Friends of Katahdin Woods & Water, this beer can live up to the claim that it’s as clean and fresh as the land it helps protect!
Geary Brewing Company
35 Evergreen Dr., Portland
Doppelgänger, Dark Lager (8%)
Doppelgänger is a full-bodied Dark Lager with a rich malt base and clean, crisp finish.
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
Fall, Stout (5.6%)
It’s time for the return of Maine Beer Company’s autumnal seasonal: Fall. Made with the addition of cold brew from Coffee By Design, this 5.6% Stout has notes of coffee, chocolate, molasses, cedar, and citrus.
Side By Each Brewing
1110 Minot Ave., Auburn
Uncle!, IPA (5.9%)
This New England IPA was fermented with a Norwegian farmhouse yeast, and it tastes like fresh-squeezed OJ with tropical notes of papaya and pineapple. Not too sweet, but with very low bitterness. Available in pints, growlettes and growlers.
SoMe Brewing
1 York St. #3, York
Campfire Whoopie, Milk Stout (6.3%) & Helles, Lager (5.7%)
Campfire Whoopie offers a S’mores twist on the classic Whoopie Pie Stout by dialing up the chocolate and adding some graham cracker and marshmallow notes. Enjoy it by the fire, the ocean, the pillow fort you built in your living room while your SO was out shopping, or anywhere good friends gather.
Fresh for the fall, Helles Lager is back on draft and in cans. This Munich-style beer is crisp and light and perfect for fall patio days.
Maine Beer in the News
Allagash got top honors at the Great American Beer Festival, and two beer fests are coming up, one of which could use your help.
Allagash named Brewer of the Year in prestigious tasting competition
The Great American Beer Festival honored the Portland brewery Friday with its Brewer of the Year award and two silver medals.
Gardiner’s ‘Swine & Stein’ celebration scheduled to go ahead in October
Gardiner Main Street’s signature event returns to Water Street in its brewfest format, with beer, food, fun and games.
Can you pour beer? Volunteers needed
Literacy Volunteers of Bangor is hoping you’ll help them at this weekend’s Bangor on Tap event.
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 or call us to learn more at [email protected] (207) 209-2094
