We know every day feels like … every other day, but don’t forget, Labor Day weekend is just around the corner! Make plans now to stock your fridge with the latest releases of cans and bottles from Maine breweries as we bid farewell to a summer like no other.
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 Beer Releases & Events:
If you’re tired of celebrating birthdays and anniversaries by driving by a friend’s house, honking and waving, then have we got a party for you. Definitive Brewing is throwing themselves a bash at not one but TWO locations, and with THREE new beer releases. What better way to celebrate? Other noteworthy releases this week include a Coffee Strout from Maine Beer Co. and a Golden Strong from Foulmouthed Brewing.
Wednesday, Sept 2nd
Austin Street Brewing
1 Industrial Way, #8, Portland
Original Maine Ale, Pale Ale (5%)
The Original Maine Ale is back! This Pale Ale was brewed in collaboration with Original Maine to celebrate Maine’s Bicentennial. It contains all Maine ingredients and has a bready, slightly sweet caramel malts complimented by citrus, pear, and lemon.
Thursday, Sept 3rd
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St., South Portland
Mr. Giggles, Golden Strong (9.6%)
Mr. Giggles is a Golden Strong brewed in honor of the owners’ friend, Tim Durbin, who committed suicide. It comes out every September in support of National Suicide Prevention Month and Foulmouthed Brewing donates $1 from each sale to NAMI Maine.
Friday, Sept 4th
Bissell Brothers Brewing
4 Thompson’s Point, #8, Portland
Zoo Hypothesis, Double IPA (7.7%)
A DIPA highlighting the intriguing Lotus hop, over a familiar base of Buck Farms malt.
Saturday, Sept 5th
Definitive Brewing Company
35 Industrial Way, Portland & 318 US Route 1, Kittery
Two-Year Anniversary Party!
Definitive Brewing Company is marking two years of good vibes and great beer with exclusive anniversary merchandise, food trucks, live music, and three beer releases!
They are teasing out the deets of the beers throughout the week, but so far have confirmed two. First up is Orbit, an ultra-luxe 8.2% Anniversary Double IPA. It is double dry hopped with Cashmere, plus Citra and Mosaic LUPOMAX concentrated hops. The result is an out-of-this-stratosphere juicy DIPA with tasting notes of intense citrus fruits, lemongrass tinctures, and oversized mangos.
The second beer will be Vanilla Superdome! This 9.0% DIPA is the pinnacle of Definitive’s Milkshake IPA series, brewed with vanilla sugar, lactose, and double the dose of real vanilla beans! A dangerously delicious treat, it tastes and smells like Orange Julius, gently melting vanilla bean ice cream, and a shortbread cookie bakery at dawn.
Anniversary festivities will take place on Definitive’s patios in Portland and Kittery, with social distancing and sanitizing protocols in place. At the Portland location, awesome food will be provided by PB&ME (12-8 p.m.), Tacos Del Seoul (12-8 p.m.), and Haole Ice (12-6 p.m.), and there will be live music by local musicians Cameron Wheelock (12-2:30 p.m.), the Sam Whitman Trio (2:30-5 p.m.), and Katie Dagget & Ed DesJardins (5-7:30 p.m.).
Definitive will open for can sales only at 10 a.m. in both Portland and Kittery, and fully open for draught pours on the patios at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept 8th
Maine Beer Co.
525 US Route 1, Freeport
Fall, Coffee Stout (5.6%)
Fall is back! As the leaves begin to change and cooler nights predominate, Maine Beer Co. is celebrating the turn of the season with a new Coffee Stout. Fall is part of the brewery’s former Pilot Beer series, and is made with cold brew coffee that was selected in collaboration with the fine folks at Coffee By Design. Fall will be available in bottles and on draft starting at 11 a.m.
New Releases
Wow, some days it feels like Maine breweries are dropping new beers faster than we can drink it (or at least write about it). Here are some of the latest releases that hit taps and/or stores across the state this week.
Lake St. George Brewing Company, Inc.
4 Marshall Shore Rd., Liberty
Danny’s Oatmeal Stout (4.9%)
Fall is almost here, which means it’s time for a proper Oatmeal Stout. Oatmeal, wheat and flaked barley give this beer a luscious mouthfeel and fluffy cream-colored head. Danny balances hops and malt perfectly in this one to create a beer with satisfying flavor that makes you want to keep sipping. A must-try!
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson St., Portland
Holy Donut: Fresh Lemon Glaze, Sour Ale (7.5%)
Brewed in collaboration with The Holy Donut, this double-fruited Sour Ale is brewed with lemon puree, lemon zest, vanilla, and lactose and will hit your mouth like a lemon drop. Holy Donut: Fresh Lemon Glaze lures you in with its brilliant golden coloring and scents of sweet candied citrus peel, lemon meringue, and marshmallow. Its flavor profile is bracingly tart, resembling lemon head candies which recedes into flavors of pleasant vanilla cake. Mmmmm, cakeeeeeeee.
Moderation Brewing Company
103 Maine St., Brunswick
Willow, Cider Ale (6.5%)
Willow is cider-beer hybrid aged nine months in a special applewood staved rye whiskey barrel. Crisp and refreshing with a cider nose and just a hint of malt, this is a beer that’s reminiscent of a dry British cider crossed with rye whiskey, perfect for the fall! Made with cider from Willow Pond Farm in Sabattus and all Maine grains from Blue Ox Malthouse. It’s named after the 80s classic “Willow” (Warwick Davis rules!) and as an homage to the source of the cider.
Root Wild Kombucha
135 Washington Ave., Portland
Bramble, Sour Kombucha
If you’re a fan of sours, be sure to check out Root Wild’s newest release, Bramble, a sour kombucha featuring raspberry and sumac.
SoMe Brewing Company
1 York St., Unit 3, York
Whoopie A.F., Stout (6.6%)
Whoopie pies are the state dessert. Coffee brandy is the state liquor. Drawing inspiration from these two indisputable truths, SoMe took their flagship Milk Stout and aged it in brandy barrels (for five months!), added some locally roasted coffee, and now this beer is Maine as f**k. Ayuh!
Threshers Brewing Co.
22 Main St., Building 3, Searsmont
Brown Ale
Threshers’ Brown Ale is barley-based with a well-rounded nutty flavor balanced with a malty profile. The hop flavor produces a slightly bitter taste. Check out the canning process here.
Tributary Brewing Company
10 Shapleigh Rd., Suite A, Kittery
Oatmeal Stout, Stout (5.6%)
This big, roasty, sweet stout has both flaked and malted oats. Those delicious oats help soften the roastiness of the black chocolate and roasted barley.
On Tap
Ready to celebrate the last days of summer by catching rays and drinking suds on your favorite brewery patios? Here’s a sampling of what you’ll be able to enjoy at select breweries this weekend.
Flight Deck Brewing
11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick
- Puddle Jumper, Session IPA (4.5%)
- Remove Before Flight, Red Ale (5.6%)
- Space-A, West Coast IPA (6.9%) – So good we’re told it already sold out at the brewery, but look for it wherever you buy your beer!
Foundation Brewing
1 Industrial Way, #5, Portland
- Afterglow, IPA (7%)
- Call of the North, IPA (6.6%)
- Double Double, Imperial Milk Stout (11.6%)
- Flightless Wonder, IPA (6.1%)
- Josef, Pilsner (5.1%)
- Raspberry’s My Jam, Sour Ale (4.8%)
- Vivid, Double IPA (8.4%)
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St., Portland
- Ishmael, Copper Ale (4.9%)
- Daymark, American Pale Ale (5.5%)
- Zephyr, India Pale Ale (6.5%)
- Back Cove, Pilsner (5.2%)
- Maine Island Trail Ale, American Session Ale (4.3%)
- Onward, Double India Pale Ale (7.3%)
- Pisces, Gose (3.6%)
Maine Beer in the News
If you simply can’t get enough of Maine beer (and frankly, same), then you’ll want to check out this week’s rundown of Maine brews in the news, including a shoutout in DownEast Magazine.
And, if you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own brewery, we just learned that a Portland brewery is up for sale. Dreams can come true!
Our Favorite New England Breweries and Beers
DownEast and Outside magazines teamed up to choose their top 12 favorite New England breweries and we’re def not surprised that HALF of their picks hail from Maine.
After long hiatus, Belfast waterfront brewery reopens under new ownership
Three Tides and Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., a beloved watering hole and craft brewery that shuttered abruptly last year, has reopened under new ownership.
A Popular Brewery in Portland Could Be Yours for the Right Price
Brewery Extrava is up for sale after the partners involved in the ownership of the brewery are diverging their interests.
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