Micro brews in Maine, they number over one hundred craft makers of the barley pop suds.
The Thirsty Dawg in Houlton Maine is one outlet for over one thousand unique micro brew craft beers. Ever been there to do some sampling? Each one has a story and some interesting artwork to go along with what’s hiding in the dark colored bottle or can. Why the hoopla over the beer explosion of varieties? Because the days of limited numbers of beer producers are gone. And live and local is everything when sampling a new area on the Maine map.
Why the increase in micro brews and how can they all monetize what’s produced on such a small scale to stay in business?
Well, to answer the first part of the question. Dare to be different, seek out new anything avoids boredom for the adult refreshment guzzlers in the audience today.
Pop a top, twist the cap or look for an opener. What’s on the grocery or convenience store shelves is no longer just what your dad or grandfather opened the door to reach in and pull out when it was Miller time. Or this Bud’s for you. Maybe it’s used to be an ice cold Schaeffer. The one beer to have when you are hoisting more than one as the advertising people burned into the beer drinker’s memory banks. Nasty Gansett… did you like the riddles under the caps? Ready for another Black Label or Old Milwaukee?
The monetizing the micro brew platform part of the question brought up above now pondered.
It helps to have investors or a “ticket” to pay your regular bills. An income from other sources. While you get your brewery license, all the paraphernalia rounded up and connected. Overhead costs pile up and burdens any business. Which just adds to the rigor of staying alive and financially solvent. Let alone becoming competitive when you are out of the gate.Off and running to develop a following of week after week take me home beer drinkers. Or bar patrons to ask for their favorite lager to be put on tap to pour in 16 or 22 ounce glass wear or pitchers.
All the marketing begins after the technical aspects of vendor supplies and production dynamics are fine tuned. Allagash Brewing Company touts one craft beer flavor called Sixteen Counties. From their website we quote what’s so special about this particular brew offering.
“This beer’s name honors the rich tradition of farming in the sixteen counties of Maine. Keeping with that sentiment, we brew the beer with grains exclusively grown and processed in Maine, including: Maine Malt House 2-row Malted Barley from Buck Farms, Blue Ox Malthouse 2-row Malted Barley, raw wheat from Maine Grains, and oats from Aurora Mills & Farm.
Sixteen Counties has an amber hue with notes of honey, tropical hops, citrus, and a hint of cereal grain. The beer’s malt-forward flavor is meant to showcase the next generation of quality farming in Maine.”
Aurora Mills & Farm mentioned in the except is in my neck of the Maine woods. The William family farm’s rolled oats, grains make them a Maine micro brew craft beer frenzy component player.
Located in Linneus, Maine the small family Aroostook County farm is making a name for itself. David York from Houlton Maine who now works at Allagash Brewing Company in the Portland area started his employment when there were thirty employees. His dad who I ran into recently shared that Allagash has now roughly 130 employees. So however they are carefully adjusting the dials, whatever they are doing is working as the numbers support.
More varieties, tied to the holiday and four seasons in Maine helps beer sales. More than chocolate and vanilla two choices in what you feel like for a beer, for anything these days of big selection.
Besides grain, you need a hops crop to help fuel the Maine micro brew recipe. Hops grown in Maine take years to establish. What’s grown are supported by baling twine attached to aircraft cable running between 16-foot-tall posts that create a trellis to support the hop plants.
Hop farming is labor intensive, long ranged and how to live until a successful crop is the biggest challenge facing new micro growers. Prior to Prohibition, Maine grew lots of hops. That farming was curtailed when the country went dry (on paper).
Which beer pleases the pallet and what to pick is a lot like wine selection.
What’s the event in addition to what’s being served up for food. Mexican food goes well with beer from the same country. Canadian beer is not too shabby eh? Grains, hops, yeast, water are the four main ingredients of beer. The color, flavor, aroma all contribute to the overall beer drinking experience that wins over or turns away a customer.
Do you like a hoppy pale India IPA or a Belgian style white wheat beer? To lubricate the party or to go with the slow cooked locally sourced meal? Maybe you just mowed a big lawn by hand. Mainers are famous for lawn mowing akin to weekly “haying”. The thought of a tall cold glass beer bottle with sweat droplets sliding south on the outside. Adding a fresh sliced lime wedge forced down the tall neck can be the refreshing treat when you stop pushing or climb off the lawn mower.
An orange slice on the side of the New Moon glass of beer is another citrus addition some favor. Grapefruit added to your beer recipe or other fruit extracts are requested by others asking their waiter or waitress. The big question. “What do you have for local micro beer brews on tap for draft?”
For awhile there, it was just a ski area, a high end city restaurant that supported the in house micro brew. Heck now cruise ships even have their own onboard Red Frog and other tappers to pull and pour. To fill the growler and create a unique home grow beer drinking establishment.
The Maine micro brew to go with the meal or to sample during happy hour sitting on the bar stool.
Bartender, make it something local to wash down the appetizers of hot spiced wings, the salty pretzels. Or if you dare to sample the bowl of who knows who has had their hand in those mixed nuts. To slurp and nurse watching the highlights of the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics or whatever game is beamed in on the flat screen.
The Thirsty Dawg is a located Northern maine craft beer outlet.
Thirsty Dog owner Kent Good when asked how many beer brands he carries admits he surrendered after getting to 1000 bottles of beer on the wall.
Good says he makes a trip to meet the four Portland area beer distributors that don’t service Aroostook County too. To meet them half way in Bangor to do the transfer. To load up the truck to back haul the bottles and cans of beer toretail display at the Houlton store outlet.
Located at 9 Florence Avenue in Houlton ME, the Thirsty Dawg gets a lot of out of town traffic. The over the top beer selection and the off the beaten path location. Next to the bottle redemption sister business on the other side of the party wall both have a strong following. Peter pays Paul with returnable cash money.
Laws to make it legal, how to brew and sell beer, what about the licensing? Here’s the make it legit link for anyone considering a Maine micro brew operation. To keep the ATF people happy in the alcohol, tobacco and firearms division of Uncle Sam’s government hierachy. There are no speak easies, asking for the password to gain entry to beer halls or gin joints since Prohibition was repealed.
This weekend is the 4th annual Black Fly Brewfest at the Millar Civic Center.
If you are not tied up with work or down time chores around your home. Between spring yard work, here is more about the Black Fly Brewfest. You might wanna go. If you are looking at an opportunity to meet a lot of micro brew craft beer makers under one roof, you might head up to the Millar Civic Center in Houlton Maine this Saturday to check it out.
Use the handy mileage calculator to Houlton Maine. To determine just exactly how far it is from where you are to Houlton Maine for driving times. The Thirsty Dawg is a proud sponsor of the 4th annual Black Fly Brewfest.
Who else is going to be onboard for beer distributors at the Black Fly gathering of er, beer flies?
Over 40 beer exhibitors and wine, cider peddling producers too will be on hand. The time 2:30 to 6 PM for the sampling to get you in condition for the Saturday night plans.
Please drink responsibly or not at all. And find a designated driver if you can not drink responsibly. But here is a chance to learn about micro brewery, the home grown culture of what’s produced for suds with a kick in Maine. More on Maine micro brew beer culture.
Interested in learning more about simple Maine living?
You don’t have to be a beer drinker or partake in any spirits to get high about Maine. Visit the Me In Maine blog post website for more local flavor. Experience first hand, up close and personal from someone who lives here. Why the rural state called Maine in the upper right hand corner is where it’s life the way it should be.
Ever thought of owning a piece of Maine that could be used year round for Vacations or more? Buying, selling, trading Maine real estate, here to help in the process to make it fun, easy, money saving.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |
MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA
