FO O D & D RI N K / WINERIES, BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES
From microbreweries and brewpubs that craft award-winning beers, to wineries and cellars that ferment delicious wines and hard ciders, to distilleries that create amazing spirits, Maine’s countless establishments and their offerings are noteworthy and promise to please the most demanding palate. If you’re into complex brews--ales, porters, tans, wheats, pilsners and every style and type in between--you’re in the right place. According to Maine Brewers Guild, in 2018 there were 117 active, licensed breweries across the state. For the craft aficionado, visit many brew houses to compare and discover remarkable bottled, canned and drafts with layered flavors. For a full experience, look for breweries with guided tours, beer “flights” for small sips, food pairings, and weekend bands. From casual to eclectic, Maine’s breweries combine heart and passion to serve up outstanding crafted beers. There are scores of wineries across the state and each are unique as their wines and ciders. You’ll find an estate winery that’s both elegant and charming, a small
vineyard with fun-named blends, a fullfunctioning farm that produces wines in an old milking barn, even a hilltop vineyard with porch rockers, perfect for a glass of Riesling while taking in ocean views. Vintner’s lean into the local produce that flourishes here--grapes, peaches, pears, apples, cranberries, rhubarb, and blueberries. Some winemakers procure grapes from Europe and California for traditional wines like Cabernets and Chardonnays. Regardless of the fruit’s origin, you’ll delight in the many red and whites, aperitifs, and dessert and ice wines that you won’t find elsewhere. For cocktails, there are hip distilleries across the state that will gladly pour your favorite beverage. You’ll find originality, like the small batch distillery turning out rum, agave, vodka, bourbon, and whiskey that lets you tour and taste, or perhaps you’d like to take their cocktail making class? There’s the tasting room in an old brick train shed where you can sample high-quality spirits like rum, scotch, and gin. And there’s a microdistillery that focuses on corn-made vodka. Just look around the state, Maine’s got it all going on in the world of distilled spirits.
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