I recently visited Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery and had a very enjoyable experience. One of the…read morebiggest draws was their $1 tastings, yes, just one dollar for a taste of their ciders, wine and spirits, which is really fun and makes sampling without commitment super easy. The service was great, our server, Courtney, was exceptionally friendly, helpful in guiding us through the selection, and made the whole experience relaxed and enjoyable. I want to note, as a point of context, that in September the production facility of Sweetgrass's main operation in Union suffered a devastating fire. Despite that, the Portland tasting room remains open and functioning, which is a testament to their resilience. On the tasting side the variety was solid, and the $1 price point made it easy to try a bunch of things. The ambiance is cozy and inviting. If I were to pick one improvement, I'd say the tasting pours felt a bit light compared to some other spots I've been to....not a complaint, just an observation given the price point and expectations. In all, Sweetgrass is a strong pick if you're looking for a laid-back, local winery/distillery stop in Portland with friendly staff (shoutout to Courtney) and wallet-friendly tastings.

Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery is a farm winery and distillery that opened in Union, Maine in 2005…read more It was founded by husband and wife Keith & Constance Bodine. Keith has been in the alcohol business since 1992, and he earned his MS degree in Food Science and Enology. Constance has been called the heart, soul and brains behind the business. She spends most of her time in the fields, gardens and barns that produce the various ingredients used for making their wine and spirits. Sweetgrass is Maine's first farm winery & distillery; using over 70,000 pounds of Maine-grown fruit and grain each year. The distilled spirits are hand crafted in old world tradition with a copper alembic, still capturing the full flavors of their gin, rum, and traditional apple brandy. A secondary tasting room and retail shop opened on historic Fore Street in the Old Port section of Portland in February 2014. In September 2025, a debilitating fire destroyed the Union facility. The Old Port location remains open, but the future of the Union location remains uncertain. My extended family and I visited Sweetgrass's Portland location this past summer while we were vacationing in Maine. While exploring Old Port, we walked past their window and I said, "Hey, this looks like a cool place!" We went inside and signed up for a tasting. For just $10, customers can choose any five wines, ciders or spirits to taste. The five that I chose included "Maine Hard Imperial Cider" (Dry Cider), "Blueberry Smash" (Semi-Sweet Dessert Wine), "Back River Gin", "Cranberry Gin", and "Apple Brandy". The latter was easily my favorite of the tasting, but unfortunately they had no more bottles for purchase. I plan on ordering some online in the future. I am so happy that I discovered the Old Port tasting room by chance. I felt really bad when I learned later on that the Union location burned down. I'm happy to hear that no one was hurt and I hope that they are able to rebuild.

Found this place randomly for Maine Maple Sunday and glad we did! The place cooks up their own…read moresyrup and makes Maple Whiskey! They're open every Saturday and have an assortment of maple items and offer a good 10+ different options for mixed drinks. Their Blueberry Lemonade mixed drink was amazing. To top it off, they offer a few basic bites to eat from their kitchen (though - it's best to just count this place in as a snack spot with drinks than a full blown meal). Great atmosphere overall.. And you might just run into the Maine Cabin Masters. We did!

Went tonight for live jazz and the atmosphere was impeccable. I'm a sucker for live jazz, and the…read morecherry on top was the Rosemary Collins I had while listening. Great drinks, great vibes, 10/10.

If you're visiting Portland, pop over to Washington Ave and visit this local gin distillery. Grab a…read moresofa, stool, or chair in their tasting room with some friends and immerse yourself in some local made gin cocktails. The beautiful high ceilings with huge windows and the afternoon sun streaming in is an extra bonus to this laid back spot. They have multiple seasonal cocktail options that are delicious, along with the classics (Bees Knees & French 75 were my favorite!) Our favorite gin here is the Hardshore original gin (pairs perfect in a homemade lemon drop) and the Hardshore North Oak Gin. A convenience is also that you can order the gin for a flat rate of $12 shipping (minimum two bottles) to your home! We were introduced to this place when we went with a group of friends- it's a great spot for a large group. We liked it so much, we went back the next time we were in the area. They have board games, outdoor seating, and are pup friendly, what more could you ask for! IG- Lentz_Explore

Excellent distillery. I spoke to Tim, one of the owners, and he shared the stories of each spirit…read more Great experience. Recommended stop while jumping through the breweries in the area. got a chance to taste all their spirits and each one was delicious and had a unique flavor profile. Really tasty suasion, gin, and rum.

15 mins away form Portland. Definitely, worth visiting. Tour and tasting was $5. Staff as very…read moreknowledgeable and Friendly. The product tasted wonderful. I recommend the tour

Top notch service and selections. I had a tasting earlier and all of their alcohol is on-point. I…read morepersonally usually like sweeter tasting things more, and the seasonal Maple drink I just happened to stumble on it in my travels and ended up getting that! Bathroom floor has leaves decoration on it. I meant to get a picture of this, but I forgot to, and it was too embarrassing to go back to get the pic later on because I was the only customer in the building at the time and I would've felt too weird asking to use the facilities so soon (unnecessarily) or to ask if I could take a picture of leaves decoration on a floor. The entire building has a rustic farm house look inside, but everything is clean and comfortable and not "rustic" or "rural country" in a dirty sorta way.

Great customer service and not just wine to taste. While not a big gin fan, I did get a bottle…read morebecause it was great. Would love to be able to bring a bottle of everything back. Worth the drive off Rt 1. to check it out.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Three of Strong. We've been several times, and there's…read morejust a warmth and coziness to it that I haven't found in many of the surrounding breweries/distilleries. The interior is spacious and chic, everyone greets you with a smile, and the service is just so kind. The cocktails are also delicious and reasonably priced: highly recommend doing the cocktail flight ($11 for three pours) so you can try a variety! We usually order their popcorn as well: $5 for a bowl with unlimited refills. Great cocktails + great popcorn + any of the boardgames that they have on hand = a perfect rainy-day afternoon. I also have to give a special shout-out to the staff at Three of Strong for allowing me to host part of my 30th birthday at the distillery when a previously planned picnic got rained out. I cannot emphasize enough how welcoming and helpful everyone was, setting tables up last minute to seat our large group, getting us paper plates, a knife, and a lighter when I was woefully unprepared for the cake-cutting, and slinging great drinks all afternoon to keep everyone entertained. We've since moved out of Portland, but Three of Strong remains one of our favorite go-to's during our time there. I'd give them 10 stars if they could, and you can be sure we'll be visiting next time we're back in town!

Amidst the throng of breweries, Three of Strong Spirits stands out for its, well, spirits! A…read morevariety of rums, gin and vodka, cocktails on tap and in flights and in cans. A great open seating area, games, off street parking and courteous and talented staff makes this a great place to stop in with friends! Tip: the cocktails on tap are sweeter and a few ounce smaller pour than the cans.

Maine maple weekend 2025!…read more We decided to go to Chadwick's Craft Spirits for one of our stops. I read about the history and a few reviews and thought it would be a great stop. Little did I know it would be THE BEST stop on our tour! Every person working at Chadwick's was AWESOME!!! One review stated, "The people there made you feel like family!" They were absolutely correct. First we met Lynn's niece and she told us a lot about the history and the layout of the location. Super kind, happy and friendly. The next spot at Chadwick's was the sample table and the woman we spoke to was AMAZING! Sorry, I can't remember her name, (maybe too many samples? Lol) She knew everything about each product and answered every question we asked. They had 10 items to sample. There was vodka, whiskey and liqueur. Some of the flavors were raspberry, blueberry and strawberry and plain vodkas. The whiskey flavors were maple, apple pie and cinnamon and reserve 100 proof. All of them were delicious!!! Then we met Lynn and she was awesome too. She was in the distillery and she was informative and friendly. We talked about how she began and all the hard work to get her where she is today. Next, we went inside the shop and met AJ and his sister! (Sorry, I don't remember her name either but she was warm and sweet. Both of them were exceptional at service, not just with us, but with everyone they spoke to. They have a lot of products there, from t-shirts to spirits and much more. We were told that some events are coming soon, including open mic night, live bands and much, much more!!! The location is perfect, very quaint and charming and worth going out of your way for. The only advertising is by word of mouth and social media, so please spread the word!

What a unique place! Off the beaten path but not too far. In a beautiful place with eclectic…read moreseating and fire pits! You receive a tasting and then choose your drink. This is casual yet so fun!! Karaoke on this night but they also have bands! This is a must on a Saturday night!!

Very cool spot in a small New England town. Everything I tasted was excellent, will need to go back…read moreand taste the rest. Came home with a couple bottles of Gin and Bourbon.

A must for the connoisseur: I admit I was accompanying a whiskey expert, who thoroughly enjoyed…read morehimself with the fascinating flavors.