Portland is great if you're a beer lover. Or a craft spirits lover. But as a cider lover? It's been…read moreunderwhelming over the years, with sugar-forward options created "from away" (Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, Downeast, etc.), being the primary options. Finally, Freedom's Edge has found its way to the city and, if you love real, authentic cider, it's a destination spot (in what's quickly become a trendy, destination neighborhood). Better apples make better cider. That's their saying. And their knowledge of cider history in Maine, and the apple varietals (bittersweet and bittersharp) that grow best here, is impressive, encouraging, and enlightening. The ciders you'll find here are full-bodied and full of interesting flavors. In the spring/summer? Icy cool apple cider slushies. In the fall/winter? Hot mulled cider with spices. All year round? Cider cocktails. What more could you want? Oh, good cider? Sweet or semi-sweet or dry or tart or funky? They've got it all. The tasting room is clean and spacious with plenty of seating options (high tops, tables, couches, etc.) and big, big windows that let the sun just pooooour right in. I do wish the outdoor space was bigger/more inviting (or that there was a rooftop deck), but you can only work with what you have and Freedom's Edge certainly has. The staff here is friendly and patient with questions and suggestions. The bathrooms always, always, always smell good (IYKYK).

As I understand it, crafting just the right cider is not only a science. It's an art. And one that…read moreI would honestly know very little about. But I know what I like. So, let me state my assessment of this place from a layman's point of view, straight and simple. The concept of a place that specializes solely in making and selling hard ciders of all types is rather brilliant! However, it can be somewhat overwhelming for newcomers who aren't familiar with the tones of sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry, and dry ciders. Frankly, I'm only familiar with the sweetness and dryness of wines. Ciders? They're a different fruit entirely! Since I was totally clueless about the world of hard ciders, my new friend Steff recommended I sample a few. In hindsight though, I shouldn't have gone with a flight of drinks. Because all ciders ain't created equal. I swear some people merely pretend to like every single vintage of cider they try. But I'll tell ya what - ciders are like wines, in a way; each with their own unique tartness, sweetness, whatever flavor that could be considered detectable by your palate. With that said, I will tell you (much to my surprise) the Sweet Mullet ended up being my favorite drink of the night. Matter of fact, I'm kicking myself for not just getting one regular sized glass of that instead of the flight. Everyone swore up and down the Mac Daddy was an all time favorite and it probably is. This one came in second for me. But at least I was able to finish it, along with the Sweet Mullet. As for Pied Pippin and the Cherry Bomb....eh, I dunno. I can't quite explain it. But something about these two ciders offended my palate in a way that made finishing them virtually impossible. Pied Pippin for sure was too sweet for me. And the Cherry Bomb simply confused me. In the end, it was a semi-sweet cider that won my heart for the day. Whodathunkit, right? The way they have their restroom area set up is pretty interesting. The sinks sit outside the actual toilet room, which is wicked smart when you stop and think about it (IYKYK). Btw, shout out to the employee who made sure to leave a note inside one of the toilet rooms instructing the patron to pull the door closed so that it could lock properly. As they say in the 'hood, you da' real MVP! Would I return? Maybe. That is....if a had a good enough reason to. I'm not exactly in the neighborhood all the time. Drives like this....I gotta have a really, REALLY good reason to take the elongated day trip. And we will leave it at that. ;) All other things considered, the staff here are amazing and knowledgeable of their craft. If you're a cider enthusiast, I could definitely recommend this place to anyone in that category. I think I'll give Freedom's Edge Cider 4 innocuous yet tasty Sweet Mullets out of 5.

We love it here! The…read moreatmosphere is very cool a big garage filled with beautiful plants a lovely fire pit lots of games and comfy alcove seating. The seltzers are not my favorite, but they do accommodate the non-Beer drinking crowd. The two times we have been there. I have opted for slushies as well, which have been fun and beautiful. The service is always great. It is counter service, which at times can get busy, but we have gone early in the day during both of our visits which has been steady but not too busy. Although I prefer my bars to be adult only locations, this spot does tend to have families come out to it.

This is one of the coolest breweries I have been too. The atmosphere is cute, cozy, fun all in one…read more Just the name itself is awesome. They are known for their ciders and they also have some beers and slushies. I got a mocktail it was very refreshing. I could have stayed here all day because that is how comfortable the chairs were and the music was amazing! The staff here are nice and helpful. Not to mention too the merch here is very cute and on brand with the name. They don't just sell t-shirts that is for sure. They also have a big outdoor space where people can enjoy their beverages. In the winter time and colder months, it seems you can sit outside as I saw they have a fire pit too. This should be on your list of places to go visit in maine.

We had a great chance to do a tasting here during the 4th of July week. Even in the hot weather…read morethey were experiencing they managed to make it comfortable to relax with a few samples of their cider and take in some live music. Flowers on the tables were a nice touch, and the general family friendly atmosphere was great. The cider is delicious, I especially liked the limited barrel aged they had on hand, and the funkiness of their Around Town (gleaned from trees...around town). They are honest and authentic in the product they make, and it shows.

From the owner: We specialize in dry hard ciders and offer a range of styles. Visit us at the cidery to sample or…read morelineup as well as experimental and small batch speciality styles, or find us throughout Maine wherever great beverages are sold.

Great place. The cider was tasty, 150 feels like just the right amount for the kids. Food truck had…read moreamazing fries.

This is the perfect spot and wish it were closer to us! I have sampled Absolem's ciders at beer…read morefestivals but finally checked out their tasting room/property. Think of it as a large farm with a rustic barn with roaming chickens everywhere. Even a few chickens inside greeting all the guests during our visit! The feel and look of the barn reminded me and my wife of our barn wedding! Definitely a spot during nice weather with so much space available and so much nature to soak up! Then their drink offerings are so huge and vast especially for this area of Maine. Give their house made ciders a try that are not too sweet but have tons of flavor. If cider isn't your thing then don't worry they still got you! Their drink menu is huge with beers from all over the world, wines, cocktails, and on and on. Then often they also have food trucks so grab a bite to eat or bring some of your own snacks if the food truck of the day isn't your ideal meal! The staff were phenomenal as well with their kindness and knowledge. Also often hosting live music as well so bring your friends and family for a night of drinks, live music and enjoying the outdoors. This place is a must try if you are in the area but I think it's also worth the trip even if it's a little further out! I look forward to our return trip.

This is a local Apple stand that offer is so much more than just apples. The market has lots of…read morehandcrafted items and baked goods. They're open until Christmas Eve. I called ahead to find out if they had a certain type of apple, and the phone was promptly answered by a knowledgeable person. They had what I was looking for; I ended up getting some baked products as well. I understand they also have pizza during certain times. Next visit!

This orchard is extremely pretty and amazing. From the staff to the people who visit they were all…read morewonderful. The apple cider cinnamon donuts are a must and were extremely cheap. Their cider was a bit sour but maybe it's just that batch but everything else was delicious. They still had apples to pick compared to other orchards around and had a lot of other stuff to do while there. Parking is just out on the grass and there were a lot of people there that day but that didn't ruin the experience at all.

Kennebec Cider Company gets their apples from other orchards, but they do have a few trees to…read moreexperiment new flavors with. They do distill the apples at this site though. Lots of hard work goes into the bottling of your tasty cider! They host a cider fest here and there and this is my 2nd visit here. Enjoyed every minute of it. Would I go back: Yes!

From the owner: Our mission is simple. Make great cider…read more Each fall, Kennebec Cider sets out to find the best, most flavorful apples Maine has to offer. We start by using all of the apples in our small orchard and then travel throughout Kennebec County and beyond to find as many unique and delicious cider apples as we can. Next the bins of apples get pressed, poured into the tank and ready for fermentation. The yeast is added and the tank is brought to the fermentation room. Time to let the yeast do the work (and it takes patience!). Primary fermentation can take anywhere from two weeks to several months. Once it's fermented to dryness, we "rack" the cider off it's lees. This means we pump the juice off the lees and into another tank. Depending on what we are making, we will allow the cider to age or add blueberries or quince for our other varieties. Allowing the cider additional time to age gives it more complexity, clarity and flavor. As soon as the cider gets the flavor we are looking for, we are ready to bottle. We add a small amount of sugar to the juice which restarts the fermentation in the bottle allowing it to carbonate over several weeks. Bottle conditioning adds a unique effervescence that is hard to find in other ciders. As soon as the bubbles are just perfect, it's time to bottle pasteurize to halt the yeast while keeping just a bit of sweetness. This process results in the Kennebec Cider we love and are proud to produce.

This spot produces Ricker Hill hard cider and those ciders were some of the first hard ciders I…read moretried many years ago. Despite that, this was my first actual visit to their tasting room. It's very much off the beaten path but an absolute worthy spot of taking a detour for! The dirt roads were very well maintained though I must say. Once you arrive they have a giant parking lot and then once inside you step into a beautifully designed rustic space. If the weather is nice they have some absolutely stunning views you can take in outside while enjoying your beverage. During our visit, I will say a large portion of the space was in use for a party/event. Despite this the staff were very warm and welcoming to our party and even tried to create a private lounge like space for us. I very much appreciated the effort they put to make us feel welcome. I wish the weather would have been a little nicer to enjoy outside! I got their vanilla hard cider while my wife got their blueberry hard cider. Both were phenomenal. They also offer flights for only $10 and even have suggestions for some mixing of ciders including a fan favorite mix of blueberry and maple to create a blueberry pancake. I have had this blend previously and it is amazing! A spot worth adding to your list to visit for the breath-taking views and delicious drinks!

What a beautiful cidery, located in Greene, Maine. Owned by Ricker Hill Farms, the Tasting Room is…read morelocated in a large red barn, built in 1833 by the Hill family. Many varieties of Ricker Hill hard cider are available, along with wine and sweet (non-alcoholic) ciders. My favorite was the Mainiac Mac Blueberry cider, made from a blend of fresh fermented apples and fresh Maine blueberries. This drink embodies the Maine wild blueberry taste that I love! It drinks sweet and tangy, a flavorful kick for your taste buds. The panoramic vista affords 360 degree views of Sabbatus Lake, the western mountains of Maine, and Mount Washington. Beautiful scenery and delicious cider. A great way to enjoy an afternoon or evening!

What a cool place!…read more I've know of Lunch for a while and decided to finally stop by the brewery and it was beautiful inside. We just stopped for some drinks before dinner, and I did indeed get a wine, and it was very yummy. The server was also super friendly and let me try the wine before!

This place is cool! The water feature, mossy walls and giant whale skeleton create such a unique…read moreatmosphere, plus having delicious pizza amidst it all makes for a great evening. I went for the community pizza night to benefit Maine Audubon, and ordered the margherita pizza. For $18 it's a decent size, and super yummy. I ate the whole thing myself, so not a huge pizza, but I was very hungry which helped. The staff were friendly and fun to talk to, and the food came out quick! Bonus points for bathrooms with entire "rooms" for stalls, and feeling very clean. And even more bonus points for an Inciardi Mystery Print machine!

Came here to try out their new food menu. I heard from coworkers that they used to have a food…read moretruck but now they are making their own food and it is pretty good. I came around 7:30 on a weeknight and it was not super busy. The cribbage group just finished and was heading out-they have lots of social event here which I hope to attend now. I had chicken tenders+fries and a blackberry mule. I thought it was super tasty! I made conversation with the bartender and other people at the bar. Everyone was very friendly and I can't wait to come back. Additionally, they have great holiday decor! Also a couch, books, games, etc. Seems like a great place to meet with friends. Especially since they also do coffee here. Overall super impressed. I wish I came here sooner!

SXE has been one of my favorite locations to visit ever since moving back to Maine. I've been able…read moreto experience many of their transitions, from brewery and coffee shop, to the roasting of their own coffee beans, to making and serving their own food. My daughter met Santa for the first time here two years ago. I've taken all my guests visiting from out of town here. I've celebrated Father's Day with my dad here and date nights with my husband. I've enjoyed jazz brunch with my kids and girl's days with my friends and sister. When I'm craving a delicious coffee beverage, Side By Each is the first place I think of. Whether I am taking my drink to go or having it at the brewery, it is always well crafted. I most recently had a salted caramel latte and it was splendid along with their cinnamon rolls. I actually visited SXE twice yesterday and on my second visit tried their fried pickles and pretzel appetizer. Both were delicious and the dipping sauce and beer cheese both packed in a great amount of flavor. They also hand cut their fries which adds another level of deliciousness. I always love seeing the same individuals behind the bar serving me and the owner has always been so friendly anytime I interacted with him. When I recently heard that this fantastic location would be closing the first of the year, I would be lying if I said I didn't shed some tears-- this spot will be greatly missed by many and I certainly hope to see SXE out in the community in some capacity in the future or through the continuation of beer brewing and coffee bean roasting. Thanks for everything Side By Each Brewing, you really did it all and you did it all well!

Ever since our first trip to Maine Craft Distilling, we've been frequent returners for their happy…read morehour! One of the best in Portland!

Popped into here after having lunch just next door. We weren't planning on buying anything but we…read moresay they sold seltzers so we grabbed a few to try out. After chatting about the flavors we were easily talked into trying their tasters which can be given in 3, 6, or 9 portions. For the seltzers, I really enjoyed the rhubarb & lime as well as the elderflower. We found the mule to be a bit too sweet for what we like. In terms of hard liquor, I would rank from most to least favorites to be the whiskey, gin, rum, apple brandy, and one that tasted like cough syrup. Overall, we had fun even during our brief visit. The staff are sweet and it's a very comfortable and casual environment you can easily spend hours in. Would come again!