On the week of Easter 2019, if you had told me I would have been getting an unplanned line up of new beer release over the course of a few days I probably would have laughed. I have a managed to get some new released beer now and then, but it is mostly one at a time and spread out throughout the year. Never have I been able to do four in a such a short time frame.
It started while I was working, I saw an advertisement for the SoMe Nubble Wiess release that day, I was disappointed I could not make it because of work. So I planned on going the day after to grab some. Now the Nubble Wiess is a Sour Ale brewed seasonally. I had never had it until the day after it was released officially release. It’s a good sour! Really good, my wife can’t get enough of it, so she made me buy more. While I was at SoMe enjoying a draft pour of it, I was again browsing Facebook, when I came upon an advertisement for the Shipyard Lager Release Party at Portland Pie Co. in Scarborough, ME. Knowing my plans later that day would allow me to stop in there, I made the plan on going and grabbing a pizza with my son.
Once we got to Portland Pie Co. I noticed that the crowd was actually not that big. I kind of figured that it would be jammed packed, but thankfully it wasn’t! I ordered a pint on draft of the new Shipyard Lager to try when a Shipyard Brewing representative came over and asked if I wanted a sample of it and she gave me a free T-Shirt and Sticker featuring the logo for the new lager. The Lager was actually good, I was impressed. Of course Portland Pie Co. Pizza is also really good, and they have a great selection of local craft brews anyway. They are one of my favorite spots! I will have a full review on Portland Pie Co. sometime in the near future.
The next day I was trying to grab a brew with my brother, so I suggested Empty Pint in Dover, NH. My brother was quick to convince, since he knows the owner and brewer there. I arrived shortly before my brother and was greeted with friendly service and the announcement that their Double IPA was being released that day, in about five minutes! I was in no rush, so I waited those long five minutes and was able to get the first poor off the fresh keg! My brother arrived and he got the second pour! That was defiantly one of the better Double IPAs I have had. It will be getting a new name at some point I gathered from the conversations I had with them, so give it a try, it’s worth it. I also will have a full review of Empty Pint in the near future as well, they very quickly became a favorite of mine!
Last stop for releases was Tributary Brewing in Kittery, ME for the “world famous” Mott the Lesser release. I actually was not going to go grab this one, the line was a quarter mile long before the brewery opened that day. I don’t like waiting in long lines to say the least. So my wife and I ventured off to Freeport, ME to visit some other breweries (More to come on those soon too). On the way back a friend and coworker of mine convinced me and my wife to swing in anyway to try and get some of it. My wife took one look and the line and said no way, but it looked like it was moving fast so she dropped me off and I waited about 30 minutes, which is about my limit for waiting for something like that. I managed to get myself a couple of samples of the Mott the Lesser and the recent release of their Barleywine. Both were outstanding!
After that I was tired from three days of brewery hoping. I was very fortunate to be able to get to so many new releases, and so many breweries in that short time. I am truly grateful to have been able to do it all with my wife, brother and friends. So go check these places out, go have an adventure and try new things!! Please Drink Responsibly.
