Portland, Maine is known for its eclectic vibes, delicious food and coastal views. But did you know that the city is also teeming with craft beer!? Named on many lists as one of the top 10 cities in the United States for beer, it’s no denying that some of the best breweries in Portland Maine!
Located 2 hours north of Boston, Portland is a charming coastal town that has so much to offer. Great seafood, unique shopping, and over 25 breweries. With locals, cruise ships, and drive-in tourists, this city has a huge draw to those who enjoy lobster rolls and brewskies.
When I worked on a cruise ship, this was my favorite stop along our 9 day Boston and Canada voyage. Every time we ported here, I couldn’t wait to see what incredible craft beers and food I was going to discover. (Pic featuring me at J’s Oyster Bar – an amazing local bar with many of Portland’s best craft beer available!)
Get ready for this list of the Best Breweries in Portland, Maine!
Jump ahead here to all of these spots on a map to help you navigate this epic day of beer tasting!
9 Best Breweries in Portland Maine
1. Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way Portland, ME 04103
Arguably the most well-known brewery from Portland, Allagash Brewing Company is an independent establishment offering some of the best pours in town. With 13 craft beers on tap, every type of beer drinker will find something to try.
Although they are known for their perfected white wheat beer, Allagash offers truly unique sips that can’t be missed. From Once Upon an Orchard (a sour with notes of raspberries, blueberries and vanilla) to Coolship Resurgam (a fermented ale aged in oak barrels), this spot delivers all the flavor profiles.
Stop by their casual tasting room to try a Belgian-inspired brew paired with the deliciousness of Bite Into Maine food truck. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, snag tickets for The Cellar for a small group tasting experience!
Tasting Room Hours: Open Thursday – Monday, 11 – 6
Food: Check out Bite Into Maine’s Food Truck Menu here!
Must Try Beer: While the Allagash White is found at every beer store around the country (for good reason), you must try their Hop Reach IPA to pair with a flight of Lobster Rolls. YUM.
2. Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury Street Portland, ME 04103
Shipyard Brewing Company is a Portland brewery staple AND happens to be my absolute favorite in town. Located in the heart of the city near the waterfront, Shipyard’s tasting room has everything you need for a great time – beer, food, bar games, live music, and seasonal events all year long!
Stop by and choose a flight from their large selection of craft brews. Top sellers include their American Pale Ale and Smashed Blueberry Ale.
However, Shipyard’s seasonal selections are where they set themselves apart. From their three different types of Pumpkin Ales to their Summer Ale, Shipyard is constantly raising the bar to keep Portlanders buzzed all year long!
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Fri: 12AM-8PM, Sat: 11AM-8PM, Sun: 11AM-6PM
Food: Check out their menu here!
Must Try Beer: If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Portland in the fall, run (don’t walk) to Shipyard and grab their Pumpkinhead Ale. It’s light and pumpkin-y with notes of autumnal spice that all comes together with a cinnamon sugar rim on the glass. I think it’s this pour right here that makes this one of the best breweries in Portland, Maine!
3. Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial Street Portland, ME 04103
Also located in the waterfront of Portland is Liquid Riot – a fantastic stop on a day of beer tasting in Maine! Named for the 1855 Beer and Rum Riots in Portland, head to Liquid Riot to bask in your “right to drink” at the first resto-brewery and distillery in town (aka a bar with a full menu!).
Choose from one of their 15 beers on tap accompanied by a meal from their locally-sourced food menu. Popular sips include their bold and citrusy Head Stash IPA, their coconut imperial stout the Coco Loco, and their original Belgian-style Primus.
If you’re looking for something a bit stronger, grab a cocktail with one of their crafted spirits from the distillery!
Liquid Riot truly has it all – even non-alcoholic brews. Be sure to head over to this trendy spot on your tour of town.
Restaurant and Bar Hours: Mon-Sat: 12-9, Sun: 12-5
Food: Check out their menu here!
Must Try Beer: If you like floral notes, try their Love’s Return. It’s a lager brewed with rosé grape must, offering strawberry and hibiscus notes!
4. Goodfire Brewing Company
219 Anderson St Ste 6 Portland, ME 04101
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Located centrally on the waterfront is Goodfire Brewing Company. Right next to a ton of other breweries, this newer addition to the brewery scene in Portland packs a punch. Grab a seat inside or outside, choose from one of their 6 beers on tap and enjoy alongside food truck eats.
Goodfire opened in 2017 and had it’s initial success brewing small-batch hazy New England style IPAs. However they now brew every type of beer!
They constantly innovate and add new recipes to the line-up. Stop by for their flagship beer, Prime (a citrusy IPA) and stay to taste one of their newest creations.
Become closer to the community at this locally owned and operated spot. Their line-up is constantly changing, so each experience at Goodfire is unique!
Tasting Room Hours: Tues-Thurs: 2-9, Fri-Sat: 12-9, Sun-Mon: 12-8
Food: No food offered at their Portland tasting room. Check out their Freeport location for a full food menu!
Must Try Beer: While their most popular IPA, Prime, is always available, be adventurous and try their newest concoction when you visit. It could be a sour, stout, or lager but don’t miss your chance – when it’s gone, it’s gone!
5. Foulmouthed Brewing
15 Ocean St, South Portland, ME 04106
Located across the Casco Bay Bridge in South Portland, Foulmouthed Brewing is a small brewpub in an old auto garage. They offer eclectic brews perfectly paired with their seasonal rotation of sandwiches, burgers, and salads.
Foulmouthed creates never before tasted beer – including their Acer beer (Maple Mild Ale) and their Marmalade Sandwich beer (an English ale with rye and orange peel to mimic the flavors of a Manhattan cocktail!)
Their food menu is constantly changing and always has the perfect brew to pair with. Be sure to ask the bartender which combination you should try – it’s what Foulmouthed is all about. This brewpub listens to their community and will often bring back fan favorites.
Tasting Room Hours: Mon: 4-9, Thurs: 4-9, Fri-Sun: Noon-9, Tues / Wed: Closed
Food: Check out their current food menu here!
Must Try Beer: You can’t leave Foulmouthed without trying the “Always Blue”, their take on a Maine Blueberry lager. Pair it with their Salmon BLT for the flavor combination you didn’t know you needed.
6. Oxbow Blending and Bottling
49 Washington Ave, Portland, ME 04101
Oxbow Blending and Bottling, located in the heart of Downtown Portland is one of three locations where you can enjoy Oxbow pours! Known for their vast selected of aged and fermented beers, Oxbow is a unique brewery that brings new ideas to age-old techniques in Maine.
While Oxbow has dozens of uniquely crafted beers in their arsenal, the Portland location has 17 different beers on tap, with an additional array of bottles both made in-house and from neighboring breweries.
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Their Portland location is home to their 200+ oak barrels and numerous stainless steel tanks where they produce all of their mixed-fermentation (sour) beers. But don’t worry, they still have plenty of space for visitors to enjoy a great afternoon of beer tasting.
Pair one of their popular pours with the James Beard Award-winning menu from Duckfat’s food truck while you peruse Gallery 49, an art gallery! Oxbow hosts trivia nights, live music, and other seasonal events that both long-time Portlanders and visitors alike come together for.
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Wed: 1-9, Thurs: 1-10, Fri-Sat: 12-9, Sun: 12-8
Food: Check out the Duckfat’s food truck menu here!
Must Try Beer: While in their Portland location, it’s only fitting to try one of their fruit-forwarded fermented beers that age in barrels just a few feet from the bar. Check out the First Fruits, made with Maine-grown strawberries, raspberries, and cherries!
7. Rising Tide
103 Fox St, Portland, ME 04101
Nestled in the East Bayside Neighborhood of Portland, Rising Tide is a family-owned brewery that uses their love of crafted beer to create a strong foundation of community in the area.
In 2010, Nathan and Heather Sanborn jumped feet first into a beer endeavor that would not only create delicious brews but a safe space for the community to enjoy everything Portland has to offer.
It all started with their Maine Island Trail Ale, a session IPA with notes of grapefruit and pine that is still one of the top-sellers today. Stop by for this classic pour or try one of their more unique brews – their Whoopi Pie Stout or even their Pineapple Cranberry Hard Seltzer!
Pair your beer with a plate from their new restaurant The Galley where they serve appetizers, burgers and sandwiches.
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Rising Tide is committed to their community – they bring in local artists for entertainment and events, host non-profit socials, work with local farms to support the environment, and are always giving back to charitable groups.
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Thurs: 12-8, Fri-Sat: 12-9, Sun: 12-7
Food: Check out their new restaurant The Galley here!
Must Try Beer: If you’re there in the summer time, be sure to try their Wharf Jump Hazy IPA; Stainless steel barrel aged with juicy notes of Strata and Melon.
8. Foundation Brewing Company
1 Industrial Way #7, Portland, ME 04103
Next on our list of best breweries in Portland Maine is Foundation Brewing Company, located just 7 miles north of downtown. Opened in 2014, Foundation is a small brewery tasting room with an outdoor patio AND pizza – I mean what more could you want!?
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Offering IPAs, Pilsners, spiked lemonade, and more, Foundation has something for everyone! Be sure to snag a seat on their patio and order some of their locally famous Detriot-style pizza!
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If you’re visiting Portland and want to explore beyond the waterfront, be sure to check out Foundation Brewing Company.
Hours: 12-8 everyday except Sunday (closes at 6pm) – closed on Tuesdays
Food: Check out their menu here!
Must Try Beer: While their newest creation Zesty (their take on a spiked lemonade seltzer) can’t be missed, adventurous drinkers should try out their Chaos Elixer – a Barleywine aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels and gin barrels.
9. Maine Beer Company
Last but not least on this list of breweries is quite possibly the most popular in all of Maine – and one of the most notable breweries in the country! Maine Beer Company is actually located in Freeport, about 20 minutes north of Portland. It’s weaseled it’s way on this list because it is known as the best brewery in the state. If you’ve got a car and the time, it’s a spot any true beer-lover should not pass up!
Maine Beer Company was started by two brothers that loved drinking beer just as much as they loved brewing it. After the creation of their first beer, the Peeper (a Pale Ale with notes of pine and raspberry), their passions and production took off.
You can visit their tasting room any day of the week to try one of their 10 beers on tap and pair it with one of their in-house made pizzas.
Not only is Maine Beer Company one of the most popular breweries in the state, they are committed to giving back and supporting the environment as members of 1% for the Planet. They continuously donate to support the beautiful Maine landscape they call home.
Tasting Room Hours: Everyday 11-9
Food: Check out their menu here!
Must Try Beer: Their IPA “Lunch” is named after a whale spotted off the coast of Maine that had a large bite out of one of her fins. With aromas of caramel, papaya, and floral, and subtle notes of onion and garlic this is a pour unlike any other!
And there you have the Top 9 Breweries in Portland, Maine. It’s clear this city is teeming with great pours – the question is now, which one are you trying first? Stay Fancy!
