Sea Dog brewing again at Bangor restaurant

Posted Jan. 02, 2009, at 7:55 p.m.

BANGOR, Maine — For years, the Sea Dog Brewing Co. was known for its brewery in the back, its bar-restaurant in the front, where cold beer was served along with burgers, sandwiches and a helping of town gossip. But when Portland-based Shipyard took over beer production about six years ago, beer-making at the Sea Dog ceased.

For the past few months, however, the Bangor brewery has been back up and running, making a few of its own beers at its Front Street location.

Customers seem to like knowing their beer was brewed just a few feet away from their table.

“For people, it’s just the novelty of the thing,” said Sea Dog general manager Larry Killam.

Brewer Josh Horton has been in charge of the brewing facility since last summer, Killam said, after training in Portland with Shipyard and also with Kennebunkport Brewing Co.

Horton has been brewing four basic types of beer — Windjammer Blonde Ale, Old East India Pale Ale, Sea Dog Pale Ale and Extra Special Bitter — and a seasonal beer since last summer in the brewery’s seven-barrel system, which was originally in the Sea Dog restaurant in Camden. There are 31 gallons in one barrel.

Unlike the operations at facilities such as Black Bear Brewery in Orono, Sea Dog beer isn’t stored in kegs but in serving tanks, which hold a whole batch of beer.

The beer brewed in Bangor is served at the Sea Dog’s Bangor and Topsham locations.

The restaurant is hoping to move into other areas, too, with its revived brewery.

“As we go forward we want to expand to [half-gallon glass jug] growlers and do brewery tours,” Killam said. “We’ve already done beer [tasting] dinners, and we may do more of those, too.”

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

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