Staying in Alfred, ME on 7/31, then driving to Kennebunk on 8/1 & staying through 8/3. Looking for a place to pick up quality beer in Alfred, or en route. Also looking for places to buy / drink good beer near where we are staying (White Barn Inn). Cheers, Jeff
No help on the beer, but love the White Barn Inn. Fantastic restaurant, though I'd be doing the wine pairings there (not beer).
Not sure where Alfred is but MBC is releasing their latest batch of Dinner on 7/31 at the brewery in Freeport.
Funky Bow in Lyman will be your closest brewery, right down 111 -- ten minutes from Alfred. Nice guys, free wood-fired pizza on Fridays. Little bit of a drive (25 min up 11 in the opposite direction from Alfred) but Gneiss in Limerick is doing some fun stuff w/ German style beers. Very heavy on the wheat but it's worth trying everything they have. Banded Horn Brewing in Biddeford also close. For bottleshops... I'd stop off at Tully's in Wells. Might be able to get Substance cans if you time it right. There's a brewery right behind the Hannaford in the same plaza--Hidden Cove but it's not that great. Jim's doing better stuff at Rocky Coast/Post Road Tavern on Route 1 in Wells.
Second vote for Tully's. Great selection. As for The Substance, they recently received it on 7/24. It will probably be a couple of weeks until the next delivery.
Tully's is 100% your best bet in Southern ME, but it'll take you a bit past your Kennebunk target. So IF you can't make it down to Wells, there's a gas station just off the Kennebunk i95 exits called "Cummings Market" that has a pretty solid selection (rather than the beer coolers in the back, look for the 3-4 different sets of shelves around the store that have some bottles). Otherwise, HB Provisions in Kennebunkport always has some solid bottles - Not a HUGE selection, but always some great beers to take home.
