Yankee Brew News Archive

North Country Brewings: Market Share Surges for Maine Brewers

Originally Published: 01/96

By: Dan Vlossak

Well, the November 4 Maine Brewers Festival once again showcased the vibrant Maine craft-brewing industry.

In fact, craft-brewed beers make up about 2.5 percent of the market in the state, which is roughly double the share craft brewers enjoy in other states.

Gritty McDuff's is riding that trend, and doing very well, itself, as its new brew pub in Freeport has been well-received by the locals, and that's important to owner Ed Stebbins. "Local beer is brewed for local beer drinkers," Ed told Yankee Brew News in a recent interview.

Coming up at Gritty's, an abbey ale will be pouring for Thanksgiving, and a Christmas ale, available in 22-oz. bottles, is in the works for the holiday season.

Sea Dog Brewing Company began pouring its Octoberfest in late September. But its hazelnut porter promises to be a big hit with beer drinkers who happen upon Camden. This brew has a real nutty mouth-feel, and you pick up more maltiness in the back of your mouth. By combining hazelnuts, which is the flavor of some of the most popular gourmet coffees, with porter, the folks at Sea Dog are hoping it'll be a hit with customers.

In other Sea Dog news, a pumpkin ale began pouring the week of October 18. Keg sales have started to drop off with the coming fall, but that seasonal shift is to be expected.

Shipyard Brewing's new outside deck, opened in July, will stay open year-round. Also, their Mistic Sea Port Ale, has been doing, "Pretty well," said Fred Forsley, who told Yankee Brew News that Mistic will soon be available in Massachusetts. Longfellow Winter Ale is their snow-bound seasonal this year, and Prelude Ale made its debut in early October. On the personnel front, new brewers George Murphy, Paul Hurteline, Peter Hermes and Jim Sanders (in Kennebunkport) have all been hired in the last two months.

If you're in Orlando, at the airport, in the near future, look for Shipyard's new brewery, which they have in the works. It should be ready in the next six months.

Sunday River Brewing Company in Bethel had its new bottler on-line, and cranking out 12-oz. Red Stone Ale and Black Bear Porter, in mid-October, and The Beer Store also made its debut this fall. The Beer Store sells bottles, kegs, as well as retail items, such as t-shirts, hats, and the like.

Like other craft-brewers, Sunday River racks a lot more in the summer, though, and kegs only make up about 10 percent of their business at the 2,000-bbl. facility.

O'Brien's Oatmeal Stout began pouring in the fall at Sunday River's Octoberfest, held October 1.

An October 17 beer dinner was also a big hit, featuring Sunday River's beers, as well as several others from around the state.

Of course, when opening a new (brew) business, the three most important things are location, location, location, and Sunday River hit the jackpot with its location, right on the road to the popular Sunday River Ski Resort.

The skiing started the second weekend in October, and it's always a good time of year for the folks pouring the beers.

Bar Harbor Brewing, one of the oldest craft brewers in Maine, has been pouring its peach ale, which makes use of a natural peach extract to give it a good, fruity aroma. Also featured is Thunder Hole Ale, an English brown with hints of chocolate, which will warm the cold Maine nights (and days).

Last year's winter brew, a ginger beer, went from seasonal to year-round.

Bar Harbor is brewing about 250 barrels a year. Even though co-owner Suzi Foster said their system could probably handle 300 barrels, her husband/brew-master Tod, has said he is at his limit with 250.

Casco Bay Brewing Company's Bob Wade said they will be introducing Katahdin Stout in 12-oz. bottles soon. Only available in the 22-oz. package before, the Portland brewery's stout should be able to reach a larger market in the smaller bottle.

Wade said the oatmeal stout, first brewed in March, is very smooth, very drinkable ... the flaked oats add a velvety mouth feel.

Wade and his friends at Casco have some cheering to do for their red, as well. Katahdin Red Ale was one of only eight beers chosen to be poured at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Old Brewery Festival, sponsored by the Strawberry Bank Historical Society.

Head Brewer Mike LaCharite attended the Great American Brewers Festival, and Casco entered all three of its beers.

Introduced in November, and available until February, Katahdin Spiced Ale is available only in 22-oz. bottles, and represents Casco Bay's first seasonal.

It will be spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, orange and honey, and is a recipe LaCharite has used for years as a home-brewed Christmas gift.

Not-So-Nasty Rumours ...

There is a rumor that Burlington, Vermont will soon be the site of two new brew-pubs, joining the esteemed Vermont Pub & Brewery.

Also, a cider pub may be opening soon, somewhere in Vermont .

And interestingly, Holderness, New Hampshire, is the site of a new brewpub, which, in what must be a regional if not national first, also features a candlepin-bowling alley and ice-cream parlor.