SBM 25: BBC13 Pre Conference

Picture this.  You've been up all night in an airport.  You've just driven through three New England States.  All you want is to check in to your hotel, take a shower, and nap for days.  But wait, you are at the Beer Bloggers' Conference.  There will be no rest.  There will be no nap.  Instead, you are whisked away on an 18 person tour bus to your first stop:  Allagash Brewing.  An impressive brewery tour, including an exclusive koelschip siting, ending with four unique samples (my favorite of these being the Curieux: a Bourbon Barrel aged Tripel) allowed for some much needed get to know you time among bloggers.

Rising Tide Brewing Company
With time for one more stop before our official BBC13 Pre Conference, we stopped in at Rising Tide.   Food truck, Cornhole boards, and a distillery next door made this locale all around perfect.  A local truffle maker was present with chocolate morsels to pair perfectly with the beer samples.  While I didn't indulge on those, I did sample RT's wears.  My favorite sip was Ismael, a malty rich Copper Ale weighing in at 4.9%.  While I could have spent the afternoon hanging out at this laid back brewery, it was time to head downtown Portland, ME to taste some much anticipated Cabot Creamery Cheeses and Geary's Beers.

Beer pairing dinner at Sebago Brewing Company.
Satisfied with the ample cheese and beer tasting over at Cabot's, along with the meeting of the rest of the Pre Conference bloggers, we all headed over in the light drizzle to Sebago Brewing Company.  Who would have thought that back home in Seattle, I was missing out on 90 degree temps.  Highlights of the beer dinner included the Brie, Apple, and Caramelized Onion flatbread, the blogger brewed Citra Saaz Down, and this Bonfire Rye Ale that had yet to be released.  Being on the Eastern Seaboard lent itself to many offerings including shellfish.  The staff at Sebago went above and beyond to make sure that I had a delicious alternative that didn't land me in the hospital.