The Maine Agenda › Eat in Maine
The Best Breweries in Portland, Maine
Portland has more good breweries per capita than almost anywhere in the country, which means two things. First, you genuinely cannot go wrong here. Second, "best brewery" is partly a question of what you want from an afternoon, because the scene splits cleanly into two geographic clusters plus a couple of outliers, and choosing well matters more than chasing a single perfect taproom.
The two crawls to know: the Riverton industrial cluster off Forest Avenue, where several heavy hitters sit within walking distance, and the East End around Washington Avenue and Anderson Street, which is more urban and walkable from downtown. Here is how I actually rank them, and where to point a visitor.
Allagash, the institution, and still worth it
It would be easy to write off Allagash as the establishment pick, the brewery that got big and famous on the strength of one Belgian-style wit. Do not. Allagash White remains a genuinely great beer, the kind of thing you order on purpose and not out of obligation, and the Industrial Way tasting room and brewery tour are the best introduction to Portland beer you can get. One change worth knowing before you go: the tour is no longer free. It is now a ticketed tasting tour that runs a couple of times a day by reservation, so book ahead if the tour is the point of your trip. USA Today has ranked it among the ten best brewery tours in the country, and the flagship tasting room now serves lobster rolls from Bite Into Maine, so the visit is a fuller stop than it used to be. The barrel-aged and wild side of their program is seriously good and under-appreciated by people who only know the White. There is also now a second Allagash tasting room, the Bungalow, just off the highway in Scarborough, but the Industrial Way flagship is the one that belongs on this crawl.
It anchors the Riverton cluster, so you can hit it and then walk to several others. Start your day here.
Pros: a true Maine institution, the best brewery tour in town, and a wild/sour program that punches above its reputation. Cons: the tour is ticketed and reservation-based now, and the tasting room can feel more polished than scrappy.
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Bissell Brothers, the hype that holds up
Bissell built its name on hazy, juicy IPAs back before every brewery in America made them, and the flagship Substance Ale still slaps. Their Thompson's Point location, in a converted century-old railway building where the Fore River meets Casco Bay, is one of the best-situated taprooms in the city, with serious water views and an outdoor scene in summer.
The beer leans hop-forward and bold, so if you are not an IPA person this is not your stop. But if you are, this is close to the top of the list, and the location makes it a destination beyond the beer.
Pros: excellent IPAs, a standout waterfront-adjacent setting, strong summer patio energy. Cons: IPA-heavy lineup with less for lager and light-beer drinkers. It draws a crowd.
Foundation, Battery Steele, and Definitive, the Riverton power trio
These three sit clustered near Allagash on Industrial Way, and the smart move is to treat them as one crawl rather than picking favorites in advance.
Foundation makes consistently sharp, drinkable beer across styles and runs a tasting room with genuinely good Detroit-style pizza, which makes it the natural place to anchor a longer session. Battery Steele leans into hazy IPAs, lagers, and ready-to-drink cocktails and has built a real following for its hop-forward stuff. Definitive rounds out the cluster with a broad, reliable lineup that rarely misses.
You can comfortably walk among Allagash, Foundation, Battery Steele, and Definitive in an afternoon. This is the single most efficient beer crawl in Maine.
Pros: four strong breweries in walking distance, food at Foundation, no weak links. Cons: it is an industrial park, not a charming neighborhood. You will want a designated driver or a rideshare.
Rising Tide, the East End anchor
Rising Tide on Fox Street is the family-owned brewery that anchors East Bayside, and it has aged into one of the most likable spots in town. The beer is well-made and unpretentious across a wide range, the outdoor space is friendly and dog-tolerant, and the vibe is local rather than touristy. This is where you go when you want a relaxed afternoon, not a checklist.
Pros: independent and family-run, broad and reliable lineup, easygoing atmosphere. Cons: it does not chase trends or shock you, which is exactly why some people prefer it and others find it quiet.
Goodfire, Lone Pine, Oxbow, and Belleflower, the East End crawl
The East End is the other essential cluster, more walkable from downtown than Riverton and denser with personality, and it doubles as one of the strongest eating neighborhoods in the city.
Goodfire makes some of the best hazy IPAs in the state and has a sleek East End taproom plus a Freeport location. Lone Pine is the crowd-pleaser of the group, with approachable IPAs and a big, busy space. Oxbow's Washington Avenue blending and bottling location is the most interesting room in the neighborhood, focused on farmhouse ales and wild beer, doubling as a cultural hub with events, music, and a great patio. Belleflower has quietly climbed to the top of a lot of locals' lists on the strength of small-batch, hop-forward beer made with care.
If you only have time for one East End stop and you love IPAs, make it Goodfire or Belleflower. If you want something different and atmospheric, make it Oxbow.
Pros: walkable from downtown, distinct personalities, Belleflower and Goodfire are among the best in the city. Cons: parking is a pain. Treat it as a walking crawl, not a drive between stops.
How to actually do this
Do not try to do both clusters in one day. Pick Riverton for efficiency and big names, or the East End for walkability and character. Drink water, eat the pizza at Foundation or grab food on Washington Avenue, and use a rideshare. The breweries are close together within each cluster but the two clusters are a real drive apart.
FAQ
What is the best brewery in Portland, Maine?
There is no single best, but the consensus heavyweights are Allagash for its institution status and flagship brewery tour, Bissell Brothers for hazy IPAs and a great Thompson's Point setting, and Belleflower for small-batch quality. The right pick depends on whether you want a famous name, a hop-forward IPA program, or a relaxed local taproom.
Which Portland, Maine breweries are walkable to each other?
Two clusters make brewery-hopping easy. In the Riverton area off Forest Avenue, Allagash, Foundation, Battery Steele, and Definitive sit within walking distance. In the East End near Washington Avenue and Anderson Street, Goodfire, Lone Pine, Oxbow, and Belleflower are walkable from one another and from downtown Portland.
Does Allagash offer brewery tours?
Yes. Allagash on Industrial Way runs guided tasting tours a couple of times a day by reservation, and they are ticketed rather than free, so book ahead. USA Today has ranked the tour among the ten best brewery tours in the country, and it is the best introduction to the Portland beer scene for first-time visitors. Allagash anchors the Riverton cluster, so you can tour it and then walk to several nearby breweries in the same afternoon.
Which Portland brewery is best if I do not like IPAs?
If hoppy IPAs are not your thing, head to Allagash for its Belgian-style White and wild and barrel-aged beers, Oxbow for farmhouse and wild ales, or Rising Tide, which makes a broad and balanced lineup. Much of Portland's reputation rests on hazy IPAs, but these spots give non-IPA drinkers plenty to enjoy.