Novare Res is Here!

Long awaited, it's finally here! Novare Res opened last night. No reports yet as to how well opening night went. Most of the Guild plans to go out this weekend. I'll report back on that later. Please go check them out. Support your forward thinking beer bar or bier cafe in this case. Here is the tap list for opening weekend.

Beamish
Old Rasputin Stout
Smuttynose IPA
Christoffel Blonde
Guiddendrak
EKU Pils
Rogue Dead Guy
Scotch Silly
North Coast Red Seal Ale
Saison Dupont
Dogfish 60 IPA
Allagash Odessey
Da Ranke XX
Cantillon Cuvee De Champion
Ola Dubh 30 yr
Unibroue Maudite
Southhampton IPA
Monchshof Swarzbier
Allagash Dubbel
Schlenkera Helles
Schneider Weiss
Dogfish Raison D'etere
High & Mighty Blonde
Blanche De Chambly
Petrus Oud Bruin

MBWG Meeting May '08 - The Inn on Peaks Island

This past week brought the second meeting of The Maine Beer Writers' Guild. It was a hectic month since we had last gotten together, and there was much to be discussed. Unfortunately, or perhaps the opposite depending on if you're a glass half full type like me, discussion of issues was kept to a beer minimum. Instead we opted to take in the great scenery and enjoy a sort of quietus to the day's bustle. Having never been to Peaks, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was just what I needed. The beer did it's trick as well in helping to shrug the world off.

Above mentioned beer was generously offered up by The Inn on Peaks Island and parent company Shipyard Brewing. Shipyard makes perhaps one of my favorite local pale ales in their Chamberlain, and it was made that much better by the surroundings. I must have just been there on the wrong day, because even though Old Thumper is typically available on cask, it wasn't so last Wednesday. Not really such an ordeal as it might just prompt me to take another ride out on a day that it is. Casco Bay Riptide Red, a new addition to the lineup available at the Inn, was the featured cask beer of the night. A decent replacement, several were downed between us Guild members.

I shouldn't make it out like we didn't discuss any local beer issues. I shared with the guys my journey from Tequiza to Aventinus and my distaste for the fact that beautiful local communities like Peaks are seen as "quaint" to those who come from away. Also discussed were festivals in Old Orchard Beach (did anyone go to that one?) and Lewiston where The MBWG might make an appearance. If not there as presenters, then certainly as attendees as we all intend to be there. Perhaps the most pressing issue to all of us within the Guild is the launch of Novare Res, coming this week. Good luck to Eric with the launch. We will all be there. Save an Orval for me.

Thanks For Your Patience (The Hiatus)

It's great to be back. I've taken a little time off from Think Beer in order to focus on some things here at home. Call it a pause for the cause. But for the most part I've tried to keep this blog about the beer and not so much about my personal life so there has been little mention of recent life changing events here.

During the absence I've gotten some new responsibilities at work, my toddlers have gotten themselves some new teeth (which makes it hard to focus on much else as some of you may know), and have also gotten married to the greatest friend and loveliest woman I've ever met.

With the Beer Writers' Guild meeting brewing for tomorrow night I feel compelled to dive back in. There are also a lot of other great events coming up, including the Novare Res launch, and beer fests coming up in both Old Orchard Beach and Lewiston. Stay tuned and thanks for sticking in there.