Portland Trip! (Driving from Boston)

Big fan of the Portland beer trip from Boston, if you have a DD it can even be done in a day.

• While you are at Bissell Bros., you should definitely visit Foundation and Austin St (same building) as well as Allagash (right across the street). I haven't yet been, but I'd imagine the Oxbow tasting room is a must-visit as well.
• I'd recommend Novare Res and Duckfat for food/beer.
• I don't think the bus tour is worth it. Especially if there are a few of you, I can't imagine that being cheaper than a cab.
• Portsmouth Brewing, Blue Lobster, and Smuttynose are all decent options on the trip there/back.

 

Step one: search this forum. This list from late last year is pretty comprehensive.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/trip-to-portland-maine-help.210463/

 

I used that last ~year ago and had an awesome time!

 

On your drive up:

• Kittery: Tributary Brewing Co, Black Birch, When Pigs Fly
  
• York: SoMe Brewing Co
• Wells: Tullys Beer & Wine
• Lyman: Funky Bow Beer Co (definitely look into this if you in the area on a Friday Night)
• Biddeford: Banded Horn Brewing Co
  
• Saco: Barreled Souls Brewing Co, Run of the Mill

Breweries In Portland:

• Industrial Park: Bissell Bros, Foundation, Austin St, Allagash
  
• yEast Bayside: Rising Tide, Oxbow Blending & Bottling

Portland Must-Hits:

• Beer Bars: Novare Res, Kings Head, Mama's Crowbar, Thirsty Pig,
• Restaurants w/ Great Taps: Pai Men Miyake, Nosh, East Ender, Duckfat
• Store: Bier Cellar (go here first, follow via social media for updates on available/new beers)

 

Great list from @WesFoxlove. I'd add Fore Street to the restaurant list, as well as Standard bakery.

 

Check out 7 Eleven while passing through Kittery.

 

Be aware MBC is in Freeport 20min north

 

Little Tap House usually has Bissell and Funky Bow on tap

 

It's sad that nobody even thinks to mention Grittys. Along w GLT it was THE beer destination in Portland for a very long time. The vibe is still great -- old world pub -- but the beers have just not kept up. The Puglesy /Ringwood system is so 1985.....

 

i figure my list from last time around is in need of an update. By no means a complete list...

Breweries [Allagash and Maine Beer Company are a given]

• Oxbow - By second favorite brewery in the state, behind Allagash. Oxbow Blending and Bottling in Portland is an amazing space and if you have time to venture up to the brewery in Newcastle it's an awesome scenic drive and you'll find some things on tap and bottles that aren't available in Portland.
• Foundation -Killing it right now. Their Epiphany DIPA holds it own against Swish... and dare I say, certain VT DIPAs. Make your rounds to everyone on this street and you'll have an awesome afternoon/evening.
• Bissell Brothers - They haven't announced their canning schedule yet past 4/4 [Swish and Substance] But if you're coming into town Thur-Sat it's a must stop.
• Rising Tide - Located in the burgeoning area of Portland lovingly referred to as "Yeast Bayside" alongside Bunker Brewing, Urban Farm Fermentory and my personal favorite coffee roasters Tandem. They put on a great tour.
• Bunker Brewing- See above.
• Gneiss - As you could imagine, their Weisse's are top notch but, if still available, their barrel aged Porters and Kirschweizen have been pretty damn awesome.
• Liquid Riot [Formerly In'Finiti]- Worth the visit for the architectural design of their restaurant, brewery and distillery. Gorgeous space and great drinks.
• Banded Horn - Great laid back space and solid selection. Their Jolly Woodsman coffee stout is one of my favorite non-BA coffee beers.
• Marshall Wharf - Awesome brewpub on the coast in Belfast, worth the trip if you have the time. You may find their 16oz cans in the better bottle shops around Portland. If Sexy Chaos, their vanilla and oak aged RIS, is still around you should stock up because it's magical.
• Tributary Brewing - Tod Mott of Portsmouth/Harpoon/Kate The Great fame is putting out some awesome brews so far. I hear they recently announced a release date for their upcoming RIS. Hnnngh.

Non Beer: Urban Farm Fermentory, Maine Mead Works, Maine Craft Distilling, New England Distilling, Sweetgrass Winery/Distillery, Maine Distilleries LLC/Cold River

Restaurants and bars

• Pai Men Miyake - Ramen bar with great beer and sake selection. My go to for a dinner of appetizers and beers with out-of-towners. They should have a few Oxbow bottles that are no longer available for sale at the brewery/tasting room.
• Outliers - Awesome rrestaurant tucked away on the west end of Portland. Great looking space with awesome tap list.
• Eventide - Oyster Bar with a twist. Pricier side and usually pretty packed, but on many national lists for best restaurant.
• Duckfat - Mob scene with tourists and locals alike. Small tap list but curated quite well. Fries fried in duck fat. Yes!!
• Slab - Thick sicilian slabs of pizza and a really well curated tap list. The tap list/food combo here is out of this world. They get stuff on tap that I'd never expect, last years GI Migration Week tap takeover was pretty epic.
• Ebeneezers + Ebeneezers BrewPub - The original pub in middle of nowhere, Lovell, ME is 1.5hrs outside of Portland but routinely makes the 'Best Beer Bar in the World' lists year after year. Plead for a tour of their cellar and piss your pants at what they have. Recently tapped brewpub in Brunswick is much easier to get to and well worth the slight detour off 295 if you're headed north. If you have time though, pick the OG location in Lovell, ME -- you'll thank me later.
• Novare Res Bier Cafe - Other places in Portland have more taps (Great Lost Bear, Three Dollar Deweys, Jimmy the Greeks) but none come close on quality. Great deck and awesome bottle selection [e.g. Cantillon!] There's tap-takeovers ever few weekends where some amazing goodies crop up.
• When Pigs Fly Pizza - If you're driving you should definitely hit this place up if you're driving into the state around lunch/dinner time. Great tap list right across the border from NH.
• Little Tap House - Upscale pub fare and a great local-heavy selection of craft.
• King's Head - More upscale pub fare and they're up to 40 taps now. Great spot to catch a game on TV as the atmosphere and beer selection is infinitely better than sports bars nearby.
• Anju - Awesome ramen bar in Kittery. Very few taps but they're always quality.

BYOB - Yes you heard that right

• Schulte and Herr - Awesome tiny little german restaurant, amazing brunch. Last I knew they were BYOB but you may want to call and double check.
• The Well @ Jordan's Farm - BYOB, Pay what you want, higher end grub that consists of a bunch of picnic tables and gazebos in the middle of a picturesque flower garden on a farm in Cape Elizabeth. Not open until early June unfortunately but it's my absolute favorite place for bottle shares.
• Fishermen's Grill - Block or so from one of the larger beer stores, RSVP, so you can grab a some goodies and eat some of the freshest fried seafood around and it's much more affordable than the the higher-end fare you'll find on the rest of the Portland peninsula.
• Lobster Shack @ Two Lights - Perhaps the most picturesque place to grab a lobster roll AND drink your favorite bottle. If you're bringing family along this is a must.

 

If you are stopping in Newington to go to Stoneface then you should go about 7 miles further to Dover and check out Garrison City Beerworks. A small new brewery right in downtown making IMO some really good beers. If you venture into Portsmouth the Portsmouth Brewery is a good place to stop. There Royal Impy Stout is really good this year.

 

When did In'Finiti change names? Still have not tr d anything from them. I know they bottled their IPA in aluminum bottles. Then The Bier Cellar carries them but kinda pricey.

Also doesn't Garrison in NH do crowlers? I wish more breweries did this.

 

Yes Garrison City does crowlers. Just seems like $13 for 32oz of DIPA is a little pricey IMO.

 

You should come to Boston!

 

Argreed with everything said so far.
I might suggest, that either before leaving Boston (or on the trip back through)
you consider some of the locals here - Trillium, Night Shift, Idle Hands / Enlightenment, and Mystic.
Presuming you're flying in, I wouldn't necessarily say to come out to Jack's Abby, but their stuff is available at most bottle shops around.

 

Since you'll most likely be taking rte 95 up to ME. Redstone Liquors in Stoneham MA is a great shop. Also Lord Hobo BC might be open by then in Woburn MA.

 

For your hangover breakfast, try Hot Suppa...eggs benny on fried green tomatoes...mmmm. Get there early most days though, it can be a bit of a wait.

Bonus: Definitely within walking distance of the Westin.

 

I don't want to start my own thread, so I thought I'd ask here: Will Foundation fill any growler, or just their own? I'm not familiar with ME laws, and haven't visited them yet.