Written By: Sam Schipani | Photos by: Sam Schipani
I have made it one of my life’s many missions to seek out quirky breweries in far-flung locales. Give me a taproom in a national park that uses thermal spring water for their brews (Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs, Arkansas, if you’re looking for a road trip), a taproom on a former Naval firing range (see Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick), or a family-run farmhouse-turned-brewhouse (the Turning Page Farm brewery in Monson has goats, and Fluvial Brewing in Harrison has a yurt), and I’m so there.
For that reason, I have long been drawn to Lubec Brewing Company’s siren call (their logo is a mermaid, get it? I’ll see myself out). The brewery, which boasts brews made of 100% organic Maine grains and hops, is situated in the easternmost town in Maine (and the United States, for that matter), a sleepy coastal hamlet of about 1,200. I had visited Lubec before to kayak and enjoy the scenery Downeast, but I had never actually made it to the taproom. Their hours are unusual: Last I checked, Thursday and Friday they’re open from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., save for the occasional special event that goes until 7 p.m.
It makes sense, perhaps, in a town where the primary demographic and touristic clientele is, let’s say, of the ilk that would take advantage of an early bird diner special, but it does make it a bit more challenging to arrange a visit.
Still, I was determined to make it out there — if not just for the spirit of adventure, then for the Quoddy Head Red. I had sampled the brewery’s flagship beer randomly at bars around the state and fell in love. I am a huge fan of red ales in general, but the Quoddy Head Red is exceptional even among them: malty with notes of coffee and caramel, a beautiful mahogany color, and a kick of tangy rye.
So, with curiosity in my heart and the indelibly delicious memory of the Quoddy Head Red on the tip of my tongue, my husband and I loaded up the Subaru on a sunny Saturday and made the 2-hour drive east from Bangor to Lubec.
We arrived at Lubec Brewing around 3 p.m. The brewery is set up with a bar in the back of a living-room-style sitting space, complete with a stage (and, on this particular day, a very talented local folk performer). Attached is also a sunroom-like space with an art gallery and a patio festooned with park benches for outdoor sipping.
The vibe is genuinely and charmingly homespun, with mismatched furniture and plenty of local art. The day’s available beer is listed individually on sheets of printer paper with accompanying clip art and tacked up on the wall behind the bar. The brewery is run by local husband-and-wife duo Gale White and McGinley Jones, and feels like a family affair in that warm and fuzzy way. It is “local flavor” in its truest form.
The brewery doesn’t offer flights, but will give customers nearly unlimited samples out of their Dixie cups. Much to my devastation, though, they had just kicked the Quoddy Head Red keg when we arrived. I pushed past my heartbreak and figured I might as well try everything else on the printer-paper wall menu.
I was not disappointed. The Johnson Bay IPA is a classic American IPA with a touch of herbaceousness. Blueberry-flavored beers are not usually my thing, but the award-winning Mike’s Blueberry Porter uses fresh blueberries, so the fruity flavor is subtle and pairs perfectly with the dark chocolate undertones. The Tell Me Rye IPA — of course, made with rye — was tangy and bitter, in all the best ways. Day’s First Light extra pale ale was smooth and sweet, and made for lovely (and easy) drinking on the taproom’s sunny patio. Tail Gunner Annie, a Dunkelweizen made with wheat, rye, and three different types of barley, was at once malty and fruity (this type of beer is, apparently, well known for its banana undertones). The Dorothy Blanch, a Belgian golden ale named after a famous Lubec-ian, was delightfully hazy and citrusy. The ultra-zesty Kawatokup is made with spruce tips and maple syrup and tastes like a dewy forest morning hike.
And, sorry, Quoddy Head Red — Bailey’s Mistake might be my new favorite Lubec brew. The black ale (which, I learned, is a cross between a rich porter and a sparky IPA that was started by American brewers somewhere around the 2000s, combining pale malts, dark malts, and hops) is smoky and sweet, effervescent and rich.
There are other beers that are in Lubec Brewing Company’s regular rotation that I didn’t get to try that day. For example, they didn’t have the Car 548 IPA, described as a “hop bomb” by the list tacked on the brewery’s window; the Water Street Ale, a German Altbier that is supposed to be brewmaster Gale’s favorite; or the Squaison, a saison made with delicata squash.
I guess I’ll just have to go back.
WEB: https://www.lubecbrewing.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050826258551
