Welcome to our new website and video blog.   You could always start by catching up on who we are and why we are doing this, but there is no need to read if you don’t want to – its all basically covered in the beginning of this video.

Our first video trip is to Ebenezers Pub in Lovell Maine.  This bar was recently rated the “#1 beer bar on the planet” by Beer Advocate.  So naturally, we decided to take the road trip up from our Vermont Inn to check it out!

The first thing you need to know is that there is not a lot of lodging in the area, so book a room in advance (especially in the off season).  We stayed at the Oxford House Inn in Fryeburg, ME.  The second thing you need to know is that you should throw away your GPS and Google Map directions.  Not only were they both inaccurate, but our GPS swore we were in Maine when we were still in New Hampshire.  (Useful directions can be found at the end of this post).

Once you have found Ebenezers it’s all uphill from there.  We have been to many beer bars and to be frank from the outside, this one did not strike us as very impressive.  Even an initial glance around the inside leaves you wondering – after all, its a small pub with about 36 taps and 4 bottle coolers.  There were about 5 seats at the bar and 2 high top tables.  The dining room only had about 5 tables.  We were there in December so their large deck was closed, but when its open it probably adds another 10 tables.  Pretty much the run of the mill beer bar.  Of course, then we sat down and the party began.

A totally friendly server named Hannah brought over some menus.  She made us feel very comfortable and welcome.  We ordered up some food and then studied the beer menu.  That is when it hit us HARD that this is not your average beer bar.  The beer menu is beyond impressive with several beers we had never even heard of.  To top that off, they were all in stock.  Even better than that Hannah was really knowledgeable about beer (she chalks it up to lots of practice) and was able to point us to some great choices from the taps.  Of course, we started with a Black Albert (their signature beer, brewed by De Struise Brewers specially for Ebenezers).  After we finished eating the owner Chris stopped by our table to say hello.  He was upbeat, fun and gracious.  Chris introduced us to several great beers at the bar (Amy tried the Mikkeller Stateside IPA and I had a bottle of this years Pannepot).  Chris then offered us a tour of his cellar, which we jumped on without hesitation.  (Be sure to check out our video of our trip to the Beer Cellar at Ebenezers to see all of the great beer we sampled.)

By the time we left Ebenezers it was clear to see that what had been the biggest challenge of this pub, was also their greatest advantage.  The fact that they are a small pub in “middle of no where” Maine is what helps make this place so phenomenal.  The personal service, great in stock selection and friendly atmosphere all added to an amazing selection of beers and an incredible host truly do make this the best beer bar we have ever been to.

Being innkeepers of a small Bed and Breakfast in New England we have come to discover that it is the personal connections with our guests and the personal touches to our B&B that make the biggest impact on their return business.  We found the same to be true at Ebenezers.   We will definitely be back.

If you are headed to Ebenezers, they are located at 44 Allen Road in Lovell Maine.  To get there, take route 302 until it branches off onto Route 5.  Take Route 5 up to the golf course and pay attention to the small tourist signs on the side of the road.  There are signs for Ebenezers on both sides (both directions, don’t ask why we know that…) that will send you onto the very small and unpaved Allen Road.  Ebenezers is just up this road on the left, in the dark wooden house.  Enter through the covered deck area.  Tell them Tim and Amy sent you! (and beer advocate of course!).

Related Posts:

• Novare Res Bier Cafe Portland Maine
• Great Lost Bear – Portland Maine
• Brick Store Pub – Decatur Georgia
• Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA Simul-Cask at the Sierra Grille Northampton MA
• Oxford House Inn – Fryeburg, Maine

©2012 HereForTheBeer.com. All Rights Reserved.

We take a trip downstairs into the cellar at Ebenezers Pub in Lovell Maine. Recently selected as the “Best Beer Bar on the Planet” by Beer Advocate magazine.  That doesn’t shake the owner Chris, who is too modest to accept the props and passes them off to Toronado Beer Bar in San Fransisco.  Well, we haven’t been to the Toronado (yet – watch out Dave Keene) but we have been to hundreds of great beer places around the world and can certainly throw our vote into the mix that Ebenezers is certainly the best beer bar that we have been to.

If you haven’t already watched our little intro and the upstairs at Ebenezers bar visit, check that video out first. But if you have, or if you are an official beer geek and want to get straight to the good stuff – dive right into this “Part II” where we scope out a cellar that is filled with any beer geeks dream collection, including Hair of the Dog Dave, Upland Kiwi Lambic, Thomas Hardy’s 1994 (hell, all of the Thomas Hardy’s)… Not to mention a wall full of Trapist brews, the whole Struise line, 5 kegs of Cantillon and everything from Lost Abbey.

Amy learns to cellar your lambics, Tim learns that Orval is a beer to hold on to – and best of all, we all crack open and try some Pannepeut Old Monks Ale (first in US), 1997 Chimay Grand Reserve (beautiful), Russian River Beatification, Russian River Supplication and finish the night off with a bottle of 1996 Liefmans Goudenband.

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©2012 HereForTheBeer.com. All Rights Reserved.