Bus Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
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from
$99.00
per adult
Maine Brews Cruise
Maine Brews Cruise
5
Beer Tastings & Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Food Tours
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10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Full view
About
Maine Brews Cruise was initially founded as The Maine Brew Bus in September 2012 by husband-and-wife Zach and Allison Poole. Our all-inclusive tours and experiences provide guests a behind-the-scenes look at Maine’s craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and more. Tour guests enjoy having an expert guide, and often a dedicated driver, to lead them to both established and up-and-coming producers. This offers an opportunity to learn much more about the craft alcohol business than they could learn on their own. Over 35,000 people have been connected to Maine’s craft alcohol producers since our tours began almost 10 years ago. In early 2020, we announced that we had acquired a majority share of Brews Cruise, Inc., a company that licenses and supports craft beverage tour operators around the United States. In April 2021, the brand-new Maine Brews Cruise brand aligned our company with the national Brews Cruise presence.
Portland, Maine
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Maine Brews Cruise
Bus Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$99.00
per adult
Bus Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$99.00
per adult
Bus Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$87.00
per adult
Bus Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$99.00
per adult
Travelers talk about
(160 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,321 reviews
Excellent
1,237
Very good
71
Average
9
Poor
4
Terrible
0
Holli B
5 contributions
Jun 2022
We highly recommend taking the Maine Brews Cruise if you have interest in learning about the local craft beer scene. We toured three breweries during this tour. At each location we learned about their history, brewing process, and how they set themselves apart. One of our stops, Belleflower Brewing Company, one of the owners spent time with us to provide these details. It was great to have this inside look and the passion behind the product. We went away with so much knowledge and understanding of the passion leading to a growing craft brewery industry. We also of course enjoyed many delicious brews.
Written July 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin G
1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Couples
We visited Portland for the first time a week ago and were looking for a way to get a local’s perspective of the city. We found the Maine Brew Bus Company through a google search and were pleasantly surprised to find that they were offering a walking tour during the current COVID pandemic. Our tour guide was Don, a local with extensive knowledge of Portland and how beer/spirits fit into the historical context of the city. He was very personable, and was respectful of both our time and safety concerns with respect to the pandemic. We visited 3 great breweries and had the opportunity to speak with owners as well as staff about the beer industry in Portland. There was something to fit everyone’s taste on the tour — we tried a number of interesting beers, meads, ciders, and kombucha. We were very happy with the experience; not only was it in of itself enjoyable, but Don’s advice helped us get the most out of the remainder of our trip. We strongly recommend building this tour into your schedule.
Written August 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We pride ourselves on putting our guests and brewery partners safety and health first but hope that we've been able to bring our usual informative, fun, and tasty brewery tour experience to our walking tours. Thank you again and we hope to see you again soon!
Written August 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
thefablife
Buffalo, NY40 contributions
Sep 2020
My husband I love doing food / drink tours when traveling to get a good sense for a city and after discovering what a robust craft beer scene there was in Portland, signed up for the Old Port Brewery Walking Tour. The bus is not currently operating due to COVID but we were happy to see Portland on foot. Zach was our tour guide and extremely knowledgeable about the beer scene in Portland and we had a fun afternoon. They are keeping the walking groups small (6) and you need to have a mask on while on the tour (except while seated at the breweries) which was no issue at all. We visited Shipyard, Sebago and Gritty McDuff's on our tour with flights at two of the breweries and a snack at one as well which helped to soak up some of the brews :) I look forward to returning to Portland when we can take the bus tour. Thank you for a fun afternoon!
Written September 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming out on a tour with us and for the kind review. It sounds like Portland's breweries and our walking tour lived up to your hopes for an awesome way to learn about the city and our food and alcohol scene. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit as well and can't wait to have you on another tour the next time you are in town. Thank you again, Cheers!
Written September 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mateohas
Altoona, WI1 contribution
Mar 2022
We had a great time on the Maine Brews Cruise. The team made a great effort to get the individual groups mingling with one another, and at no time did I ever feel thirsty! A great first day in Maine, and we even ended up taking some of the beers that we got on the tour down to the wharf with another group on the tour. We ended up on a lobster boat with our new found friends and had a blast getting to know each other. All of this possible because of the relationships fostered on the tour by the Brews Cruise team. Highly recommend, and would love to come back and try to boat tour!
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryanna B
6 contributions
Oct 2020 • Friends
We booked a private tour and it was well worth it! It was so much fun and our tour guide Don was so knowledgeable and really made it that much more enjoyable. We had booked the tour in June for late October for a 30th birthday surprise, hoping the corona virus would be a distant memory but unfortunately had not eased up yet. The Maine Brew Bus took all the precautions in keeping us and those around us safe, while also making sure it did not effect the experience we had. We really had a great time and I would highly recommend doing one of their many tours.
Written October 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming on tour with us and Happy Birthday once again. We are so happy to still be able to offer a great tour experience while adjusting to the current Covid-19 pandemic and necessary safety guidelines. We try to make sure all our guests safety is prioritized without impacting the quality experience we provide on our tours. Thank you again for choosing to spend part of your visit to Portland with us. Cheers!
Written October 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
gretagibeau
Chico, CA1 contribution
May 2022
While planning a bachelorette party in Portland, I did a lot of research on different activities and decided that the brews cruise was a must. Communication was excellent to get the group signed up for the right option for us, and when we got there the tour guides were incredible. There was a lot of laughing, and honestly more drinking than I was expecting given that it was really a tasting at a brewery, distillery, and cidery. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for something fun and interesting to do in the Portland area. The tour guide points out a lot of great places along the way to try out as well. Oh, and lastly, the potato chips provided were bomb. Highly recommend
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lillian M
4 contributions
Nov 2021 • Solo
Don and Chris were great! Very knowledgeable. Lots of beer, only a little snack at one of the places but ultimately very good. We got rained on And they adjusted plans to keep us inside as much as possible while still giving us all the information we could want.
Written November 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt from BK
New York City, NY1 contribution
Oct 2020
My wife and I did the Old Port Walk, Talk, and Taste for our anniversary with the man himself, Don.
Don is exactly the type of person you want to lead this tour. He's a Portland local who's super easygoing and down to earth. He can paint a full picture of the history of Portland and he can also give you the rundown on every beer you taste (with the single exception of Shipyard's cucumber beer, we all tried that for the first time together!). He's got great relationships with the breweries so you always feel super welcome everywhere you go. I was very glad we got Don for our tour. I learned a lot about Portland and I really enjoyed the tastings. Thanks, Don!
Don is exactly the type of person you want to lead this tour. He's a Portland local who's super easygoing and down to earth. He can paint a full picture of the history of Portland and he can also give you the rundown on every beer you taste (with the single exception of Shipyard's cucumber beer, we all tried that for the first time together!). He's got great relationships with the breweries so you always feel super welcome everywhere you go. I was very glad we got Don for our tour. I learned a lot about Portland and I really enjoyed the tastings. Thanks, Don!
Written October 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such a wonderful review. We really appreciate our guests feedback on the tour and Don certainly appreciates the kind words. We do our best to ensure our guests get an inside look into the brewing industry on our tours and Don being a long-time Portland local definitely helps as well as the warm relationships we have with our brewery partners. We hope to have you out on another tour soon to explore even more neighborhoods and breweries Portland has to offer. Cheers!
Written October 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Teri-sue L
1 contribution
Dec 2019
We went to a brewery first, then to a fermentory and finally a distillery. Each place was nice and the people were great (from Maine Brew Bus and the tour guides for each business). We just thought that for $80/person we would have more to drink at each stop. We had 4 samples at the brewery, which equals about one pint. We had 4 samples at the fermentory too. At the distillery we had a delicious craft cocktail and then a tiny sip of each of 2 different rums. It’s definitely less expensive to pick a place o go, sample their products and use a ride-share. I could have seen spending $40-50 but $80 was too much for what we experienced.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming on tour with us. It sounds like you had a great time on our tour and enjoyed our guide and drivers services as well as each of the stops. We understand folks can visit breweries on their own but we always try to offer something beyond just a tasting with a behind the scenes look of each stop, special attention from their staff so guests can ask more detailed questions, some stories on Portland's historical relationship with alcohol, and snacks and a gift bag as well. Thank you again for coming on tour with us and we are glad to know you enjoyed the experience. Cheers!
Written January 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TONeill142
1 contribution
Oct 2021
Spencer was our very engaged, prepared and interesting guide. We chose a cold and very rainy day to take a walking beer tour of downtown Portland and quickly the weather became a non issue. Spencer was very knowledgeable of Portland's beer history and the beer scene generally in Maine and New England It's an easy walk to three brewery/pubs and each location was waiting with reserved tables and staff. Two stops offered a list of beers and you can choose 4 generous pours to taste, or one place brought out pitchers based on your taste. Have a hearty breakfast before your tour if you do the early one since there is only light snacks at the second stop. I highly recommend this tour and will be doing a boat cruise with this company when the weather warms in the spring!
Written November 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bobio5
Baltimore, MD275 contributions
How long are the tours? Specifically the Thirsty Thursday Tour. Says it begins at 5:00 but when does it end?
fourfang
Downingtown, PA9 contributions
All of the tours go 3+ hours since you see 3 breweries and there's some drive time. Their website says 5 to 8:15 which makes sense.
Ernest A
Berwick, PA
How far from where the cruise line dock.
pzambrano841
Wyoming, RI5 contributions
It's right down Commercial Street near the dock area. Unless you have some physical limitations it should be within easy walking distance.
ashank1228
Niagara Falls, NY20 contributions
I hav to use a walker is this tour for meL im on oxygen and also carry a tank
Don L
Portland, Maine1 contribution
Howdy, sorry for the delay in responding. I didn't see this question until today.
Our tours are run aboard small 15 passenger buses that have three steps to enter. We do have one of our fleet that has a wheelchair ramp if that would be easier for you.
Each of the brewery stops is accessible and generally single-story, with some areas that may be harder for you (catwalks, small ladders to look in tanks, etc.).
We can answer more specific questions for you by visiting our website and sending us a direct message.
Cheers!
The Maine Brew Bus
Maine Brews Cruise (Portland) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
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