If you’re unfamiliar with Portland’s Riverton neighborhood, know that it was (and is) the place to be. In the late 1800s, crowds of visitors flocked here to take the five-cent trolley into Portland, catch a show at the Riverton Trolley Park’s outdoor amphitheater, walk along the scenic river pathways, or play a leisurely game of croquet.
Today, an unassuming street in the area offers an afternoon of hops, flights, pizza, and lobster rolls to anyone willing to visit. Industrial Way has become the beer-lover’s off-peninsula paradise, where you can sip on a cold beverage from six different breweries while traveling exclusively on foot. Plus, there’s plenty of patio space to enjoy while the weather’s warm—which means there are also plenty of pups to pet.
One road, six breweries—does it get better than that? Here’s the low down on Industrial Way’s beer haven.
Foundation is one of my favorite breweries in all of Portland, and for good reason. They offer plenty of craft IPAs for my husband, while I can enjoy a colorful flight of fruited sour ales (you haven’t lived until you’re tried their sweet and tart My Jam series, which rotates flavors every 4-6 weeks). If you’re looking for a break from the hops, be sure to try Zesty, Foundation’s take on a spiked lemonade (they even have a blueberry version).
When I first discovered Foundation, they had a rotating line up of visiting food trucks, but they’ve since expanded their kitchen to focus on one impeccable thing: Detroit-style pizza. This crispy, crunchy, cheesy take on a thicker crust pizza is absolutely worth the visit, and the team at Foundation crafts up incredibly fun specials like The Cheeseburger, Buffalo Chicken, and Greek Pizza. If that doesn’t float your boat, you can build your own ‘za by choosing from a variety of toppings—just don’t be surprised when it comes out with the sauce on top. Pro tip: stop by on Wednesdays to get a cheese pizza and two pints for just $25!
Did I mention the team at Foundation loves dogs? In addition to their regular Instagram account and pizza-focused handle, they run @foundationpups to showcase all of the good girls and boys who stop by the patio. Foundation’s merch line includes a dog collar with a beer opener, a leash with the Foundation logo, and even a stuffed can of Epiphany complete with the flagship beer’s iconic label.
1 Industrial Way, Suite 7
While some may think “definitive” means to conclude with authority, the folks at Definitive Brewing use their name as a reminder that they should always strive to make their brews even better. It’s a wonderful philosophy, but let’s be real: their beer is pretty great as is!
Definitive prides themselves on offering something for everyone, from sours and IPAs to stouts, kolsch, and Lighting Water (a series of fruity seltzers reminiscent of summery agua frescas). The Riverton location is home to a 15 barrel brew house with 10 different fermenters and welcomes a rotating lineup of food trucks like Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen, Tacos del Seoul, PB&ME, and Slide Street Co.
35 Industrial Way
Craft brewery Austin Street has two accessible locations in Portland: one on Fox Street and one on Industrial Way. While both feature indoor and outdoor seating, the Riverton location is where Austin Street’s blending and bottling occurs.
Order an 8, 12, or 16 oz. draft to enjoy in the tasting room, or grab a few cans of your favorite brew to take home. The small but mighty selection of beers on tap features flagship beers Patina (a hop-forward American pale ale), Rally (a session IPA with notes of pineapple and orange), and Florens (a double dry hopped American IPA), plus a rotating array of seasonal favorites.
Industrial Way exclusives include $13 4-packs on Thursdays and Yappy Hour every Friday.
1 Industrial Way, Suite 8
Fueled by the dedication to carry on Portland’s craft beer legacy, Jacob Condon and Shane Noble founded Battery Steele to challenge themselves as brewers with 25 years of experience in the industry. The team recently opened a kitchen and bar in Wells that’s certainly worth a visit, but the original Riverton location is a perfect stop on your walking tour of Industrial Way.
Battery Steele’s draft list includes fan favorites like Flume and Little Flume as well as New England IPAs, stouts, sours, and lagers. Be sure to try Batella, a crushable Mexican lager collab with Taco Escobarr, as you capture the perfect photo in front of local artist Rebecca Volynsky’s colorful mural.
1 Industrial Way, Suites 12 and 14
Ahhh, the spot that needs no introduction. Allagash is practically synonymous with Maine, and their flagship tasting room on Industrial Way is a hot spot for visitors and locals alike. In addition to the family-friendly tasting room, the exclusive Cellars at Allagash offers immersive tasting experiences for those 21 and older. Besides crafting some of the country’s best Belgian-inspired beers, Allagash is a Certified B Corp that brews for the good of the community and environment. An award-winning Bite into Maine food truck parked at the tasting room serves up three different kinds of lobster rolls along with a variety of sandwiches, beer brats, and whoopie pies.
50 Industrial Way
Geary Brewing is a legend in the craft beer space: founded in 1983 by David and Karen Geary, the brewery was New England’s first post-prohibition craft brewery and the 13th craft brewery in the entire country.
The tasting room and beer garden, located just past Industrial Way, is the perfect place to sample Geary Brewing Co.’s iconic selection of IPAs, porters, sours, fruited lagers, bourbon barrel aged beers, and even Maine’s first gluten removed pale ale. The establishment also brews their own root beer and serves up 1820 Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic brews.
Sustainability is key at Geary Brewing Co., and their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed: they’ve reduced their carbon footprint by switching brewing operations from CO2 to nitrogen, their spent grain is donated to local farms for feed and fertilizer, and they recently made the switch to 100% renewable wind power.
38 Evergreen Drive
