Allagash Brewing Company
Allagash Brewing Company is a brewery in Portland, Maine. The brewery specializes in Belgian style beers. History. The brewery was founded in 1995 by Rob Tod in Portland, Maine. He observed that while both German and British style beers were available throughout the United States, Belgian-style beers were difficult to find. He established a small, 15-barrel brewery, and began brewing a beer modeled after a Belgian Wit beer, named Allagash White. The beer gets its flavor from the use of wheat in place of barley, as well as the addition of Curaçao orange peel, coriander , and other spices. All of the beers Allagash produces are bottle conditioned. The technique calls for two fermentations, the first in the fermenting tanks and the second in the bottle itself (a process known as the "methode champenoise"). A coolship is used to cool the wort for some of the beers. Allagash was one of the first breweries in the US to build a traditional coolship for spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts. Before the beer is bottled, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added and a second fermentation occurs. It is this second fermentation which produces a notable  increase in carbonation, a softer feel and remarkable complexity. This method of bottle conditioning leaves a small amount of yeast in the bottle. Brands. Today, Allagash has eight year-round beers in its portfolio, seven yearly releases, and numerous one-offs and keg-only releases.