Coming home from Paddy Murphy’s pub in Bangor, Maine, I was left to ponder the number of great breweries we have in the state of Maine, and how wonderful it is to be able to order a local beer on draft at a downtown pub. I realized this winter after a trip out of state, how fortunate we are as Mainers, to have so many quality craft breweries in our home state. Woodman’s in Orono has a large selection of Maine beers on tap. Last week, they had almost 100% Maine beer on draft.

We make some great beers in this state, and it’s time we came to embrace that achievement with the same fervor that some other neighbors (like Vermont) do.

Some of the breweries in this state are:

• Allagash Brewing
• Andrew’s Brewing LLC
• Atlantic Brewing
• Bag and Kettle
• Bar Harbor Brewing
• Bear Brewpub /Black Bear Brewing
• Belfast Bay Brewing
• Bray’s Brewpub & Eatery
• Casco Bay Brewing Company
• D.L. Geary Brewing
• Freeport Brewing
• Gritty McDuff’s Brewpub
• Growstown Brewing
• Inn on Peaks Island
• Kennebec River Pub & Brewery
• Kennebunkport Brewing Co. / Federal Jack’s Brewpub & Restaurant
• Liberal Cup Public House and Brewery
• Maine Coast Brewing
• Marshall Wharf Brewing Company
• Northern Maine Restaurant & Brewing Company
• Oak Pond Brewery
• Pugsley Brewing LLC
• Sea Dog Brewing
• Sebago Brewing
• Sheepscot Valley Brewing
• Shipyard Brewing
• Sparhawk Brewers
• Stone Coast Brewing
• Sunday River Brewing
• The Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery

To their credit, many bartenders have begun freely offering a sample of a beer on tap if you have not tried it before, or if you have having a hard time making a decision. I cannot applaud this enough. If you are not gambling a $4 draft on something you don’t know if you will enjoy, you are more willing to try something new.

Drink local beer if you can, and ask your bartender if they carry local brews. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you can find that’s made right down the road.