Patrons at this week’s Sunaana festival in Portland will get to try unique beers, hear new music and get a little dose of snarky political humor.
While the festival features 19 Maine breweries and six out-of-state guests – including Trillium, from Massachusetts – festival organizer Patrick Arnold is most excited to showcase a couple of last-minute additions from Norway.
SUnAANA FESTIVAL
WHERE: Thompson’s Point, Portland
WHEN: March 2 at 6 p.m. and March 3 at 3 p.m.
TICKETS: Single-day, two-day and VIP passes starting at $35. Discount for college students.
MORE INFO: sunaana.com
On a recent trip to Norway, Arnold visited Mack’s Brewery and Graff Brewhouse. Arnold was impressed with their brews and on a whim wondered if he could get a few of their beers shipped over for the Sunaana festival, which runs Friday and Saturday. After clearing all the red tape and frantically trying to make the logistics work, two pallets of kegs and a pallet of bottles arrived in Portland on Monday.
“It’s a great big, fun beer and music experience, but this little piece is that little bit of special sauce,” Arnold said.
The Norwegian brewers will be in attendance as well; they bought their plane tickets two weeks ago, when it became clear their brews might make it to Portland in time for the festival.
Mack Brewery sent two IPAs, including a pallet of IPA on Tour, a new American-style IPA. The labels have a lengthy, polite-yet-snarky message for President Trump, who allegedly bemoaned a lack of immigrants from Norway in a private meeting last month. The label reads: “Dear Mr. President: We Norwegians appreciate your offer for us to come live with you in America. However, being the happiest country in the world, we are more than content right here. This being said, we would love to share some of our happiness with you, as the socialists that we are. Therefore, we send you our American style IPA brewed to the great sounds of generations of pioneers within rock music. Thanks for the inspiration. Here’s to America. Cheers.”
The brewery listened to Patti Smith and Foo Fighters while brewing the beer, according to its Spotify playlist.
The festival is run by the owners of Thompson’s Point, Larus Isfeld, the managing director of Eimskip USA, and Arnold, CEO of Soli DG.
Arnold said he hopes visitors arrive with open ears and open taste buds this weekend. In the spirit of discovery, many of the beer offerings at the festival are not part of the breweries’ regular lineups.
In addition to three Icelandic bands, musical groups from Maine and around the U.S. will entertain guests. The bands aren’t well-known, and that’s the point, Arnold said.
“It’s supposed to be about discovery,” he said.
James Patrick can be contacted at 791-6382 or at:
jpatrick@pressherald.com
Twitter: mesofunblog
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