Maine holler-folk band The Ghost of Paul Revere is reuniting after a four-year hiatus for two Portland shows this week, a Friday date at the new venue Live at Madrid’s and the Ghostland music festival Sunday at Thompson’s Point. Allagash Brewing Company marked the occasion with something the band could not get from any other reunion tour stop: its own beer. Ghostland Rustic Lager is a limited-run collaboration between the Portland, Maine brewery and the band, and it is only available around this weekend’s shows.
How the Collaboration Came Together
The idea started almost as soon as the reunion shows were announced. “They love beer, and we have a lot of Ghost fans here at the brewery. It made total sense,” Allagash’s Brett Willish told the Portland Press Herald. Band member Sean McCarthy said it felt like a natural fit both ways: “Along with their delicious and creative libations, we’ve valued and admired their dedication to the community around them and representation of our home.”
Allagash brewmaster Jason Perkins said the brewery pulled from its own back catalog of small-batch pilot recipes and pitched the band a couple of concepts. The choice of a lager, rather than something more aggressively hoppy, was deliberate. “We don’t expect that every single person who’s a Ghost fan is gonna be a big fan of very flavorful hop-forward beer, so we wanted to do something that was still very much in line with Allagash, but would appeal to a wide range of people,” Perkins said.
What It Tastes Like
“It has a nice, crisp hop bitterness that lingered with a floral bite.”, Tracy Burke, Portland Press Herald, tasting Ghostland Lager
Ghostland Lager comes in at 4.2% ABV, golden-colored, with an aroma the Press Herald described as grain and straw with subtle yeast. On the palate it reads more complex and malty than a typical light American lager, with a multidimensional mouthfeel and a crisp, lingering hop bitterness carrying a floral note into the finish, an approachable lager built with more character than the style usually gets credit for.
The Label and the Event
The can art comes from Portland muralist Ryan Adams, who was given free rein beyond the legally required label information and Allagash’s logo. “The can was inspired by the band’s aesthetic and a very ‘Portland’ color palette. With the band being so rooted in the city, we felt it was important for it to feel like home. The dark and deep blues reminded me of winter evenings that couple so well with a good lager,” Adams said. Adams has previously designed labels for Bissell Brothers and Goodfire.
Ghostland Lager will be poured at both sold-out Portland shows, and 4-packs go on sale Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at a free release party and merch pop-up at The Cellars at Allagash Brewing Company, 100 Industrial Way in Portland. Band members will sign merch from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., with Due Season Sounds spinning vinyl, food trucks and Maine Maple Creemee ice cream on site. RSVP is available online but not required.
