Hello Portland Maine! I did the rounds this afternoon to bring you some craft beer gems on tap that you should enjoy tonight if you’re out walking the cobblestone streets of the Old Port.
Sebago Brewing Company
Sebago is transitioning from their Bump Black ale to one of my favorite seasonal beers Simmer Down. It’s a summer session ale that weighs in at 4.9% ABV and is super refreshing. They have it on tap at the Portland brewpub as well as all of their other locations around Southern Maine.
Sebago also just released their annual beer Hop Swap (6.7% ABV) which is made with different hops every year. This year they used Hallertau Blanc, Equinox, and Rakau. This year it’s really different, dank, and piney. I spotted Hop Swap at the brewpub in Portland as well as Novare Res Bier Cafe on the Maine taps.
Left to right: Hop Swap and Simmer Down
Sebago always has pilot beers on tap at their brewpub locations. Today the beers at Portland are their Flying Hellfish which is a Belgian style ale at 8.6% ABV, a really sessionable 4.2% ABV Scottish ale on Nitro called Scooter, and Country Brown ale 5.2% ABV.
Novare Res Bier Cafe
Spencers Trappist Ale at Novare
Saint Joseph’s Abbey is America’s first monastery that started brewing beer called Spencers Trappist Ale. Before that, most of the world’s trappist-style ales were brewed in Belgium and Netherlands. It weighs in at 6.5% ABV and is definitely worth trying.
Taps at Novare Res Bier Cafe
Ballast Point Sculpin (7%ABV) is one of my all-time favorite IPAs. It’s brewed in San Diego and just started to be distributed in Maine a few months ago. It’s super delicious and dank. If you like IPA’s you should give it a try.
The Thirsty Pig
Taps at Thirsty Pig
I spotted Foundation Brewing Company infused Burnside Brown Ale, 5.1% ABV. Foundation is a great brewery from Riverside area in Portland. It’s a British-style brown ale that’s super drinkable except this time they infuse it with Bard Coffee’s Burundi blend cold-brewed coffee.
Also spotted at Thirsty Pig:
Sebago Brewing Company Hop Swap
Bissell Brothers Substance
Maps
Taps at Maps
I spotted a few local favs at the little tucked away place called Maps. Bissell Brothers Substance, of course. That seems to be a beer that’s popping up all over and is a staple at Maps.
Foundation has another beer named Eddy on tap at Maps. Eddy is their saison that’s made with their own proprietary saison yeast. It’s a refreshingly light saison that’s perfect for summer and is 5.7% ABV.
On a side note, the deserts at Maps are all homemade and delicious. When I got there I saw their chocolate cherry cake. Good to pair with the Smuttynose Robust Porter (6.2% ABV) they had on tap.
Hunt & Alpine Club
Oxbow Brewing Space Cowboy
I spotted Oxbow Brewing Company’s Space Cowboy Country-style ale at Hunt & Alpine Club. It’s in the bier de gard style and is dry and delicious at 4% ABV. Hunt & Alpine only have 4 beers on tap and all of them are local brews.