Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
its stride until 1998, when brew master
Bryan Smith introduced a line of lager-
style beers. Smith began as a humble bot-
tling-line worker but quickly developed a
passion for the craft. His cheeky little
operation is best known for its flagship
Irish-style Riptide Red Ale and Carrabas-
sett Pale Ale, which is more a West-Coast-
style beer than a European imitator.
Around the same time, Casco Bay's bud-
dies at
Stone Coast Brewing
(14 York St.;
&
207/773-BEER
[207/773-2337]; www.
stonecoast.com) broke the mold them-
selves by introducing German-style beers
like Sunday River Lager and Sunday River
Alt, as well as their 420 IPA pale ale and a
robust Black Bear Porter, kicked up with a
little rock-and-roll spirit.
In sum, Portland is a great town for seri-
ous beer drinking—drain it to the last
drop.
(
Portland (4
1
/
3
miles/7km).
L
$$$
Portland Harbor Hotel,
468
Fore St. (
&
888/798-9090
or 207/775-
9090; www.portlandharborhotel.com). $$
Inn at ParkSpring,
135 Spring St. (
&
800/
437-8511
or 207/774-1059; www.innat
parkspring.com).
Breweries
393
Samuel Adams Brewery
Brewing Up a Revolution
Boston, Massachusetts
In the dark days of the early 1980s, beer
drinkers had little choice when it came to
their brew. Major manufacturers like Miller
and Anheuser-Busch dominated the market
with beer that was tepid compared to their
full-bodied European counterparts. Those
who wanted a heartier beer had scant
options, save for a few imports like Beck's.
That began to change in 1985, when Jim
Koch ditched a career in management
counseling to restart the family business of
beer making. The son of a fifth-generation
brewer, Koch believed that if you offered
people a better beer, they'd choose it.
Armed with recipes stored in the trunk of
an attic, he set out with partner Rhonda
Kallman to revolutionize the beer market.
Koch filled his old briefcase with bottles of
his handmade brew and made the rounds
of Boston bars and restaurants with sam-
ples of Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
By April 1985, the beer—named after a
Boston revolutionary whose father was
also a master brewer—debuted in roughly
24 bars and restaurants in the Boston
area. By the end of the year, they
had reached 500 barrels and expanded
distribution to the rest of Massachusetts,
Connecticut, and, as a real testament to
the quality of their product, West Ger-
many. Soon after, new varieties followed,
including a line of seasonal beers. Samuel
Adams Lager became an inspiration to
other brewers and changed forever the
way American consumers viewed beer.
Samuel Adams continues to innovate
with different styles of beer, including
“extreme” brews with the greatest com-
plexity. There are breweries in Boston;
Cincinnati; Rochester, New York; and
Eden, North Carolina. Tours of the Boston
brewery are given on a first-come, first-
served basis Monday through Saturday
(the day tours are popular, so arrive early
in the day). The tours take about 1 hour
and include a visit to the beer museum
and gift shop.
30 Germania St., Boston (
&
617/368-
5080;
www.samueladams.com).
