New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association
Beer Recipes and Food => Craft Beer Reviews => Topic started by: paulmaybee on May 13, 2015, 08:59:32 PM
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What's the best place to buy bottles of beer en route to Freeport, via St. Stephen? Looking especially for a good selection (and recommendations) of sours.
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Freeport has Maine Beer Company, but they don't brew sours. If you're going that far you owe it to yourself to go into Portland. Aside from all the great breweries Bier Cellar is there. Tons of selection. Check them out online.
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There's always Hogan road deli in Bangor, good but nothing close to Bier Cellar.
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It's my mother in law going. If it were me, I'd definitely go to Portland. I asked her to stop at Hogan Road for me, but haven't been there myself, so I didn't know if there was a better place. I really have to get down there this summer.
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Hmm that's tough. Are you sure she can't drive the extra 20 minutes into Portland? You can actually order and pay for an order online at Bier Cellar. She would just have to pick it up for you. No looking through bottles etc. I think that would be much more convenient than trying to get her to look for specific sours.
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After looking at their website, I will do my best to convince her to drive 20 minutes to save herself at least a helpless hour at hogan road by herself. Thanks for the tip! Great selection. Now I really have to get down there.
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Thirsty Dawg in Houlton is good as well (just have to watch for best before dates.) Bangor Wine and Cheese had a few impressive bottles when I went there last time, RSVP in Portland has a huge selection as well.
edit to add: In addition to the Bier Cellar, there is also the Craft Beer Cellar... I'm not sure what any of these places have for websites, but in person they're all definitely worth the trip.
Hanssens Artisinal is the most over the top sour I've experienced... Their Kriek was ridiculously sour. Eye squintingly, mouth puckeringly so.
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Okay, I'm heading down to Houlton this sunday for one day only. I know Thirsty dawg is usually closed on Sunday, although last time I went was also a sunday and he was there and let me buy... but is there any other options for a good beer shop in Houlton by any chance?
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http://www.countygrocer.com/ (http://www.countygrocer.com/) says they have a "well stock beer cave." I've never been personally, but it might be worth checking.
http://www.hannaford.com/thumbnail/Beverages/Beer/Imported-Ales/pc/28045/c/46152/46155.uts (http://www.hannaford.com/thumbnail/Beverages/Beer/Imported-Ales/pc/28045/c/46152/46155.uts) Hannaford occasionally has stuff worth stopping in for when all else fails as well. I picked up a couple of the Sam Adams barrel room series from one in portland... They have the Sierra Nevada mixed sampler listed on the page there, as well as the usual suspects in Maine... You certainly wouldn't have to come back empty handed.
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http://www.countygrocer.com/ (http://www.countygrocer.com/) says they have a "well stock beer cave." I've never been personally, but it might be worth checking.
http://www.hannaford.com/thumbnail/Beverages/Beer/Imported-Ales/pc/28045/c/46152/46155.uts (http://www.hannaford.com/thumbnail/Beverages/Beer/Imported-Ales/pc/28045/c/46152/46155.uts) Hannaford occasionally has stuff worth stopping in for when all else fails as well. I picked up a couple of the Sam Adams barrel room series from one in portland... They have the Sierra Nevada mixed sampler listed on the page there, as well as the usual suspects in Maine... You certainly wouldn't have to come back empty handed.
Awesome, thanks!
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I'm super jealous of Bier Cellar's beer of the month club: http://bier-cellar.myshopify.com/pages/bier-of-the-month-club
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Global Beverages in Ellsworth. Definitely one of the biggest selections in Maine.
The store is well laid out, clean and great service. They have all the beers sorted by country of manufacturing. The last time I went, they gave a discount for buying a full box of assorted bottles.
I don't go there often because if out of the way (from Woodstock) but if going to Freeport through St Stephen on route 1, it's def. the best place to go.
http://www.globalbeveragewarehouse.com/ (http://www.globalbeveragewarehouse.com/)
3 Myrick Street Plaza in Ellsworth, Maine
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Didn't know that County Yankee Grocer had a beer selection will have to check them out next time I am over. Wife has said we should check them out instead of Hanifords.
Hanifords has an OK selection....but I have seen signs in alot of the places over there, no beer sales on Sunday, which may explain why Thirsty Dawg is closed Sundays. I have seen the sign plastered to the coolers at Hanifords, as well as the coolers at the Shell Station by Walmart. I don't know if this is a "Houlton" thing, as I am sure I have bought beer in Bangor/Portland on a Sunday.
Think it is just new as well, as I don't remember there being signs there before (new as in maybe came into effect Jan.1?)
Craft Beer Cellar in Portland is one store of a larger company, mostly in New England, but they are branching out. Been to one of their bigger stores around Boston, and it had a decent selection, and each store has their own website with their current inventory on hand, which seems to be updated on a pretty regular basis. Here is the one for Portland:
http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b (http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b)
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Didn't know that County Yankee Grocer had a beer selection will have to check them out next time I am over. Wife has said we should check them out instead of Hanifords.
Hanifords has an OK selection....but I have seen signs in alot of the places over there, no beer sales on Sunday, which may explain why Thirsty Dawg is closed Sundays. I have seen the sign plastered to the coolers at Hanifords, as well as the coolers at the Shell Station by Walmart. I don't know if this is a "Houlton" thing, as I am sure I have bought beer in Bangor/Portland on a Sunday.
Think it is just new as well, as I don't remember there being signs there before (new as in maybe came into effect Jan.1?)
Craft Beer Cellar in Portland is one store of a larger company, mostly in New England, but they are branching out. Been to one of their bigger stores around Boston, and it had a decent selection, and each store has their own website with their current inventory on hand, which seems to be updated on a pretty regular basis. Here is the one for Portland:
http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b (http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b)
Weird, I just heard about this too, someone said no beer sales in houlton on sunday. Anyone have any more info on this?
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Didn't know that County Yankee Grocer had a beer selection will have to check them out next time I am over. Wife has said we should check them out instead of Hanifords.
Hanifords has an OK selection....but I have seen signs in alot of the places over there, no beer sales on Sunday, which may explain why Thirsty Dawg is closed Sundays. I have seen the sign plastered to the coolers at Hanifords, as well as the coolers at the Shell Station by Walmart. I don't know if this is a "Houlton" thing, as I am sure I have bought beer in Bangor/Portland on a Sunday.
Think it is just new as well, as I don't remember there being signs there before (new as in maybe came into effect Jan.1?)
Craft Beer Cellar in Portland is one store of a larger company, mostly in New England, but they are branching out. Been to one of their bigger stores around Boston, and it had a decent selection, and each store has their own website with their current inventory on hand, which seems to be updated on a pretty regular basis. Here is the one for Portland:
http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b (http://craftbeercellar.com/portland/beers.php?sort=b)
Weird, I just heard about this too, someone said no beer sales in houlton on sunday. Anyone have any more info on this?
Well to answer my own question ... Just like ECH said, there are no beer sales in Houlton on sundays. That includes anywhere that sells beer. You can still go ahead and buy as much hard liquor as you want though...
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Well to answer my own question ... Just like ECH said, there are no beer sales in Houlton on sundays. That includes anywhere that sells beer. You can still go ahead and buy as much hard liquor as you want though...
Sounds like a policy ANBL would come up with...
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Really? No beer, but hard liquor??? That is wack.
Picked up a 6pk from Hannifords on Monday, since the store went from a franchise to a corporate store, their beer selection has gotten a little better (wasn't "bad" before), Dogfish Head and other Sierra Nevada brews other than their Pale Ale, as well as a bunch of others from around Maine, Grittys, Sebago.
Picked up a trifecta of Sierra brews, Black IPA, Golden IPA, and Torpedo....can't believe I haven't had a SN Torpedo yet.
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Made it to Hogan Road Deli. I think I hadn't been there in at least 10 years. They still have a respectable selection - especially if you have passengers that are not exactly on the same page as you and you need to make some quick decisions. I had a nice wrap as well. Glad they're still around doing their thing.
These days, there are so many beers, it really boggles the mind - however, it may just be me. I don't really need that much. It seems like I used to walk into a store and drop like $200+ on craft beer without batting an eye. I've throttled back, and don't get everything I want. Although there are a few more four and six packs that I could've gotten... ;)
Recently I've been to a few of these gas station/mini-grocery/craft beer stores. They really crack me up. I was in this store in Mid-Coast Maine the other days and looking at Rogue, Left Hand, Lone Pine, Maine Beer Company, Baxter and many, many others amidst cans of sardines, dry pasta and Fritos - it was awesome.