Wine Bar
Unclaimed profileTwelve
Portland, ME · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
A beverage program built around a deep, geographically broad wine list with sommelier selections credited to Jenn Forge, A.S., and formats ranging from by-the-glass and half bottles to magnums and large formats. Ten named cocktails cover gin, vodka, dark rum, tequila, Scotch, bourbon, and rye, while a spirits section leans into American whiskey and amaro pours. Beer runs from Maine lagers to packaged cider, and zero-proof gets its own cocktails, beer, and wine sections plus a retail bundle.
- What should I order?
- Start with the wine list and let the sommelier selections guide you: Krug Rosé in the 28ème Édition, 00 Wines "VGR" Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, or Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" if you want Champagne. For a shorter pour, WhistlePig Rye 10 Yr or Michter's Rye. Zero-proof drinkers should ask about the Abstinence N/A Aperitif with Seedlip 94.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Wine drinkers who want range without leaving the list to chance, since the sommelier selections and bundle service give a clear path through the sparkling, rosé, white, red, and dessert sections. Whiskey and amaro drinkers get a focused run of American pours. Anyone skipping alcohol has dedicated zero-proof cocktails, beer, and wine rather than a single afterthought.
- When should I go?
- A natural fit for a prix fixe dinner with the optional pairing, at $60 for three courses or $95 for the five-course signature menu. The zero-proof bundle is built for pickup, so plan that as a separate stop rather than a table order.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails sit mostly at $16 to $18, with the Banana and Bourbon at $18. Whiskey pours run from $14 for Knob Creek Bourbon to $75 for WhistlePig Rye 15 Yr, and Amaro Nonino is $24. Wine pairings are $60 and $95, the Abstinence Wine Bundle is $75, and bottles range from $35 for Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine to $2,250 for Salon.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The sommelier is named on the list and available to build personalized wine bundles for a small fee, and the shop sells both those bundles and a zero-proof Abstinence bundle for pickup. The bottle list reaches into half bottles, magnums, and large formats, and the list notes that allocations limit availability of wines and vintages.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Ten named cocktails with base spirits spanning gin, vodka, dark rum, blanco and reposado tequila, Scotch, bourbon, and rye. Builds include a Tanqueray 10 martini with kombu and orange, a Tito's and Licor 43 sour, a Campari and Dolin Blanc highball, and a dark rum tropical drink with orgeat.
Menu strengths
- — Ten distinct cocktails with varied base spirits are listed, covering gin, vodka, dark rum, tequila, Scotch, bourbon, and rye.
- — Cocktail pricing holds at $16 to $18 across the named list, including Martini No. 3, Cosmo 43, Social Butterfly, Mostly a Mai Tai, Blanc de Blanco, Jefferson Lives, The Lowground, and Espresso Martini.
Standout selections
- — Tanqueray 10, Dry Vermouth, Kombu, Orange — a gin martini build with kombu and orange.
- — Rye, Bourbon, Banane du Brésil, Absinthe — a split whiskey cocktail with banana liqueur and absinthe.
Pricing: Cocktails $16–$18; Banana and Bourbon $18
Wine
An extensive list organized by glass, bottle, sparkling, rosé, white, red, and dessert wine, with sommelier selections credited to Jenn Forge, A.S. Formats extend to half bottles, magnums, and large formats, and the list notes that allocations limit wine and vintage availability.
Menu strengths
- — Geographically broad list with by-the-glass, half-bottle, magnum, and large-format options across sparkling, rosé, white, red, and dessert sections.
- — Sommelier-led custom wine bundle service, plus personalized bundles built with the sommelier for a small fee.
Standout selections
- — Salon Champagne by the bottle at $2,250.; Krug Rosé, 28ème Édition, listed under Sommelier Selections at $675.
- — Champagne Geoffroy half bottle, 1er Cru Rosé de Saignée, at $115.
- — Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine from Niagara under Dessert Wine at $35.
Pricing: Pairings $60 (3-course) and $95 (5-course); bottles $35–$2,250; half bottles from $85
Beer
A beer section lists dry cider, Italian pilsner, pale and dark Czech-style lagers, and an American pale ale, with local Maine producers represented. A packaged list adds Shacksbury "Classic", Oxbow "Luppolo", Sacred Profane, and Austin Street "Patina" at $9 to $12.
Menu strengths
- — Varied styles across cider, pilsner, Czech-style lagers, and American pale ale, with local Maine producers included.
- — Packaged options give a separate takeaway-style choice alongside the draught list.
Standout selections
- — Oxbow "Luppolo" packaged at $12.; Austin Street "Patina" packaged at $12.
Pricing: Packaged $9–$12
Nonalcoholic
Zero-proof gets dedicated cocktail and beer and wine sections, plus a Temperance list of non-alcoholic cocktails. The shop sells an Abstinence Wine Bundle of zero-proof and low-alcohol bottles for pickup, and zero-proof sparkling and still wines are listed by the glass and bottle.
Menu strengths
- — Dedicated zero-proof cocktail, beer, and wine sections, with a separate Temperance cocktail list.
- — Retail zero-proof bundle for pickup, with named bottles including Thomson & Scott Sparkling Rosé, Phénomène Vin désalcoolisé, and "Plus Minus" Pinot Noir.
Standout selections
- — Not a Sbagliato under Temperance at $14.; Abstinence N/A Aperitif with Seedlip 94, cranberry, lime, honey, and seasonal cordial.
- — Lyre's N/A Dark Cane Spirit with lime, pineapple, and orgeat.
Pricing: Temperance cocktails $10–$14; Abstinence Wine Bundle $75
Spirits
A spirits section includes an international whisk(e)y and American whiskey subsection listing pours, alongside a short amaro and aperitif run. Rye is well represented, and the amaro list covers Amaro dell'Etna, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and Ramazotti.
Menu strengths
- — American whiskey subsection with named pours across bourbon and rye, including Booker's, Knob Creek, Michter's, Rittenhouse, Pikesville, and WhistlePig.
- — Amaro and aperitif pours listed by name and price, giving a second direction beyond whiskey.
Standout selections
- — WhistlePig Rye 15 Yr at $75.; Booker's American whiskey pour at $39.
Pricing: Whiskey pours $14–$75; amaro and aperitif pours $12–$24
How it sits with the food
Prix fixe menus offer wine pairings at $60 for three courses and $95 for the five-course signature menu.
Inebrious does not score kitchens, food or the restaurant overall. We review the beverage program only.
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