Allagash Brewery of the Year

World of Beer has named Allagash Brewing their selection for the 2013 Brewery of the Year.

Of course, there were other [beer]s besides, many of them, but these “Best of…” posts aren’t supposed to be about the qualities of individual beers. No, they are meant to highlight the brilliance of a single brewery over the course of a calendar year, and in that regard Allagash achieved in spades, making it my no-doubt pick as U.S. Brewery of the Year for 2013.

Under Construction: Foundation Brewing

Active Beer Geek has posted an article about Foundation Brewing, including a video interview with co-founder Joel Mahaffey.

Foundation plans on releasing two flagship beers to the market in March. One is an IPA saison called Blaze that is going to be out of this world. It’s a slightly hoppy and funky brew that uses Millenium, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Nugget, Columbus hops making it very tasty. With Eddy you get the floral and slightly funkyness of the saison as well as the flavor and citric hop profile of an American IPA.

Foundation  hopes to start selling their first two beers, Blaze and Eddy this March.

Serious Eats Top 50: Allagash

Serious Eats has selected Allagash Merveilleux top represent Maine in their list of the 50 best beers from across the country.

Then, when everyone else was racing to see how many hops they could shove in a bottle, Allagash was one of the first to experiment with wild-fermented and sour ales. Merveilleux is the love child of those early funky beers. A blend of bourbon and wine barrel aged wild ales, Merveilleux is a wonderful example of what happens when brewers go beyond the novelty of brewing their first sour beer.

Portland Brewery Incubator

If My Coaster Could Talk has written a piece about Industrial Way and the role it plays as an incubator for new Portland breweries.

There is a special neighborhood in Portland, Maine, one that’s developing a pretty solid brewing history, a place that has seen a brewery start up and become one of Maine’s most successful, a place that has seen small startup breweries find their place in the Maine beer scene, pack up and move on to bigger and better things and has also been a place that has seen a brewery close its doors and now is witnessing a new batch of young breweries entering the market.

D.L. Geary, Allagash and New England Distilling are all in that neighborhood. Rising Tide, Maine Beer Co. and Bull Jager started out there, and now Bissell, Austin Street and Foundation Brewing are continuing the tradition.

Completing Novare’s Chalice List

Active Beer Geek has published an article about his conquest of the Uprising, the Novare Res 230 beer mug club list.

It’s a genius system of privilege that Eric, owner of Novare Res, has concocted. Your mission – if you choose to accept it – is to finish a 3-row, double sided, multi-styled beer list of 230 brews. The reward? A ginormous pimp cup, known as a chalice, that allows you 25% more beer for every pour in that vessel in your lifetime. Also, on the day of your chalice acquisition you drink for free. It’s like a right of passage or ritual of manhood for beer geeks. But wait, there’s more…

Maine Craft Brewing & Annual Food Calendar

The new issue of Portland Magazine reports on the growth of Maine’s beer industry that features 3 new breweries: Bissell Brothers, Foundation Brewing and Banded Horn.

Also in the new issue is the magazine’s annual Maine food calendar. The article includes an interview with chef Cara Stadler about the new dumpling restaurant she has under development on Spring Street in the building that’s been the longtime home of the West End Deli.

And what becomes of West End Deli and its tasty takeout sandwiches? “Look for us to open in the former Gleason Fine Art Gallery at 545 Congress by the end of January,” says owner Nancy Arnold. “It’s a great spot. We’ll have more room for specialty foods–cheese, meats, pastries.”

SoMe Brewing, Reviews of Mathew’s & The Bridgeway

Today’s Press Herald includes a bar review of Mathew’s,

Mathew’s Pub, advertised as “the oldest pub in Portland,” is as gritty as they come, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Pay nearly nothing for beer and even less for a pool table, and Mathew’s is not just the oldest bar in Portland but perhaps the cheapest. If it’s your first time venturing into Mathew’s, bring a friend or two.

a review of The Bridgeway,

The Brideway isn’t hip, it doesn’t offer any kind of funky fusion fare, and some could argue it could use some updating. But you know what? It’s also a respectable spot that is honest about what is has to offer. This wasn’t lost on me or my lunch date, and for that reason I’m glad it’s there and I am glad that it surely has a legion of longtime diners who keep the historic place in business.

and an article about SoMe Brewing.

Crystal Persuasion is in imperial pale ale made with 100 percent Crystal hops. Rowland said the recipe came about because his hop supplier offered him the hops, and he created first a regular pale ale – which will come on the menu at some point – and then the imperial version, which is 8 percent ABV. This was a nicely malty beer, with just enough hops bite to make it interesting.