Bissell Brothers Brewing will shutter its Three Rivers location in Milo

File Photo The Bissell Brothers brewery and taproom in Milo, shown in a file photo from 2019, is on the site of a former snowmobile dealership and next to snowmobile trails.

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By William Hall

Six years after Portland-based Bissell Brothers Brewing Co. opened a second brewery and taproom, in Milo, the branch will permanently close at the end of the summer.

Closing down Bissell Brothers Three Rivers, as it's called, "has been the hardest decision we’ve ever had to come to grips with," wrote owners Noah, Peter and Hester Bissell in a letter on their company's website.

The letter goes on to explain: "Despite what always felt like our best efforts and likely has had the outward appearance of a thriving business, our Three Rivers location has always cost more to operate than it generated in income.

"While we were able to absorb this loss for the better part of the last decade, a variety of economic factors both internal and external to our business have regrettably made this impossible to continue."

Brothers Peter and Noah Bissell first turned on the taps in 2013, in Portland, but expanding to their hometown of Milo was a long-held goal.

"When we opened our doors [in Milo] in July 2018, what had felt like a pipe dream miraculously became a reality — a brewery now existed in our hometown," the letter says.

The Three Rivers location, at 157 Elm St., was once a snowmobile dealership and features a 1922 train caboose on the site. Over the years, it's become not only a local hub for beer and food, but also for music and community gatherings.

But ultimately, it appears, the popularity has not been enough to combat recent economic pressures on craft breweries.

People are drinking less beer than they have in decades, expenses are soaring, and last year the number of microbrewery closures more than doubled the number of openings, according to the Bissells. "And that factor is only expected to increase in 2024," they wrote.

"Like many breweries nationwide, our bottom line company-wide is as tight as it has ever been ... The harsh reality of this all means we can simply no longer afford to operate our second location. We say this in spite of every fiber of our being wishing it were not the case."

There are no specific plans yet for the Three Rivers property, the letter says. However, the Bissells wrote, "Our sincere hope is that another individual or group will see the inherent value in the space that has been created over the last six years. We will not be 'demolishing' anything, but instead will be leaving what’s in essence a turnkey brewery and restaurant.

"We’ll be beyond ready to sell/lease the building to any individual or group aspiring to carry on the spirit of the space our team has built."

No changes have been announced for the Bissell Brothers location in Portland, at Thompson's Point, where the brewery and taproom are open seven days a week.

Bissell Brothers ranks No. 8 among Maine's largest brewers, according to the 2024 Mainebiz Book of Lists. The ranking is based on the company's 2022 production of 11,000 barrels. At the time, Bissell Brothers employed about 90 people.