Category: People

Congratulations to Bob and Carmen Garver, owners of Bard Coffee and Wicked Joe, on being named 2017 Business Leaders of the Year by Mainebiz.

The Garvers have come a long way since starting in a cramped space in Brunswick. Not only does Wicked Joe have a loyal following in Maine, it is also now distributed in 48 states, and expects to be in 50 states by the end of 2017. Distributors include Hannaford Brothers Co. and Shaw’s Supermarkets, as well as two of the largest natural and organic food distributors in the country, KeHE Distributors LLC of Naperville, Ill., and United Natural Foods Inc., which is based in Providence, R.I.

Award winning bartender Trevin Hutchins is joining the team at Rhum as a partner and director of their beverage program. Hutchin’s new cocktail menu, as well as a new food menu, is going to be unveiled at a press event next week.

Hutchins cocktails have been featured in Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Down East, and the New York Times. His drink the Jakarta was selected as one of the top 5 cocktails of 2015 by Star Chefs.

Chef Josh Berry from Union has been named the 2017 Chef of the Year by the Maine Restaurant Association. Berry will be honored at a banquet on March 28th, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

Bard Coffee barista, Milo DeGoosh, was successful at the Qualifying Competition in Austin this weekend and has earned a coveted spot at the U.S. Barista Competition taking place in Seattle, April 21-23.

Lolita co-owner Stella Hernandez has written the first of a 2-part series for the Press Herald about her approach to hospitality and wine.

As I head into the 11th year of owning my own restaurant (and more before that as a server), creating wine lists and serving wine to countless people, I’m starting to get more comfortable with the idea of being a sommelier. But on my own terms.

MaineBiz has published an article about the new owners of Howie’s Pub.

Joseph Hardy and Adam Moore, under the name Highlife LLC, bought the neighborhood Howie’s Pub, at 501 Washington Ave. in the East Deering neighborhood, from long-time owner Howie Chadbourne for $320,000, in a deal that closed Jan. 10.

Great Beer Adventure has posted an audio interview with Tom Bull, co-owner and brewer at Dirigo Brewing in Biddeford.

HopCulture has published an interview with Allagash brewmaster Jason Perkins.

KG: Where is the industry headed? What do we have to look forward to? What’s coming?
JP: More and more consumers will be turned on to what’s being offered out there, and what’s being offered in the craft beer world is a range of new flavors and new experiences. I think people will always want that. But there’s a lot, a lot of breweries out there, and there are a lot of breweries expanding. At some point, there won’t be the same growth that exists right now. Two years ago, almost anyone who wanted to could grow. I don’t think that’s going to be the case anymore. But that could end up being good for the industry. I think the overall quality that’s out there right now is good, but it could be better. I think there are some headwinds coming for people but in the end I think it’ll be good for the industry and good for the consumer.

Anna Horne Wingren passed away earlier this month at the age of 100.