Novare Res Bier Cafe, Portland, Maine

Key: B Bissell Brothers; (blue) G Greyhound Bus; (claret) G Geno's Rock Club' (blue) M MECA; NR Novare Res Bier Cafe; (orange) M MAPS; T Thirsty Pig; S Shipyard Brewing; K Kings Head L Liquid Root Bottling Co; (claret) M Mash Tun

Portland, Maine, has no shortage of beer bars. On my first night in the city, a long walk led me to one of the best - Novare Res Bier Cafe.

My airbnb room was located near the Greyhound bus station and Maine Medical Center.

On Tuesday 3 October, 2017, it was dark as I walked up Congress Street, passing Geno's Rock Club with it's injunction 'Post Mad Bills'!

Portland appears to have a lot of interesting looking bookshops eg Yes Books.

The lights from Maine College of Art (MECA) emphasise the building's distinctive glazed frontage. The college is housed in the Chicago-style building with Beaux Arts decoration built in 1904 and expanded in 1911, that was previously the Porteous, Miller and Braun department store in downtown Portland.

It was only another quarter of a mile to reach Novare Res Bier Cafe from MECA. Approached via pedestrian route Canal Plaza which links Union Street and Exchange Street, it is away from traffic and has a spacious outdoor patio. Inside, the brick columns and dim lighting give the impression of a basement space that could have been in Belgium or the Czech Republic.

There are two bars, one on the left for national and international beers and one on the right for Maine beers. I found a bar stool at the smaller 'Maine beers' bar with draft beers listed on a blackboard above the bar in front of the varied glasses.

For my first beer of the evening I chose the Tributary Blueberry Ale (16 oz / $7.25). It had a delightful colour, a refreshing taste and it was nice to see it served in the correct glass. The description from the the Kittery, Maine, based brewery's website reads: 'This Pale Ale based "fruit" beer is brewed with 210 lbs of IQF wild blueberries and 42 lbs aseptic blueberry puree. The result is a light pink hue derived from the skins of the fruit, and a light blueberry flavor. No artificial anything in this fine ale. 5.4% ABV; 15 IBU'.

I looked at the food and beer menus, noting that draught beers from Europe include Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Oud Beersel Oude Vieux Lambiek and Brouwerij de Brabandere Petrus Aged Pale.

When a new customer sat near me at the bar and easily engaged the bartender in conversation, I came to the conclusion that Portland is a friendly place. Joining in, I offered the bartender a copy of Ullage, the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine. Evan gave me his name and agreed to pose for a photo and keep the magazine for reference.
After mentioning my role as editor of Ullage and that I had booked a place on the Allagash Brewing Co tour at 11.30am the next morning, my neighbour at the bar introduced himself as Sam, involved with guest relations and tours at the brewery. Sam kindly said he would liaise further about my Allagash brewery tour. He also revealed that he and Evan had moved to Portland independently but that they had both previously lived in Wichita, Kansas.

As an independent traveller it was nice to be involved in conversation with Evan and Sam but I didn't want to outstay my welcome or miss the chance to visit another bar in the city and so I made my farewells, stopping to take a photo of the brewery signs (including Magic Rock Brewing) on the way out.

The Thirsty Pig

Sam had suggested a visit to the Thirsty Pig in nearby Market Street where a cask ale might be available. The sausage based menu looked appetising but it was quiet inside and in the courtyard so I headed towards the harbour instead.

In narrow, cobbled, Wharf Street, the kitchen at the Portland Mash Tun had closed at 10pm and so my quest for a late meal could not be satisfied.

The larger premises of the Liquid Riot Bottling Company on the waterfront were also unable to offer a meal at this hour.

Just along the quay, the King's Head, with its English style pub sign, had also stopped serving food and so my tip for visitors is to order food before 10pm when visiting Portland if you want to eat in a bar or pub!
Walking back towards the Greyhound bus station I passed a few restaurants and food outlets that were still open so I did not go to bed hungry!

Novare Res Bier Cafe
4 Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine
Website: novareresbiercafe.com
Twitter: NovareResBierCf
Facebook: NovareResBierCafe
Instagram: novareresbiercafe

Opening Hours (October 2017)
Monday - Thursday  4-1
Friday                        3-1
Saturday & Sunday 12-1