The Pride of Maine

On the opposite side of Southern Maine from Ebenezer’s sits its sister pub, The Lion’s Pride. Located in Brunswick, and also owned by Chris and Jen Lively, The Lion’s Pride is a little beer oasis tucked away in an unsuspecting colonial town not far north from Portland.

The tap menu boasts “The World’s Greatest Draught Beer List” and we think they might be right.  Consisting of 35 taps, mostly Belgian brews, the same beautifully hand-blown glass tap handles as seen in Eb’s also adorn the bar at Lion’s Pride. Not as rustic looking, The Lion’s Pride is decorated with wall size paintings and signs of only the best of the best breweries found around the world. The passion that Chris Lively holds for beer can definitely be seen in the choice of his décor for the place.

Browsing over the beer menu, our first bartender Ana, a lovely gal from the Czech Republic offered us samples of Tsmisje Wostyntje, a dark amber ale spiced with Torhouts’s mustard and Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace Saison. I opted for the Brooklyn beer which had a taste of lemongrass goodness and Angelo went with one of his all time favorite, the 1809 Berliner Style Weisse.

Soon after ordering our first round we started chatting with another bartender who seemed to have a wealth of beer knowledge. Leigh and her fiancé Ryan both work at The Lion’s Pride and after speaking with them I thought we had met our East Coast counterparts. Having a passion for beer that exceeds most, these two have dedicated their lives to the craft of beer. Just like us, they also plan vacations around beer destinations.  Says Leigh: “While a lot of people would love to go to the Caribbean, we’re heading to Muncie, Indiana.” Their next trip adventure will take them Three Floyd’s Dark Lord Days and he hope that they will soon come out and visit us in Beervana.

Upon the their recommendation our next brews ordered were the BFM Le Muele, a tart golden blond brewed with sage and Saison dErpe-Mere. Again, enough cannot be said about the beer selection at both bars owned by the Livelys. If we could have afforded to spend all day at either place we probably wouldn’t have ever left. Highlights from the list consisted of Weyerbacher Double Simcoe, Strubbe Flemish Oud Bruin and Aventinus.  Browsing the tap list we decided to stay for one more and order a small plate of food to help soak up the beer. This time around the beers of choice were Brooklyn’s Flemish Gold and Cuvee de Jocobin.

The food at Lion’s Pride incorporates beers into the recipe where it can. The Belgian fries came with a side of house made Cantillon aioli sauce which was delicious. The sandwiches served at Lion’s Pride provide a great complement to the beers offered on tap.

The Lion’s Pride has a brew system in place but currently it is not in operation. Considering the quality of their tap selection the establishment is keeping its eyes open for the perfect brewer. Also located in the brew house were kegs of Mikkeller’s single hop series which were being held for the 420 Fest which takes place April 16-20th. Consisting of BBQ, beer, camping (although maybe not with the spring snowfall) and music this would have been a great fest to attend.