Once again, I must apologize for the infrequent posting lately – as soon as I thought my reliable internet connection had returned, it’s gone again (they’re sending a tech to the house tomorrow to get it fixed) but I needed to throw together a quick post detailing the June meeting of the Maine Beer Writers’ Guild. The meeting was held at Portland’s new Novare Res Bier Cafe.
The bar’s publican Eric Michaud hooked us up with all sorts of incredible stuff. Very special bottles of Earthmonk, a Flemish sour Bruin from De Struise Brewery in Belgium; Meantime Coffee Porter — what I think is now my favorite coffee-flavored brew (and I really like coffee beers); Taras Boulba
from Brouwerij Sint-Pieters in Belgium; and many more!
If you live in Southern Maine (or within a reasonable driving distance) and haven’t been to Novare Res yet, do yourself a favor and get there. If you’re planning on visiting Portland this summer, make sure and visit. If you’re not visiting Portland this summer, it might be a good idea to change your travel plans. There is simply no way that the next time some magazine or another compiles a list of the best beer bars in America that this one won’t be on it!
Novare Res features 25 rotating taps and 250-some-odd bottles from breweries all over the world, plus a handful of small plates, exotic meats and equally amazing cheeses from around the world. The bar itself evokes a fantastic old-world feeling, with exposed brick, wood and metal. The seating is a great mix of old church pews, long tables, tall stools, and leather couches. But the best part may lie outside – a 2000 square foot deck (the largest in town).
If you need an excuse to visit Novare Res (and you really don’t), fellow Guild-member Russ from Beer, Maine & Me is organizing a Better Beer Enthusiasts get-together at Novare next Saturday the 14th. See you there (and remember to check back in July for a re-cap of our next meeting)!
