flying into Maine July 11th

I used to travel to Waterville for work occasionally. The Last Unicorn is probably the nicest restaurant in town and has a great but small beer list. Mainely Brews is pretty college feeling but not terrible compared to lots of the other options.

 

Just a note that there are not pints at Allagash. You will be able to get one free flight of the 4-5 beers they have on tap that day. You are not allowed to buy additional beer for onsite premises. It's still worth visiting!

 

FYI: Oxbow is very close to Rising Tide, so you might be able to squeeze both in. I prefer Oxbow personally.

 

Ebenezers

 

Add Tributary in Kittery to your pre-Smuttynose list, it's right off I95, and you will NOT be disappointed

 

I don't want to rain on your parade but going south out of Maine on a Sunday afternoon in the summertime is a recipe for disaster, especially when the weather is nice (lots of day trippers from MA). I can almost guarantee that you will be stopped on 95 south from the York toll booth to the NH border, 7 miles. Last weekend it was backed up into Wells (mile 19) and stayed that way until after 7pm Sunday night. Smuttynose and Tributary are amazing places but since your time is limited I would highly advise you to check the traffic before heading south on the turnpike.

If traffic is awful I would recommend staying in the Portland area and hitting Great Lost Bear for a couple of pints and then go across the street to Bier Cellar to shop for a few souvenirs - he usually has some locals like Foundation, Bissell Bros, Rising Tide, Banded Horn, Funky Bow, etc. Then head north on 295 for Maine Beer Co. and Beans before heading up to Waterville.

 

Yes, look at the traffic first. However, last weekend was a holiday, so worse than usual. I traveled from Portland to Smuttynose at about the same time the OP plans to. It was a bit slow for a few miles, but once off the exit to Smutty, no big deal. It was worth it.

 

Novare Res is another Portland staple

 

Yeah, it’s supposed to be really nice summer weekend and traffic plus finding parking in the Old Port ought to be a bit of a mess so allow yourself extra time.

The GLB and Bier Cellar are on opposite sides of Forest Ave., but about half a mile apart. So, “across the street” is a stretch especially if you’re lugging some stuff on a hot summer day.

 

Even getting to Tributary in Kittery will be a traffic nightmare and taking Route 1 is not going to help - Ogunquit is a bottleneck as the turn for Shore Road backs up into Wells all the time. However, I just checked Great Lost Bear's tap list and they have Tributary Pale Ale now, which I think is the star of their standard lineup. Might save you a long ride:
http://www.greatlostbear.com/

It looks like a fresh batch of Maine Beer Co. Lunch was just released today to local shops so keep your eyes open for that.

 

Lots of great ideas here. Right next to Rising Tide is Maine Craft Distillery, and just around the corner you can find Bunker Brewery (which is very small, in an old one car garage along the train tracks). Their beer was pretty good, but it's just a nice place to check out. About 5 minute walk further is Urban Farm Fermintory, which does some really good ciders (if you like something for a change of pace).

Just don't spread yourself too thin!! Better to see 3-4 places and enjoy them, rather than 10 places and just pass through.

 

Ebenezers or Novare Res

 

Don't overlook the Thirsty Pig, great homemade sausages and you might get some Bissell Bros on tap. Enjoy the trip...