Portland Maine Suds and Spirits Tour
Portland, Maine
Trip Type: Beer & Brewery Tours
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
The Suds and Spirits tour visits three unique locations, mixing both beer and spirits for a veritable boilermaker of a tour! Whether you're an amateur or a connoisseur, you'll want to enjoy this unique experience discovering Maine's booming craft alcohol scene. Tours are led by knowledgeable guides and feature stops at Maine producers, including breweries, distilleries, wineries, bars, and more.
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The Suds and Spirits tour visits three unique locations, mixing both beer and spirits for a veritable boilermaker of a tour! Whether you're an amateur or a connoisseur, you'll want to enjoy this unique experience discovering Maine's booming craft alcohol scene. Tours are led by knowledgeable guides and feature stops at Maine producers, including breweries, distilleries, wineries, bars, and more.Friday Suds and Spirits Tour
First up is the legendary Gritty McDuff's Brewpub in Freeport. Celebrating 20 years at this location, Maine’s oldest brew pub company was founded in Portland in 1988 by Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer, two friends who wanted to bring the vibe and the beer of a true British pub to Portland. Gritty’s, as it’s known locally, makes traditional English ales (including “real ales” on cask) that pair great with its classic food selection.
Next, visit Maine Distilleries, the Freeport company behind Cold River Vodka and Cold River Gin that utilizes a distinctly Maine resource for its spirits: potatoes. Yes, the northern part of the state grows a ton of spuds, and historically the starchy tuber was considered more than just a food staple. The enormous copper still used to refine distiller’s beer into award-winning spirits is an impressive sight, and the end result is a testament to the power of potatoes.
Finally, check out the impressive beers of Maine Beer Company. Founded in a space near Allagash, Maine Beer Company used its quick success to expand to a much larger location in Freeport. The company has made a serious name for itself as a producer of coveted hop-heavy ales, including Lunch IPA and its spiritual successor Dinner Double IPA. Make sure to bring a bottle home for friends if you come across one.
Saturday Suds and Spirits Tour
Your first stop is Foundation Brewing Co. This newcomer to the Maine brewing scene is a small draft-only production brewery in Portland, founded by avid homebrewers Joel Mahaffey and John Bonney. They currently produce flavorful, balanced saisons called Eddy and Blaze. Look forward to tasting more experiments and small batches from them in our tour flights.
Next up is New England Distilling. Founder and head distiller Ned Wight comes from a family of whiskey makers and he’s brought their Maryland-style spirits north. You'll learn about the distilling process while sipping on his citrusy Ingenium Gin, his barrel-aged Eight Bells Rum, and Maine’s first post-prohibition whiskey, Gunpowder Rye.
The final stop is Austin Street Brewing Co. The name of Austin St. Brewing Company neatly references both the name of co-founder/head brewer Jake Austin and the street he lives on. Austin St. is the youngest and smallest of the three breweries causing such a stir at Portland’s 1 Industrial Way warehouse complex.
Please note that tour stops may change without notice due to events and availability of staff at each venue.
First up is the legendary Gritty McDuff's Brewpub in Freeport. Celebrating 20 years at this location, Maine’s oldest brew pub company was founded in Portland in 1988 by Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer, two friends who wanted to bring the vibe and the beer of a true British pub to Portland. Gritty’s, as it’s known locally, makes traditional English ales (including “real ales” on cask) that pair great with its classic food selection.
Next, visit Maine Distilleries, the Freeport company behind Cold River Vodka and Cold River Gin that utilizes a distinctly Maine resource for its spirits: potatoes. Yes, the northern part of the state grows a ton of spuds, and historically the starchy tuber was considered more than just a food staple. The enormous copper still used to refine distiller’s beer into award-winning spirits is an impressive sight, and the end result is a testament to the power of potatoes.
Finally, check out the impressive beers of Maine Beer Company. Founded in a space near Allagash, Maine Beer Company used its quick success to expand to a much larger location in Freeport. The company has made a serious name for itself as a producer of coveted hop-heavy ales, including Lunch IPA and its spiritual successor Dinner Double IPA. Make sure to bring a bottle home for friends if you come across one.
Saturday Suds and Spirits Tour
Your first stop is Foundation Brewing Co. This newcomer to the Maine brewing scene is a small draft-only production brewery in Portland, founded by avid homebrewers Joel Mahaffey and John Bonney. They currently produce flavorful, balanced saisons called Eddy and Blaze. Look forward to tasting more experiments and small batches from them in our tour flights.
Next up is New England Distilling. Founder and head distiller Ned Wight comes from a family of whiskey makers and he’s brought their Maryland-style spirits north. You'll learn about the distilling process while sipping on his citrusy Ingenium Gin, his barrel-aged Eight Bells Rum, and Maine’s first post-prohibition whiskey, Gunpowder Rye.
The final stop is Austin Street Brewing Co. The name of Austin St. Brewing Company neatly references both the name of co-founder/head brewer Jake Austin and the street he lives on. Austin St. is the youngest and smallest of the three breweries causing such a stir at Portland’s 1 Industrial Way warehouse complex.
Please note that tour stops may change without notice due to events and availability of staff at each venue.
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