Tributary - Stoneface - Garrison City

You shouldn't hit too much traffic mid-day LEAVING maine since most people are entering maine for vacation on a Friday. Tributary is only 5 minutes off the 95 so you should have no problem hitting that one at all. Argument for is that its not really out of your way.

 

I've been to GCBW and Stoneface. Haven't made the trip to tributary, yet. So i can state my case for those two. Hoppy beers! If you like them, go for these two places. Looks like tributary has a hefe, pale ale, wit bier, and golden ale on. If that's your sort of thing maybe try tributary and one more, Stoneface being closer to the highway, where as GCBW is in downtown Dover. Parking has never been an issue for me at GCBW, just make a trip around the circle if you go by it and park somewhere on the street. Stoneface and GCBW both have friendly and great staffs, really good samples, with GCBW having more samples (6 I think, 4 at Stoneface?). Crowlers to go at GCBW of all samples, growler fills at stoneface with a cooler full of whatever bottles they have recently packaged. Trib is just growlers I think, but I haven't been so if anyone wants to correct me, go for it.

 

Tributary can be as quick or slow as you want it to be - they have a fridge of pre-filled growlers and squealers ready so you can be in and out in 3 minutes if you know what you want and are in a rush. Or you can bring your own food in as they have a couple of tables plus a standard bar, and you can buy a couple of tasters and talk to the brewers themselves. Their pale ale has become the flagship and is always on and there are usually 3 others as well. No bottles, only growlers.

I've only been to Stoneface once and they are setup to give you a taste in a Dixie cup and then sell you some growlers or bottles. Not a place to sit and spend some time, just a basic sales point. And they are right on the highway, so it can be a very quick stop as well.

 

Did all 3 this past weekend, albeit, Tributary on the way home. Stoneface and Garrison City are super close to each other and easy to get between. I highly recommend stopping in at Stoneface as they do free samples and its a super cool place. GC, while charging for their samples, is still very awesome. Their pale ales are to die for. I didn't stay long at Tributary, just a quick trip to grab some of their pale ale. Really new looking place, tables to sit, fills and samples. Nice atmosphere.

Cant go wrong with either of the 3, but if only time for 2 I'd hit Stoneface and Garrison City.

 

Garrison city is definitely out of the way in terms of 95 action, but if you're early enough in the day traffic should be okay.

 

I think all three are doable with the first at Tributary and then to Stoneface and the last being Garrison City but if I had to leave on out it would have to be Stoneface IMO.

 

All three would be doable if you're just doing samples and grabbing growlers/bottles. As noted above, Stoneface doesn't really do a flight - just tiny tastes. You can do flights or samples at the other two, and they are worth it.

 

The drive from Portsmouth to Meredith should take 90 minutes assuming smooth sailing. Your route will take you up route 16 north which is convenient to Stoneface and Garrison City.

However I would not underestimate traffic on 16 north on a Friday afternoon in the summer. The longer you wait the more traffic you'll find mid-afternoon with Mass. tourists looking to travel north.

 

You can do all three, like noted above the route from portsmouth will go up 16 passing right by stoneface and going through Dover. Stoneface has smaller samples, but they are free and you can get more than 1 of the same beer.

As for traffic, I drive 16 every day from Portsmouth to the Dover area. Meredith is about an hour from Dover, so you'll be out of Portsmouth by 1 pm to make it to Dover and the wedding and you should be fine. Traffic on summer fridays on 16 between portsmouth and dover is pretty bad after about 2:30 PM.

 

Maine (and NH) require the growler to come from the brewery filling it, so no you cannot bring an outside growler. No bottles at Tributary (that I'm aware of) so I would probably skip them unless you are interested in getting new growlers, though their beer is very good.

 

Stoneface is available at Case n Keg in Meredith if you simply want the beer and don't care about a brewery visit.