First on the scene in 1988, Gritty McDuff’s of Portland, with outposts in Freeport and Auburn, regales its loyalists with Original Pub Style Pale Ale.

Original Pub Style harkens back to the very first brews Gritty’s produced at our Portland Brew Pub back in 1988. “We wanted to make a beer that captures what made people fall in love with craft brewing in the first place; a fresh, classic pale ale with plenty of hop character.” says Brewmaster Ed Stebbins. “This is the kind of beer that really started the whole Maine brewing revolution.”

Original Pub Style is a light copper-colored medium-bodied with a nice dry bite at the finish. A subtle combination of Cascade and Willamette hops give this ale a fine floral aroma and a slightly fruity aftertaste.The taste captures the freshness of a hand-crafted brew pub ale that goes right from the conditioning tank to your glass! Original Pub Style is a year-round release available in six and twelve packs all over the great state of Maine, and on draft at Gritty’s Portland and Freeport brew pubs.

A Sampling of Maine Brewed Beer - make sure you check out the Maine Brewers Festival - Nov 5 and 6th.

The Shipyard Brewing Company was founded in 1994 by master brewer Alan Pugsley and entrepreneur Fred Forsley. Shipyard first began in 1992 at Federal Jack’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in Kennebunk, which is one of Maine’s original brew pubs and working breweries. Within two years, demand for Shipyard beer outpaced the small operation and, in April 1994, Forsley and Pugsley opened the Shipyard Brewing Company in the heart of the waterfront in Portland, Maine on the site of the former Crosby Laughlin Foundry.

The company brews more than a dozen year-round and seasonal English-style ales which are available in 38 states. [www.shipyard.com]

Take The Port City Breweries Tour at Maine Foodie Tours!

Pugsley also recreated in Maine what he calls the original Peter Austin brick kettle brewing system.  Other Maine brewers and a trade magazine call Pugsley the Johnny Appleseed of microbreweries. After Gritty McDuff’s arrived on the scene, Pugsley oversaw the creation of Federal Jack’s along the Kennebunk River in Kennebunk, open in 1992. Head brewer Mike Haley, who has been working at Federal Jack’s for 11 years, said “We brew 1,100 barrels of beer a year, which works out to 34,100 gallons.” One summer beer found in every brew pub in Maine is a wheat beer, and Haley’s version, called Sirius, is filtered, “with a clean, crisp flavor.” Haley said he is also perfecting a new beer made with fruit - possibly peach and grapefruit, which should be on tap later this summer. Specific gravity, by the way, is a measure of the sugar in beer. Every recipe starts with its own specific gravity, Haley said, and as the yeast ferments the sugar level drops, raising the alcohol content. How much sugar is left in the beer affects the beer’s body and smoothness. Haley said his beers are moderate in alcohol, so patrons can enjoy more than one. The classic ale Old Thumper is highest in alcohol here, at 5.8 percent, Haley said, and begins fermentation at a higher specific gravity but ends with a lower, producing its somewhat dry taste.

Beer Maine Chotskies

Incredibly, Federal Jack’s Brew Pub opened in 1992 without a kitchen. A next-door cafe used to be the source of a sandwich - the pub owners let their customers bring in food.”It was three years into it before we established a kitchen,” Pugsley said. “Five years into it before we really had good food, good chefs and high standards.”Today you can rely on the Inn on Peaks Island, one of Forsley’s and Pugsley’s brew pubs, to serve well-made dinners. The work of Executive Chef Christopher Gordon makes a meal at the Inn on Peaks Island a memorable event. That inn, with a 15-gallon brewing system, hits the brew pub trifecta - great beer, great food and a great location overlooking Casco Bay and Portland’s skyline. Another candidate for that trifecta is Run of the Mill in Saco. Geoff Houghton, owner of The Liberal Cup in Hallowell, also owns Run of the Mill, which opened last year on the Saco River with an outside deck, overlooking the water and the grand hulks of Saco’s textile mills. The food is well made, with fresh seafood emphasized, and a new deck menu being rolled out offering deck patrons lobsters, steamers and other Maine standards. Houghton also goes way back in the Maine beer scene - David Geary still has “a soft spot for Geoff Houghton because he used to work for me and I like him a lot.” Since then Houghton has changed his brewer’s yeast, allowing the malt and hops flavors to predominate. He calls his lage Bug Lager after the Portland Harbor lighthouse and a pun on the national brand. Bug Lager is delicate, with a light body and a clean taste all its own. The wheat beer at Run of the Mill and The Liberal Cup is somewhat cloudy, with the yeast not filtered out, an effect Houghton likes for its creamier texture. And brewer’s yeast, he remarked, is nutritional anyway - some folks buy it by the bag in a health food store.

Baxter Brewing Co. is a new craft brewery and micro-cannery planning to open its doors in Lewiston, Maine in September 2010 and distribute its beer throughout Northern New England.

Down East, Inland and Far North

Lobsters and mussels in summer and scallops in the winter are part of the tapas menu at Three Tides Waterfront Bar in Belfast, with its 14-table deck overlooking the Passagassawakeag River and a bocce court below.

Strong and hoppy brews like the Cant Dog Imperial IPA and powerful T2-R9 Barleywine (named after an unorganized township north of Millinocket) with 8 percent alcohol are some of what’s on tap.Barbecued ribs and beer are a perfect match, and one you can enjoy at Atlantic Brewing Company’s brew pub, The Knox Road Grille, open seasonally in Town Hill near Bar Harbor. On Saturdays the all-you-can-eat barbecue is the perfect finale after a tour of the brewery, perhaps paired with a dark and rich porter called Coal Porter, with northwestern hops and dark malts. The wheat beer is made with freshly ground ginger, another candidate for the perfect summer beer.Inland on the Androscoggin River, Gritty McDuff’s Auburn Brew Pub has a spectacular location - and an excellent lamb burger topped with feta cheese. And to the north, Kennebec River Pub & Brewery in The Forks holds fort in a log lodge, where white-water rafters, snowmobilers, kayakers and others can find refuge from outdoor adventures.

Maine Beer, Presidents Choice

Kennebec River Brewery
The Kennebec River Pub & Brewery is located at Northern Outdoors Resort in the North Woods logging village of The Forks, Maine (pop. 31). Northern Outdoors is New England’s most diverse and accessible adventure destination, offering an authentic outdoor experience and first class amenities in any season. Whitewater rafting on Maine’s wild rivers and snowmobiling through spectacular winter scenery are our two signature adventures.

The brewery is situated in the grand main Lodge, with its expansive open-timbered pine log interior. The rugged hand hewn logs and huge fieldstone fireplace naturally create a warm, friendly atmosphere where adventurers can kick back, relax, and savor great food and fresh ales.

The Kennebec River Brewery rolled out its first pint in January 1997. Our fresh beers are made using the finest all natural ingredients, and are never filtered or pasteurized. Good flavorful beer, handcrafted in small batches right here in the North Woods of Maine.
Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway, 1771 US Route 201, The Forks, Maine, ph: 800-765-7238

A copy of the Maine Beer Trail brochure can be downloaded at www.mainebrewersguild.org or picked up at an information center or local brew pub, for more information on brew pubs and breweries in Maine.

read more at Exploring Maine

- 396 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101 ph: 207-772-2736
- Lower Main Street, Freeport, ME 04032 ph: 207-865-4321
- 68 Main Street Auburn, ME 04210 ph: 207-376-2736
www.grittys.com

Kennebec River Brewery
The Kennebec River Pub & Brewery is located at Northern Outdoors Resort in the North Woods logging village of The Forks, Maine (pop. 31). Northern Outdoors is New England’s most diverse and accessible adventure destination, offering an authentic outdoor experience and first class amenities in any season. Whitewater rafting on Maine’s wild rivers and snowmobiling through spectacular winter scenery are our two signature adventures.

The brewery is situated in the grand main Lodge, with its expansive open-timbered pine log interior. The rugged hand hewn logs and huge fieldstone fireplace naturally create a warm, friendly atmosphere where adventurers can kick back, relax, and savor great food and fresh ales.

The Kennebec River Brewery rolled out its first pint in January 1997. Our fresh beers are made using the finest all natural ingredients, and are never filtered or pasteurized. Good flavorful beer, handcrafted in small batches right here in the North Woods of Maine.
Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway, 1771 US Route 201, The Forks, Maine, ph: 800-765-7238
www.NorthernOutdoors.com

Shipyard Brewing Co.

- So.Portland, ME ph: 207-871-7000
- Bangor, ME ph: 207-947-8009
- Topsham, ME ph: 207-725-0162

www.SeaDogBrewing.com

Sebago Brewing Co.
Since it’s creation in 1998, Sebago Brewing Company has been brewing unique, high quality Craft beers. Originally Sebago started as a brewpub but has grown to distribute packaged and draft beer in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Sebago Brewing Company uses all American Malt, Hops and the crisp water from Sebago Lake. In addition to brewing, Sebago Brewing Company also operates 3 Brewpubs in Southern Maine. Located in Portland, Scarborough and Gorham, Sebago is well known for their casual upscale menu, late night happy hour and great customer service. “We brew beer that we love to drink” says Head Brewer Tom Abercrombie. “We are committed to brewing the most consistent beers that pair well with our menu.” Sebago Brewing Company supports local organizations and events. Sebago Brewing Company is the official beer sponsor of the summer concert series Alive at Five, stage sponsor at the annual Old Port Fest, Portland Greendrinks, and Portland Buy Local. “We love working with local groups” says Adams “It let’s us connect to the community and support local business.”.
15 Knox Rd, Bar Harbour, ME 04609 ph: 207-288-3337
www.sebagobrewing.com

Maine Beer Trail