First Round Draft Brewery Bus Tour in Portland
- Live Guide
- Instant Confirmation
- Group Tour
- E-Ticket
- 3 hr
If you feel it’s never too early to start drinking great local beer, then the Beerunch tour is designed for you! Hop on the bus with us and we will head to Bissell Brothers Brewing before they open their doors to the public for the day. We will be able to spend time in their impressive space and enjoy their well-known beers to learn about their journey to become one of the best-known breweries in New England. After a great start, we will travel over to East Bayside to Belleflower Brewing for another exclusive visit before the doors are opened to their thirsty fans. In a very short time, this company has chartered a course all their own by working directly with local farmers and foragers to produce some very memorable beers. Then it will be time to step inside Goodfire Brewing, a company that has also made its mark in a very beer-centric town. We will visit with their team and sip a variety of their beers that have all originated from their talented head brewer.
Itinerary Details
Operated by: Maine Brews Cruise
Stop At:
Bissell Brothers was founded in December 2013 by brothers Noah and Peter Bissell, along with Noah’s college friend Seth. Their original brewery was located at the now-famous One Industrial Way. Their first release was The Substance, a hoppy American Pale Ale that was first released in cans in January 2014 and immediately created massive demand from beer lovers. Since those early days, they have increased their production by at least 200% a year which resulted in the 2016 move of the entire brewery to Thompson’s Point in Portland. They now brew in a revitalized space 10 times the size of their old brewery that was built in 1904 and once served as a railcar repair location for the Maine Central Railroad. They received a larger brewhouse during 2017 and sent their original system north to begin brewing for their second location in their hometown of Milo, Maine.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At:
Belleflower opened in March 2021, and they are focused on creating a variety and distinction between batches. It is co-owned by the Page and Bonadies families. Zach Page and Nick Bonadies met as homebrewers who had volunteered to help launch Trillium Brewing Company. Belleflower is named after Nick’s family farm in New Hampshire and was originally given to a beloved apple tree that fell many years ago. The trunk of the “belleflower tree” has since been repurposed as a decorative beam in the barn and is a symbol of the enduring grit and ingenuity of New Englanders. Above the barn is a hex sign, a form of folk art believed to be imbued with the power to ward off evil and bring good luck. Belleflower’s logo is a modern take on this traditional sign, much like their beers which all display a creative angle on familiar beer styles.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At:
Goodfire is located in East Bayside, a well-known hub within the booming craft alcohol industry of Portland. Founded by David Redding, a physician, they first poured their beers during 2017 Portland Beer Week and opened their tasting room doors shortly after. The comfortable 4,000-square-foot space includes a separate meeting and event room. The brewing equipment was produced by Tigpro, right here in Portland. Head brewer Gordon Jones started Goodfire off by brewing IPA’s named Prime and Waves, but has certainly branched out with fruited sours, saisons, and lagers.
Duration: 1 hour
