Maine has become quite the destination for foodies and beer aficionados over the past few years. The state is speckled with top notch breweries but my favorites all happen to be close to where I live. 🙂 Planning a trip to the area or wondering which brewery to check out next? From funky Saisons to juicy IPAs this roundup will have to covered.

Allagash Brewing

Allagash is one of Maine’s largest and well known breweries. They brew Belgian style beers and even use a coolship like Cantillon. Their brewery offers tastings, tours, and of course world class beer. They have many signature beers that you can find year round, like the Allagash White, Sixteen Counties and River Trip. One of my favorite seasonal beers is the Haunted House, SO good and perfect for fall. Their outdoor seating area is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a flight, they winterize it as well so it’s cozy.

Oxbow Blending and Bottling

So the actual brewery is located in Newcastle, which is about an hour north of Portland but this urban outpost provides the space for housing 200+ oak barrels and dozens of stainless steel tanks. Many of the beers that Oxbow brews are funky, farmhouse style sours. They have many beers on tap to try at their Portland location. I really like Farmhouse Pale Ale, Frambiovese and Harvest. Some of the beers are super funky which Andrew really likes. They also have done collabs with Brasserie de la Senne which are always fun to try. In 2019 they opened a beer garden in Oxford as well, about 45 minutes from Portland.

Austin Street Brewery

Austin Street started as a small 1 barrel brewery that now has two locations in Portland. The original, on Industrial Way is my favorite but the Fox Street location is nice too. They have a great variety of beers ranging from their signature pale ale to some large funky bottles with Brettanomyces. The Patina, Six Grain, and Marquee Moon are my go-tos. Andrew likes the more funky stuff that tends to be in the bottles, like Senescent and Moses.

Lone Pine Brewing Company

Lone Pine offers a wide selection of brews. Their tasting room has rotating taps and you can get some cans to go. This brewery has some really interesting beers. There are plenty of juicy IPAs but they also do some fun flavor combos. Like their collaboration beers with the Holy Donut. I really like Tessellation, Alba Rosa and Stucco. The latter two are hard to find, they are limited releases. Lone Pine has locations in Portland and Gorham.

Bissell Brothers

When I think of juicy, cloudy, New England IPAs I think of Bissell. I consider them the go-to brewery for those New England DIPAs. and people travel for miles to get the lastest drops. Their flagship beer, Substance is one of my favorites, along with Baby Genius, and Umbra. Check out their online schedule for special releases and get there early on the day of a special release. You will probably have to wait a bit and they may even sell out. Bissell Brothers has two locations, one in Portland and one in Milo, where the founders are from.

Foulmouthed Brewing

Located in South Portland, this brewery offers unique beer flavors to pair with some pretty amazing food. The nachos and french fries are droolworthy. Their beer offerings are constantly changing so you never know what to expect when you pull up to the bar. They offer cans and bottles to go as well. Some favorites are Knightvillian, TriForce, and Rhubarb De Garde (which is kind of rare, if they have it get it!).

Mast Landing

I’ve been a big fan of Mast Landing since they opened in 2015. They currently have two locations and are planning to open a third right in my neighborhood. Dangerous! They offer a variety of tasty beers ranging from IPAs to sours to stouts. Gunnar’s Daughter, Little Choppy and Slightly Raddled are some of my favorites.

There are SO many breweries in the Portland area to explore. Check out The Maine Brewers’ Guild for a complete list and map of breweries in our lovely state. There are A LOT.

Cheers!