Argenta is a brewery and tasting room in West Bayside and Portland, Maine’s only “lager beer saloon!”

Ryan Dunlap, owner and operator, is originally from Nevada where the word, Argenta, first inspired him.  Argenta was a silver mine in the 1860’s but quickly crumbled and now sits as one of the hundreds of ghost towns in the state. This silver mine was the namesake of Ryan’s college dorm, and thus a beer company was born.  

“What drives us here at Argenta is very simple: leave it better than you found it.  We can all strive to leave everything a little better than how we found it.” - Ryan

But what’s a “Lager Saloon?”

In the mid 1800’s, the US saw a massive influx of German immigrants moving to cities like St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. These immigrants brought with them a beer culture that most Americans had never experienced before. 

At the time, beer culture in Germany was centered on the idea of gemütlichkeit (Gi-MEET-lee-kite) (a feeling of comfort, relaxation, and coziness).  Lager saloons embodied this feeling and became known as community centers that were family friendly, peaceful, and welcoming of all people.

These immigrants created something of a beer revolution, shifting drinkers from ales to lagers quickly. Lager breweries, called “lager beer saloons,” opened as a reminder of life and culture back home.

By the late 1800s, these “lager beer saloons” had become so popular that you couldn't go a block in New York City without running into one! However, two world wars and the accompanying predjudice and politics ended up decimating the industry. By the end of WWII there were only a few lager breweries left in the entire country.  

“Lager saloons have always been a place where all are welcome regardless of your background or status.  These are community gathering points and a part of everyday life.  We aim to create what we think a modern-day lager saloon would be like here in Portland, Maine!” - Ryan