I can not believe that the last month of Summer is almost over and I'm nearing the midpoint in the quest. Before the leafers (people who drive slow while gazing at the fall foliage) start crowding the roads in New England, I thought it was time to take the quest to the great beer states of Maine and Vermont. To help reach my 30 state visit requirement, we headed northeast via Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I stopped at one brewery in each state on the way to New Hampshire. Connecticut & Rhode Island are not the greatest beer states and not much to talk about on the two stops. I wish I had more time to spend in Massachusetts and visit its many breweries. We stopped at the Beer Works Brewery in Lowell, which just so happens to be next door to the Lowell Spinners ball park. Yes, it was game night and the area was energized. The Spinners are the single A farm team for the Boston Red Sox and they have a great fan base. The Beer works was packed with energetic fans getting fired up for the game. The brewpub/sports bar has a very nice menu, the popcorn crawfish was very interesting, They also have a nice selection of brews, I enjoyed the Double IPA and Curley's Stout, while Joann enjoyed the Watermelon Ale, garnished with a slice of, you guessed it, watermelon. Then it was on to Manchester and Portsmouth, NH. After a nights rest in Manchester, we headed across southern New Hampshire to the coast finding some nice breweries along the way.
- Candia Road Brewing- was started by Citizen Brewer, Thomas Neel. Tom has a very impressive Home Brewing Store and he decided to expand the store by adding a nano brewery. At the time of my visit, Tom was still working thru the red tape to obtain the permits to allow on site tasting. He can sell beer at the store/brewery, you just can't drink it on site. Tom is also distributing to a few beer bars in the state. I did purchase and taste the Hopful IPA and Shire Stout, which were very good. If you are in the area be sure to stop in say hello to Tom and his helper ( Tom's Father), they love to talk beer and be sure to buy a few bottles, you will not be disappointed.
- Red Hook & Smuttynose Breweries- two very nice and popular breweries to visit, Red Hook has a very large bar and eating area, that was very popular with the lunch crowd. Smuttynose is in the process of converting an old house on their property into a pub/tasting room. Currently you are required to take the brewery tour to sample their brews on-site.
- Portsmouth Brewery- Portsmouth, NH is a very neat old port town that has become a very busy tourist town with numerous shops and busy streets. It is also home of the Portsmouth Brewery, the original brewpub in New Hampshire. The brewpub sits in a space notched out of the brew works and has the motif that fits the old seaport town. The food was good and I particularly enjoyed the Whippersnapper IPA, the I.L.L. and the Le Chat Noir.
It was time to leave New Hampshire and cross the Piscataqua River and enter into the great beer state of Maine. I had time to visit 16 of Maine's 62 Breweries, unfortunately the state is large and the breweries are scattered, so I focused on the Portland Area which has the largest concentration of Breweries. I also decided ( very difficult decision) not to make a stop at one of my favorite Beer Bars, The Novare Res Bier Cafe'. I would have stayed too long and drank too many brews that would not count towards the QUEST, Oh the sacrifices I must make on this quest. All of the breweries I visited were great stops including Shipyard, Gritty McDuff's, Sunday River, Rising Tide and others. So with space limitations here are a few of my favorite stops.
- Run of the Mill- located on Factory Island in the middle of the Saco river in Saco,ME. This very large Brewpub in a restored old textile factory has two indoor and a large outdoor bar and eating areas. The brewpub was packed, but I did find a seat at the outdoor bar and enjoyed a flight. The must trys are the Hoppenin XPA, sow Your Oats Stout and the Alewife Ale.
- Barreled Souls- the bartender at Run of the Mill told me about this brewery that just opened and said it was a must stop before leaving Saco. Located in the basement of an old large house, this nano brewery is cranking out some nice brews. The beer is fermented,not aged, in various wooden barrels which makes for some very nice beer. Half Nelson, Dubbel Shot Coffee were two of my favorites. The tasting room had a nice beer cave feel, some old wooden barrels were used to make chairs, tables and bar stools. This is a must stop if you are in the Saco area.
- In'Finiti Fermentation- located in the wharf area of downtown Portland, the brewery has a very nice brewpub and bar located in front of the brew works. The very modern decor includes a very large wooden bar made from an old oak tree. The beers were fantastic, many with high ABV, so be careful. I recommend the Headstash IPA and the Ouroboros Stout. They also have a Distillery on-site if you need a higher ABV drink.
- Allagash- is the largest brewery in Portland, with a large distribution area in the Eastern U.S. The brewery tour is very popular and I recommend a reservation, they book up quick. The tasting room is very large and you can enjoy a sample flight without taking the tour. This is a must stop if you are in the Portland area. You also get to enjoy an added bonus, directly across the street. Three small upstart breweries, Foundation, Bissell Brothers & Austin Street are located in a small industrial plaza. They were all great to visit.
- Foundation Brewery- as I mentioned previously this is one of three nano breweries located across the street from Allagash. John Bonney, co-founder, was a great host and enjoyed talking about beer and the brewery. OK, he is a Michigan grad, but he has Penn Staters working at the brewery, ha ha. John and his partner are brewing some great beer with their speciality being Farm House Ales. I really enjoyed Wanderlust, Blaze and the Infused with Ginger. If you want a true micro brew experience stop in to see John and take some time to visit Austin Street and Bissell Brothers.
- Maine Beer Co- located down the street from the LL Bean Flagship store and outlets in Freeport, ME. Ok, remember happy wife is a happy life, so shopping time was scheduled between brewery visits. This is another great Maine Brewery; increasing its distribution area and producing some very nice beer. Their tasting room is small, offers a view of the brew works and was very busy with people stopping in to buy beer to go. I was fortunate that Lunch and MO were on tap during my visit. This is another must stop and while your enjoying the beer, the better half can enjoy the shopping.
- Baxter Brewery- before leaving Maine on the way to Vermont, we stopped at Lewiston in the heart of Maine and we found Baxter Brewery. Located in an old brick factory complex that has been restored into offices, lofts, restaurants and yes...Baxter Brewery. Arriving just as the taproom opened, we were greeted by Ezra, taproom manager. Ezra made us feel welcome and right at home. He is a great representative of the brewery and gave us a quick tour before the taproom got busy. I enjoyed a nice flight of Baxter Brews and I really enjoyed the Coconut Radio, Stowaway and Daughters of Poseidon. This is a must stop when traveling thru the heartland of Maine. Thank you Ezra for the great hospitality during our visit.
- Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery- on the way to Vermont, we took the scenic drive thru the White Mountains of New Hampshire and stumbled across this great country Inn and Brewery, located in the small town of Woodstock, NH. What a neat little town in the white mountains, a true outdoors town with a nice brewery. The Inn has three bar areas and many indoor and outdoor eating areas. You must try the lobster egg rolls. The beer was good, top on my list was the 4,00 Footer IPA and the Old Man Oatmeal Stout. Great Scenery, Food and Beer, what else could you ask for.
- Prohibition Pig Beer Bar & Brewery- stopping at Waterbury,VT on the way to Burlington, I found the Prohibition Pig on mainstreet. A very nice beer bar and small batch brewery. The only house brew available was the Amarillo Dream, a very good pale wheat ale. However, they also had Heady Topper on Tap, brewed down the road at the Alchemist ( closed to the public and the only beer they brew). For you non beer geeks, Heady Topper is the #1 beer rated by Beer Advocate and a near impossible beer to find. Yes, it was good and at the request of the son, a few days later, I waited in line at a South Burlington grocery store, to purchase a case of the ever elusive heady topper. So if you find yourself in Waterbury, VT, remember in addition to the Ben & Jerry's HQ, Green Mountain Coffee HQ, you must visit the Prohibition Pig Beer Bar & Brewery.
Vermont is another great Craft Beer State with 44 Breweries. Time limited me to visiting 14 of these breweries, again,each one was unique and great to visit. The following are few that I particularly enjoyed.
- The Vermont Brewery- a larger brewpub located in the heart of downtown Burlington. They have a big food menu and a very nice selection of brews. Be sure to sample the Bombay Grab IPA, Double Play IPA and the Burly Irish Ale.
- Queen City Brewery-located on the outskirts of town, this new modern brewery has a very nice tasting room in front of the brew works. Paul Held, managing partner, was very friendly and enjoyed talking beer and describing the brews being served. He had a very nice selection on tap, the Munich Dunkel, Yorkshire Porter and Amanda's Belgian Amber were very good.
- Four Quarters Brewing- an up and coming Nano Brewery,located just outside of Burlington in the town of Winooski, VT ( home of the most confusing traffic circle or should I say traffic oval). Brian, owner/brewer spent some time with me explaining his thoughts on brewing beer and how he started Four Quarters. Brian also has a paying job as graphic designer at Ben& Jerry's, to support his family while the brewery gets started. He favors Farm House ales and sours. My favorites were Opus Humulus & Fleur De Lis. I know Brian is on track to make Four Quarters a very successful Brewery and I highly recommend that you put this brewery on your Vermont Brewery Trail List.
- Magic Hat Brewery- this was the 150th Brewery visit the halfway point of the Quest to 300- Magic Hat is a well know brewery that has a very wide U.S. Distribution Area. The tasting room at the brewery is one of the most unique decors I have encountered at a brewery. It is very psychedelic, part carnival fun house atmosphere with some good beer. Humdinger, Big Hundo and Dream Machine were my favorites in the sample flight. Speaking of Dream Machine, drinking in the tasting room at Magic Hat was like being in a dream machine.
- Otter Creek- heading south back to base camp we stopped in Middlebury, VT to have a nice lunch and flight of beer at Otter Creek Brewery. The food was very good, we enjoyed pork sloppy joe sliders and a nice salad. Copper Mountain Ale, Overgrown and Wolvares IPA were my favorites on the sampler flight.
- Long Trail- making a slight deviation to the east before leaving Vermont, we made our last stop at Long Trail Brewery. Located outside of the skiing mega, Killington, this Brewery was built like a large ski lodge. The food menu looked good and you had a choice of two sample flights. I chose the flight heavy with IPA's. I was not disappointed, the Sick Day IPA, Limbo IPA and Session IPA were worth the drive to sample.
Well that wraps up the New England trip, I will return after the quest to visit the many breweries I did not have time to visit and also stop by a few of my favorites for another visit. The American Revolution started in New England, however, the Craft Beer Revolution has taken over and going strong. This also brings an end to the month of August. I took a few weeks to rest up and prepare for the West Coast Trip. The quest is slightly ahead of schedule. I'm looking forward to the next 150 breweries and the experiences that are ahead.