MAINE - Highest Brewery Density in the Nation
Let’s talk BREWSKIS!
Maine consistently ranks near the top in the U.S. for breweries per capita (over 120 craft breweries!!) with Portland boasting one of the highest concentrations of craft breweries of any city in the country. From pioneer craft brands like Allagash to local taprooms statewide, craft brewing is a massive engine for Maine's tourism and service economy.
Ok, so how do I wrap my head around that and start visiting these suckers?!
Enter: Maine Beer Trail
The Maine Beer Trail is an official statewide tasting passport and itinerary program organized by the Maine Brewers' Guild. Originally created in 2009 with roughly two dozen participating taprooms, the trail has expanded into a massive craft beverage network that connects over 100 independent breweries across six geographic regions.
How the Trail Works
Digital & Physical Passports: Drinkers collect check-in stamps digitally through the official mobile web app or track progress using the paper foldout map.
Tiered Milestone Rewards: Visiting participating breweries unlocks official Guild prizes at key milestones:
25 Visits (Maine Beer Apprentice): Earns an official Maine Brewers' Guild hat.
50 Visits (Maine Beer Journeyman): Earns a signature t-shirt.
100+ Visits (Maine Beer Master Brewer): Unlocks elite rewards and recognition on the Guild's leaderboard.
START YOUR JOURNEY HERE: https://mainebrewersguild.org/visit.../plan-your-route/
Here are just SOME of the local craft brewers you’ll find on the trail:
1. Greater Portland & Casco Bay (The Craft Epicenter)
Allagash Brewing Company (Portland) – Pioneers of Belgian-style ales and the legendary White.
Bissell Brothers Brewing Company (Portland) – Famous for massive hazy IPAs like Substance.
Maine Beer Company (Freeport) – Known for "Dinner" and their environmental ethos ("Beer Everybody").
Austin Street Brewery (Portland)
Mast Landing Brewing Company (Westbrook & Freeport)
Lone Pine Brewing Company (Portland)
Battery Steele Brewing (Portland)
Foundation Brewing Company (Portland)
Rising Tide Brewing Company (Portland)
Definitive Brewing Company (Portland & Kittery)
Goodfire Brewing Company (Portland & Freeport)
Bunker Brewing Co. (Portland)
Geary Brewing Company (Portland) – New England's original post-Prohibition craft pioneer (est. 1986).
Liquid Riot Bottling Co. (Portland)
Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland)
2. Midcoast & Islands
Oxbow Brewing Company (Newcastle, Portland & Oxford) – Masters of farmhouse ales and rustic lagers.
Marshall Wharf Brewing Company (Belfast)
Flight Deck Brewing (Brunswick)
Moderation Brewing (Brunswick)
Boothbay Craft Brewery (Boothbay)
Odd Alewives Farm Brewery (Waldoboro)
Monhegan Brewing Company (Monhegan Island) – Operating on a remote island 10 miles off the coast.
North Haven Brewing Co. (North Haven)
Bath Brewing Company (Bath)
Lake St. George Brewing Co. (Liberty)
3. Southern Maine & Beaches
Tributary Brewing Company (Kittery) – Founded by brewing legend Tod Mott.
Barreled Souls Brewing Company (Saco) – Renowned for barrel-aged stouts and creative pastry beers.
Banded Brewing Co. (Biddeford)
Sacred Profane Brewing (Biddeford) – Czech-style tank-pour lagers.
SoMe Brewing Company (York)
Funky Bow Brewery & Beer Company (Lyman)
4. Maine Highlands (Bangor & Central)
Orono Brewing Company (Orono & Bangor) – Creators of Tubular IPA and top-tier smash burgers.
Marsh Island Brewing (Orono)
Mason's Brewing Company (Brewer)
Bangor Beer Co. (Bangor)
Geaghan Brothers Brewing Company (Bangor & Brewer)
2 Feet Brewing Company (Bangor)
5. Downeast & Acadia
Atlantic Brewing Company (Bar Harbor) – A staple of Mount Desert Island for decades.
Fogtown Brewing Company (Ellsworth)
Airline Brewing Company (Amherst & Ellsworth) – British-style cask ales.
Strong Brewing Company (Sedgwick)
Lubec Brewing Company (Lubec) – Operating at the easternmost point in the U.S.
6. Kennebec Valley, Lakes & Western Mountains
Cushnoc Brewing Company (Augusta) – Capital-city pizza and brew favorites.
Baxter Brewing Co. (Lewiston) – Early pioneers of craft canning in New England.
Norway Brewing Company (Norway)
Kennebec River Brewery (The Forks) – Essential stop for whitewater rafters.
Sunday River Brewing Company (Bethel)
Have YOU been to any of these yet?!?!
TELL ‘EM MUNCHIES SENT YA! CHEERS!
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