Ryan F.
Yelp
Enjoyed some beers at Lone Pine Brewing on Saturday evening. The selection and caliber of beer is great, but the current setup is what prevents a completely glowing review.
Quality: Lone Pine Brewing had the highest quality, largest variety, and most creative beers we tried during our recent trip to Portland. The long beer list was heavy on IPAs, but also had sours, stouts, and seltzers to round out the selection. During our visit I tried Blueberry Sparkler Sour, OH-J Double IPA, The Chaga Stout, and Hot Fudge Monday Imperial Stout. On a cold and wet day, the Hot Fudge Monday Imperial Stout really hit the mark, but I enjoyed each of the beers I tried. They also had a very fun food truck set up right out front, which had a constant crowd. The only thing they were really missing is the pathway between taproom and beer garden.
Quantity: They were only offering full and half pours. Normally I would be asking for taster pours, but it was too busy on this evening for that to be a good option.
Value: $5-$7 for Draft Pours. $4 for Half Draft Pours.
Ambiance: Lone Pine Brewing is located in the East Bayside area of Portland, Maine. It is in the last stretch of breweries before hitting the water, sharing walls with another brewery and two wineries. They have a small outdoor patio on the street level with several tables and a fire-pit, which is connected by a flight of stairs to the taproom. It is a tight taproom with just a few tables and a small bar. Then there is a small driveway that takes you up to the beer garden area. This beer garden is lovely, with multiple levels of picnic tables, high-tops, bar seating, and even Adirondack chairs. While not in the optimal direction, it still offers a nice view, and there is a small bar built at the center. The problem however, is you can't have it both ways, either the nicer seating area or the larger selection of beers.
Crowd: The brewery was fairly busy on Saturday evening, but the frustration with not being able to bring beers to the outdoor beer garden definitely had an impact on guests choosing not to stick around longer. Also, the current dog policy in the beer garden also proved a major issue.
Service: The staff were great, but the situation they have found themselves in is not. Currently guests are not permitted to bring beers ordered at the taproom up to the beer garden, because drinks are prohibited from the small stretch of driveway between them. One of the bartenders said this is a recent development after a visit from the police. This is problematic because the larger beer garden has lots of space, but only four items on tap, while the lower area has fifteen taps, but minimal space. They need to figure out something fast, because it is a real deterrent as you can't both enjoy the larger selection of beer and the better space together.
Parking: A fair amount of street parking directly in front of the brewery.