Growlers - the best way to drink beer at home

If you have been following my blog lately you will have noticed a lot of growlers purchased and reviewed. Most growlers are sold directly from the brewery at times convenient for the brewers. This is beer that comes straight from the kegs into a 64 ounce glass container, capped and sent home with you and in my opinion the very best way to enjoy craft beer at your home, family gathering or other event. I have growlers from most of the Maine breweries that offer them and refill them as often as possible. They store well in the refrigerator and will last 7-10 days if unopened (in theory they could last a lot longer but somehow they never do in my fridge as they opened and consumed shortly after purchase). Once opened you have a couple of days to finish. 64 ounces is 4 pints of beer so for me 2 pints a night for 2 nights and it is gone. Below is a recap and photos of growlers from several Maine breweries.

Oxbow Brewing Company - Newcastle Maine

Oxbow is one of my favorite breweries and if you want to enjoy their beer at home you have to visit their brewery between 2:00 and 6:00 on a Friday afternoon / evening. This is the only time the brewery is open for growler fills. I do not recall the cost for growlers but I believe it is $15 for a new growler and $12 for a refill. Whatever the cost is this is money well spent as every beer from Oxbow is top notch and unlike anything else you will get in Maine. They also distribute kegs to bars and restaurants in Maine and Washington DC so keep an eye out for their clear tap handles and if Oxbow is on tap give it a try. 

Tim & Geoff are great and you will enjoy the time you spend at Oxbow checking out the artwork and brewery. I believe sales are cash only so make sure you plan ahead.

Rising Tide Brewing Company - Portland Maine

Rising Tide only recently started selling growlers after moving their brewery to Fox Street in Portland. They have installed a tasting room and will be filling growlers from 4-7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays / 12-3 on Fridays and Saturdays with tours at 1:00 on most Fridays and Saturdays. Nathan and Heather have an excellent brewery and are great people, again you will enjoy your time at the brewery and certainly will enjoy the beer.

Cost was around $17 for the first full growler and I believe it was $11 for refills. Cash is preferred however they will run a credit or debit card if needed. I will be down there on Tuesday and will update this post with the accurate cost then. 

Read more after the break

213. Bar Harbor Lighthouse Ale

After work I was looking in my beer fridge wondering what to drink and my wife said "pick something I would like" so that quickly narrowed down the list of options; no double IPAs, stouts, porters, etc so I found my bottle of Bar Harbor Brewing Lighthouse Ale. This is a light ale with a very low 3.2% ABV and the perfect beer to share with my wife. 


Appearance is a great orange color with minimal white head. Minimal aroma with hints of malt and hops but very mild. Taste follows the nose with hints of a lot of things but nothing that overpowers anything else. Very well balanced beer but also quite simple compared with many of the others I have reviewed. That is not necessarily a bad thing as my wife really enjoyed this beer.
Pros: Low ABV

Cons:  Low ABV (yes it can be both a pro and a con)

Alcohol Content: 3.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating:  
Brewers Website: Bar Harbor Brewing

Brewers Description: According to the judges at the World Beer Championships, one of the world's best English Mild Ales comes from the opposite side of the pond. Once you savor this ale's rich, roasted malt flavors and subtle aromatic hops, you'll agree.
WBC tasting notes
"Chestnut amber hue. Rich, deeply roasted malt aromas follow through on a smoky and malty palate that packs a lot of flavor. Finishes with a lingering hoppiness. An amazingly well crafted beer for such a modest alcohol level."
"The best version of mild ale the judges have seen outside of Northern England."