One Of New England’s Best Breweries Is Nestled In Western ME
It’s one of New England’s best breweries and I feel like not enough people know about it. So I’m getting the word out. Fluvial Brewing is located in Harrison, ME….
It's one of New England's best breweries and I feel like not enough people know about it. So I'm getting the word out.
Fluvial Brewing is located in Harrison, ME. I've been a regular in Harrison for over 20 years, but I know a lot of fellow Massholes aren't wise to Western Maine. Harrison is on Long Lake, shares a border with Bridgton, and is a stone's throw from Sebago.
Like many small breweries, Fluvial started small. Owners Shawn and Lisa Graham began brewing with a stove top home kit in 2009. By 2019, they'd opened a tasting room on Maple Ridge Road. Now, Fluvial is a full-fledged brewery.
New England's Best Breweries: Fluvial is Worth the Trip
A decade ago, making the three-hour trek from Boston to Western Maine would be a big ask. But with a bevy of breweries in the area, as well as the world-renowned Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, the region has become a destination for beer enthusiasts.
Fluvial currently offers 10 beers on tap, 2 wine options, and a cider. Their styles range from New England IPAs to Hefeweizen to stout. And they have a light bites menu to munch while you sip, sit, and enjoy the view, which is spectacular.
New England's Best Breweries: What to Drink at Fluvial
We've been spoiled having Fluvial a 10 minute drive from where we hang our hats in Harrison. In fact, when the brewery had to pivot to curbside during the pandemic, we'd regularly grab a growler of their Maple Ridge Pale Ale.
Start there. Then, sample their River Haze IPA, which is one of the best NEIPA's I've ever had. And I've had a few. I'd recommend Easy Dreaming, their Hefeweizen, as well. Follow Fluvial on Instagram for more. And make sure you check out the yurt!
Some of us are doing the Dry January thing. Some of us are not. For the latter group, here are 10 beers to try in the new year.
Ironically, I'm not actually in that latter group. I'm in the former. Which kinda makes sense, in a way. I imbibed quite a bit over the holiday season. That's how I was able to come up with this list of 10 beers. And that's why I'm taking a month off. I'm in my mid-40s now, and that beer belly is getting harder and harder to shed when it gets to a point where it's uncomfortable and I need to shrink it down a bit.
So while I teetotal for the next 31 days or so, you can indulge. As we head into 2024, we continue to live in a beer drinker's utopia. If you're lucky enough to live in the Boston metro, you're likely a stone's throw from a craft brewery. And even if you're in a pocket of New England where that brewery density is lower, distribution is at an all-time high of both craft an commercial beers. What a time to be alive.
10 Beers to Try If You're Not Doing Dry January
Some thanks are in order, first of all. My pal Jon and my brother Nate gifted me a lot of the beer I tried over the holidays and that I'm sharing below. And my folks took me on my first-ever visit to Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, ME, which is a beer-lovers Mecca. So thanks to both of them. And thanks also to Mineral Spring Liquor in North Providence, RI for having a four-pack of beer on hand that I didn't even know existed and was able to pick up back in November. That's the first one you'll find on my list below. Cheers!
Narragansett Hair In Your Lunch IPA
I had no idea that Gansett had brewed a special beer for our rock radio pals 94 HJY! I gotta get a local brewery to make a ROCK 92.9 beer!
Black & Tan
My dad had some hard-to-find Harp Lager on hand, so my brother picked up a few cans of Guinness and poured us Black & Tans, Maine-style.
Finback Rolling In Clouds
Finback is a NY brewery, but this hazy IPA is decidedly NE in flavor.
Beer Tree Brew Flannel Lined Everything
Another NY brewery, Beer Tree's take on a spiced winter ale is packed with punchy flavor.
Shipyard Explorer
We're big Shipyard fans in my family. My dad's favorite brew for years was Shipyard Export (RIP). Their Explorer is a hazy white IPA that is of the same high-quality as everything they brew.
De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel
Straight from Brugge to Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, then straight to my face. It was dark and fruity; the perfect winter pour.
Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde
Another pour from Ebenezer's. A Quebecois take on a Belgian beer. Just hoppy enough and crisp enough to balance the cheese curds and dark gravy of my poutine.
Bunker Brewing Chick-a-dee
From Portland. A fine English style bitter. Highly recommended.
Woodstock Inn Brewery Wassail
The NH brewery's winter seasonal has a rich, amber color and satisfying finish.
Magnify Brewing Purple Rain
Billed as a "Smoothie Sour Ale," it tastes almost exactly like grape soda. So drink carefully.
