Maine is consistently ranked as one of the top states in number of breweries per capita, and Mainers take their beer very seriously.
With a population of approximately 66,000, Portland is Maine’s largest city, but by no means a large city. Yet, you would never know it from the abundance of food and drink options!
With so many incredible breweries in the greater Portland area alone, Southern Maine is a craft beer lovers’ paradise.
Noteworthy for showcasing local ingredients and creative flavors, it can be hard to know where to start!
Many Portland Maine breweries are within walking distance, making it easy to plan a brewery crawl if that’s what you’re into. The Maine Beer Trail makes it easy to keep track of the breweries that you’ve been to. Or grab some friends and hop on the brew bus for a more in depth look at the goings on behind the scenes of Maine’s breweries.
No matter how you choose to experience Maine’s beer scene, if you love beer, you really can’t go wrong here. Read on for the absolute best breweries in Portland Maine, with my favorite spots included!
Table of Contents
Breweries in Portland Maine
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Allagash is one of Maine’s most widely distributed beers, and beer fans are probably familiar with their signature brew, Allagash White.
Stop by their tasting room to try some of their lesser-known varieties.
Want to take a deeper dive into history, culture, and how they craft your favorite brews? Ask about current tour options, but I can say that hands down, the Allagash brewery tour is the best that I have ever been on (I’ve actually done it three times, and it’s always interesting!)
In addition to the fact that their beers are delicious, Allagash is the type of business that you can feel good about supporting. A certified B Corp, Allagash is consistently ranked among Maine’s best places to work and prioritizes using local ingredients and minimizing their environmental footprint.
Still thirsty? There just so happens to be four other breweries and a distillery directly across the street. And there is nearly always a food truck or two around so you can stick around for a while. Bite Into Maine is known for its award-winning lobster rolls and whoopie pies!!!
Austin Street Brewery
115 Fox Street, Portland, ME 04101 | 1 Industrial Way, #8, Portland, ME 04103
Just across the street from Allagash is Austin Street Brewing, a spot so popular that they opened up a second location closer to downtown on Fox Street.
Interestingly, neither of the current locations are on Austin Street. This Portland brewery is named for the street where founders Jake Austin and Will Fisher got their start as home brew masters before taking the leap into commercial brewing.
From these humble beginnings, the brewery has grown to the incredible producer of craft beers that it is today.
Known for their hoppy brews, Austin Street beers are refreshing and easy to drink, and they offer something for every season.
Their newer location on Fox Street is right next to another Portland staple, Rising Tide, and within a few blocks of several food and coffee shops (and yes, even more breweries!)
Definitive Brewing
35 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Opening its doors in 2018, Definitive is one of Portland’s newer breweries and is also located on Industrial Way. Can you already tell that this is the place to be for Portland Maine breweries?
As a lover of dark beer made with dessert ingredients, I absolutely had to include them on the list. My motto when it comes to beer is the darker the better, and Definitive does not disappoint!
Some noteworthy brews include Stuffed, a double milk stout with chocolate sandwich cookies, and Black is Beautiful, an imperial stout with maple, granola, and cacao nibs (brewed in partnership with Texas-based Weathered Souls Brewing and in solidarity with the Black community.)
But even if you’re not a dark beer fanatic like me, Definitive has a wide selection of sours, IPAs, and lighter beers to sip. Creative combinations can be found among the lighter beers as well, like 35, a session ale brewed with blueberry and mango puree.
Definitive distributes their brews throughout the state, so you may find them in some of Portland’s restaurants, but some of the more unique combinations are only available in the tap room making it definitely worth a stop.
They even have some light snack options if you’re needing to tide yourself over before you head out to hit up some of the rotating food trucks onsite!
They do have other locations in Kittery and Newry (Sunday River), so if your Portland itinerary is jam-packed, you might be able to catch them elsewhere around the state.
Mast Landing
920 Main St, Westbrook, ME 04092
Not far from Industrial Way is Mast Landing in Westbrook. Gunner’s Daughter, a milk stout with notes of peanut butter, coffee, and dark chocolate is a beer that is after my heart!
They also offer a variety of sours and IPAs. Check the website to see what is currently on tap; they also offer wine and hard seltzer for the non-beer drinkers among your crowd.
Mast Landing has a food truck on weekends and is also within walking distance of several other food options.
Located about 20 minutes from downtown Portland, Westbrook is quieter than bustling Portland but has its own sort of industrial charm. Stop for drinks then take a walk along the river for a chill afternoon.
They have a Freeport location, too.
PS They’ve also just opened up a third taproom in South Portland, but I haven’t had a chance to make it there yet!
Foundation Brewing Company
Bissell Brothers Brewing Company
38 Resurgam Pl, Portland, ME 04102
With two Maine locations, Bissell Brothers Brewing Company has a longstanding reputation for excellence in the Maine craft brewing community.
Their Portland location is a very cool 100 year old retired railway building on Thompson’s Point. The Substance Ale is their flagship IPA, bright and absolutely delish, but you’ll all find all kinds of great rotating brews on tap.
Taproom events happen on a regular basis at Bissell Brothers, so keep an eye on their events calendar. Come hungry, too, word on the street is that their brewpub menu is phenomenal!
Urban Farm Fermentory
200 Anderson St, Portland, ME 04101
One of Portland’s most unique breweries, Urban Farm Fermentory is one of my favorite places on the list.
In a funky tap room decorated with dried herbs and unique furnishings, Urban Farm Fermentory doesn’t just brew beer!
You’ll also find cider, gruit (a beer brewed using botanicals other than hops), mead, kombucha, and jun (fermented green tea drink brewed with honey.) Whew!
Prioritizing seasonal and local ingredients, the selection here is constantly changing and has something to suit every taste. Seaweed? Ghost peppers? Chaga? All on tap here at Urban Farm Fermentory.
Stick with beer, or mix and match some of their more unique offerings with a flight. With plenty of seating, games, and a fun and welcoming atmosphere, this is a great place to spend an afternoon.
Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport, ME 04032
Just about 20 minutes north of Portland in Freeport is Maine Beer Company. Most famous for their Lunch, a classic IPA, Maine beer company actually offers a rotating selection of brews on tap.
Currently (and periodically) this includes their highly coveted and less frequently released Dinner, an original Double IPA with “notes of intense mango, passion fruit, and pineapple, undertones of garlic, onion, and pine, and sweet aromatics of malt and caramel.”
Sound interesting? It does to people who drive from around New England to acquire this specially released beer, and has been called America’s Best Double IPA.
In a blind taste test conducted by Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine, Dinner scored a perfect 100/100 based on criteria including aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel!
While Dinner isn’t always on tap, you can be sure that whatever you choose will be both refreshing and satisfying.
Maine Beer Company also offers wood fired pizza, salads, and other snacks. They also host community events and documentary screenings.
Located just a few minutes away from the LLBean Flagship store in Freeport and the Freeport Outlets, it’s got a pretty sweet location, too.
Oxbow Blending and Bottling
49 Washington Ave, Portland, ME 04101
Oxbow offers a large tasting room in a friendly atmosphere.
Their signature Farmhouse Pale Ale is a spicy barrel-aged beer that will have you coming back for more, and their fun selection of rotating seasonal beers keep things interesting!
Located close to Old Port, make this a stop among many on your tour of downtown. Or stick around for a while; one of Portland’s highly acclaimed restaurants Duckfat has a frite shop right outside of Oxbow, and there is a mead tasting room and distillery right next door.
Oxbow’s original location, a cheerful open restaurant with a variety of mouthwatering options is located in Newcastle and is absolutely worth a stop if you venture out of Portland.
Newcastle is on the way to Sunday River, a popular ski spot for locals and non-locals alike. I know that I will be making another trip out there this winter!
Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St, South Portland, ME 04106
Operating out of a converted garage just over the Casco Bay bridge in South Portland, Foulmouthed is notorious for their assortment of creative beers and its upscale pub food that prioritizes ingredients from local farms.
Beers on tap are constantly rotating; the tap room is decorated with posters of the most current offerings, but you can count on a range of brews ranging in color from light amber to dark brown.
Some creative offerings have included saisons brewed with local blueberries, wild ales brewed with guava and passionfruit, and wheat and honey saison brewed with green tea. Don’t worry if you prefer a more traditional IPA, pilsner, or stout- they offer plenty of those too!
With beer labels and posters designed by local artists, Foulmouthed has a fun aesthetic and offers creative food specials; they even serve up beer cocktails! And with names like Apocalypse Meow, Gruity Pebbles, The Way Pale Should Be, and Meow and Forever, their branding is on point. I love a good pun and/or cat joke!
Foulmouthed also serves up a wicked offering of great brewpub fare, so save some room for grub!
Battery Steele Brewing
1 Industrial Way Units 12 & 14, Portland, ME 04103
Founders Jacob Condon and Shane Noble have come a long way since they started Battery Steele Brewing in an old barn in South Portland!
Popular offerings include their robust Aurora IPA and their take on traditional English malt meets IPA with Flume. This Portland brewery is laidback and relaxed, with outdoor and indoor space.
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson St, Portland, ME 04101
Lone Pine Brewing Company is a super cozy Portland brewery on Anderson street, with a comfy couch that’s perfect for hanging with friends and sipping on a brew.
They have an excellent selection of rotating beers on tap, with all the usual suspects like IPAs, stouts, sours, and such. The Imperial Maple Sunday is a brown ale made with local maple syrup, can you get any more Maine than that?
There is an outdoor beer garden, so while this is a smaller tap room experience, you’ll find a place to hunker down during your visit. You can find Lone Pine Brewing in Gorham and Old Orchard Beach, too.
Goodfire Brewing Company
219 Anderson St Ste 6, Portland, ME 04101
With locations in Freeport and Portland, Goodfire Brewing Company is definitely a strong contender for any best Portland breweries list.
The ten taps at the Portland tasting room offer a great variety of their current heavy hitters, with their flagship being a Citra IPA called Prime.
If you’re into hoppy beer, you’ll love their DIPA offerings like Amateur Cowboy brewed with Pils and Wheat base with a strong hop finish. They don’t offer their own food onsite, but you’ll typically find seasonal food trucks outside.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox St, Portland, ME 04101
One of the best Portland Maine breweries for well over a decade now, Rising Tide Brewing Company has more to offer than just an inventive, quality craft beer selection. I mean, yes, it does definitely have that, but it has more too!
In addition to the fantastic craft beer offerings, they now also have a solid food menu with burgers and sandwiches to accompany it, so you can come and have a nice lunch or dinner along with your tasting.
Sometimes there’s live music at Rising Tide, too, so it’s basically got it all!
Liquid Riot
250 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101
Located right on the water in the Heart of Old Port, Liquid Riot is a fun spot that serves up delicious and creative local fare. It’s a brewery and distillery with creative cocktails on offer, all with a great view!
With a more bar-like atmosphere than the other breweries on this list, Liquid Riot is open late, often hosts fun events and live music, and has an assortment of arcade games making it a fun place to spend a night out.
But Liquid Riot is a lot more than just the party atmosphere. With high-quality fresh and local ingredients, creative dishes, and delectable desserts (and dessert cocktails!) the passion of the chefs and bartenders for food and drink is clear.
Whether you are starting or ending the night here, or just stopping in for the afternoon, Liquid Riot is a must experience when in Portland.
Brewery Tours in Portland Maine
🍻 First Round Draft Brewery Bus Tour in Portland 🍻
Guided tours of three Portland breweries and brunch.
Lighthouses and it ends at a local brewery, sounds like a good combo to me!
🍻Portland Beer Discovery Evening Brewery Tour 🍻
Tour three of Portland’s best breweries at night.
🍻Best of Portland Brewery and Spirits Bus Tour 🍻
They switch up their spots on this brewery bus tour in Portland, but you have the potential to visit three of the most popular breweries, distilleries, and wineries in the area on this guided tour.
🍻Portland’s Local Pour Afternoon Brewery Tour 🍻
This is one of the most popular and highly rated Portland Maine brewery tours available, and it offers a guided tour via minibus that includes some of the top local breweries, distilleries and wineries. It tends to sell out quickly, so don’t wait to book your spot!
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While these breweries represent my favorites, this is just a small sampling of all that Portland has to offer.
No matter your brew of choice, Portland is sure to have something that will satisfy all taste buds. Just remember to stay well hydrated and fed – not hard in a city with as many food options as Portland!
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Meagan is a proud New Englander who currently resides in Portland, Maine. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, climbing, traveling, and generally exploring everything that northern New England has to offer.