Dear Mr. Cutler, I am writing to you as someone who greatly respects your views, your career, and your love of the state of Maine. In fact, our shared love for this great state is the impetus for this letter. In the 2010 governor's race in Maine, thinking you were the opponent who was going … Continue reading A Formal Request for Eliot Cutler to Withdraw from the Governor’s Race in Maine
Maine Beer Company Rings the Dinner Bell One More Time
It's three in the afternoon. Tim and I barrel up 295 with the singular purpose of acquiring Maine Beer Company's Dinner. We talk idly about nothing in particular; the clear subtext to this chatter is the nervous energy that when we get to the Freeport tasting room Dinner time will be over. I was assured … Continue reading Maine Beer Company Rings the Dinner Bell One More Time
After Reading of the Heroin Epidemic in Vermont, I Write a Letter Home
Note: I recently finished the Rolling Stone article on the heroin problem in Vermont. The article opens with a heroin addict from my hometown of Milton. This poem emerged from the rush of nostalgia and visceral thoughts that the article broke open in my veins. A Letter Home Milton, Vermont, the dirty poem from … Continue reading After Reading of the Heroin Epidemic in Vermont, I Write a Letter Home
University of Southern Maine, We Will Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night
Since I posted my open letter to the University of Southern Maine about their plan to sell the Stone House where I attended the Stonecoast MFA program, a lot has gone down. This week's Portland Phoenix explains that the University is delaying its plans to lay off faculty, and from my contacts at Stonecoast it … Continue reading University of Southern Maine, We Will Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night
Bunker Brewing Rings in the Summer of India Pale Lagers with Cypher
On my last visit to Bunker Brewing in Portland's hip East Bayside neighborhood, Bunker's head brewer Chreston Sorensen proclaimed, "This is going to be the summer of the IPL." He handed me a sample of their beautifully hopped India Pale Lager, Cypher, and from that first crisp taste, I knew he was right. As an … Continue reading Bunker Brewing Rings in the Summer of India Pale Lagers with Cypher
Simmer Down Brings a Twenty-First Century Flavor to Sebago Brewing Company
In his book Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland - a must read for all Maine beer enthusiasts - Josh Christie asserts, "Sebago Brewing Company is, in my mind, one of the most underrated breweries." I concur. When I moved to Maine in 2005, Sebago was the only brewery in this state making high quality American-style … Continue reading Simmer Down Brings a Twenty-First Century Flavor to Sebago Brewing Company
Let The Maine Brew Bus Drive You To Maine Beer Bliss
You've seen the green school bus driving through Portland's Old Port. I know you have. You've watched people board this bus and thought, "What is that? What kind of magical place are those people going to?" And if you're a local, you've probably let the thought pass like a cumulus cloud floating through a summer's … Continue reading Let The Maine Brew Bus Drive You To Maine Beer Bliss
IXNAY: D.L. Geary’s Gluten Free Triumph
"I'm old school," D.L. Geary says from behind his desk. His crystal blue eyes make him look boyish, despite the white hair, ruddy complexion, and outdated office decor. I've been invited to his brewery to try IXNAY, a gluten free beer that by all accounts actually tastes like beer. But before we can get to … Continue reading IXNAY: D.L. Geary’s Gluten Free Triumph
Final Results and Analysis of the Maine Madness Beer Tournament
Two weeks, 64 beers, and 1,524 votes later, we have our 2014 Maine Madness Beer Tournament Champion: Rising Tide Maine Island Trail Ale. MITA received 76% of yesterday's vote, giving it a landslide victory over Allagash Curieux, a mighty, mighty opponent. Rising Tide fans got out the vote and made it happen for this tasty, … Continue reading Final Results and Analysis of the Maine Madness Beer Tournament
Results and Analysis of the Final Four
This tournament has been a whirlwind ever since voting started two weeks ago in the Round of 64. If Warren Buffet offered a billion dollars to anyone who could pick a perfect bracket in the Maine Madness Beer Tournament, I have a feeling that he wouldn't have to pay up in our tournament either. If … Continue reading Results and Analysis of the Final Four
DAVE PATTERSON 