Allagash Brewing achieves B Corp certification

Courtesy / Allagash Brewing Co. Allagash Brewing Co. has become Maine's first brewery to become a Certified B Corp. Founder Rob Tod, right, is shown here with brewer Josh Tierney.

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By Renee Cordes

Months after Allagash Brewing Co. founder Rob Tod was named a James Beard Award winner, the Portland brewery he founded in 1995 has become Maine's first beer-maker to achieve B Corp status.

Allagash joins six other Certified B Corp businesses in the state, and only 13 other breweries in the country, for meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and legal accountability.

"These accreditations are all about a rigorous commitment to our core values," Tod said in a news release. "They're self-imposed guidelines that will allow us to measure our success in a publicly transparent and accountable way."

He added: "Our plan is to continue to improve on what's important to us: the experience of working at Allagash, giving back to the community, and our environmental stewardship."

Five Maine companies were recently recognized as among the world's top performing B Corps.

Allagash said it achieved B Corp status in part because of efforts including a plan to use one million pounds Maine-grown and -processed grain, every year, by 2021.

It's well on its way to making good on that promise, and estimates it will use around 600,000 pounds of local grain in 2019. That compares to around 175,000 pounds used in 2017.

Allagash said it earned a B Corp score of 83, exceeding the 80-point threshold to become a Certified B Corp.

"There are companies we admire like Patagonia, who continue to increase their score with time," Tod said. "Now we have a concrete path to keep improving."

Allagash brewmaster Jason Perkins noted that becoming better is a matter of many small steps. They include expanding the company's solar array, sidestreaming 100% of waste (from 99.8% currently) and making further strides in reducing water usage, already minimal for a brewery of its size.

"We can now design a roadmap for all of these questions — to remain a leader in the beer industry and a better member of our Maine community," he said.

Allagash, known for its Belgian-inspired brews, employs 140 people.