Beer List
CHRISTMAS ALE
Extra Special Bitter
Starting Gravity: 1064
Finish: 1016
ABV: 6.2%
I.B.U.’s: 25
Hops: Styrian Goldings, Saaz, Yakima Goldings, Willamette
Available: November through December
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
Every November heralds the return of our holiday seasonal, Christmas Ale. It’s a robust E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) full of holiday cheer. It scored a 97 by Beer Advocate. Christmas Ale has a lovely, dark red/amber color. This ale has a chocolaty character followed by an earthy hop flavor with a fruity middle-to-end and hints of melon and pear. We brew our Christmas Ale to an original gravity of 1064 (about 6.2% alcohol by volume) which gives it a light warming feature. We use only the finest English Pale and Crystal Malts and a touch of roasted barley. Willamette, Styrian Goldings, Saaz and Yakima Goldings leaf hops round out this hearty brew. Gritty’s Christmas Ale has no additives, fruits or spices. It’s a good, honest ale, perfect for the season.
SCOTTISH ALE
Scottish Ale
Starting Gravity: 1065
Finish: 1014
ABV: 6.2%
I.B.U.’s: 24
Hops: Northern Brewer, Goldings
Available: January to April
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
It takes a brave beer to stand up to a Maine winter. Gritty’s Scottish Ale returns every January to help you weather the season. Scottish Style Ale is our interpretation of the robust brews native to Scotland. It pours a clear burnished copper blended with woody brown color, a tan-colored foam head and a little lace. The aroma is sweet and fruity, with nutty and buttery tones. There’s a rich, slightly sweet first impression on the palate that rounds to a satisfying semi-dry hop finish. We use generous quantities of pale malt along with Munich and caramalts to give this ale a deep and complex profile. Beef stew would be a great pairing with this one. Sure to please the Braveheart in all of us.
VACATIONLAND ALE
Golden Pale Ale
Starting Gravity: 1049
Finish: 1012
ABV: 4.8%
I.B.U.’s: 22
Hops: Cascade Leaf, Cascade, Saaz
Available: April through August
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
You can’t put summer in a bottle, but we may have come close. When the weather gets warm we roll out our summer seasonal, Vacationland Summer Ale. Vacationland is an Extra Special Golden Ale with a deep brassy golden color, a full body, and a snappy hop finish. We use generous portions of pale malt with just a touch of wheat malt to give VSA that unique flavor that’s richer than most summer brews. A surprisingly robust malt character leads off with hints of caramel, toffee and touch of toasted grain. Then a lemon citrus snap cuts through at mid-palate. Vacationland finishes with a delicate leafy hops flavor from the Cascade leaf hops we use. It’s the perfect brew for all things summer.
HALLOWEEN ALE
Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Starting Gravity: 1060
Finish: 1010
ABV: 6.0%
I.B.U.’s: 45
Hops: Whitbread Goldings Variety, East Kent Goldings
Available: August to November
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
Every fall marks the return of our legendary Halloween Ale – the beer so good, it’s scary. This masterful brew is not only a great rendition of the Extra Special Bitter style (ESB) but a great alternative to the annual onslaught of pumpkin beers. No pumpkins are harmed in the brewing of this beer. This robust brew has a deep amber color, a bold, malty palate and a well-rounded hop finish. Halloween Ale is smooth and creamy with a medium-to-full body. It has a big malty flavor with toasted caramel balanced by ripe pear and faint apple undertones. The hops give it ample bitterness, but the beer finishes a bit sweet. Halloween Ale, the perfect beer for a crisp autumn day.
SEBAGO LIGHT ALE
Light Ale
Starting Gravity: 1033
Finish: 1011
ABV: 3.2%
I.B.U.’s: 18
Hops: Willamette, Cascade
Available: Year Round
Packages: At our Freeport pub only.
Sebago Light Ale is a low-alcohol ale brewed in the classic Gritty fashion. Featuring a touch of Caramalt blended with 2-row barley from the UK. Available primarily in our Freeport Brew Pub, but occasionally on tap at our other locations as well. A great pint for someone just getting started with craft beer.
RASPBERRY WHEAT ALE
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Packages: At our Freeport pub only.
Raspberry Wheat Ale is a draft-only selection served at our Brew Pubs. This session beer features a lovely straw color and a nice raspberry flavor that is not too overpowering. We add pureed raspberries to the beer during fermentation and this helps reduce the sweetness but the flavor remains. This is a great ale for folks who are new to craft beer.
BEST BITTER
British-Style Bitter
Starting Gravity: 1050
Finish: 1012
ABV: 4.8%
I.B.U.’s: 25
Hops: Yakima Goldings
Available: Year Round
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
Best Bitter was the first beer we brewed at our Portland brewpub. This true English classic has been the anchor of our draft selection ever since. Best Bitter is copper-colored, smooth and a little crisp with malty flavors of toasted grain and some residual sweetness that tastes a little caramel then fades to a slight hop bitterness. Make sure you don’t drink this brew too cold; it will mask all of the true Bitter style flavors. We use Yakima Golding hop flowers when we brew this beer.
ORIGINAL PUB STYLE
British Style Pale Ale
Starting Gravity: 1046
Finish: 1012
ABV: 4.5%
I.B.U.’s: 18
Hops: Willamette, Cascade
Available: Year Round
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
“Original Pub Style captures what made people fell in love with craft brewing in the first place: a fresh, classic pale ale with plenty of hop character,” says Brewmaster Ed Stebbins. Original Pub Style is a light copper-colored medium-bodied beer with a nice dry bite at the finish. A subtle combination of Cascade and Willamette hops give this ale a fine floral aroma and a slightly fruity undertone. The taste captures the freshness of a hand-crafted ale that goes right from the conditioning tank to your pint glass.
BEST BROWN
Brown Ale
Starting Gravity: 1044
Finish: 1014
ABV: 4.1%
I.B.U.’s: 16
Hops: Willamette, Cascade
Available: Year Round
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” keg
Best Brown Ale has a dark red-amber color, a full, round malt palate, nutty and roasted accents, and a delicate hop flavor that whispers with just a hint of floral finish. Best Brown is the perfect ale for a long afternoon spent with good friends and some nice hearty food. Best Brown Ale is modeled after the classic “session beers” that are so often found pouring in British pubs. Low in alcohol, a subdued hopping rate and nice caramel finish make this the perfect beer to enjoy while playing a long game of cribbage with a good friend. Best Brown pairs well with aged cheddar cheese and smoked seafood.
BLACK FLY STOUT
Dry Irish Stout
Starting Gravity: 1044
Finish: 1014
ABV: 4.7%
I.B.U.’s: 16
Hops: Willamette, Cluster, Goldings
Available: Year Round
Packages: 22 oz bottles, 15.5 gallon “full” kegs, and 7.75 gallon “quarter” kegs
Black Fly Stout is an opaque black-colored brew with a cream-colored head. First there is a rush of mild roasted malt and subdued black currant fruitiness, then the roasted malt kicks things up a notch by unleashing an even burnt charcoal bitterness. Malt sweetness holds this brew together in the beginning, then the dryness sets in to make the mouth beg for more. Lingering suggestions of espresso and vague chocolate flavor make up the end. We use six different grains to brew this dark masterpiece and we balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. The Alström Brothers at Beer Advocate Magazine gave Gritty’s Black Fly Stout a perfect 100 score and had this to say about our Stout: “One of the top stouts brewed in the US, very well balanced and is even more heavenly on nitro-tap. Certainly a stout lover’s stout…”
WET HOP ALE
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ABV: 4.8%
I.B.U.’s: 52
Hops: Centennial & Cascade
Available: Autumn
Packages: Only available in a pint glass at our Portland Brew Pub
Wet Hop Ale is an original style developed by North American brewers. What distinguishes a wet hop beer from a regular beer is the use of freshly harvested or ‘wet’ hops in the brewing process. We traveled to Aroostook Hops in Westfield, ME and picked ripened Centennial & Cascade cones right off the vine, and then delivered them to our brewers the next day. The use of “fresh, ‘wet’ hops imparts amazing and unique fruit aromas and flavors to the beer that you just cannot get from using traditional kiln dried hops. Each beer is considered a ‘one-off’, as there is no way of predicting to what extent the ‘wet’ hops will affect the flavor of each individual brew. In addition to ‘wet’ Centennial hops, the barley in this beer is grown and malted by Buck Farms in Mapleton, ME, making the County Wet Hop a 100% locally sourced beer. This beer comes in at 4.8% ABV and 52 IBU’s.
