Fields of Heather

With Octoberfest approaching and my favorite Maine brewers announcing their fall and winter specials, i would like to take this moment to step away from knitting (I'm back in stockinette-stitch hell again anyways) and make a quick nod to beer. I was reading Men's Journal last night (I read the men's mags, its true but they have better health tips and fascinating articles than Cosmo. Last month they had a great article about climbing Everest) and was tickled to find the editor-in-chief had reviewed beers across the nation and listed his favorites. This included SmuttyNose IPA from New Hampshire (yummy), and Allagash Interlude (sounds yummy) from Maine.

Your uber-preggie bloghostess is also a beer aficionado, and has three or four times turned her nose up at Boston's Harpoon fest (yuck) in favor of the Maine Brewer's Fest in Portland, and once for the Vermont version. I coasted through the web this morning for the brews I remember the most fondly and came up with the following yummy mix:

Sea Dog had several brews to imbibe, haha. And I often saved them for last, as they favor the fruity, sweet and wheaty flavors that can be hard to tolerate early in the evening. But after a few honey porters, this was always a great chaser. I remember the first sample being passed around our group and being found much to our liking. Of course, there wasn't much we didn't like at that point...


Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout. All I can remember is that this beer is bad-ass, and it takes one to drink it. Its like a wave of warm molasses hitting your gullet, and usually requires some time to finish. If I could review this beer in the way I would a wine, I would call it a 'dramatic' beer. Not something you take very lightly.



All of Casco Bay's beer are good for the soul. The red ale or Riptide is no different. I would drink this any day, to cool off and relax, or with a big heavy meal. It wasn't a heavy beer, had no great depth or character to it. Well, some character, but nothing that would linger bitterly on your tongue, like most reds.

Geary's IPA, however, was a pale ale that HAD a lot of character. I have to finish my post with this beer, because whenever I am in doubt, I go with Geary's.

Well, that's it for today. I will return to work and savor my memories from those beer-sloshed autumn nights, where we would cram into a cab like a pack of sardines and wobble down to Gritty's pub for food, more beer, and silly games of Pass the Pigs. The Good ole' days....