Category: Beer

Viva Lebowski & 13th Cookie

| Posted in Events, Beer

Today’s Press Herald includes an interview with Dave Cousins, the organizer behind this weekend’s Viva Lebowski festival at Bayside Bowl.

In Cousins’ mind, the event needed to be bigger than just a fun night out. His “reason” for doing the event came through a friend, Colleen Kelley, owner of Silly’s restaurant in Portland. Nicholas Stevens, a former Silly’s employee and owner of 13th Cookie, a local bakery of organic, vegan, gluten- and soy-free cookies, has multiple sclerosis, and a flare-up prevented him from working.

Cousins, who only knew Stevens casually, jumped at the chance to put his passion for Lebowski to good use. Stevens, Cousins said, is a humble guy who can’t believe complete strangers want to help him out. But Cousins sees it differently.

Today’s paper also includes a What Ales You column on winter beers.

Beer at Trader Joe's 2

| Posted in Beer

Brews & Books has published part 2 of his review of the beer for sale at Trader Joe’s.
Among the Trader Joe’s beers, the Black Toad is second only to the Stockyard Stout in terms of good reviews from beer drinkers. It’s with good reason, as the ale packs a lot of flavors into a one-dollar bottle. Like some of the other beers from Trader Joe’s, the Black Toad is a bit on the sweet end of things, putting it close to Newcastle in terms of English Brown Ales. Otherwise, the beer has much more going on than Newcastle

Beer at Trader Joe’s 2

| Posted in Beer

Brews & Books has published part 2 of his review of the beer for sale at Trader Joe’s.

Among the Trader Joe’s beers, the Black Toad is second only to the Stockyard Stout in terms of good reviews from beer drinkers. It’s with good reason, as the ale packs a lot of flavors into a one-dollar bottle. Like some of the other beers from Trader Joe’s, the Black Toad is a bit on the sweet end of things, putting it close to Newcastle in terms of English Brown Ales. Otherwise, the beer has much more going on than Newcastle

Baxter Brewing and Rising Tide Brewing

| Posted in Beer

The Forecaster has published an article about Portland’s newest brewery, Rising Tide Brewing Co.

So far, there have been 14 batches of Ishmael, Sanborn said, which are being distributed to about 60 locations, including RSVP, the Great Lost Bear and at specialty markets like the Rosemont Market & Bakery and the Bow Street Market in Freeport.

Each 22-ounce bottle retails for about $6, he said.

“Right now, this beer is pretty much flying out the door,” said Sanborn, who described his early success as a “honeymoon period.”

Hop Press went for a behind the scenes look at Baxter Brewing. The new bear company is lead by Luke Livingston who had until earlier this year authored Blog About Beer. Baxter is expected to start retail sales in January.

Touring the 7,000 square foot facility with Livingston on Monday, the Baxter staff seemed to be working at full-speed to get the facility put together and get to brewing. Just last week, Baxter’s 30 bbl brewhouse (mash-tun, kettle and whirlpool) arrived in Lewiston, along with two 60-barrel fermenters. A 48,000-pound grain silo was installed at the brewery last month, and a state-of-the-art Ball canning line will be arriving in November.

Beer at Trader Joe's

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The What Ales You column in today’s Press Herald reviews the beer selection at Trader Joe’s.

In the three weeks that the Portland store has been open, I have not yet drunk everything on the store’s shelves, but I have tried enough to know that there is something to please everybody — and probably enough to displease everybody.

For comparison see this earlier review of the beer at TJ’s by Brews and Books.

Beer at Trader Joe’s

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The What Ales You column in today’s Press Herald reviews the beer selection at Trader Joe’s.

In the three weeks that the Portland store has been open, I have not yet drunk everything on the store’s shelves, but I have tried enough to know that there is something to please everybody — and probably enough to displease everybody.

For comparison see this earlier review of the beer at TJ’s by Brews and Books.

Review of Pizza Villa, Maine Brewer's Festival

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

Pizza Villa has received 5 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald,

The chicken sub served as comfort food. I was chilled, and needed something warm and filling. The sub roll was toasted and chewy. The marinara sauce had a tangy bite, and the chicken was tender. I appreciated the stringy melted cheese and the fact that the roll held up to my devouring appetite. The sub didn’t fall apart on me. The chicken and sauce stayed inside the bun, intact. It was delicious.

Also in today’s paper is a What Ales You report on last weekend’s Maine Brewers Festival,

At the Dinner with the Brewers Friday night at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland, Kai Adams of Sebago Brewing Co. said craft brews represent 20 percent of beer sales in Maine, compared to 4 percent of craft-beer sales nationally. In Florida, he said, they are celebrating the fact that the percentage of beer sales has recently doubled there, from 1 percent of the market to 2 percent.

Review of Pizza Villa, Maine Brewer’s Festival

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

Pizza Villa has received 5 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald,

The chicken sub served as comfort food. I was chilled, and needed something warm and filling. The sub roll was toasted and chewy. The marinara sauce had a tangy bite, and the chicken was tender. I appreciated the stringy melted cheese and the fact that the roll held up to my devouring appetite. The sub didn’t fall apart on me. The chicken and sauce stayed inside the bun, intact. It was delicious.

Also in today’s paper is a What Ales You report on last weekend’s Maine Brewers Festival,

At the Dinner with the Brewers Friday night at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland, Kai Adams of Sebago Brewing Co. said craft brews represent 20 percent of beer sales in Maine, compared to 4 percent of craft-beer sales nationally. In Florida, he said, they are celebrating the fact that the percentage of beer sales has recently doubled there, from 1 percent of the market to 2 percent.

Maine Beer & Mead Tasting

| Posted in Beer

Portland magazine has published the notes of a tasting of 13 Maine beers and 1 mead.

Clever. European. Sexy. Diabolical. SoCal cool. If the words used to describe Maine beers at a local tasting are any indication, it would be safe to say that we’ve left behind our staid reputation for tweedy, English-style ales, emerging as the New World birthplace of world-class brews like Allagash’s lusty Belgian whites, Sebago’s breezy IPAs, Marshall Wharf’s maniacally hopped classics, and Shipyard’s pop-culture seasonals.

Maine Beer & Mead Tasting

| Posted in Beer

Portland magazine has published the notes of a tasting of 13 Maine beers and 1 mead.

Clever. European. Sexy. Diabolical. SoCal cool. If the words used to describe Maine beers at a local tasting are any indication, it would be safe to say that we’ve left behind our staid reputation for tweedy, English-style ales, emerging as the New World birthplace of world-class brews like Allagash’s lusty Belgian whites, Sebago’s breezy IPAs, Marshall Wharf’s maniacally hopped classics, and Shipyard’s pop-culture seasonals.