Why drink local beer? Let's cast aside the more absurd refrains that the word "local" calls to mind in our global age, like the idea that famine was not somehow related to endemic insecurity in localized food supplies throughout most of human history. There are better reasons to go local when it comes to beer.
New England has an enormous variety of excellent microbrews that can become an unforgettable part of the Bowdoin experience, just as Tecate was an essential part of my New Mexican upbringing, along with O'Keefe sunsets, gambling, wrangling, and convincing people that New Mexico is part of America.
The ballyhooed Bowdoin Bubble does a remarkable job of insulating us from the rest of Maine, which is desirable in some ways but disheartening insofar as we graduate without fully experiencing what Maine has to offer. Alongside lobster and blueberries, local microbrews are an exceptional benefit of the region in which everyone passing through ought to partake. Beer, like lobster and blueberries, is also easily incorporated into Bubble life. It's a taste less easily acquired than the other two, but worth getting a start on.
Whether it's supply and demand or something more persuasive and human, there's a reason so many good breweries are in New England. I believe that the miserable weather drives people to drink since it's hard to have fun in the dark (someone I'm fond of insists that there's always an upside, so: We would probably not get nearly as much work done if it were pleasant outside, which is why the spring is always more academically challenging than the fall for this columnist, who finds class and work an absolute waste of time when the weather finally turns nice sometime near the end of April).
Most of the local breweries have similar offerings. Each has pales, browns, and India pales, and most have darker ales like stouts and porters. Many also have seasonal ales.
D.L. Geary, Long Trail, and Sheepscot Valley are three regional breweries worth keeping an eye out for whenever buying beer. Everything they make is delectable. Geary's and Long Trail are widely available. The local grocers carry both, as do smaller markets that offer wider selections. Sheepscot's offerings are harder to find, however, and mostly pop up behind the bar in local restaurants and pubs (Frontier and El Camino being the closest purveyors), but Pemaquid Ale, its staple, now comes in 22-ounce bottles that can be found at better markets in the area.
Geary's is a great place to start an exploration in local beer. Brewed in Portland, its ales admirably represent traditional British styles. The pale, porter, and Hampshire Special are available year round, with the last notable for its balanced flavor and seven percent alcohol by volume. The Geary's seasonal ales change slightly from year to year, and you should be able to find their excellent winter ale until early April. Long Trail comes from Vermont, and, while all its beer is excellent, Double Bag strong ale and their Blackbeary Wheat (a crisp wheat ale with just a hint of blackberry) stand out.
It's hard to go wrong with any of these, whereas more adventurous breweries like Magic Hat and Dogfish Head often make bold beers that require some faith at times. Geary's and Long Trail never disappoint, and Sheepscot is an incredible local brew that can be hard to find, but is worth it every time.