Label Looking for its Craft Brew

My husband Doug is a man of many talents. Just lately he's been teaching himself to paint! After finishing one he commented that it looks like a craft-beer label...so I tried it on. I put it though a couple of processes in Picasa, Google's now-retired image manipulating software. And you know what? He's right! It would make a great craft-beer label! And, conveniently, Maine is the craft-beer capital of the world. The river in the image is the Presumpscot, that divides Portland from Falmouth. There is no Presumpscot Brewing, yet, but when there is, we're ready for them!

Coming Soon to the East End: Cocktail Mary

The Future Home of Cocktail Mary

From this week's Press Herald:

The head bartender at Izakaya Minato plans to open a cocktail lounge on Congress Street in Portland’s East End.
Isaac MacDougal has applied for a license to open Cocktail Mary at 229 Congress St., the former location of Ramen Suzukiya, a noodle shop that closed last fall after the owner died. In a letter accompanying his liquor license application, MacDougal noted that though some restaurants in the East End serve cocktails, that part of town does not yet have a cocktail bar.
MacDougal cited his experience working as a bartender or manager in Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City, and pointed out that his family ran the now-closed Vaughan Street Variety, a sandwich shop on Portland’s West End, since 1995.
MacDougal’s target opening date is June 1.

Isaac, he of the bright blue yes and perpetual charm, is our fave bartender at our current fave East End eatery. We're excited to support his new venture!