Week Vacation in Maine

Allagash, Oxbow, Funky Bow, Rising Tide, Bunker, Marshall Wharf/Three Tides. That's my personal lineup when I'm in the Portland area.

 

Portland: Novare Res and Great Lost Bear. Plus I tried Nosh this year. Tap list is good but bacon dusted fries are awesome

York ME new place called SoMe

NH/Portsmouth area is on 95 towards Boston. Smuttynose and Portsmouth plus Blue Lobster in close by Hampton

North mass has Cape Ann, Newburyport, and Ipswich

Boston I would reccomend Lord Hobo and Meadhall. Also Trillium makes a great hoppy pale. Also Harpoon has a cool tap room and they usually have pilot brews on tap

Just some stuff of the top of my head

 

While you're in Boston, be sure to check out Night Shift just out side of the city (and actually Idle Hands is in the same building), and Trillium in the city...

Allagash is a must as you know, check out Maine Beer Co also, and if you want to take a bit of a hike over to Belfast (cool little town), then Marshall Wharf for sure.

 

And by summer you'll have Bissell Bros, Foundation, and Austin St right across the street from Allagash, which makes a very nice cluster.

 

Some great choices in southern maine and seacoast NH. Smuttynose will be in their new home in Hampton and Trilbutary Brewery will be open in Kittery Maine. Tributary is owned by Tod Mot, who is the brewer of the kate the great.

 

Ebenezer's!! worth the drive and if you get to buzzed bring a sleeping bag and sleep on the fairway behind the pub..

 

Bissell Bros occupies the old Maine Beer Co space (just across the street from Allagash). The Substance IPA is fantastic and I know they are currently working on a few more beers. 16oz cans should be available by then and they also plan to do growler fills.

 

Hope the beer is better than their website.

 

Best way to find out what they're up to is Facebook. They keep that pretty up to date.

 

Her's a thread with some ideas

http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-portland-summer-2013-update.97758/

 

Portland, yep. Try the Porthole for food as well as Beckys' for breakfast/lunch. Novare Res for beer bar as well.

 

Oops, posted the wrong link before. Here's the right one! Sorry!
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-portland-me-some-ideas-2013-edition.101680/

 

Facebook has jumped the shark. Hopefully their beer is better than Facebook

 

The beer [The Substance] is excellent. They probably aren't too worried with FB since they have no public hours yet.

 

What week are you going to be in Maine and where are staying?

 

In Portland - Leverage the many awesome tap lists in town... Take down everything you can find from Oxbow & Marshall Wharf every day you're there, definitely seek out wherever the Bissell Bros "The Substance" is on tap (for the last month that's meant like 2-3 places a night), and look for any/all cool Allagash seasonal/limited offerings you can find.

I good starting list for all of the above might be: Novare Res, Thirsty Pig, Nosh, Pai Men Miyake, LFK, Great Lost Bear... And if you need two more: EastEnder & DuckFat. Otherwise, hit the breweries mentioned in the posts above AND stores like Tully's (Wells, ME) or Bier Cellar (Portland) to pick up Maine Beer Co and other local bottles.

In Boston - I'm sure someone has already told you... But make the trip out to Jacks Abby (Framingham, MA) for samples, half/full pours, bottles & growlers. And if you can, an afternoon hitting Trillium (Fort Point), Mystic (Chelsea), and Night-Shift (Everett) is definitely time well spent - All three are within line 5-6miles of each other.