If you’ve got a nice tan that you’d like to show off to the guys and girls of Southern Maine, you might want to display it in Ogunquit, where the nightlife is lively and the crowds are livelier. MAINE STREET offers pool tables, a deck, and a dance floor; THE BEACH FIRE has two bars, live music on Saturdays and Sundays, and an outdoor fire pit that warms up chilly evenings.

Driving up through the Midcoast? Stop into KING EIDER’S PUB in Damariscotta for a pint and some grub. The historic building houses a nostalgic, wooden-beamed pub — where beer steins hang from the ceiling — as well as an upstairs dining room. Here’s an inside tip: the oyster bar is especially delicious this year.

Yet despite this plethora of establishments, there are some of us who still prefer to kick it high-school style and sip our beers clandestinely on dusky beaches with one or two companions. For those naturalists among us, Geary’s makes a great Summer Ale. Grab a six-pack, don’t forget the beach blanket, and enjoy those summer nights.

If you go
Big Kahuna + Hooligan’s + Pier Patio Pub | The Pier, Old Orchard St, Old Orchard Beach | 207.934.3595

Dry Dock | 84 Commercial St, Portland | 207.774.3550

Federal Jack’s | 8 Western Ave, Kennebunk (just before the bridge into Kennebunkport) | 207.967.4322

King Eider’s Pub | 2 Elm St, Damariscotta | 207.563.6008

Mim’s Brasserie | 205 Commercial St, Portland | 207.347.7478

Oceanside Grille | 39 West Grand Ave, Old Orchard Beach | 207.934.4873
Rira | 72 Commercial St, Portland | 207.761.4446

Deirdre Fulton really likes to drink and can be reached at dfulton@phx.com.

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