Today’s Press Herald includes a feature story about the new batch of beer brewers (Maine Beer Co, Oxbow, Rising Tide, Bull Jagger, etc) and related ventures (Novare Res, Bier Cellar, etc.).
The late 1980s and early 1990s brought Geary’s, Gritty McDuff’s and Shipyard, now the granddaddies of the industry in Maine even though they’re still much smaller than “big beer.”
The growth of the industry has paved the way for more competitors and more specialization. A second wave of “beer geeks” is brewing small batches at home or in tiny rented spaces, using unconventional ingredients to develop a diversity of flavors that could only be dreamed of two decades ago.
I’m really looking forward to Katahdin Brewing in Durham going online. Should see some special beers from the woods…….