Visiting Portland, ME? Some ideas... 2013 edition

Last year I wrote this thread, but some greats were forgotten and the beer scene has developed further. This is an attempt to consolidate suggestions for what to do in Portland.

Bottle Shops in Portland, ME (in order of my preference.)

1. Bier Cellar: Forest Ave ($$)
2. RSVP: Forest Ave ($)
3. Whole Foods: Somerset St ($$)
4. Maine Brewing Supply: Forest Ave ($$)
5. Downeast Beverage: Old Port ($ - $$$. I've seen occasional discounts, but also seen Black Albert marked up by 85%.)
6. Maine Beer & Beverage Co: Monument Square ($$)

Bottle Shops Near Portland (in order of my preference.)

• Lois' Natural Marketplace (Scarborough, ME)
• Bootleggers (Topsham, ME and Lisbon, ME)
• Oak Hill Beverage (Scarborough, ME)

Breweries within 20min of Portland, ME (my top four, then others)

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1. Allagash (Portland, ME)​

Hours: Mon - Sat 10a-5p (they vary a bit seasonally, so check it out.)​

Tours: Sign up using link. (hourly. Free samples are separate and don't req signing up online.)​

Growlers: no​

Brewery Exclusives: Seasonal/limited taps in tasting room. House Beer bottles regularly. Allagash frequently has one Coolship (Resurgam, Cerise, Red) or other limited bottle (Old HLT, FV13, Bourbon Black?) available.​

2. Maine Beer Co (Freeport, ME)​

Hours: Tues-Sat 12-7. Sun 12-4.​

Tour: No. Look through the big window and buy a few tasty samples instead.​

Growler Fills: no​

Brewery Exclusives: Pilot batches on tap.​

3. Rising Tide (Portland, ME)​

Hours: vary seasonally​

Tours: Fri, Sat @1p and 2p​

Growler Fills: yes​

Brewery Exclusives: Delicious food trucks on Saturdays, check the growler link above to see which truck will be arriving next.​

4. Bunker Brewing Co (Portland, ME)​

Hours: Fri 5p-8p, Sat 12p-5p​

Tours: no?​

Growler Fills: yes​

Brewery Exclusives: It's the easiest way to enjoy their beer at home!​

Geary's (Portland, ME)​

Hours: Mon-Fri​

Tours: ~2p. Call in the morning to check.​

Growler Fills: no​

Shipyard (Portland, ME)​

Hours: 7 days a week. 11 - 4p​

Tours: hourly​

Full Tours: Tuesdays 5:30p. Sign up in advance.​

Growler Fills: no​

Peak's Organic Brewing Company (Portland, ME) - No tours/hours listed on site.​

Gritty McDuff's (Portland, ME) - Brewpub - Growler Fills​

Sebago Brewing Company (Gorham, ME) - Brewpub - Free tours/tasting weekdays. Growler fills Wed-Fri 3-5p. Locations in Portland, Scarborough, Gorham, and Kennebunk.​

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"Nearby" Breweries (in order of distance, bolded my favorites):

Certainly not exhaustive, but these are some other breweries, north of Boston, that are on my radar.​

1. Baxter (Lewiston, ME): Cans! Thurs-Sun 12-6p. 45min drive
2. Oxbow (Newcastle, ME): Open for growler fills: Fri 2-6p. 1h drive.
3. Portsmouth (Portsmouth, NH): Open for food/growlers 7 days a week. 1h drive.
4. Blue Lobster (Hampton, NH): Open for growler fills: Th-Sun. 1h drive.
5. Marshall Wharf (Belfast, ME): Open for food/growlers T-F 4p-close. 2h drive.
6. Hill Farmstead (Greensboro Bend, VT): Cash only. Growlers/Bottles. Wed-Sat 12-5p. 3.5h drive
7. The Alchemist (Waterbury, VT): The source of Heady Topper. Open daily, 11-7p. 4h drive
8. Lawson's Finest Liquids (Warren, VT): 4.5h drive
9. Dieu Du Ciel (Montreal, QC, Canada): 5.5h drive

Portland Beer Bars: (in no order. very different scenes.)

1. Novare Res - lots of taps and bottles, small menu (in the Old Port)
2. Great Lost Bear: lots of taps, huge food menu, kid friendly (on Forest Ave)
3. Mama's Crowbar: smaller 'local' bar, popcorn, cash only (on the hill)
4. Little Tap House: Stop by for happy hour (4-6p) for a craft beer+app pairing. If you like it, stay for dinner. Nice selection of locals and craft domestics.
5. In'finiti Fermentation and Distillation: Brewpub/Distillery. Haven't been enough to write a solid recommendation. I loved the food, atmosphere, and cocktails... but I was somewhat disappointed by the two beers I tried (table and sour trouble.) I'll give it another shot later on. I'm really tempted to swing by and grab a 32 oz growler of one of their brews some evening.

 

Restaurants:​

There's no way I can do this section justice, I've mentioned a few already in the beer bar section. This food blog does the best job compiling restaurant information. From Eritrean to Indian... the food scene here is booming.​

That said, some restaurants (jeans/tshirt friendly) stand out for their selection of taps. Here are a few personal favorites:​

• Duckfat: poutine, duckfat fries, charcuterie, or artisan shakes, salads, and paninis. I regularly see Allagash, Bunker, Oxbow, and Baxter on tap.
• Pai Men Miyake: ramen/sushi... the brussel sprouts are incredible. I regularly see Allagash, Marshall Wharf, and Oxbow here... I've also seen Tilquin Gueuze.
• The Thirsty Pig: local sausages and taps. I like to grab a bite and drink here before walking down the alley to Novare Res.
• Nosh: check out it's bacon dusted menu here. Can get crowded/loud.
• LFK: I enjoy the burger, atmosphere, and nice selection of local and domestic taps.
• Eventide : Raw Oysters, Lobster Rolls... I've seen bunker on tap both times I visited.

"Nearby" Beer Bars that are worth the trip... (in order of distance)​

1. Lion's Pride (Brunswick, ME): Now a brewpub. Owned by Chris Lively of Ebenezers. Lots of taps and bottles. Novare Res gets a lot of attention in Portland, but the food, tap, and bottle list up here is worth noticing. It's a nice stop if you find yourself north of Portland. I haven't been in since they started brewing their own. 30 min drive
2. Ebenezer's (Lovell, ME): I'd go out of my way to go here, Chris Lively's service is unparalleled... Incredible. I've stopped by a few times: consistently great beer, food, and overall experience. 1.5h drive
3. Nocturnem (Bangor, ME): Havent been here yet... but if you happen to be in the area... let us know what you think!
4. Three Tides / Marshall Wharf (Belfast, ME): Brewpub, previously mentioned. Haven't been yet... You can find Marshall Wharf cans (Ace Hole, Cant Dog) available at some of Portland's bottle shops.

Non-Beer Activities:

Not everyone wants to spend their time jumping from one beer destination to another. Here are a few other options that have been recommended in past threads.

Coffee Shops​

The Starbucks in the old port features a Clover machine for the super coffee nerds... I'm a big fan of the local shops though, Bard, Arabica, Speckled Ax, Crema. All of those are in Portland's old port.

Scenic/Lobster/Maine/Other:​

• Lobster Shack at Two Lights
• Fort Williams (and Bite Into Maine's Lobster Rolls)
• I'm loving the food coming out of Blue Rooster in the Old Port... Quick Bite/Sandwich/Late night snack... between Novare Res and In'finiti. Though it is a little bit of a walk.
• Stop by Standard Baking Co for a Morning Bun or Ham and Cheese Croissant, then drive over to check out the view on the Eastern Promenade
• Shopping in Freeport (home of LL Bean and many outlets... and maine beer co)
• Depending on the season... check out the Portland Sea Dogs (baseball), Pirates (hockey), or Red Claws (basketball)
• The Maine Office of Tourism has a nice collection of ideas as well.
• Bayside Bowl for Bowling (... and nice craft/food)
• Ice Cream... Gorgeous Gelato and Mount Desert Island (in Portland)... or Willard Scoops near Willard Beach in South Portland.
• Soakology is a foot soak place my wife likes to take her friends when they visit. Book ahead.

James Beard Award Winning Chefs/Restaurants:​

• Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows (Ogunquit) and MC Perkins (Ogunquit)
• Rob Evans former owner of Hugo's, current owner of Duckfat
• Melissa Kelly of Primo (Rockland)
• Sam Hayward of Fore Street (Portland)

Once again, I'm sure I've left things out, made a few mistakes, and that your experiences and preferences might vary from mine... but it's a good place to start, and it's a bit more up to date (and longer...) than last year's edition.

If you have a favorite tip or a question about an upcoming visit, feel free to leave it below.

 

You're right! Nice catch. They also sell bottles of their aged pale ale regularly. Maybe I'll get that updated next year

 

Thanks! Hope you had a nice visit!

 

I think it's $16/4pk... But I'm not very confident on that.

I've seen Cant Dog and recently Ace Hole. Believe pricing is the same.

 

Incredible food at 555. Fancy... but I had a bad experience with a server a couple years ago. Likely an isolated incident, I never brought it up with management - in hindsight, I should have.

Local 188 seems to have a great/attentive staff - been there a few times and enjoyed it. Solid local beer and domestic selections (taps and some bottles). My wife likes going there with friends.

 

Thanks.

I included Little Tap House under beer bars (and commented on their happy hour), but I agree it should be moved over to the restaurant section. Maybe the two sections should just be combined in some way. I'll take care of that if I get a chance to revise it again next summer.

We'll see what happens with Lion's Pride. Maybe it'll happen this year and I won't need to edit it next time around...

Tandem was an oversight, I'll make sure to include it next time around - stopped in once and was happy to see Holy Donuts available as a morning snack. Speaking of Holy Donut... they just announced lobster donuts.