After a long swim, I was in the mood for a hearty meal of lobster. Google led me to Woodman’s and since I wasn’t sure about whether Mother Nature was done unleashing her power, I opted to dine in.
My server quickly set a growler full of ice cold water.
“Hi, I’m Nikki, what would you like to drink?”
“Well, I’ve been drinking a lot of Orono River water today, so something with malted barley and hops would be great.”
“Super, well we brew all our beer, here, here in Orono Brewing, and we have a wide selection”
“Really, gimme the best you got on tap.”
Within minutes Nikki came out with a 20 ounce glass tumbler of hazy brown beer. “This is the Tubular – last year it was recognized on Thrillist as one of the top IPAs in the country.”
I took a sip and tasted grapefruit, then the aroma of the hop and I couldn’t agree more.
“Wow, you’re spot on. Well I drove all the way here from DC where we have a wild animals in office, but no claws. So I’m in the mood for anything with lobster.”
“Great, well we have the Lobster BLT and the Lobster Mac & Cheese.”
“Super, I’ll take both – light on the mayo.”
When the dishes came out, I wasn’t sure which to eat first. I had already downed my first glass of Tubular. That did the trick, but I was ready to graduate to Totally Tubular which has 8.5 abv.
Unsure and impatient, I decided to eat them in unison. Sure enough my sandwich was filled with crunchy bacon and sweet chunks of lobster. My Mac & Cheese was creamy with plenty of meat and corn all baked together.
“How is it?”my server inquired.
“Fantastic. After my big swim today, I deserve this feast.”
“Did you swim in the Stillwater from Brownies?”
“Oh yeah, what do you think of the water here?”
“It’s great. My grandparents own a home on the river so I used to swim in the river all the time.”
“Oh yeah, so it’s my first time in Bangor. What’s in Orono?”
“University of Maine – the premier school in the state – I went to school here.”
“Really, it’s right on the river isn’t it. What did you study?”
“Mass Communication.”
“Perfect – that’s what I did in the Navy, and what I’m doing now when I’m not driving my truck.”
By now the double IPA was really taking effect – with huge hoppy highs and deep malty depths.
Another server noticed how much I was enjoying my meal and made a suggestion. “How about a cocktail?”
“Not a bad idea – what do you suggest?”
“My favorite is the Paloma,” said Sarah. “It’s a shot of tequila and prosecco
“Really, is that similar to a margarita?” I asked.
“Kind of, except it gets its sweetness from the grapefruit instead of triple sec. It really is zesty.”
