Colorful outdoor seating – and the namesake, a dog named Gir – welcome visitors to Black Pug Brewing in Brunswick. Sande Updegraph / For The Forecaster
According to the Maine Brewers’ Guild there are 155 active, licensed craft breweries in the state, with 10 in the southern Midcoast area alone. Until 1990 there were two active breweries in Maine. Many of these companies use local grains and hops in their brewing which has supported local agriculture and jobs. Other growers provide ingredients from the Pacific Northwest, Germany and New Zealand.
Sande Updegraph lives in Brunswick and is a longtime food writer. She can be reached at sandeupdegraph@gmail.com.
Many also offer food service from in-house kitchens to food trucks. To find a map of these breweries, visit mainebrewersguild.org.
Brunswick
• Black Pug, 30 Bath Road, 272-5356, makes beer in small batches, which allows the brewers to try many new recipes. There are six brews now on tap. And there is a real black pug named Gir who welcomes visitors on occasion.
• Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., 504-5133, has been twice named Best Tasting Room in Maine by Down East Magazine. The tap list is constantly evolving and they often collaborate with other breweries to provide variety and support local events.
• Moderation Brewing, 103 Maine St., 406-2112, is located right in downtown Brunswick. It primarily uses locally grown and produced ingredients.
West Bath
Trinken Brewing Co., 144 State Road, 389-6360, brews German-inspired beers.
Bath
Bath Brewing Company, 141 Front St., 560-3389. A brewpub with styles that are hoppy and bitter, ranging to rich stouts. The taps frequently rotate to showcase new releases.
Topsham
Sea Dog, 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, 449-1750, has five locations in Maine, plus others in New Hampshire and Florida. The brewpub has a variety of year-round and seasonal beers, including some with subtle fruit flavors.
Freeport
• Stars and Stripes, 8 Varney Road, 274-3866, is veteran owned and operated and brews nine American-style beers from local ingredients plus additional seasonal creations.
• Gritty’s, 187 Lower Main St., 865-4321, is a family-friendly brewpub with two other locations in Maine. They brew a pale ale, stout and a bitter, which is slightly hoppy at the finish.
• Maine Beer Company, 525 U.S. Route 1, 221-5711, is well-known for its support of environmental and sustainable practices. Four new releases are planned for the end of March and the month of April.
Yarmouth
Brickyard Hollow, 236 Main St., 847-0411, also has a location in Freeport at 20 Bow St. A brewpub with a modern take, offering seafood and classic dishes and pizza in Freeport. The most popular beers are Belgian and German styles.
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