Maine Brews Cruise

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Maine Brews Cruise

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FIRST KNOWN AS THE MAINE BREW BUS...

Maine Brews Cruise was initially founded as The Maine Brew Bus in September 2012 by husband-and-wife Zach and Allison Poole. The all-inclusive tours and experiences provide guests a behind-the-scenes look at Maine’s craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and more. Over 35,000 people have been connected to Maine’s craft alcohol producers since tours began alm

ost 10 years ago. In early 2020, they announced they had acquired a majority share of Brews Cruise, Inc., a company that licenses and supports craft beverage tour operators around the United States. In April 2021, Maine Brews Cruise aligned its company with the national Brews Cruise brand. Our guests enjoy having an expert guide and often a dedicated driver to lead them to both established and up-and-coming producers. This allows them an opportunity to learn much more about the craft alcohol business than they could learn on their own. Maine Brews Cruise offers regularly scheduled and private tours in Greater Portland and Southern Maine. Some tours are partnered with local minor-league baseball and hockey teams and include game tickets as part of the tour package. We also offer frequent specialty and adventure tours, such as the popular Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! series, the Zymurgy Home Brew tour, History of Portland Beer tour, local Coffee and Tea tours, and new offerings produced throughout the year.

04/01/2025

Join for our Lighthouse to Lagers adventure, where stunning coastal views meet the best beers in town. 🌊🍺

➡️ Remember we moved, bringing even more tours to Portland! Follow us at to stay updated on all our new tours, and head to our website (link in bio) or DM us to book your spot today! 🏴‍☠️✨

03/20/2025

Exciting plans are in motion! We’re thrilled to add to our tours! 🥃✨

➡️Don’t Forget—we merged! Make sure to follow to stay up to date on all our latest tours, local happenings, and insider info on the best of Portland! 🌊🚤

03/11/2025

⭐️ We’ve got exciting news to share! ⭐️

Maine Brews Cruise, SeaPortland, and Portland Explorer are MERGING into one brand: Portland Explorer, to bring you even more unforgettable experiences!

🍺 Still part of the Brews Cruise family, our trusted crew is now joining forces to bring you the best of Portland with even more unforgettable tours by land and sea! With Portland Explorer, there’s an adventure for everyone.

🧭 🍻 🦪 Whether you crave history, love indulging in food & drink, or want to experience the city by foot, van, or boat—we’ve got the perfect tour for you! Our mission remains the same: Supporting Portland’s independent local breweries, wineries, distilleries, and partner businesses.

✅ Check out our new website in our bio and don’t forget to follow for the latest exciting tours and updates!

03/10/2025

Big things are brewing! We’re thrilled to share some exciting changes with you all. Stay tuned for the big reveal tomorrow! 🧭 🛥️ 🍺

03/07/2025

🌟 Fun Fact Friday 🌟

Did you know that Portland is home to one of the oldest farmers’ market in the United States? 🌽🍅

Established in 1768, the Portland Farmers’ Market is not only one of the oldest in the U.S., but it’s also a cornerstone of the community. It all started when the town voted to establish a public market in the lower part of the Town Hall, and a town ordinance made it the only place fresh meat could be sold. At that time, it served 136 families on the peninsula, and provisions were carried into town in large leather saddlebags or paniers on horses’ backs! 🐴

In 1805, the market moved to Hay Market Square (now Monument Square), where farmers and traders set up stalls to sell meat, eggs, butter, and other produce at daybreak. For over 250 years, the market has been bringing fresh, locally grown produce, artisanal goods, meats, and cheeses right to the heart of the city! 🧑‍🌾💚

We’re lucky to have continuing this tradition, supporting our local farms and artisans, and allowing us to enjoy their amazing products! 🌱

03/05/2025

🍻 There’s nothing we love more than hearing how our guests make new friends and connections during their visit! It’s what we’re all about – beer bringing people together. ❤️ A huge shoutout to and for spreading the love and making memories! We’re also thrilled to see so many gaining a new appreciation for craft beverages. Cheers to new friendships, great drinks, and unforgettable moments! 🍺✨

02/28/2025

⭐ Fun Fact Fridays ⭐

In 2015, NASA sent yeast to the International Space Station (ISS) to study how microgravity impacts fermentation. The yeast adapted to the unique space environment, and when it returned to Earth, a Belgian brewery used this space-exposed yeast to brew a special beer, named Cosmic Ale. 🌌✨

The result? A beer with cleaner, more distinct flavors, thanks to the yeast’s time in space! The microgravity conditions may have caused the yeast to behave differently, leading to a fermentation process that produced a unique taste.

This experiment not only gave us Space Beer, but also helped scientists understand how biological processes like fermentation work in space, which could be vital for future long-term space missions. 🌍🌠

Would you try beer brewed with space yeast? 🍺 Let us know your thoughts! 👇

02/27/2025

Unfortunately no trivia tonight. We will see you next week. But come in for Happy Hour. 4:00-800

02/26/2025

We had an incredible time birding this past weekend on our Birds on Tap tour! 🦅✨ It’s the perfect way to get outdoors during the colder months ❄️ and discover wildlife you might have missed before 🌿. Huge thanks to our amazing partners , , and ! 🙌🌸 Don’t miss our next tour on May 8th—who knows what we’ll see next! 👀💚

📸 Photo credit: Bill Thompson

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02/21/2025

⭐Fun Fact Friday! ⭐

Did you know Maine is the birthplace of the potato chip...well kinda!? 🍻🥔

In 1853, George Crum, a chef at a restaurant called Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, was working when a customer complained that his fried potatoes were too thick. To get back at the customer, Crum sliced the potatoes incredibly thin and fried them to a crisp, thinking the customer would hate them.

But instead, the customer loved the crispy, thin potatoes! Word quickly spread, and Crum started making them more regularly. He eventually named them "Saratoga Chips," and they became a popular snack at the restaurant.

While Crum is credited with the invention, it’s also worth noting that there were similar fried potato snacks around before that time. But Crum’s thin, crispy version gained massive popularity.

Now, here's where Maine comes into play: George Crum was born in Trenton, Maine in 1824! So even though the actual creation of the potato chip happened in New York, it has roots in Maine.

Interestingly, Crum’s invention laid the groundwork for the mass production of potato chips. In the 20th century, they would become a widely enjoyed snack, with companies like Lay’s and Pringles making them a household item.

So, Maine’s connection to the iconic snack is pretty solid, even though the actual moment of invention happened across state lines in New York!

Join us every Friday for more fun facts about anything and everything! You never know what interesting tidbit you’ll learn next!
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02/19/2025

The Brews Cruise van is hitting the road this weekend! 🚐🍻 Join us for exclusive tours like Axes & Ales, featuring axe throwing and stops at & . Roll into Sunday Funday with our Birds on Tap tour – bird watching with ! Plus, don’t miss our Best Craft Beverage tour on Saturday afternoon, featuring , , and ! Our van is filling up fast, so be sure to book your spot soon! 🦅🍺

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02/14/2025

⭐Fun Fact Friday! ⭐
Did you know that Maine was once part of Massachusetts? 🏙️ Before it became its own state in 1820, it was the District of Maine and was under Massachusetts' control for nearly 200 years! 🏞️

James Monroe, who was the U.S. president at the time, signed the bill admitting Maine to the Union, and it was the 23rd state to join and its statehood was part of the Missouri Compromise — a big moment in U.S. history!

Join us every Friday for more fun facts about anything and everything! You never know what interesting tidbit you’ll learn next!

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Address

320 Fore Street
Portland, ME
04101

Telephone

+12072009111

Website

https://www.portlandexplorertours.com/

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About The Maine Brew Bus

Join us for a unique all-inclusive experience showcasing Maine’s booming craft alcohol scene. We offer regularly scheduled and private tours in Greater Portland and Southern Maine on bright green school buses that provide a behind-the-scenes look at Maine’s craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and more.

New England’s Original Brew Bus was established in Portland, Maine in 2012, and since then has welcomed over 30,000 guests aboard to explore our local alcohol producers. In 2013 we became the #1 TripAdvisor Tour and Activity in Portland.

Tours are led by knowledgeable guides in addition to a dedicated non-drinking driver to ensure the best possible experience for participating guests as well as for the businesses with which we partner. All tours feature a local snack or meal, trivia, behind-the-scenes experiences, and of course delicious beer and beverages!

Our tour itineraries are designed so that we visit multiple producers of beer, wine, and spirits. So by taking a tour with us, you will visit those specific locations that are on the schedule—but also see many other locations where great craft alcohol is also being made. Our tour staff will point out these places while you are on the tour and encourage you to make time to visit them after your tour with us.

Many of our guests make sure to take our tours early in their visit in order to get the big picture quickly. There are so many different producers that it can be overwhelming to decide how to make the most out of limited time.

It’s much like visiting a very large city and taking a hop-on-and-off tour bus to get an overview of the history and geographical layout of a complex location.

Our guides and drivers aren’t just informative, but they are enthusiastic and work very hard to have their guests listen and learn about the industry in the area. It is so incredibly rewarding to hear a guest say that our tour has inspired them to look into home brewing or wine-making.

You might think just because you don’t like drinking that you wouldn’t like a tour. But this isn’t just about drinking. It’s the incredible history, the energy of the different producers, the spirit, the life! By taking the time to discover, you are allowing yourself to appreciate everything you see so much more.

This is the beauty of taking a Brew Bus tour. Exploring somewhere new, admiring the scenery, and learning something along the way from someone who is actually excited and knowledgeable about the industry.

Learn more about the many reasons to take a Brew Bus tour.

Hop on a tour today, and see why we love “Driving You to Drink Local!”