Discover the Unexpected on our Walk, Talk, and Taste Tours
Our walking brewery tours are nothing new. In fact, we have offered them for several years now. But you will probably not be surprised that they have never been so popular as they have been over the past year. Our Walk, Talk, and Taste tours hit the bricks of the Old Port starting this Saturday, here is what to expect on these open-air walking brewery tours.
The expert guides of The Maine Brew Bus are excited to be able to safely show you around and tell the stories of historic Portland on foot. We know that you are guaranteed to find something completely unexpected when you spend an afternoon with us.
We think there is no better way to drink in the rich history of Maine’s largest city than to also visit and taste beer from three legendary breweries all centered around a handful of blocks in the Old Port. That’s exactly what our Walk, Talk, and Taste tours are designed for!
We start outside our official home at Old Port Spirits and Cigars at 79 Commercial St. From there, your guide will set the stage with a summary of key points of Portland’s history. Then it’s off on foot to visit our first brewery stop.
The legendary Shipyard Brewing Company has been calling Portland home since 1996 – two years after they began brewing in Kennebunkport. They have a wide variety of beers to offer us, often they have some test batches of beer to try out with our guests.
After a look at their pilot brewery and a flight of beers selected by each guest, it’s time to follow the path to the second stop on the tour.
Sebago Brewing Company started in 1998 with a small brewpub in South Portland. Now 23 years later, they have four locations scattered throughout Southern Maine and a multi-million dollar destination brewery just a few miles away from Portland that opened in 2018. Their beers cover a wide spectrum of styles with multiple kinds of IPA’s happily found alongside sours, lagers, and darker beers.
Time to head out and walk along the path of the Great Fire of 1866 that defined the architecture and development of this entire area. This will lead us through the lively heart of the Old Port and right to the doorstep of our final stop.
It’s pretty exciting to step inside Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub to take a seat at one of their pub tables. Since 1988, Gritty’s has been serving up well-made English-inspired ales that are brewed in the basement of their 19th-century brick storehouse. Their stout just might be the one you’ve always been looking for: rich and roasty in all the right ways. You’ll often find new styles and seasonal beers available on tap, as well traditional “real ales” served through an authentic cask engine.
As we end our tour around the Old Port, we will find that we are in front of yet another brewery. If we didn’t find our way inside on our walking tour, we encourage all of our guests to go discover what they are doing with distillation and fermentation.
Liquid Riot Bottling Company has made its home in the Old Port for almost 10 years. From within a nondescript cinder block building comes a true world view on developing beer styles. Their distilled spirits are not to be missed either, as they are taking the time to hone their skills in also making delicious liquors.
Each Walk, Talk, and Taste tour is three hours in duration and visits three different breweries with the alcohol samples included. Also included at one of the stops is a light snack – typically a delicious pretzel baked up and served alongside a mustard sauce that contains even more beer!
Walk, Talk, and Taste tours require a minimum of four guests in order to successfully operate and is currently limited to a maximum capacity of seven guests to stay within state guidelines.
Take an informative walk and drink in the incredible history of Portland with our Walk, Talk, and Taste tours!
Old Port Itinerary – Book online now!
This leisurely walking tour covering 1.5 miles allows you to visit and learn about notable Portland landmarks including numerous former brewery sites, the Workingmen’s Club, Mariners’ Church, the Seamen’s Club, and the working waterfront that was essential for importing and exporting of alcohol during times of prohibition.
As part of this historical journey, we will stop at three legendary Portland breweries for included samples (the schedule varies): Shipyard Brewing Company – Gritty McDuff’s – Liquid Riot Bottling Company – Sebago Brewing Company
See the current Health and Safety policies for Maine Brew Bus tours here.
Don Littlefield is the General Manager of Brew Bus Tours. He enjoyed a few cups of Black and Tan from Coffee By Design while preparing this post. Twitter: @BeerinME