AUGUSTA, MAINE
50 miles North of Portland and one-quarter mile Southeast of state capitol, Augusta, lies Hallowell’s Irish pub-styled LIBERAL CUP PUBLIC HOUSE, a bustling low-ceiling brick-walled brewery and eatery attended October ‘05. Maps of Maine line walls alongside beer can-bottle collection inside wood-furnished crowded bar section and left side dining area.
Had chicken-sausage gumbo while quaffing rear brew tanks’ phenol prickly-hopped fruit-spiced Ale Wife Ale, mild orange-tangy grapefruit-embittered Bug Lager and its stronger, slicker peach-softened offshoot, Bug Zapper.
Better fare included orange-fruited grain-roasted Ex-Wife Extra Bitter, smooth nut-fig-sugared orange-bruised Drummer’s Lane Brown Ale, and nutty milk chocolate-y coffee bean-aided Tarbox Cream Stout.