at Northern Outdoors
In the beginning…
All hunting and fishing guide Wayne Hockmeyer wanted in 1975 when he descended the remote Kennebec River Gorge on ropes, was a way to bring fishermen into one of the richest fishing grounds in the East. Hockmeyer thought he could float them in on a Colorado River whitewater raft. He forgot about fishing though, when he came upon the incredible river rushing before him. He began thinking of whitewater rafting trips.
Wayne contacted a West Virginia raft company. They told him he could have a very successful business if he had enough whitewater. “But,” they added, “you do not. If you did we would know about it.”
Hockmeyer answered, “The Forks, Maine doesn’t even know about it.”
Wayne and his wife Suzie bought a used British Leyland military assault raft, dubbed the “Silver Bullet.” He sent river flow data and topographical maps to the West Virginia outfitter. They promised to send an expert to teach Hockmeyer. But, after analyzing the river data, the outfitter told him to forget it. The water would be too turbulent. “You’ll turn over and die.” they warned, adding cautiously, “but if you don’t, you’ll be rafting one of the greatest whitewater rivers in the country. “
Hockmeyer flew over the river gorge, wondering what to do with the 22 foot raft sitting in his driveway, like a beached whale. “I
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saw there were no Deliverance type waterfalls down there,” he said. “It did not look nearly as bad as they said it was.” He added, “I had no idea flying over it what was really down there.”
The first people to raft over Magic Falls was a group of bear hunters from New Jersey, with Wayne wild-eyed in the stern, futilely trying to steer with a canoe paddle. For his first trip down the river, Hockmeyer recruited Bingham guide Sonny Wade and his bear hunters, promising a free adventure. He did not tell them that nobody would go near the river on a raft. Folks around here thought he was mad as a loon. Wayne also neglected to mention that this would be the maiden voyage.
When the bunch arrived at the launch site with the Silver Bullet, the dam keeper chased them to the rivers edge and warned them they would never make it. Some of the bear hunters started mumbling they shouldn’t go. They had families and all. “I knew we had better get going fast, before the whole crew bailed out,” Hockmeyer recalls. So they quickly pushed off and vanished into the deep, wooded gorge. “We were going so fast,” Hockmeyer said, “that I yelled, ‘ Fellas this is not the same river I looked at from the air.’ When we came to Magic Falls I saw it was like Deliverance. My heart stopped. We did not know if the drop was two feet or 200. It was just a white line of water that ended.” Later, when they beached, 12 bear hunters and one guide straggled to shore like half-drowned rats. A hunter kissed the ground. Hockmeyer couldn’t wait to recruit another boatload. “It was the most exhilarating thing I had ever done,” he said.
And so an entire industry was born. Wayne and Suzie went on to establish first descents and pioneer rafting on the Penobscot and Dead rivers in Maine, as well as the Hudson and Moose rivers in upstate New York. Other’s have followed, but nobody has since been able to copy the Northern Outdoors Experience. Since those early days, Northern Outdoors has helped over 500,000 guests experience the fun of rafting, fishing, ATVing, hunting and snowmobiling. We have grown from a company with 1 used raft, 16 paddles and life jacket, a second hand cattle truck, a trailer, a typewriter and assorted cooking gear, into a true 4 season adventure resort with something for everyone of all ages …… including a microbrewery!
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Appetizers Nachos
Salads
Maple Balsamic
Blue and white tortilla chips, tomatoes, onions, cherry peppers, fresh herbs and cheese. Served with chipotle salsa. Small 8 / Large 14
Mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers topped with maple balsamic vinaigrette and won tons. 10
Cherry Poppers
Creamy Cilantro
Guacamole Phatties
Handmade guacamole, pickled red onions, and cilantro aioli wrapped in a flour tortilla. Served with chipotle salsa. 12
Cherry peppers stuffed with a sriracha cream cheese filling. Served with horseradish aioli. 9
Hummus
House made hummus served with fresh crudités and blue and white tortilla chips. 10
Fried Havarti
Hand breaded havarti. Served with a roasted tomato aioli. 8
Fried Pickles
Fried pickles served with sriracha aioli. 8
Steak and Cheese Dippers
Shaved steak and cheese springrolls served with a smoked truffle aioli. 9
“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” - Dave Berry
Wicked Chicken Wicked Wings
(tossed in your choice of sauce). 1.25ea
Boneless Crunchers
(4 hand breaded chicken tenders with choice of dipping sauce). 10
Ankle Biters
(chicken bites tossed in choice of sauce). 8
Chickenless Wings
(hand breaded broccoli tossed in your choice of sauce). 7
SAUCES
Honey Sriracha Mac Sauce Peanut Butter & Jelly Maine Blueberry BBQ Buffalo Pink Parmesan Chicken and Waffles Mango Habanero Additional Sauces .50 each
Maple Bourbon Bacon Chili-Lime Ranch Ginger Scallion Chocolate Chipotle Smoked Truffle Caribbean Jerk Cajun Rub
Don’t miss our Monday and Thursday Specials available every week through the summer.
Mondays: Burger and a beer. All local burger and handcrafted 16oz beer. 10 Thursdays: Wings night. Six wings and a pint. 7 Pitcher of beer and twelve wings. 13
Caesar
Romaine hearts, Caesar dressing, shaved manchego cheese won tons. 10
Romaine hearts, avocado, tomatoes, pickled red onions, cucumbers tossed in a creamy cilantro dressing. 12
Quinoa and Lime
Red quinoa, mixed greens, romaine hearts, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cilantro-lime vinaigrette. 12
Build a Burger 10
Your choice of 8 oz. Pineland Farms Black Angus beef patty, grilled chicken breast, grilled portabella mushroom or fried chicken. Presented on a locally baked challah bun with fresh lettuce and Back Yard Farms tomatoes and served with steak fries.
Substitute Onion Rings, small maple balsamic salad, small caesar salad, or cottage cheese for 3
Feeling extra hungry? Add an extra patty! 4
Basics .50
Red onions Pickles Relish Extra tomatoes Cherry peppers Marinated peppers Pickled red onions Hummus
Specials 2.00
Guacamole Bacon Portabella mushrooms Fried Vermont Mac and Cheese Over easy egg Onion Rings Corned beef hash Fried Pickles Fried Chicken Tender
Cheese 1.50
Cooper’s sharp American Maine Smoked Cheddar Creamy Gouda Dill Havarti Spanish Manchego Maine Baby Swiss
Sauces .50
Horseradish aioli Truffle ketchup Maine blueberry BBQ Sriracha aioli Roasted tomato aioli Honey mustard aioli Pink Parmesan Honey sriracha Mac sauce Smoked Truffle
The Exterminator!
Northern Outdoors’ Extreme Burger Challenge This ultimate burger challenge is loaded with two 8oz. burger patties, one deep fried chicken tender, lettuce, tomato, bacon, fried pickles, onion rings, fried mac & cheese, maple bourbon bacon sauce, smoked cheddar cheese and a fried egg; all served with a mountain of steak fries. 30 Finish it ALL in 30-minutes or less and it’s FREE! I dare you.
You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have a football team and some nuclear weapons, but at the very least, you need a beer.” - Frank Zappa
This food is or may be served raw or undercooked or may contain raw or undercooked foods. Consumption of this food may increase the risk of food borne illness. Please check with your physician if you have any questions about consuming raw or undercooked foods.
Everything Else
I Feel Dilly, Oh So Dilly! Burger
Local Pineland Farms 8 oz Black Angus beef patty, local Backyard Farms tomatoes, shaved romaine hearts, fried pickles, McNorthern sauce and dill havarti cheese. Served on a locally baked challah bun with steak fries. 14
Gouda Burger
Local Pineland Farms 8 oz Black Angus beef patty, local Backyard Farms tomatoes, shaved romaine hearts, Gouda and bacon. Served on a locally baked challah bun with steak fries. 13
Death by Burger
Local Pineland Farms 8 oz Black Angus beef patty, local Backyard Farms tomatoes, shaved romaine hearts, honey sriracha, pickled cherry peppers, bacon and smoked cheddar cheese. Served on a locally baked challah bun with steak fries. 16
Specialty Cocktails Black Raspberry Gin
Hendrick’s gins, black raspberry liqueur, cranberry juice, and club soda.
Bacon Mary
House-infused bacon vodka blended with our own spicy bloody Mary mix
Blue Mule
Cold River blueberry vodka, authentic ginger beer, squeeze of lime and fresh blueberries.
Watermelon Mojito
Fresh watermelon puree, Bacardi light rum, fresh mint, and lime.
Backcountry Sunset
Holier Than Thou
House-infused pineapple tequila, raspberry puree, and orange juice.
Grilled chicken breast, romaine hearts, manchego cheese, Caesar dressing. Served with a side of steak fries. 12
Salty Dawg
Grilled marinated portabella patty, cilantro aioli, pickled red onions, marinated peppers on a gluten free bun. Served with steak fries. 15
Cajun Chicken Wrap
Guacamole Chicken Wrap
Handmade guacamole, tomatoes, onions, mixed greens, grilled chicken, ranch, and bacon. Served with a side of steak fries. 14
Veggie Wrap
Gaucamole, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro aioli, pickled red onions, romaine hearts wrapped in a flour tortilla. Served with steak fries. 11
Maine Fishwich
Handbreaded Maine haddock, romaine hearts, local Backyard Farms tomatoes, lemon tartar aioli, on a locally baked challah bun. Served with a side of steak fries. 14
Piggy Mac and Cheese
Sausage, bacon, ham, orzo pasta, tossed in a mascarpone cheese sauce and topped with fried wontons. 18
Maine Fish & Chips
Fresh Maine fish served with lemon tartar aioli and steak fries. 17
Orange-ginger Old Fashioned
Maine’s own Gunpowder rye, muddled citrus, bitters, and orangeginger simple syrup. Bacon-infused vodka and grapefruit juice, pulled together with a salted rim.
Netflix & Chill
Eight Bell’s Rum, Southern Comfort, triple sec, blood orange extract, pineapple juice and a splash of lime.
Donkey Punch
Irish whiskey and authentic ginger beer with lime.
Blood Orange Ginger-rita
Hornitos, blood orange, pineapple juice and lime topped with authentic ginger beer.
Honey Badger
RumChata and Jack Daniel’s Honey, served martini style
French 75
Marinated Sirloin
A classic cocktail made with Hendrick’s gin, lemon juice and prosecco finished with a lime and mint simple syrup
Red Quinoa, tomatoes, pickled red onions, fresh herbs, shaved carrots tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette and topped with a freshly grilled chicken breast. Served with a side of potato salad. 15
Wines
10oz pepper infused sirloin served with roasted mini potatoes and grilled broccolini, topped with a sweet balsamic reduction. 28
Red Quinoa Tabbouleh Steak Bomb
Fresh sirloin, pickled red onions, honey sriracha, marinated peppers, cherry peppers, smoked cheddar cheese, portabella mushrooms. Served with a side of steak fries. 16
Sides
Steak Fries. 6.50 Beer Battered Onion Rings. 8 Blue and white tortilla chips with chipotle salsa. 6 Blue and white tortilla chips with hand made guacamole. 9 Cottage Cheese. 6 Side Caesar salad/maple balsamic salad. 7 Side of grilled broccolini. 7 Side of Potato Salad. 6
Blood Orange Mimosa
Pineapple, blood orange, and prosecco
Canyon Road House Wines 6.25
Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio
Pinot Noir – Dreaming Tree 9.00 Malbec – Portillo 9.00 Prosecco – Lunetta 9.00 Sauvignon Blanc – Smoke Stack 8.50 Sangria 8.00
Uncrafted
Angry Orchard 4.75 Twisted Tea 4.50 Geary’s Ixnay (GF) 5.50
Bud Light 4.50 Coors Light 4.50
The Kennebec River Brewery rolled out its first pint in January of 1997. Our fresh draught beers are made with only the finest of all natural ingredients, and are never filtered or pasteurized. Good flavorful beer handcrafted in small batches right here in the North Woods of Maine.
Cheers!
“Beer is proof that God loves us.”
Our Methods
- Ben Franklin
Using the finest quality domestic and imported malted grains and hops, superior yeasts, and pure Kennebec Valley water, we have taken great pride in being a part of the craft brewing revolution since we rolled out our first pint in 1996. Our beers served on draught at the brewpub are “keg conditioned”. This time honored, traditional pub method means that our beers are never filtered or pasteurized, and develop their carbonation and flavors naturally in stainless steel kegs.
Ingredients
Our beers are brewed with 4 basic ingredients: water, malted grains, hops and yeast.
Water is the main ingredient in beer, as far as quantity is concerned. Our water comes from a 300’ deep drilled well. It is not treated with chlorine, fluoride or any other chemical. Malted grain is simply barley, wheat or rye that has been wetted and allowed to germinate, before being dried under controlled conditions. By mixing a variety malts, we can produce beers from a golden color to an opaque black. Hops are the green flower of a creeping vine. They are shaped like pine cones and are about the size of your thumb. The oils in the hop cone contribute bitterness, flavor and aroma to the beer. Yeast is an organism that consumes sugar and converts it to alcohol, carbon dioxide and other trace compounds.
The Process
Brewing our beers requires four basic processes: mashing, boiling, fermenting, conditioning.
Mashing extracts fermentable sugar from the malted grains. First the malted grain is mixed with warm water, forming a mash which is allowed to rest at a temperature of about 150*F. Then the sugarrich water (now called wort) is drawn off and boiled for about 90 minutes. During the boil, hops are added at different times to add bitterness, flavor and aroma. At the end of the boil, the wort is cooled, yeast is added, and fermentation takes place for 6 or 7 days. It is during fermentation that the yeast is consuming the sugar and converting it to alcohol and carbon dioxide. At the end of fermentation, the beer is kegged. Here it conditions or matures for about 1 week, further developing its flavor and carbonation. It is then ready to be tapped and served. From brew day to serving, our ales take about 14 days to make. Lagers take a little longer.
Selection
We try to keep 7 or 8 beers on tap at all times. They are described below, from lightest in color to darkest.
Deer-In-The-HeadLite
our interpretation of a light lager (think Bud, Coors, Miller). Light, crisp and “less filling”, this is the right choice for those new to microbrews.
Whitewater Wheat
a light bodied, well carbonated Belgian white ale brewed with Curacao orange peel and coriander. Traditionally hazy and served with a slice of orange.
Let ‘er Drift Summer Ale a sublime Pale Ale crafted with fresh Cascade hops from the Pacific Northwest and lemon zest. Big Mama Blueberry
an amber ale named after the biggest wave on the Kennebec River. This is a summer favorite with light malt flavor, a nice crisp finish, and a smidgin’ of blueberry flavor and aroma.
Kennebec Logger
a malty and hoppy amber lager.
Magic Hole IPA an American style India Pale Ale. The aggressive bite comes from a generous infusion of bittering hops, with late additions of whole hops adding an earthy hop flavor and aroma. Dry hopping adds to this brews bold aroma. First beer we ever brewed back in 1996. SledHead Red
an incredibly smooth red ale with moderate bitterness up front, which gives way to a delightful malty finish. Brewed with 5 varieties of malt and 3 hop varieties. Beautiful dark red hue!
Penobscot Porter roasted flavor.
Brewers Choice
server.
a smooth and creamy elixir with rich
whatever we feel like makin’! Ask your
GROWLERS . . . GOOD BEER TO GO!!
Now you can enjoy your favorite Kennebec River brew, back at your cabin or campsite……. Or take some home! Makes a great gift too!
“Here’s to a long life and merry quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and a true one, a cold beer and another one.” - Lewis Henry We do not serve minors – you must be 21 years old. We reserve the right to ID and/or not serve anyone in our establishment.
Savor the flavor responsibly.
Maine’s Premier Adventure Resort Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway 1771 US Route 201, The Forks, ME 04985