Lovell, ME

Just 16 minutes from our lakeside cabin in Bridgeton is a terrific beer bar and restaurant — Ebenezer’s Restaurant and Pub. It was a Monday, but the day before the 4th of July, so it was a busy day. We wanted a table for 6 at 6:00 PM but settled for a picnic table at 5:15 PM. As luck would have it, when we arrived, they had setup a table inside the charming screened in porch.

Ebenezer’s has a large rotating beer selection with many beers on tap. As a Belgian beer lover, I was in heaven; most of their beers are Belgian style or sours. Going with the Belgian theme, we ordered frites. I also ordered a Lively Holy Candy, a subtle but boozy triple made from Ebenezer’s brewery. The frites arrived wrapped in a paper cone with mayonnaise and ketchup, disappearing into our mouths almost immediately. Yum.

As a Maine tourist, I could not pass up the “Best Lobster Roll in Maine”. It was quite good, with plenty of solid lobster meat covered with a mayonnaise-rich sauce.

Showing my usual restraint (hey, I’m on vacation), I ordered a slice of fruit and rhubarb pie a la mode along with an Ich Bin Erin Berliner Framboos from Brouwerij Alvinne. It is listed as a Sour – Berliner Weiss. It arrived in a tall, pilsner style glass, smelling, tasting and looking like raspberries. It was refreshing and tart.

Carolyn, Gregg, Amy & I couldn’t resist, so we came back to this terrific place. We learned from Maine that Steven King owns a home in Lovell and is often seen in the area. Gregg provides a lot of Mr. King’s insurance and says he is a very nice, down-to-earth guy and gives generously to local charities.

There were no Steven King sightings that day but the many rotating taps looked great. I tried a few:

• Sünner Kölsch – Complex tastes with malt sweet with Kölsch yeast
• Kriek Des Jocobins – Cherry tart mixed with sweetness.
• Maldetta Zymatore Syrah – Not your average Saison. Tastes of whiskey and Syrah

Ebenezers is a required stop for beer lovers who find themselves in the area. Warning, it’s a long way from anywhere and the beers are so tempting; bring a designated driver.

Cheers!

Warren