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The State of Maine Craft Beer #ACBW

The Beer Babe — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:36:57 +0000

I got to thinking about how much I’ve learned about Maine Beer recently, so I put together an infographic. Many thanks to those that helped me accurately get a count of Maine breweries – I will post a list with details as part of my American Craft Beer Week #ACBW coverage. I was very surprised and happy to see such growth happening in Maine, I know that it mirrors the rest of the growth of craft beer in the U.S., but it is truly fulfilling to see it happening in my backyard.

This is my first infographic, so comments are welcome! Cheers!

Printable version (PDF)

Food Trucks & Beer

The Beer Babe — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:24:19 +0000

If you’ve ever visited southern California or the Pacific Northwest, the idea of food trucks would be just part of your consciousness. Walking around any decently sized city, near parks and sidled up to breweries, food trucks are just a part of the culture. It’s a low-rent way of bringing tasty specialty or ethnic food to new neighborhoods without having to buy a space – or pay for wait staff. Trucks featuring everything from tacos, burgers and pizza to sushi and even cupcakes are just… expected. And perhaps the niche they fill is perfect – inexpensive variety in a fun and casual atmosphere. A win all around.

Until recently, however, Maine has not been able to enjoy the creative and funky foods from mobile vehicles. But recent rule changes have allowed a small fleet of trucks to start spreading out throughout the city, albeit to limited locations and times. As exciting as that is, it takes a few more partnerships before the “food truck culture” will sweep Portland. And this weekend, I think I witnessed a perfect union between two community-focused businesses – breweries and food trucks – as executed by Rising Tide Brewing in East Bayside.

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The best kinds of bitterness in Bunker Brewing’s 122 Coffee IPA

The Beer Babe — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:01:10 +0000

Bunker Brewing – 122 Coffee IPA

I hate the word bitter. You might even say that I’m bitter about it. Bitterness, to the outside world has a negative connotation, both emotional bitterness such as “cold, bitter tears of regret” or “bitter resentment” and the physical definition of the taste. If I say to you that something is bitter, most people will think that’s a negative quality, and that’s difficult when it is one of the major descriptors used to describe beer flavor characteristics. What compounds this problem is that bitter as a word is so unspecific. Do I mean the bitterness of coffee? Or the bitterness of a great IPA? Or in the case of Bunker Brewing’s 122 Coffee IPA both kinds – and not a negative connotation for miles.

Now, before you spit out your coffee (or beer) when you hear the terms “coffee” and “IPA” in the same beer name, this perhaps isn’t such an insane idea. After all, coffee stouts blend their own roasted bitterness with the sharp coffee notes to great success – why shouldn’t this other bitterness found in strong hops work just as well?

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Tapping Portsmouth

The Beer Babe — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:58:42 +0000

I cannot even tell you how excited I am for this…

“Tapping Portsmouth” exhibit at Strawbery Banke Museum open daily May 1- October 31.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire (April 10, 2013) – Four Portsmouth breweries – The Portsmouth Brewery, Redhook Brewery, Smuttynose Brewing Co., and Earth Eagle Brewings — are working together with Strawbery Banke Museum to present this year’s special exhibit, “Tapping Portsmouth: How the Brewing Industry Shaped the City,” opening May 1, with additional sponsorship from Kennebunk Savings Bank.

To celebrate both the extensive history of brewing in Portsmouth and the extraordinary conjunction of major breweries, brew pubs and home brewing styles and ingredients (including heritage plants, herbs and hops from Strawbery Banke) on the Seacoast, the brewers are creating three collaborative beers.
A Colonial-style ale, brewed at Earth Eagle, made from turnips, a splash of molasses and spruce tips.
An Industrial-era porter will be made at the Portsmouth Brewery with Strawbery Banke ginger and molasses.
A “super hoppy” IPA, Stride Wide Ale, at Redhook
Brewers Andy Schwartz (brewer and brand specialist for Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. at Redhook), Tyler Jones (The Portsmouth Brewery), JT Thompson (Smuttynose Brewing Co.) and Charlie Ireland (Smuttynose) got together at the Redhook test batch brewery at Pease International Tradeport on April 5th to start the Stride Wide Ale, using Australian and American hops and 175 pounds of malt. When the beer was knocked out it was run through more whole-leaf hops, in the hop-back at The Portsmouth Brewery. This special batch will be served on May 3 at a Museum event, open to the public.

“For these four breweries to collaborate was truly an historic event,” said “Tapping Portsmouth” exhibit creator and Museum Chief Curator Elizabeth Farish. The beer will be available to the public, sold by the growler, at Redhook, The Portsmouth Brewery and Earth Eagle Tastings and will be presented in a special Tasting event on Friday, May 3rd, 5-7 p.m. in Pitt Tavern and on the grounds of Strawbery Banke. Chefs Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet, Susan Tuveson of the Acorn Kitchen and Brent Hazelbaker and Taylor Miller of The Green Monkey will create “small plate” offerings to complement the beers, using local ingredients and spring harvested herbs, lettuces and vegetables from the Museum gardens, under the direction of John Forti, Curator of Historic Landscapes and Slow Food Seacoast advocate. There will be informational booths and access to the “Tapping Portsmouth” exhibit throughout the event.

The Tapping Portsmouth Tasting event is open to the public over aged 21. Tickets are $40 ($35 for Strawbery Banke members) and are available online at the Strawbery Banke website.

Strawbery Banke Museum’s featured exhibit, “Tapping Portsmouth: How the Brewing Industry Shaped the City,” offers a pub crawl through 300 years of history as brewers and tavern keepers kept “something brewing” in Portsmouth, then and now. The exhibit is open daily, May 1 – October 31, 2013, seven days a week, 10 am to 5 pm through October 31st. For information, call 603-433-1100 or visit www.strawberybanke.org

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Strong Brewing Meets Fundraising Goal

The Beer Babe — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:07:48 +0000

You did it again! Strong Brewing Company (profiled in this post on the Portland Press Herald) successfully hit and exceeded their fundraising goal. 155 people pledged a total of $8385 to help this Sedgewick, ME brewery take its first step. Congratulations, Strong Brewing Co. and thanks to everyone that supported them!

Happy (Belated) Birthday – Oxbow Brewing Company’s Freestyle #30

The Beer Babe — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:11:23 +0000

Oxbow Freestyle #30

When I was young, and searching for something I’d lost, my mom would suggest that I stop looking for it. “It is only when you stop that you’ll realize where it is,” she’d say. Most of the time she was right. My glasses, books or keys would suddenly show up somewhere obvious as soon as I stopped turning over couch cushions in panic.

When I went looking for Oxbow Brewing Company’s birthday ale – known as Freestyle #30 – I somehow forgot that piece of advice. Knowing that it had been released in March for co-founder and head brewer Tim Adam’s 30th birthday, I was now looking for something that it was possible I wouldn’t find. It didn’t look good. Slow to hear about it, by the time I knew to start looking, it was already mostly too late. Traces of #30′s tantalized me wherever I went. I saw curled fliers from release parties long past, saw hours old and days old Untappd check-ins, spied it’s name on beer lists with ink barely dry from the strikethrough, faded characters in chalk – all of which declaring that I’d come a day, an hour, or a minute too late to try it.

So after a long day at work and after I’d given up looking, I stopped in to the Lion’s Pride in Brunswick to console myself with – for me, at least – the best Belgian Frites in New England. When I lifted my head to look above the beautiful glass tap handles to the beer list, there it was: Freestyle #30.

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The freedom to fill – LD 1082

The Beer Babe — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:41:29 +0000

My latest Portland Press Herald blog features a Maine bill to allow growler fills at retail locations is in consideration in Maine. Support the freedom to fill.

Not too soon to see a Black Fly… Stout

The Beer Babe — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:14:26 +0000

It was breezy but sunny, so my mind turned to summer. I spied a Portland classic – Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout – and promptly took it home with me.

Podcast: Episode 30 – Banner Beer Company

The Beer Babe — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:06:15 +0000

We hit the big 3-0 episodes this week! This has been a really fun project and I’m enjoying all the discussions I’ve gotten a chance to have. On this week’s episode, we talk to Todd Charbonneau of Banner Beer Company and chat some more about our opinions on contract brewing.

You know Lunch, but do you know MO?

The Beer Babe — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:43:43 +0000

In this post I feature Maine Beer Company’s MO – the hoppy American Pale Ale often overshadowed by it’s cousin Lunch.