AUGUSTA, MAINE

 50 miles North of Portland and one-quarter   mile Southeast of state capitol, Augusta, lies Hallowell’s Irish pub-styled LIBERAL CUP PUBLIC HOUSE, a bustling low-ceiling brick-walled brewery and eatery attended October ‘05. Maps of Maine line walls alongside beer can-bottle collection inside wood-furnished crowded bar section and left side dining area.

Had chicken-sausage gumbo while quaffing rear brew tanks’ phenol prickly-hopped fruit-spiced Ale Wife Ale, mild tangy grapefruit hop-embittered Bug Lager and its stronger, slicker peach-softened offshoot, Bug Zapper. Better fare included orange-fruited Ex-Wife Extra Bitter, smooth nut-fig-sugared orange-bruised Drummer’s Lane Brown Ale, and nutty milk chocolate-y coffee bean-aided Tarbox Cream Stout.

www.theliberalcup.com

If you like this, try:

1. GOVNOR’S PUBLIC HOUSE
2. PICADILLY’S PUBLIC HOUSE
3. JACK OF THE WOOD PUBLIC HOUSE
4. SUNDAY RIVER BREWING
5. MASH HOUSE BREWERY & CHOPHOUSE
6. BRICK HOUSE BREWERY
7. GARDNER ALE HOUSE
8. PRATT STREET ALE HOUSE (WHARF RAT)
9. CAMBRIDGE HOUSE – TORRINGTON
10. UNION BARREL WORKS