Name: Allagash Brewing

Location: Portland, Maine

Type: Production brewery

Available in DC Market: Yes

What you need to know: Allagash makes Belgian-style and Belgian-inspired beers that compete with that country's best. Andrew Nations wrote this about Allagash in his SAVOR 2011 preview, and it's still true now: "There isn’t a whole lot to say about this east coast Belgian-focused brewery that hasn’t been said before. Their Belgian inspired beers have been a staple at better beer bars in our area for a long time now, and that is certainly for good reason. Allagash consistently brews traditional Belgian ales while creating creative one-offs that challenge those same traditional styles. For many, Allagash White [see below] served as a gateway beer that opened the door to the world of craft beer. Allagash is one of the breweries that the West Coast crowd talks about and is certainly jealous of. Even though their deep portfolio is available in our market year-round, having them at SAVOR is still a treat." With their Coolship series, as well as other beers like Midnight Brett that handle funk beautifully, Allagash is definitely a brewery you need to be familiar with.

Sponsorship

Beer #1: Allagash Saison (saison / 6.1% ABV)

Notes: This is Allagash's newest year-round offering. Here's what Allagash has to say about their beer: "Allagash Saison is our interpretation of a classic Belgian farmhouse style. It is a golden hued beer, brewed with a 2-Row blend, malted rye, oats and dark Belgian candi sugar. Saison is hopped with Tettnang, Bravo and Cascade hops. Fermented with a traditional saison yeast strain, Saison exhibits notes of spice and tropical fruit in the aroma. Citrus and a peppery spice dominate the flavor and make way for a pleasant malt character. Saison is full bodied with a remarkably dry finish. 6.1% ABV."

Food Pairing: Cured Salmon with Lardo Butter and Powdered Lemon (House cured salmon served on cucumber with a whipped lardo butter, ginger, rye and lemon.)

Our Thoughts: This is a really good food pairing. The cucumber, ginger, lemon and rye will pair nicely with this beer's effervesence. 

Beer #2: Coolship Red (lambic fruit beer / 5.7% ABV)

Notes: This is absolutely one you will want to try if you're a fan of fruit, sours, or just great beers. This is the kind of beer that SAVOR was designed to put consumers in touch with. Here's what Allagash says: "Allagash Coolship Red is our coolship beer, aged on raspberries for six months, in oak wine barrels. We use 100 lbs of fresh Maine raspberries per oak barrel. Coolship Red is bright red in color with raspberry and oak in the aroma. Raspberries dominate the flavor of the this tart beer, along with hints of dried apricot. The finish is tart and dry. 5.7% ABV."

Foor Pairing: Roast Duck with Pink Peppercorns and Olio Nuovo

Our Thoughts: This is a near perfect pairing for Coolship Red. The beer will cut through the fat of the duck and play nicely with the spice of the peppercorns. Just steal a whole tray and die happy. But you'll probably get kicked out, so be forewarned.

This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2014 SAVOR participants.