Geary Brewing Company - Day Trip

Normally a summertime seasonal release, we had Geary brew us a batch of Day Trip to pair with their Haze Trip, as this is a great example of a low-ABV beer still delivering in the flavor department in a big way. It’s impressive how much flavor the team at Geary has packed into a beer of 4.0% ABV, which is low even for a session IPA. Presenting a hazy golden color with a prominent head of off-white foam, Day Trip proceeds to offer up an aroma that is quite juicy with soft tropical fruits like passion fruit, more resinous citrus notes of tangerine, grapefruit, and orange, wisps of gooseberry, and citrus blossoms. On the palate, the malts come through fairly clean, delivering a good foundation of crackery and mildly bready character, with a dash of caramel. The hops are super expressive, with lots of citrus juice and zest, soft tropical notes, and hints of honeydew melon. For pairing options, we’d go with crispy panko-crusted honey ginger shrimp, fried chicken, salads with citrus or ginger dressings, or a mildly spicy ceviche. Cheers!

In 1983, only thirteen microbreweries existed in all of the United States, with the majority concentrated out West in states like California, Oregon, and Washington. Inspired by the idea of brewing small-batch, high-quality beer for the enjoyment of fellow New Englanders (and themselves, of course!), David and Karen Geary began D. L. Geary Brewing Company in October of that year. But they did not rush headlong into production; instead, David flew to Britain in 1984 to begin researching English and Scottish brewing, and training in their techniques. Helped by Scottish brewer and nobleman Peter Maxwell Stuart, who arranged for him to work at a number of different commercial breweries in both Scotland and England, David honed his craft among some of the finest breweries in the world, including the famed Traquair House Brewery (producer of some of the greatest ales in all of Great Britain).

Meanwhile, David and Karen set to the task of building the business. They laid out their business plan, identified and purchased the property that would become home to the brewery, raised capital, bought brewing equipment, and designed packaging. It was also during this time that the recipe for what would become Geary’s Pale Ale, their flagship brew, began to take form as David drew from the tradition and technique of Britain’s best brewers. Finally, construction began in 1986 after almost two years of preparation, and in December of that year the first batch of Geary’s Pale Ale was sold. The establishment of Maine’s first microbrewery signaled the dawn of the microbrewing renaissance in New England, which now boasts scores of excellent breweries and brewpubs. In 2017, the brewery was sold to husband and wife Alan & Robin Lapoint, who have positioned the brewery for continued growth through their fourth decade and beyond. For more information on their tasting room and beer garden, call them up at 207-878-2337 or visit www.gearybrewing.com.