We’re lucky here at Allagash Brewing to be surrounded by interesting people who love what they do. So we wanted to share a little slice of our brewery life, and the work of our nonprofit partners, by getting together to talk about things we’re passionate about. Our goal is to give you insight into what it's like to work and live here in Portland, Maine, with some beer thrown in for fun. Thanks for listening!
First you flip it, then you sip it. It's that easy to make sure you have the best possible experience—full citrusy aroma, pillowy mouthfeel, and beautifully balanced flavor—with your next can, or bottle, of Allagash White. But there's more to this story... Why flip it? How vigorously should one flip? Wait, do they flip the kegs? What happens if I already opened it? All of these questions, and more, are answered in this podcast!
We've got another roundup for you and top billing is the great state of Ohio! Allagash beer is coming back your way after a 20 year hiatus. Also on the podcast docket is our Barrel Bonanza, some fun reviews of our Hazy IPA, and a roundup of some things we're excited about. Thanks, as always, for listening!
Our new space in Scarborough—full of food, drink, and good vibes—is rapidly shaping up for a July opening. So we're chatting with our Hospitality Director, Emily Wallace, to get a big update of everything we're planning to offer. Long story short: a lot. We've got more food planned. More variety of beers and drinks than ever before. And more plans to make this a special space for all of our Scarborough-based friends. If you want to hear about everything we're planning in Scarborough, this is the...
We've got a roundup with updates from the ground up. Which is just a way-too-clever way of saying: we have a lot to talk about. From filming our first very legit TV advertisement to the release of an imperial IPA to a blueberry beer to soccer highlights, and everything in between, this podcast will give you a snapshot of the bevy of exciting things we have going on at the brewery, right now.
Sports! Get your sports, here! We've got baseball. We've got soccer. We've got surfing and more! Jokes aside, we're experiencing a sports revolution here at Allagash, with becoming an Official Partner of the New York Mets, a sponsor of the Portland Sea Dogs, as well as Beer Sponsor of the Hearts of Pine soccer team here in Portland. If you want to hear all about these exciting, impactful partnerships, this is your podcast. Oh, and we break down some other fun things happening around the brewery,...
It's our 30th Anniversary as a brewery and our 4th Anniversary as a podcast. So we're celebrating both with Allagash Founder Rob Tod, and Allagash Brewmaster Jason Perkins. That's right! It has been 30 years since Rob started Allagash Brewing Company in the corner of a warehouse on Industrial Way. And we're taking a refurbished Vermont Gas Company van-ride down memory lane to talk about the origins of Allagash White, the early days of the brewery, long hours, hard work, and fun that was had. So ...
You love it, you really love it. We’re talking about Ski House, our big Belgian-style white beer brewed with ginger—the main subject of our most recent episode. And we're focusing on it because you all have been enjoying this beer so much, we've had to brew way more than we originally planned. Cool! In the episode, you’ll learn more about the beer’s historic origin, the story behind the beer label design, as well as why our birding-enthusiast employees weren’t too happy about a previous version ...
Thrills. Laughs. And spine-tingling tales. In honor of Haunted House, our seasonal-favorite dark hoppy ale, we're recounting some real spooky stories to pair with the beer's haunting notes of cocoa, coffee, and devilish hint of hops. Sit back in your creakiest chair, crack open a Haunted House, and enjoy these personal spooky stories from Allagash staff, as well as historically creepy tales from all over Maine.
With the arrival of Allagash Lager, our easy-drinking, crisp, and refreshing new release, we wanted to go on a trip down lager (memory) lane, to look back at all of the innovative, interesting, and totally unexpected lagers that came before it. We also talk about the development of this lager itself, and how it came down to a very difficult choice between three, very highly rated, lager recipes. Brett is joined by lager aficionado (and R&D Brewer) Corey McNutt and Hospitality Director Emily ...
We got some pretty amazing comments when we announced the release of our Hazy IPA. (Two of these are true, one is not.) 1: Never thought I’d see the day 😍 2: Definitely one of the four horsemen of the beer apocalypse 3: I’m going to name my baby Allagash Hazy IPA In our latest podcast, we had our brewmaster read and react to comments like these, and more! Plus, we talked about our thought process behind the recipe, as well as the finished product. Give it a listen!...
Are you looking for a zero carb, zero calorie, zero alcohol, carbonated drink that combines the best of hoppy aromatics with the refreshment of a classic seltzer? First, wow, that's a specific thing to look for. And second, you're in luck, because, we now make exactly that: Allagash Hop Water. In this episode you'll hear from Zach and Matthew of our Quality team, who were behind the creation of our extremely tasty new sparkling citrus hop water. Available right now!
Allagash White is the most-awarded wheat beer in the world. And as of its silver medal win at the Great American Beer Festival in 2024, Allagash Tripel is also the most-awarded beer of its style. In this episode, we sit down with Brewmaster Jason Perkins and Sensory Program Manager Karl Arnberg to dig deep on beer awards. What does it take to brew an award-winning beer? How are beers even judged? And what indeed are the top beer-judging competitions in the world? If you've ever wanted to go behi...
We're lucky to be living in a city with a ton, ton, ton, of amazing things to do, eat, see, and experience. That fact makes us even more grateful for our ranking on Tripadvisor , which states that visiting the Allagash Tasting Room is the #1 thing to do in Portland, Maine . In fact, our guests—our wonderful, sweet, smart, kind guests—have ranked us so highly, so consistently, that in 2023 we won a Travelers' Choice award, placing us in the top 10% of highest-rated attractions, worldwide. In this...
What happens at a tour or tasting here at Allagash? Much more than you might have guessed. We've got samples of deep-stash beers able to age beautifully for ten-plus years. We have pours fresh out of the barrel (shhh, don't tell). And we have passionate and extremely knowledgable people like Lindsay Bohanske, this episode's guest, to guide you through it all. Come for a behind-the-scenes look into our tour, food-pairing, and tasting program. Stay for a brief explanation on the origin of agrarian...
You in the mood to geek out on wine making? Well, you better be if you're here to listen to the second episode of the third season of our podcast. Liz and Brett are joined by Patrick Chavanelle, Senior R&D brewer, and potentially vintner, here at Allagash. We dive deep into the recent berry wines, berry wine/cider hybrids, and cider that we've created here at the brewery. So pull up a chair and drink deeply of the fruit wine knowledge that Patrick has to impart!
In the triumphant return of From Maine, With Love for Season 3, we dive into something all listeners of this podcast can appreciate: beer. First, we chat through two collaborations with Black-owned breweries: Cur-8 and Verb. Then, we dip into the details of our very first "seasonal" beer by having a brewery-side chat with Joe Jr., the brewer who came up with the beer's recipe. And we end by talking about our brand new, absolutely delicious house-made blueberry wine (and another secret blend you'...
In this episode, we're joined by Allagash HR Director Celine Frueh to get into the nitty gritty of building positive company culture. This was a fascinating conversation that touches on all sorts of topics like: how we use a yearly employee survey to figure out the biggest spots for growth, how to preserve the things people love as the company grows, and the business case for giving employees a sabbatical. If you have even a passing interest in the ins and outs of good workplace vibes, this one ...
Did you know: there’s a trail head within 10 minutes of every home in Portland, Maine? That’s thanks to the great work our friends at Portland Trails have been doing to make our city more accessible and connected through outdoor space. And we’re committed to a 3-year, $30,000 partnership, called Healthier Neighborhoods for All . Its goal is to help Portland Trails reach more of Portland’s immigrant community to help them experience the benefits of their extensive trail system.
We have a bevy of homebrewers at Allagash, so when a fan suggested we host a homebrewing Q&A, we did! In this podcast, we're joined by three seasoned, professional brewers in Patrick Chavanelle, Katie Beaucage, and Corey McNutt. In it, we take fans' online questions and basically break them out into novice, intermediate, and expert-level questions. The best part? We suspect you'll learn quite a bit along the way, no matter your level. So come along and hear all about homebrewing....
Since we started in 1995, every single Allagash beer has been brewed with water that came from Sebago Lake. This pristine, and plentiful, water source is amazing in its own right: there's enough water in Sebago Lake to give every person on earth 100 gallons each, and still have water left over. And, like all good things, we need to make sure that we preserve it. In this episode, we talk with Paul Hunt of the Portland Water District and Matt Markot of Loon Echo Land Trust—both members of Sebago C...
What will you find inside The Cellars at Allagash? In this episode, we're joined once again by Certified Cicerone and Hospitality Specialist Lindsay Bohanske to dive into everything involved in a Cellars experience. The types of beers you'll taste. The things you'll learn. And the fact that every visit is built to be enjoyed by beer novices, beer experts, and anyone in between.
What's the difference between wild and sour beer? What makes a wild beer wild? And how do bacteria like lactobacillus and pediococcus make beer taste deliciously tart? We cover all of this and more with the help of two seasoned beer experts: Jason Perkins, our Brewmaster, and Zach Bodah, our Quality Program Manager.
Claudette Ndayininahaze came to America as an executive with 15 years of experience in the brewing industry back in her home of Burundi. When she arrived in Maine, she could only find work in housekeeping. So, she decided to lift herself by lifting others. By starting In Her Presence , an organization built around English language learning, Claudette and her team is helping immigrant women in Maine not just find their footing, but thrive—for the betterment of themselves and our community as a wh...
In this episode, Rob Tod, our founder, and Brett, our hopefully enjoyable host, chat with Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, co-founders of Crowns & Hops Brewing. What's bringing us together? The chance to dive deep into our recent collaboration, a crisp and curiously tasty beer called Cur-8. In this episode, you’ll learn how we met in the first place, how the beer came to be, and how its proceeds help promote racial equity in the craft beer industry.
In the first episode of our second season of From Maine, With Love, your faithful hosts Liz and Brett celebrate the series’ continuation! First, we run though our Report Series of beers, containing: Wildlife Report, Beach Report, and Snow Report. Then, we share some happenings in and around the brewery that have us excited. For a brief update of everything exciting happening at Allagash right now, there’s no better episode than this one.
We did it! With our first season finished, we look back at some of the notable numbers, moments, and memories that made this year of podcasting so special. Plus, we give you a sneak preview of what you can expect from our next season. Spoiler: it's going to be fun.
In this final episode covering our upcoming IPA, Hop Reach, we answer the question on everyone’s mind: what does it taste like? To help us answer that question in delicious depth, we have Corey McNutt, a senior brewer who was on the team that created Hop Reach, and Lindsay Bohanske, our resident tour & tasting aficionado and Certified Cicerone. Keep a beer nearby, because this one might make you thirsty.
So we knew we wanted to brew a delicious IPA, but what to call it? And, for that matter, what should the packaging look like? And then what should we sell it in: bottles or cans? In this episode, we’re joined by Naomi Neville, our Sales Director, and Jeff Pillet-Shore, our Marketing Director, to talk through the thought process, absolutely humongous number of options, and crucial decisions that led us to the name, and brand, of Hop Reach.
The task was clear: brew an IPA that is exactly what we’d want to reach for. But with so many options for hops, malt, and everything else, how did our brewers land on that perfect recipe? That’s the question we’re tackling on this podcast with the help of Jason, our Brewmaster, and Patrick, our technical R&D brewer. In this episode you’ll hear all about the various versions, the company-wide feedback, and the many, many tasty beers that eventually led us to the recipe for Hop Reach IPA. This...
Beer sensory is a fancy way of saying "tasting beer." It's also a fancy way of tasting beer, because it aims to break down why beer tastes the way it does, and how we can go about making beer taste consistently delicious, every single brew. If that sounds interesting, it's because it is! And, in this episode, we dive deep into our sensory program with Karl, our beer-tasting guru here at Allagash.
