We’ve spelled out the current COVID-19 safety regulations of each spot, and do note that masks are required inside all businesses throughout Maine. You can take the Maine Beer Trail Challenge, you can take a Brew Tour Bus, or you can simply walk around a fantastic city while keeping this guide to the best breweries in Portland handy. Inarguably one of the most vibrant and diverse scenes in the country, there are a ton of options-from well-known heavyweights that helped pioneer microbrewing in the ’90s (see: Allagash and Shipyard) to innovative upstarts (Foulmouthed and Batson River). Meanwhile, Portland’s breweries are as much about quality as quantity.
Even during (or arguably especially during) the shutdown last year, Mainers were not about to live without their craft beer, so existing brewers and newcomers alike turned on a dime, offering curbside takeout for growlers, cases, and kegs, as well as outdoor seating to keep their businesses afloat and locals happily sipping their suds. The seaside city currently boasts 12.7 breweries per capita -that itself is a jump of two places since 2019-making it the third-highest in the U.S. Even with the pandemic still afoot, Portland, Maine’s craft beer scene is hopping.
