Zoe, a “happy, hoppy amber ale,” will be available beginning March 9 at Maine Beer Company in Freeport. Contributed / Maine Beer Company

Maine Beer Company’s Zoe amber ale – named for owner David Kleban’s daughter – will be returning in bottles and on draft March 9. According to MBC’s website, the flavor profile is “pine and raisin predominate with notes of citrus and ripe dark berries. Malty backbone of toasted bread, dark chocolate and caramel.”

Sande Updegraph lives in Brunswick and is a longtime food writer. She can be reached at sandeupdegraph@gmail.com.

On March 8, Black Barn Program No. 19 IPA will be released in bottles and on draft, available exclusively in the taproom. March 16 sees the release of Spring IPA in bottles only. On March 26, Dinner will be released in bottles and on draft. It is Maine Beer Company’s original Double IPA.

Maine Beer Company is located at 525 U.S. Route 1, Freeport, and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Food News

Tao Yuan’s takeout café ZaoZe is introducing a series of tasting weekend menus to try out new items before reopening in the spring. Upcoming dates are March 5-7 and March 12-14. The menus and prices are set as follows: Friday dinners, 4-7 p.m. ($33.88/person); Saturday lunches, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ($17.88/person); and Sunday brunches ($21.88). Owners Cara and Cecile Stadler encourage feedback on the menus. Please order in advance at tao-yuan.me or by calling 725-9002. Pickup is at the café. Tao Yuan is at 22 Pleasant St., Brunswick, and ZaoZe Café is directly behind at 5 Abbey Road.

Maine Restaurant Week runs through March 12. There are 72 participating restaurants, each with a special menu or offering to entice you to try their fare. Visit mainerestaurantweek.com for details.

Bessie’s Farm Goods still has frozen wild Maine blueberries for sale. A 5-pound box is $31. 33. Litchfield Road, Freeport, bessiesfarmgoods@gmail.com.

Fat Boy Drive-In, 111 Bath Road, Brunswick, will close March 8 to prepare for a spring reopening at a time to be determined.

The Portland Press Herald presents another in its Maine Voices Live series of virtual conversations between PPH writers and significant Mainers. On April 6 at 7 p.m. Andrew Ross, restaurant critic for the PPH, will talk with Sam Sifton, former chief restaurant critic for the New York Times and guest editor of DownEast magazine. The virtual experience is free but registration is required at pressherald.com/events.