Shea Cusick, an avid craft beer enthusiast who has worked within the vibrant craft beverage industry, recently became Maine Brewer’s Guild’s new Executive Director. Previously, Cusick was the Sales Manager at Nonesuch River Brewing in Scarborough, Maine. During her time with Nonesuch, she built a strong sales program, working directly with distributors and on-premises accounts to significantly increase the number of barrels sold. She also sits on the Guild’s legislative and events committees and is a certified beer server through the Cicerone Program. Fun fact: Her night light as child was the Blatz beer sign (an Old Milwaukee product), which might have something to do with her finding her way into the brewing industry!

Currently Cusick is part of the leadership team of the Pink Boots Society and contributes to some of its financial duties. She is also enrolled in the Certified Server Training for the second phase of the Cicerone Program, which requires several years of study. At Maine Brew & Bev Guide, we wanted to get to know her a bit.

What style of beer do you enjoy most?

Always the next one! I like sampling different beers everywhere I go and am open to trying something new. I always ask the server what they are excited about and hear the story behind the beer.

What brought you into the Maine craft beverage industry?

My first introduction to it was working for the Maine Brew Bus out of Portland, and during the tours, I probably visited Nonesuch Brewing hundreds of times. I got to know owners Tim, Michael, and Jeff and that led to a job offer. But also, I’ve been a big craft beer fan for many years. I spent time learning about as many breweries as I could get to in Maine and beyond.

How does your skillset from previous roles help you in new position?

I come from a family of salespeople and I spent many years working in restaurants and bars honing my service skills. Then, I moved to New England from Ohio working with Eastern Mountain Sports and Trader Joe’s mostly. That’s when I started really getting into beer. Sometimes when you work a variety of jobs over a long period of time, it isn’t obvious to you that you are building a foundation out of skills and concepts that will one day serve you well. I’m fortunate because now I see that I was building the foundation for this role.

What are some early plans for your role at Maine Brewers’ Guild?

Elections for Brewer’s Guild positions start in June. We’re looking for interested people to join and to get back to the full strength of our board of directors. I’m looking forward to visiting brewers around the state and listening to what’s going on in their environment, towns, and breweries, etc. to find commonalties. I believe wholeheartedly in collaboration and I am excited to have a tourism-packed summer and ride out this momentum. The Guild is in a good spot now; our brewers are resilient, and have come out of the other side after Covid-19 pandemic even more united and connected.

What Maine activities do you enjoy most?

We live in Cape Elizabeth and I enjoy hiking and kayaking—anything on water or in woods in the summer. In the winter, I love snowshoeing. I also enjoy coaching my son’s team for Flag Football.

What do you see as a pressing need right now?

As we emerge from the pandemic, we are looking to form an Events Committee to develop new ideas for the Guild to bring people together. I am excited to work on new ways to support our members and local initiatives in Maine’s craft beverage industry.

To learn more about the Maine Brewers’ Guild visit:
www.mainebrewersguild.org

— Story by Kay Stephens

“Sietz. Bleib.” That’s German for “Sit. Stay.” And it’s the name of one of Olive Pit Brewing Company’s first brews – a pilsner.

“It’s a dog pun, but it’s also what we want our customers to do,” said Christine “Christy” Cain, the brewery’s owner and head brewer. “I want to be welcoming and open to everyone.”

Olive Roo. Photo courtesy Christy Cain.

Dog references are common at Olive Pit Brewing (olivepitbrewing.com), which first opened its tasting room doors in January, 2022. Located at 16 Main Street in Lisbon Falls, the business is named after Cain’s beloved pittie, Olive Roo. Her paw print adorns the brewery’s growlers and flight boards and black-and-white photos of the pup decorate the tasting room walls.

Other beers on the menu include AmStaff Cherrier Pastry Sour and Wagworthy Fruit Hefeweizen.

It’s a fun theme, especially for dog lovers, but it’s only part of what makes Olive Pit Brewing a special spot that has quickly become a gathering place for the community.

Cain and her wife, Marcy Wittman, moved to Maine from western New York in 2015, with no intentions of opening a brewery. The idea was born out of their desire for less hoppy – or bitter – beer.

“I loved the whole beer culture and the tasting room experience here, but my wife and I hate hoppy beer,” Cain said. “And that was what we were finding. When we went to tasting rooms, even when you asked for the least hoppy, they were still 35 IBU (International Bitterness Units) and higher.”

At first, Cain joked about opening her own brewery. But that joke eventually morphed into daydreaming, then outright planning. Having worked in the food and beverage industry for many years, she was confident about her abilities to run a business, but she needed to learn about the process of making beer.

Cain started brewing at home, then completed a six-month course in intensive brewing science and engineering through the American Brewers Guild in Vermont.

“The driver was just creating a place where we focused more on malt-forward beers,” Cain said. “Everyone else has nailed the hoppy beers. That’s taken care of. I do have a hoppy beer on tap because I want to have something for everyone. But that’s really my focus: providing a full spectrum of beers, so there’s something for everyone.”

Photo: Aislinn Sarnacki

Through trial and error, Cain has succeeded in creating that variety. Currently, Olive Pit’s “on tap” menu features a dozen brews ranging from a hazy, strawberry pale ale to a sweet, milky stout. Her Irish red ale is the brewery’s top seller. And the rich porter made with a hint of Moxie soda – called Hometown Moxie – always draws the interest of new customers. (Fun fact: Lisbon is home to the annual Moxie Festival.)

Beer names can reveal a lot about a brewery.

Olive Pit’s Pink Boots Sour, for example, is made from hops purchased in support of the Pink Boots Society, an organization of women in the fermented beverages industry. Celebrating and working with women entrepreneurs is important to Cain, who named her fermentation tanks after “badass women,” including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Susan B. Anthony. (Naming fermentation tanks is somewhat of a brewer tradition, Cain explained.)

Olive Pit Brewing Company is the first 100-percent woman-owned brewery in the state, Cain said.

“It’s just sort of empowering knowing that you can get into what’s typically been a man’s world and be successful,” she said.

Cain says that she sees some momentum when it comes to women’s leadership in the beer world. Shea Hearsum Cusick, for example, was recently announced as the incoming executive director of the Maine Brewers’ Guild.

“I think she’ll be an amazing advocate for the community,” said Cain, who has worked beside Cusick at beer festivals.

When it came time to open a tasting room for Olive Pit Brewing, Cain decided to stay in her own community. Located between Lewiston and Brunswick, the small town of Lisbon Falls is home to about 4,000 people.

“There was so much support and enthusiasm from people in the town that I became more and more focused on being here,” she said.

Photo: Aislinn Sarnacki

It took a couple of years to find the right building for the brewery and tasting room, Cain said. The brick structure was constructed in 1919 and was previously a hair salon. Cain and her wife renovated it, knocking down walls, and building a bar where the hair-washing station used to be.

The spacious tasting room is now a mixture of industrial and farmhouse styles, with gray walls, black metal fixtures, and an abundance of old, repurposed wood. With ample seating and space to spread out, it’s a great spot for groups and families with kids. In fact, Cain supplies chalk to children who’d like to draw on the blacktop of the outdoor beer garden.

Dogs are also welcome in the beer garden, of course.

In just over a year, the brewery has secured a number of regular customers, especially for Thursday night trivia. It also frequently offers live music, paint nights, and other events. Local art, available for purchase, hangs on the wall of the back room.

While the building doesn’t include a kitchen, the brewery offers simple snacks including soft pretzels and a rotating selection of paninis. In the future, Cain aims to provide tasting experiences that pair various beers with certain foods.

This summer, keep an eye out for a selection of beer floats to grace the menu. And while some of the brewery’s most favored brews will remain on tap, others will be swapped out for new creations.

“I don’t want to do the same thing over and over again,” she said. “I want to keep trying new and different things, and a variety of styles and to keep learning. And the people in the craft brew drinking community want to know what’s new. They want to try new things, too.”

Story by Aislinn Sarnacki, freelance journalist, Registered Maine Guide, and author of three hiking guidebooks. Follow her on Instagram @aislinnsarnacki or on Facebook at Aislinn Sarnacki – Author & Hiking Guide.

The stone Dartmouth Trail Entrance at Good-Will Hinckley was funded by the Outing Club of Dartmouth College. Photo courtesy L.C. Bates Museum

A walk in the woods on the campus of Good Will-Hinckley is a delightful experience rich with natural beauty and interesting history. The 1,000-acre property on the banks of the Kennebec River in the village of Hinckley features six miles of meandering footpaths and a lot more worthy of a few hours of contemplative exploration.

Hidden among the mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods are at least 12 historic stone monuments built between 1912 and 1940. Each structure is unique and serves as a memorial to an important person or period in the colorful early timeline of this place, which was established in 1889 by George Walter Hinckley as a home, school, and farm for underprivileged boys.

The trails begin immediately behind the L.C. Bates Museum, an early 20th-century natural and cultural history museum. Stroll theDartmouth Trail, Bowdoin Trail, and Continental Trail to savor the many jewels en route. Before you go, visit the Good-Will Hinckley website and download a copy of “Stone Monuments along the Good Will-Hinckley Trails,” an essential companion guide (see below).

Bigelow Brewing Company

Five miles south of downtown Skowhegan, set in a bucolic spot partway up the north slope of Bigelow Hill, is where you’ll find Bigelow Brewing. Established by Jeff Powers and Pam James-Powers in 2014, the brewery just so happens to be located in their backyard in a converted barn. It’s a comfortable, community-gathering place that’s got a friendly, old grange hall vibe.

The flagship brew and number one seller is the Bigelow Brown Ale, a “good beer that tastes like another,” said Powers, who had been homebrewing since his wife bought him a kit back in 1989.

You’ll also find a pleasing selection of other great drinkable brews on the tap list to sample in the barn tasting room or outside in the large, grassy yard.

Hungry? Good! Enjoy one of the best pizzas around hot out of the outdoor wood-fired oven. Choose from a host of delish combinations or build your own. And if you find your mouth watering as you hover around the oven, well, you won’t be alone. It’s that good, and as far as possible, made from locally sourced ingredients, just like their beer. Mmmm!

RESOURCES

HIKE: Good-Will Hinckley / L.C. Bates Museum
www.gwh.org

Download “Stone Monuments along the Good Will-Hinckley Trails”

BREW: Bigelow Brewing Company
www.bigelowbrewing.com

Story & photos: Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island. Carey is an avid hiker and beer drinker and the author of the new book, “Beer Hiking New England.”

Spanning the estuaries of the Webhannet River and the Little River along the Gulf of Maine, the Wells Reserve at Laudholm in Wells encompasses 2,250 acres with a diverse wildlife habitat, from grasslands, wetlands and woodlands to salt marshes, dunes, and sandy beach. Formally known as the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, the facility is one of 29 reserves across the U.S. that work to protect and preserve healthy, productive and sustainable salt marsh estuaries.

Seven miles of easy trails crisscross Wells Reserve, and with a few pleasant hours to spare, you can cover a lot of ground. Begin your walk at the historic Laudholm Farmhouse, which houses the visitor center and a series of exhibits that describe the changes in the coastal landscape over the millennia and the land’s fascinating history. Interpretive displays along the meandering footpaths and winding boardwalks detail the ecology of this natural gem, while four observation platforms offer glorious views over the salt marshes. Be sure to visit Laudholm Beach, a great spot to wander freely amid the sand and surf.

A few miles south in Wells Beach, just a little more than stone’s throw from the Gulf of Maine, Batson River Fish Camp is a delightfully relaxing spot to refuel and recharge with a cold beer and a scrumptious bite after your hike, all amid a fun fishing theme. Batson River’s extensive menu of well-balanced brews features “different styles for different tastes” that pair nicely with their simple sandwiches and savory snacks. The easy drinking German-style Loon Call Pilsner is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

Batson River Brewing & Distilling craft beers and spirits “capture the joy of sweet New England summer, salty ocean breezes and life in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.” From its original brewpub in Kennebunk, Batson River has expanded to Portland, Biddeford and then Wells, which is now home to its brewing operations. You’re certain to feel right at home at any of these fine locations—each sporting a different theme—after a great day in Maine’s great outdoors.

Carey Kish, of Mount Desert Island, is an avid hiker and beer drinker, and author of Beer Hiking New England.

Love Freely, Give Often, and Always Pay it Forward

Here’s to Stephen R. Roop, a man of honor, courage, generosity, and grace. One who is loved greatly, who loved for free, and will live on in all our hearts forever and always…

He was a man who built an empire with little to nothing, yet he possessed something much greater than material wealth. We’re not talking about passion, compassion, or soul, although that was a big part of who he was. We’re talking about something bigger than that, even bigger than life. The spark in his eyes that no one could put into words, yet everybody saw. The vivacity for life and love for people that ran deeper and longer than any river ever could.

Steve Roop, man of the hour, fearless leader, community giver, builder of dreams, was dedicated, not only to the building of his vision with the construction of Roopers Beverage and Redemption in 1992, but also a builder of people, all people whom he crossed paths with. He was the father of good deeds and caretaker to his staff and loved ones, which was far more than could ever be counted by anyone other than himself because he never forgot a single soul. Never.

Steve Roop was so generous to the community and local non-profit organizations as well as to his employees and all people in need. Money was never a priority for him, only a tool to help others.

Jesse St. Laurent, President of Roopers, is now following in the footsteps of his father-in-laws’s loving nature, by caring for his staff and the local community with consistency and passion. He writes:

“Steve Roop was so giving on levels, not caring about himself, but also trying to make everyone around him feel better. I believe Steve had an inner civic duty to give to those without, whether it was financially, or just a kind word of wisdom. Giving back helps others, which in turn, helps you: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I believe Steve knew that giving was life’s greatest lesson. You can pay it forward to people around you: children, grandchildren, and employees and all of us need to watch and listen. We take ourselves too seriously and need to become beginners. Watch, listen, learn, and help when our community needs us.”

Stephanie Roop St. Laurent, Steve’s adored daughter, has now joined her husband in the beverage industry and taken over ownership of the Roopers business. She reflects on her father’s legacy and writes:

“My dad was so much more than Roopers… Roopers gave him the venue to do so much good but the truth is that’s just who he always was. Keeping his legacy alive will be a daily challenge Jesse and I take on to show our children and community how much love, integrity and true kindness was wrapped up in Pappi. His goal was to make someone smile and love everyone for free…always!”

Roop recommends that we all be a little kinder, laugh a little more and make someone’s day better. Help keep his legacy alive by passing it along to someone in need. All gestures, big and small, make this world a better place. God knows that’s what Steve did.

Detroit-style pizza and a new kitchen mark a turning point for the Brewery

At the height of the pandemic when most bars and restaurants were struggling with reduced capacity—some even shutting down—the co-founders of Foundation Brewing Co. in Portland were going in the opposite direction—making plans to open a new kitchen on the brewery’s premises.

“I’ve always baked as a hobby and was stress baking at the time,” said co-founder John Bonney. “My wife, Tina and I grew up in Detroit, and I started making Detroit-style pizza, which is square. My kids love it and we began thinking of an original menu around it.”

After almost nine years in the brewing industry, Foundation’s co-owners—two couples, John and Tina Bonney and Joel and Christie Mahaffey—envisioned adding a kitchen to their brewery at One Industrial Way.  “We are always looking to create ways for people to have more fun, hang out, and enjoy themselves,” said Bonney.  

As it turns out, the pandemic changed how people visited breweries during 2020-2022 with patrons looking to settle down in one place, have more of a casual experience, and take their time. Foundation has a big outdoor space where people could socially distance, yet congregate with their own “pod” of friends. Bonney said for a long time, the brewery has had good relationships with food trucks, but that the logistics were sometimes difficult to manage. During the last two years, Foundation’s owners solidified plans to put a kitchen in place—hoping, with a crystal ball, that the pandemic would wind down enough to open it.

The timing turned out to be perfect. The kitchen has been now been open since the last week of August and it’s a business model that works, given how the industrial park is set up, with people wandering in after brewery-hopping.  

Back to their unique pizza. Neopolitan wood-fired pizza is fairly popular already in Maine but Detroit-style is cooked in a pan. One hallmark is that the cheese—mozzarella brick cheese and cheddar—melts down all the sides of pizza, so you have a crunchy, crispy, cheesy outer crust. The sauce is a little bolder and added after cooking the pizza, which brings out a brighter flavor.

“Christie and Joel are vegetarian, so we wanted to honor that ethos building from original Detroit-style as the hallmark of our menu,” said Bonney. “Eventually, we added a Greek pizza, a Bahn Mi, and the popular Buffalo Chicken.” 

Bonney said that their IPAs pair very well with the flavors of Chorizo pizza and the light, clean fruitness of the Kolsch pairs nicely with the spiciness of the pepperoni pizza. 

“We’ve been getting great feedback on it,” he said.

* * *

The Kitchen is open Thursday-Saturday (12 to 8 p.m.) and Sunday/Monday (12 to 6 p.m.). The kitchen stops taking orders 45 minutes before closing time. Last call is 15 minutes before close. The Tasting Room is additionally open on Wednesdays from 12 to 6 p.m. (without pizza). For more information visit: www.foundationbrew.com 

Situated along the placid Androscoggin River and surrounded by rugged peaks, Bethel is often referred to as “Maine’s most beautiful mountain village”— and it’s easy to understand why. Outdoor enthusiasts certainly know Bethel as a year-round hub for recreation: hiking, paddling, and mountain biking in the summer to downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the winter. 

The Bethel Village Trails System at the Bethel Inn Resort.

Bethel sports two cross-country ski centers with miles of wonderfully groomed and tracked trails for classic and skate skiing and plenty of outstanding scenery to match. 

Carter’s XC Ski Center is home to 55 kilometers of cross-country ski trails on 200 acres sandwiched between Farwell Mountain and the Androscoggin River. Family-owned and operated since 1991, Carter’s features lovely skiing over the open fields and through the tall white pines of the intervale or on the slopes of the hardwood hillside. The trails are open for snowshoeing and fat biking, too. 

At the historic Bethel Inn Resort in the center of town, Inland Woods + Trails’ Bethel Village Trail System features 24 kilometers of cross-country ski trails and another nine kilometers dedicated to fat biking and snowshoeing. The pretty trails wind through open grounds of the Bethel Country Club and along the wooded valley of Mill Brook. Kick and glide to the top of Grover’s Grind for nice mountain views.  

And when you’ve enjoyed your share of fun and exercise on the snowy tracks, there are refreshing craft beer and delish eats at a wildly popular brewery close by for après-ski. 

Steam Mill Brewing is in a new, larger location on the road into Sunday River Ski Resort.

Steam Mill Brewing takes its name from the location of an old steam mill in the mid-1900s and the neighborhood where friends Scott Fraser and Brent Angevine began homebrewing after college. Years later in 2018, when the pair of locals opened their brewery and taproom in downtown Bethel, it was the realization of a long-held dream. 

Using locally sourced ingredients, Steam Mill produces a great lineup of brews with names inspired by local landmarks, such as the C-Surplus IPA, Alder River Red, and Intervale Ale. Last year, having outgrown its original space, the brewery moved to a larger venue on the road into Sunday River Ski Resort. The warm and spacious new brewpub has a large bar, beer garden, elevated pub fare, and, of course, the same great beer. 

Story and photos: Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island. Carey is an avid X-C skier and beer drinker and the author of the new book, Beer Hiking New England (available February 2023)

My first home brewing attempt was a disaster. Long story short, I created beer bombs that exploded all over the house, due to my ignorance of priming sugar amounts, correct bottling vessels, and proper sanitation. I’m surprised that the experience didn’t curtail my emerging passion once and for all, but my curiosity was kindled. 

Mead brewed with cherries and lager yeast. Sweet and smooth.

Mead, or “honey wine,” is what I enjoy homebrewing most these days. It predates agriculture before we had vineyards or fields of grain. Typically associated with Vikings and Saxons, the earliest account of mead dates back to 7000 BC in China. Once cultivation became the norm, picking grapes or plucking wheat from the field was preferable to scavenging the forests for beehives, not to mention the bee welts one would get in the process.  Interestingly, being the oldest beverage in the world, mead is still rather nebulous among consumers. Even people who don’t drink alcohol at least know what wine and beer are. 

Many people have said that mead is difficult to brew, given its tendency to stall fermentation. I have not had a batch stall on me yet because I use a yeast nutrient to help keep things going. Honey, as delicious as it is, lacks the nutrients that liquified grain has, so the yeast eventually crashes if you don’t pitch extra nutrients. You’ll need a lot of honey, so make friends with your local honey producer. You’ll need two to three pounds of honey per gallon desired, so making five gallons of mead will require a whopping fifteen pounds of honey! 

After you mix the honey and water, bring to a boil for five to 10 minutes to kill any organic material. While brewing beer, the liquified grains, or wort, is boiled for an hour. But, with mead, the wort is already processed, thanks to the busy bees. You can store mead in large bottles with swing tops or Grolsch-style bottles, that can be reopened several times, which frees you from the cumbersome cases of 12-ounce beer bottles that you need for beer. It is common to use champagne or wine yeast, especially if you want a dry mead. I’ve used them for years; however, recently, I used lager yeast, slowly brewing it in the basement at 57 degrees. Deliciously sweet and crisp!

I find that I have more freedom with making mead than beer. I can just put some random ingredients together and create something delicious. When home brewing beer, I’m usually limited to a target style. For example, I would be disappointed if my attempted American IPA tasted more like a British bitter. With mead, I have a general vision of what it will taste like, but I’m never discouraged if it isn’t exactly what I planned.

One advantage to home brewing is that you are in charge. You can make it as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You can have a miniature brewery or a meadery in your garage with all the bells and whistles. Or, you can have a five-gallon bucket and reuse a few water jugs. 

As a former professional brewer whose duty was to meticulously monitor all the details, I like to keep it simple with brewing mead. Sometimes less is more. And, the less technical I make it, the mystery feeds the curiosity that keeps it exciting. I make sure everything is sanitized and then let the yeast take it from there. Sometimes, I’ll admit, I won’t even know the alcohol percentage. Less science, more magic.

Every homebrewer has a unique story of how he or she got started; however, we all possess a common curiosity that we cannot ignore. The more we explore that curiosity, the more connected I feel to the craft and even to my Anglo-Saxon ancestors. And, that has been addictive, regardless of the ABV. 

J.G. Breerwood teaches English and Creative Writing at Lewiston High School and published his first novel, Sinking Dixie, in 2020. He welcomed his daughter Elsie to the family in June.

The one-mile hike through Jordan Homestead
Preserve leads to the Union River.

Airline Brewing Company’s Amherst location
is in a beautifully renovated furniture
factory building.

Enjoy British-style beers and good pub
grub at Airline Brewing Company’s tasting
room in Amherst.

On Route 9 in rural Amherst, some 20 miles west of Bangor and 20 miles north of Ellsworth as the crow flies, you’ll find the Amherst Mountains Community Forest. This nearly 5,000-acre tract of forestland is home to six remote ponds, miles of streams, significant wetlands, a jumble of rolling hills, low mountains, and great hikes worth the trip. 

From the Indian Camp Brook trailhead on Ducktail Pond Road, you can combine the Ducktail Pond Trail and Partridge Pond Trail to visit the two namesake ponds, both undeveloped gems, in the wild backcountry. Thick with fragrant spruce and fir and lined with colorful mosses and lichens, the winding trail between the ponds leads through a forest fairyland of sorts. Connect the dots via the gravel road for a pleasant loop of just over three miles. 

Back out on Route 9, also affectionately known as the Airline Road, head east for a mile or so to Airline Brewing Company. Established in 2014, the brewery and tasting room are housed in the old Paul Bunyan Furniture Company, a beautifully renovated space that features a thick, glossy L-shaped wood slab bar, benches and tables for gathering, and a gas-fired stove in the corner. 

Old mill memorabilia and artifacts hanging on the sawn board walls will surely catch your eye as you taste a refreshing brew from the extensive list of traditional British-style beers and ciders. The English Pub Ale is an old favorite, as is the cask-conditioned Red Ale, while new to the menu is the Downeast IPA, brewed in support of the Downeast Salmon Federation. Enjoy your draft with a tasty bite of pub grub.  

Make it a Two-Fer: 

Head for Ellsworth and Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s Jordan Homestead Preserve, a sweet one-mile hike along the Union River. Close by is Airline Brewing’s flagship location, a classic English-style pub in the heart of downtown. Enjoy the same great beer with a cheese toasty, bangers and mash, or steak-and-ale pie. 

Carey Kish of Mt. Desert Island, ME is freelance writer, avid hiker and beer drinker, and the author of the new book, Beer Hiking New England (available on Amazon in March of 2023).

Ambition Brewing is billed as the “best and smallest brewery” in Wilton (pop. 4,116), a former mill town at the foot of the western Maine mountains that’s coming back to life thanks to the efforts of entrepreneurs like Jeff Chaisson and his business partner, Josh Michaud. The brewery, which occupies a couple of storefronts on Main Street, has become a popular destination for locals and travelers alike since opening three years ago. 

The Snack Trio features marinated chicken skewers, marinated meatballs, and half of a cheese quesadilla. Pair with a flight to try out Ambition’s different brews.

At Ambition Brewing, you’ll enjoy a nice selection of drinkable beers, from the English ales favored by Chaisson—browns, porters, milds, and bitters—to lagers, sours, sessions, and IPAs. The taproom features warm colors, lots of wood, and an L-shaped bar made out of old doors. The cozy, comfortable space has the welcoming feel of a neighborhood pub where you can relax, rub elbows, and enjoy a refreshing pint or a flight. 

As to the brewery’s name, “We were tossing around a lot of ideas,” said Chaisson. “Josh and I were working hard to help revitalize downtown Wilton (the pair had already established an IT consulting business) when we realized that ‘Ambition’ characterized exactly what we were about.” 

“Some of our beer names, however, such as the best-selling ‘Stop. Hammock Time,’ a smooth cream ale, run counter to that,” joked Chaisson. So do the tongue-in-cheek books you’ll find on the taproom shelves, like The Lazy Man’s Guide to Life and The Low Ambition Handbook. 

Along with the brews, you’ll want to sample the kitchen’s creative menu of fresh-flavored pub fare, from wraps and sandwiches to pizzas and wings (the Caprese flatbread pizza is delish!) Snacks include a quesadilla, nachos, tots, and a killer trio of marinated chicken skewers, marinated meatballs, and a half of a cheese quesadilla—yum! Regular food trucks roll up out front to add even more variety for good munchies. 

When Ambition gets hopping, the crowd spills over into the adjacent community room, a sunny space where there are plenty of tables and a TV. There, Ambition Brewing hosts karaoke, comedy, and open mic nights, plus jam sessions and cribbage tournaments. The outdoor patio is a great place to soak up some sun while enjoying your beer and eats. 

Chaisson, who grew up not far away in Rumford, has made Wilton his home ever since getting out of the service nearly 20 years ago. “It’s a cool little town set right on beautiful Wilson Lake,” Chaisson said. “It’s a great place to live and raise a family.” There’s a grocery store, a hardware store, a couple of restaurants, five or six parks, and lots of community spirit. 

A few miles up the road are the 20,000 acres of Mount Blue State Park and Tumbledown Public Lands, where there are boundless opportunities for hiking, camping, paddling, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. Tumbledown, Little Jackson, and Blueberry Mountains, plus Mount Blue, Webb Lake, and Bald Mountain are the big recreation draws. All that and good beer to boot (as well as cans, crowlers, and growlers to go). So bring your ambition to Ambition Brewing and the Wilton area this summer and have some fun! 

If You Go

Ambition Brewing

Town of Wilton

Mount Blue State Park and Tumbledown Public Lands

Carey Kish of Mt. Desert Island, ME is freelance writer, avid hiker and beer drinker, and the author of the new book, Beer Hiking New England (available on Amazon in March of 2023).

People have often asked me, “I’m headed up to the Portland area, are there any good biking trails to ride, and get a great beer after?” 

Absolutely. First, we’ll start with the “bike” and then get to the “brew.” In the Portland area, there are about 100 miles of good riding. The Greater Portland chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (GPNEMBA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to mountain bikers in the greater Portland area and is a great place to start if you want local riders’ trail suggestions.

But if you want to go off the beaten path, a half-hour inland, the town of Gorham has also turned into somewhat of a destination with about 50 miles of good trails, thanks to the town and many local landowners who have graciously allowed a team of dedicated volunteers to build trails on their land.  

While Gorham doesn’t have much elevation, it boasts a great trail design with lots of flowy single track and there always seems to be a new trail popping up. Navigating with Trailforks (trailforks.com), or Alltrails (alltrails.com), explore the four distinct areas for riding: Weeks/Moody’s, USM, Tannery, and Hamblan. Each has its own unique feel and set of challenges. Most of them offer parking at the trailhead or you can park at Sebago Brewing Brewpub (29 Elm St.). The Village, or Tasting Room location, is a great start/end location. The USM, Moody’s and Hamblan areas are all just a few minutes away. 

Start at the Village location and take Lincoln Street to where it crosses Route 114. There’s a crosswalk with a light just down the street. Follow the path through the high school parking lots to Frazier Preserve Trailhead. 

From there it’s a pretty straightforward ride until you get to MBWEEE!, which is one of the most fun trails in the area. It has some great flow sections and a few gentle climbs. Continuing further into the network there is a very popular Lavoie Pump Track and adjacent to it there’s the brand new Signature Trail, which has equal shares of rollers, drops, subtle climbs, and even a wooden drop to test your “oh shit” skills! 

The larger network on the Moody’s/Weeks area has some sweet single-track trails such as Shakedown Street, Nirvana, and Unchained (typically a “down” trail). 

Upon your return, it’s time to reward yourself with a beverage or two. The Tasting Room at Sebago Brewing has a cozy bar and full restaurant seating area. The food is excellent, the staff are pleasant, and know their beers. One of my favorites is Frye’s Leap IPA (6.0% ABV). It’s clear, smooth, and has just enough kick to keep you interested. NED is another fine IPA at ( 7.0% ABV). If you’re looking for more of the floral hazy brews, there’s Haze FWD (6.7% ABV). There are many more on tap and available by the can. So if you’re looking for a great spot to get in some of the best riding in Maine and also taste some of the best beer around head for Gorham, Maine. 

Do you have your brewery and distillery passport ready?

As of early 2022, Maine is home to 165 active, licensed breweries, representing more than 100 unique brands. And the Maine Distillery Trail boasts 19 locations. This summer is brimming with endless road trip possibilities. Here’s a regional list of new breweries/distilleries.

GREATER PORTLAND

Established breweries that have opened additional locations

Stars ‘N Stripes
3 Spring Street, Portland
starsstripesbrewing.com

Banded Brewing Co.
82 Hanover Street, Suite 6, Portland
bandedbrewing.com/portland

Batson River Brewing
82 Hanover Street, Portland
batsonriver.com

Aprés
148 Anderson Street, Portland
apresmaine.com

KENNEBEC & MOOSE RIVER VALLEY

Sidereal Farm Brewery 
772 Cross Hill Road, Vassalboro
Facebook: @siderealfarmbrewery

MIDCOAST

Olive Pit Brewing Co.
16 Main Street, Lisbon Falls
olivepitbrewing.com

Luce Spirits
474 Main Street, Rockland
lucespirits.com

Blue Barren Distillery
59 Sea Street, Camden
bluebarrendistillery.com

MAINE BEACHES & SOUTHERN MAINE

Riverstone Brewing Co.
Currently seeking commercial location
riverstonebrewing.com

MAINE HIGHLANDS

Two Knights Brewing Co.
136 Mcphetres Road, Sangerville
Facebook: @twoknightsbrewing

Katahdin Brew Works
10 Katahdin Street, Patten
katahdinbrewworks.com

Bryant’s Brewing
1009 Great Moose Drive, Hartland
bryantsbrewing.com

On a balmy evening in early spring, Mainers emerge from their dens and flock toward their favorite local breweries to quench their thirst for outdoor patio life. At Rising Tide Brewing Company, one of Portland’s more popular spots, the air is filled with notes of sun-soaked laughter, clinking glasses overflowing with IPAs, and something else—the reverberating sounds of discs hitting chains. Though much of this crowd consists of regulars, there is someone new in town: The JoySwich Putting League.

Putting a disc

JoySwich, a newly crafted business founded by Adam McHugh and Mae Holmes, is a brand that merges outdoor recreation and adventure with a specific focus on the sport of disc golf. When McHugh and Holmes struggled to find a property that could house the JoySwich disc course of their dreams, they shifted their plans and decided to bring the sport to Portland. The Putting League, which commenced in April and ended in late May, was born out of a dream to make disc golf accessible, enjoyable, and inclusive for all Mainers. Its main focus is to practice one of the more difficult and technical aspects of disc golf known as “putting,” when players throw the discs from shorter distances, usually 30 feet or less. 

“We started this as an avenue into a beloved part of the much broader outdoor community,” said co-founder, Adam McHugh. “We want to enable that by offering not only the venues but also the equipment as well, so folks can try different types of discs without having to buy them or knowing how they perform. We also want people to make connections with others to have an enriched pool of discing friends. We are hoping mostly to extend the beauty of the game to newcomers and expand access for more women specifically to get interested and involved in the game.”

Putting League takes place every Monday evening from 6 to 8. The league rules are similar to that of a bowling league: Two teams play head-to-head in a match consisting of three games with teams composed of at least four (up to six) recurring players. The games consist of 10 total frames and players rotate, throwing five discs per frame.  The discs are thrown from distances of 20, 25, and 30 feet. At the end of each week, stats are collected and published on JoySwich’s website so players can keep track of their progress. There is even a weekly prize for the one who sinks the most discs each game.

JoySwich founders, Adam McHugh and Mae Holmes

“When I heard Adam and Mae were starting a putting league, I wanted to join right away—they are good friends I met when they hired me to design the Joyswich logo,” said Laura Felina, a local designer based in Portland. “I was awful for the first couple weeks and had to push through that discomfort. By week three I started to get the basics down and won that week’s award for the most improved player. Now I am looking forward to the league every week for the fun of improving as much as getting to hang out with everyone. It’s awesome.”

Many of the league teams consisted of friends, co-workers, and even strangers who rallied to form a free-agent team. While not all players were experienced discers, everyone was able to come together to perfect their putting skills while sipping some of their favorite craft beers.

JoySwich rotated their league locations at various Portland breweries, including Rising Tide, Bayside Bowl, Definitive Brewing, Goodfire, Thirsty Pig, Belleflower, and Austin Street, which hosted the final playoffs. Each location was able to provide a space for 10 disc baskets and a handful of joyful spectators from the community. 

For venue owners such as Charlie Mitchell of Bayside Bowl, there was a lot of excitement around hosting a putting league for the first time. 

“Bayside Bowl, at its heart, is built around leagues,” said Mitchell. “I love disc golf, so it’s a natural fit. Leagues create a culture at a bar. The customers feel a responsibility to the business since they know they’ll be back. It also gives the host bar a real opportunity to become a part of the customers’ lives—a place they associate with good times.”

A pint and a disc pair well together.

After immense success with the first run of the league, many breweries have already agreed to welcome JoySwich back. “We have a great outdoor space that’s perfect for this sort of thing,” said Heather Sanborn, owner of Rising Tide. “We’d love to host again. The response to the first event was great!”

Though the spring putting league has since ended, another session is currently in progress, and there will be more in the coming summer months (see the schedule here). “We wanted to make this league a Portland staple every eight weeks and usher in as many new teams as we can manage,” said McHugh. “We’re looking to run concurrent leagues and spread the matches around the city and beyond to as many venues as possible.” Additionally, McHugh and Holmes aim to expand access to disc golf by offering outings where they will supply the discs and transportation to courses, as well as free pop-up courses in parks and on islands in the Casco Bay area. Holmes will even be hosting a skill-building women’s clinic. 

Regardless of whether you’re a veteran player, a newcomer, or a curious spectator, disc golf is a sport that is steeped in camaraderie and excitement. If you’re interested in learning more about events in the Portland area, sign up for JoySwich’s email list at https://www.joyswich.com.  

Story by Noelle Auger. Noelle is an outdoor enthusiast living in southern Maine. She is an English teacher in Lewiston and enjoys writing about nature in her free time.

Woodland Farm Brewery N/A IPA. Photo courtesy Will Zimmerman

Non-alcoholic craft beverages have been growing in popularity over the last few years—and with good reason. As consumers increasingly desire fewer calories, improved health, or want to moderate their drinking habits, craft beverage producers are upping their game in terms of quality and variety. These days, NA beers and beverages are on point with the style trends and appealing flavors of their alcoholic counterparts.

“I am a big fan of the whole NA movement that is developing,” said Ruby Warrington, the Brooklyn-based author of Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol. “I think these products are hugely helpful for anybody committed to changing up their drinking habits.”

For Warrington, who hosts a podcast of the same name, a Facebook community page, and events for those interested in giving up alcohol, the expression “sober curious” means “being in an active process of inquiry about your relationship with alcohol, and being honest with yourself about the true impact of drinking on your life and overall well-being.”

While cutting out alcohol means cutting calories, carbs, and sugar, it doesn’t have to mean skimping on flavor. Woodland Farms Brewery was the first in Maine to hop on board the NA beer wagon with Pointer Non-Alcoholic IPA, which uses Amarillo, Cascade, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops as well as Maine malt.

The juicy New England-style NA IPA became a passion project of owner and head brewer Patrick Rowan, inspired by his uncle, a longtime fan of the non-alcoholic beers he drinks on trips to Germany, where NA beers are quite popular. Rowan worked on perfecting the recipe for three years, consulting with the Technical University of Munich to decide which brewing process would work best for him since there are a few different paths to eliminating alcohol in brews.

Rowan followed the IPA release with Witty, a German-style wheat beer and a raspberry sour called Ruby and will soon add a stout and other fall surprises to the brewery’s NA lineup, which is available in shops throughout the state and at the Kittery brewery.

Kit Brewing L-R: brewer Simon Burhoe, co-founder Will Fisher, brewer Adrian Beck-Oliver at this year’s hops harvest in Yakima, Wa. Photo courtesy Kit Brewing.

Kit Brewing, which will open later this year in Portland, is going all-in on NA. They plan to brew NA beers exclusively. Through a chance encounter between co-founders Rob Barrett, owner of Barrett Made Architecture + Construction, and Will Fisher, head of operations at Austin Street Brewery, the two connected when Fisher contacted Barrett to do some work at the brewery. They got to talking about the beer industry and when their paths crossed again a few months later, Barrett, who cut alcohol out of his life two years ago, asked Fisher if he’d be interested in starting a NA brewery. Fisher, who still enjoys beer, but has also cut back on his alcohol intake considerably over the last year, got quickly on board with the idea.

Their first release will be an American blonde named On Your Mark, an easy-drinking brew with a citrusy and lemony hop profile. Fisher said they’re working on a lager and an IPA, which they hope to release in 2022. They’re aiming for wide distribution to retailers, restaurants, bars, and breweries and plan on an on-site tasting room to open sometime next year.

The name of the brewery came out of the idea that their NA beers can be a part of one’s toolkit in life. “Whether you kick the night off with a regular strength drink and switch to Kit, use Kit to stick to your dry January resolution, or fill your fridge with Kit because alcohol is not a part of your lifestyle, Kit will provide the go-to option many of us are looking for,” Fisher said.

Move over Shirley Temple

If beer is not your thing, there are plenty of other NA options to enjoy that won’t leave you feeling like you’re sitting at the kid’s table. More restaurants these days are putting mocktails on the menu, making them with hand-crafted ingredients.

Portland’s sophisticated sweet shop Gross Confection Bar, owned by chef Brant Dadaleares, who is sober himself, makes their mocktails with house-made tonics and shrubs. Around the corner, Black Cow Burgers & Fries offers up elevated house-made sodas, such as the Brooklyn egg cream or ginger lemongrass.

Vena’s Fizz House makes it easy to create NA cocktails at home. They’ve been perfecting their non-alcoholic fizzy creations for eight years in downtown Portland. While preparing to reopen in their new space, (which will house a bar, retail, and an event space for mixology classes, with a soft opening slated for the holidays) patrons can browse an extensive menu of mocktail ingredients, such as Maine-based Royal Rose syrups, flavored sugar cubes, and bitters in their online shop.

Mary Jo Marquis, Vena’s director of business development, said some people are intimidated by the idea of making craft drinks, but the basis of any good drink is just something sweet, something sour, plus one more thing. 

“We’re a fizz house,” she said, “So, everything’s gotta have a little fizz. And you can take it in any direction from there.”

With so many NA options, why not give one a try with one of Vena’s online mocktail classes or a Maine-made NA beer?  

Catie Joyce-Bulay is a Waterville-based freelance writer with a focus on craft beer, farming and local food systems, and she’s looking forward to her next NA beer.

Head Brewer Rusty Packer, Sebago Brewing

From a twinkle in a brewer’s eye at hop harvest to the final concept, some beers are years in the making. Throw in a pandemic and other wrenches, such as can shortages and you get Sebago Brewing Company’s “Pressed for Time,” a juicy New England IPA that first hit shelves this past April.

It started with a hop – Idaho 7, to be specific. Sebago head brewer Rusty Packer first fell for the hop known for its juicy tropical and stone fruit characteristics at Crosby Hops, a fifth-generation hops farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, during their 2019 hops selection. He visited during their harvest when breweries were invited onto the farm to sample that season’s hops first-hand. There, brewers could discover what they were looking for in a process known as rubbing – literally rubbing the hops cone between two hands to release its aromas and brewing potential.

Packer was struck by the unique aromas of this hop. “There were six or seven brewers in this room rubbing this hop and there were immediately 20 different descriptors that were beyond ‘citrusy, pleasant,’” Packer said. “The little hop cones were releasing aromas like cotton candy, tropical fruits, and different types of citrus. And, it was just like, ‘We gotta make a beer with this at some point.’”

Packing Sebago Brewing’s “Pressed for Time”

The first beer they made with Idaho 7 was a single-hop IPA, but it wasn’t hitting that “wow factor” Packer had experienced during the rub, so it was back to the drawing board for what would be Sebago’s first full distribution release since 2019’s Haze Fwd, another New England IPA.

“I knew I wanted something new, but also, I’m deep into the dad life here so I wanted something that I could stay between the lines and enjoy myself,” he said. “Hitting 7% [ABV] all the time doesn’t quite cut that.” 

Packer continued to tweak more than four iterations, brewed on the pilot system – a smaller brew system breweries use for experimentation that Sebago patrons got to sample in the taproom. The evolution of that brew included changing up the yeast strain to London 3, a popular strain for hazy juicy IPAs the brewery also uses in Haze Fwd, and rounding out the beer with Secret, Mosaic, Cascade and Centennial hops before Packer felt like he had hit on something similar to the aromas he smelled during that harvest. Better yet, the brew clocked in at a more reasonable 5.7% ABV

Once the kinks are ironed out in a beer on the five-barrel pilot system, the next step is putting it into the brewery’s 40-barrel system to see what it does. 

“Pressed for Time” cans on the line at Sebago Brewing

“You have to chip away at it in a methodical way until it’s finally hitting that spot,” said Packer, which meant the first canned batch was a blend of three initial batches, a common practice in breweries to achieve consistency. 

Then it was time to come up with a name. With New England-style IPAs popping up all over the country, “the well’s going dry,” as Director of Brewing Operations Peter Dahlen put it.

After riffing off plays on citrus and juice pressing only to find all their ideas already taken by other breweries, someone made an offhand comment that they’d soon be pressed for time. “And everyone was like ‘wait, wait!’” said Dahlen. They Googled it and quickly registered the name when they discovered it wasn’t yet taken.

So Pressed for Time it was – little did they know that the name foreshadowed the launch of the beer. 

“Funny thing about naming beers,” said Packer. “Sometimes the name comes and then you start to figure out the true irony in it.” The team liked the initial fit of the name. It came out of a pandemic, where everyone was feeling a little pressed for time and so many parents were working from home and homeschooling kids, said Packer, who was juggling that himself. But, he wasn’t sure how the name was going to fit in the brewery.

The phrase ended up appearing in many more conversations as materials and ingredients showed up late. Then when the beer was ready to be canned, like other brewers across the country, Sebago faced a can shortage, fueled by an across-the-board increased demand for cans that began before the pandemic. 

“We asked ourselves should we have named it something different to make our life easier?” Packer joked. “But, like with anything, the hard work pays off.”

The beer made it out into the world only a few days late, but the work doesn’t stop there. Packer said they still have to keep batches consistent and up to the standards of that initial vision.

“Each beer kind of takes on a life of its own once it’s released,” said Packer. “There’s the logistics and working out the finer point of improving it to get it to be the best beer it can be.” 

Story & Photos by Catie Joyce-Bulay. Catie is a Winslow-based freelance writer. When she’s not writing about beer, farming, and travel, she’s hitting the trails or searching for her next favorite brew.