Say you’re new to homebrewing, or new to Maine and you want to connect with other beer and brewing enthusiasts, but don’t know where to start. If your first inclination is to Google where groups are gathering in the state, you’ll get lost down the rabbit hole, for there is not one statewide Maine Homebrew Club.

(L to R) Dave Rocker (winner of Maine Homebrewers Competition), Jared Lambert (Head brewer at Bangor Beer C.o), and Josh Parda, owner of Central Street Farmhouse. Photo courtesy of Dave Rocker.

We turned Central Street Farmhouse in Bangor, which organizes the largest annual Maine Homebrewers Competition in the state, to find out “Where The Beers Are.”

Josh Parda, a long-term employee turned new owner said, “There are a number of ways people who are new to brewing find each other. Or, maybe they’ve been brewing a long time, but want to hang out with other brewers. Often, they’ll come into a store like ours and just ask us who to reach out to.  A few of the larger groups have websites and Facebook pages and regular meet ups.”

Homebrewing clubs in Maine are popping up as fast as the breweries themselves. They can be as simple as a bunch of guys and gals hanging around in someone’s garage shooting the shizzle and sampling new beers. Or some choose to communicate through closed Facebook groups and email lists while others operate as formal organizations with officers, bylaws and minutes. 

To date, there are three major homebrewing organizations spread out around the state: Home Brewers of Greater Bangor, Maine Ale & Libation Tasters (MALT) in central Maine (Augusta/Waterville area) and Portland Maine Mashing Maineiacs.

A smattering of smaller groups and clubs exist in various areas around the state, which can most likely be found by searching Facebook. The big three also host, (along with Central Street Farmhouse) an annual homebrewing competition, which is another excellent way to connect with other beer enthusiasts. 

Sam Canders, president of Home Brewers of Greater Bangor, reiterated what Parda suggested—that the best way to find out where the nearby clubs and gatherings are is to buy locally from homebrewing supply stores. “Especially for people not on social media or Facebook, go talk to the staff behind the counter, because they are likely to know what’s going on and who is getting together,” he said.

Canders said that his organization is very keen on creating a Maine Homebrewers Guild, essentially a network amongst all of the various brew clubs and organizations with the collaborative goal of creating a cohesive movement. “Our club is working on legislation to create a homebrewing exemption in the state of Maine, among other initiatives, such as a Maine Homebrew Festival,” he said. “Our intent is not only to make our own club stronger, but also to make other clubs in the state better as well. After all, a lot of the commercial brewers opening today started out as homebrewers.”

The Portland Mashing Maineiacs have been in existence for 11 years, have around 25-35 active members, and come to monthly meetings with more than 100 informal members who are networked by an email list. “We’re fairly informal,” said co-founder Chuck Warner.  “It’s more of a social club and we have people come from as far north as Brunswick and as far south as the Sanford area. People can always sign up on our email distribution list on our website to find out about the meeting dates and other activities. We also host Brew Days, usually at someone’s house, where people can bring their equipment and we brew together.

To find out more about the major clubs around the state and to get a better idea of their “club vibe” visit homebrewersassociation.org and type “Maine” in the search bar. 

— Text: Kay Stephens. Kay loves beer and hiking and often combines the two. She is an author and an arts and entertainment freelance writer whose work has appeared in a number of Maine newspapers and magazines.