Maine Brew Fest 2009

Information about the 2009 Maine Brewers Festival

Thursday, April 23, 2009

So You Like Craft Beer? Watch this.

Well, aren't we lucky? The Brewers Association chose Boston to host this year's Craft Brewers Conference. Wowza, it's been great! One more day, Friday.

Stone Brewing CEO Greg Koch, a Californian brewer with a California-sized personality, was the keynote speaker. Wait 'til you see this! Here's his opener... I Am a Craft Brewer

I'll have more news and fun from the CBC in a couple days, but I didn't want to wait to get out this cool video. In the meantime, support your local brewer, and go buy some good craft beer from Maine, America.

posted by Jay Riley # 6:41 PM 0 Comments

Monday, March 16, 2009

Saint Patty Drank Maine Beer

Where's Your Dinner?

Here are a cuppla' good ideas for Saint Patrick's Day...

Peak Organic is hosting an Ale seminar and dinner. Taste, compare, and learn about four different ales, and then have a special three-course dinner with matched ales...
Peak Organic Ale Seminar and Beer-Pairing Dinner at the Exeter Inn, in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Tomorrow will be a beauty of a day for a short, springtime ferry ride to the Inn on Peaks Island. You'll have food and beer specials all day long, and traditional Irish music from Boghat at 7!

posted by Jay Riley # 10:55 AM 0 Comments

Friday, March 13, 2009

Hot Pepper, Cold Beer... and Twitter?

I love hot sauce.
I almost had to have my mouth re-roofed in Mexico.

I was once a human fire risk in the grasslands of California.

It wasn't always this way.

My lust for the pepper starting heating up when I was in my late-20's and 30's. I learned that the hots help release endorphins... the same lovely peptide hormones that bind to opiate receptors and give us the "runner's high" we get from any sustained stressing of the cardio system.

Remember those little bottles of Tabasco sauce? They come in a bunch o' flavors now. Try a couple. Then check out the hot sauce shelves of your Local Trendy Food Store... cool names, hot little businesses to support, and smokin' hot sauces!

Maybe you had some o' that fun heat at last November's Maine Brewers Festival at the Tiger Teeth Pepper booth with John and Elaine!Check out this review at Peppers and More to learn about Maine's best hot sauces, and catch them for a tasting at the Whole Foods in Portland on Tuesday, Saint Patrick's Day, 12-3:30!

ROAD TRIP: Visit Tiger Teeth in Biddeford, then have pepper and a pint at Saco's nearby Run of the Mill or in Kennebunkport at Fed Jack's!

Twitterate yet? We're currently running the Twit thing at Twitter.com/jjriley, in case you want to see what it's about. It'll move soon, but it's there for now... cheers and out.

posted by Jay Riley # 10:50 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Be Chic. Be Green. Learn Your Beer.

Well, I don't know about you, but any time I hear about something “Chic, Classic, and Surprising,” I perk up. I live in northern New England, so I cherish the scarce opportunity to be chic. Chic is me, or as we like to say, “Chic, c'est moi!”

Maine’s famous Peak Organic capitalizes on the Green Theme of 17 March, with an educational Organic Ale Seminar, and tasty beer-paired dinner next Tuesday, Saint Patrick’s Day. I believe graduate school credit must be available for the Seminar. (Failing that, I'm sure next-door Exeter Academy will be impressed with your new-found expertise.)

Czech out this wicked green Saint Patty’s Day Special at the Exeter Inn, Exeter, NH! See you there.

posted by Jay Riley # 7:03 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Legal Aliens: Shipyard Beer Dinners in New Hampshire

NOTE TO BOSTON: This is very near to you,
and you should snap up this fine dining and tasting opportunity.

SHORT NOTICE. ACT FAST.

Maine's biggest craft brewer, Shipyard Brewing, is heading south for a duo of beer tasting dinners. Shipyard has chosen two fine inns in southern New Hampshire.

The Three Chimneys Inn , in Durham, this Friday, March 6

Blue Trout Grill in Keene, Monday, March 9

The Three Chimneys Inn is only fifteen minutes from the Portsmouth traffic circle off I-95, which makes it an easy drive for Bostonians and North Shore craft-brew fans. It's a beauty of an inn, built in 1649, bayside where the Oyster River meets Great Bay. Heck, if your boat is suitable for travel through ice, you can sail her up and tie up out back.

Alan Pugsley is your host for the evening, and what a palette of beers he has for you! It's a wicked good menu, and a fine value at $48, so call Three Chimneys now (603-868-7800), and make that rez for Friday eve. Stay overnight if you want... see you there!

Maine Brewers Festival

posted by Jay Riley # 6:24 PM 0 Comments

Friday, February 20, 2009

Belgians and Bikes

When the bike boys come over with their honeys, we break out the Belgian beers, and Belgian-style American beers. Cycling and beer and Belgium are such a traditional combination that -- over there -- it would be hard to imagine one without the other.

Our little Belgian Beer Tasting Festival featured six entries...

Lots of different flavors and textures, all with a common and delicious heritage... like an Ardennes picnic in a glass!

I favored the Allagash Dubbel and the Duvel, but I've also considered moving to Quebec, selling the car, and getting a job selling tickets at the Chateau Frontenac toboggan run (get summers off for cycling) to better understand Unibroue's new-ish Quatre Centieme and all the fine work from our Unibroue neighbors to the North.

posted by Jay Riley # 7:01 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

BrewFest Tix for Valentine's Day!

Looking for that oh-so-special gift for that oh-so-special Beer Guy or Beer Babe in your life?

Shower your honey with love and affection, and buy those special Maine Brewers Festival tix right now! Who needs flowers and chocolate when you can quaff Maine's best microbrews? Valentine's Day is Saturday... act fast.

We sell out every year, so guarantee your November happiness with a ticket purchase now... we're mailing every day through Valentine's Day, and then we're taking tickets off the site.