Recent brewery visits (2023)

Replying to your own post is so... déclassé. However...

 

This is why Portland, ME is crazy.

Goodfire > Lone Pine > Urban Farm Fermentary > Belleflower > Rising Tide > Austin Street > Bastion Street Brewing > Banded Horn

1.1 miles walking

 

I love finding walkable areas with breweries. Portland is definitely one of the best around here. Slightly off topic, but I think the best example of this is the Bermondsey Beer Mile in London. I hit all 16 breweries in one day, on foot. Total walking was about 2 miles.

 

Oh yeah, London, Bamberg....there's places in Europe that beat the heck out of the US.

For the Northeast (and maybe the US?) I don't think there's anywhere more walkable for breweries than Portland.

Right up the road from Fox Street is Liquid Riot, Gritty's, and Stars and Stripes. You could even technically walk to Bissell from Fox Street in about 2.5 miles.

Then of course Industrial has five breweries within what, a minute or two walk from each other?

This is also ignoring the density of amazing restaurants in downtown Portland.

 

Cocktails are also great, btw

 

A bit of an unknown pick, but Crooked Current in Pawtucket RI has a small and cozy space that I visited for the first time last month. They only ever have like 2-3 beers on at a time, but they move product fast. There's a few good casual restaurants nearby too. I gotta get back there soon, I'm fairly certain it's the closest brewery to my house

 

I thought they were a pandemic casualty, really glad to hear they're still going.

 

Did Modestman>Branch and Blade>Spyglass today. First time visits for me for all three, and enjoyed them all. Wouldn't really recommend the lagers from any of them, but plenty of other great beers.

Liked the atmosphere/space of Branch and Blade the best (low ceilings, wood everywhere). Service at Spyglass was fantastic. Sat at the bar and was always asked if I wanted another drink before my previous glass ran dry. Food was also ready very quickly, despite being in the middle of the Friday evening rush.

Best IPAs were at Spyglass (I tried a half dozen; they were all great). Best beer overall was New Boot Goofin from Branch and Blade. 16% ABV, foeder aged imperial stout. Thick and complex. Also really liked C.O.A. Mega from Modestman. Wasn't crazy about Modestman's taproom setup, but the smell of whatever they were brewing while I was there made up for it.

 

My problem with these breweries is that I don't like any of them, save for Goodfire. I enjoy Portland much more for food than for beer these days.

My favorite Maine breweries, heading north from MA, are Tributary, Sacred Profane, Bissell, Bunker*, Goodfire, Oxbow, Allagash, and MBC. Obviously, you can't walk this trip, but hitting most or all of them with a car would not be too difficult. For what it's worth, I get too tired to hit more than a couple of breweries per day anyway, sometimes I'll just pick one I haven't been to in a while and go there. I usually check the draft lists ahead of time, and then I'll pick the brewery with the one that looks the most appealing to me at the time.

*I like Bunker for their variety and especially for their session-strength hoppy lager, Salad Daze. The spot is usually free of children, brewery-ticking tourists, and bachelorette parties. Patrons there seem to visit in order to drink beer, not to take selfies of themselves holding glasses of beer.

 

This is a great little trip! But you forgot one stop: Berkshire Brewing Company, just a few minutes from Treehouse.

Can't say enough good things about Honest Weight. The owners/brewers are great people and, of course, the beer is excellent. Brick & Feather is good too.

Still haven't been to Four Star Farms, but the place looks so beautiful that a visit this spring or early summer may be in order. Love to hear more directly from people as to the quality of the beer.

 

Backbeat's old ale on cask is wonderful. According to the server, it's Backbeat's take on Theakston Old Peculiar. Years ago, Old Peculiar was yanked from distribution in MA; I assume because demand was low. Is it available in the US at all? It's too bad because old ale is an amazing, unique style. Maybe we'll see interest in the style reemerge here in New England. I know Todd Mott just released his version of an old ale. That I would like to try!

 

They may have pushed the release of the Old Ale out until yesterday (?) According to their IG, the Old Ale was supposed to come out when they had their “afternoon of casks” event, or whatever they were calling it. Looked like a fun time.

 

My take is that Four Star is a taproom destination. I don't think I've ever had a beer on draft there that I haven't enjoyed. Some of the hoppier styles are a little more, erm, iffy - ironic maybe, inasmuch as they're a hop farm - but, for the most part, it's just hit after hit.

It is not someplace that you want to go to harvest cans - there are no date stamps and, if you sleuth around a bit on IG, you'll see that some of those cans have been in the fridge for a long time. And, whether it's the canning itself, or my brain doing whatever it is my brain does, just nothing tastes as good out of the cans as it does out of the taps.

But since I've probably already been to Tree House or even Ryan & Casey, or I'm heading to Brick & Feather or Honest Weight next, I really don't need their cans.

Hopefully @SABERG will weigh in on this since I think the majority of the Four Star reviews are his.

 

I agree with @papposilenus , a taproom destination, and my experience as well is draught
is best for them. The location and a nice day, with better than most food truck doesnt hurt
Lagers are my favorite, and yes there have been more than a few misses on the hoppy side.
Cheers

 

I can emphasize with that. There’s a few breweries in Portland I’ve crossed off my list for visits.

That being said, some of those breweries have some good variety. Banded Horn being one of them.

 

Hence its nickname of "Death Row".

Urban farm Fermentory in the East Bay is wonderful - if you're not a fanatical hophead. Great atmosphere and drinks you likely won't see anywhere else. Some just plain weird and scary stuff, and a lot of weird stuff that is great. We stumbled on it by accident 4 years ago and ended up spending 3 hours there.

 

Checked out Backbeat in Beverly for the first time today. 5 cask ales. A nitro pub ale. And jam jazz every Saturday? Will definitely be back.

 

Yeah it’s a hidden gem. One of my favorites in the Northeast. Pretty unique.

 

Had a nice visit this weekend at Redemption Rock Brewing in Worcester. It's a pretty small place clearly focused on attracting families with kids to hang out, at least during the day. They have a coffee bar and some food options, but what really appealed to me was the wide variety of beer styles. They had 12 beers on of which three were IPAs, three sours, two lagers, two porters, a weissbier, and a low ABV stout.

I had the black lager with coffee, the maple sap dunkel lager, and the "west coast" IPA. The two lagers were outstanding and the IPA was also pretty good, though not bitter and piney enough for a beer deliberately called west coast, in my opinion. Seems most New England brewers either can't or won't go all the way into real WCIPA territory, no matter what they title the product.