Novare Res Bier Cafe

Portland, Maine

Novare Res (“to start a revolution” in Latin) is Portland’s focal point for a beer-drinking revolution.

What it is:

Novare Res is the Allagash Brewing of the Portland bar scene: an institution, beloved and respected in the city’s beer community, that still seems to have a lot of fun doing what they do. And at Novare Res, what they do is serve a serious tap and bottle list, with thirty-three taps, a cask engine, and 450–500 bottles, in an environment that’s as equally conducive to beer tasting and education as it is to putting back pints of traditional Munich Helles.

Why it’s great:

In the summer months, the glorious patio is filled with picnic tables, plus cornhole and four outdoor taps, while the cavernous beer hall–style bar lies down below. For many customers, the breadth of Maine brewers is the highlight, with esteemed favorites such as Marshall Wharf, Oxbow, Tributary, and more; but it’s also the place for old-school imports, such as an Old Speckled Hen, or rare Belgian lambics by the bottle. The city’s beer scene continues to grow and radiate outward, but for many, Novare Res is the focal point. It’s a lazy summer-day drinking spot, a last-call destination, a given for out-of-town beer trippers, and a place where it often all begins. —Heather Vandenengel

Details Hours: 4 p.m.–1 a.m., Monday–thursday; 3 p.m.–1 a.m., Friday; noon–1 a.m., Saturday– Sunday. Address: 4 Canal Plaza, Portland, ME Web: novareresbiercafe.com