Maine beer guild chief bullish on craft overcoming 'bump in the road'
Screen shot /Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Zoom event.
Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Maine Brewers' Guild, in a virtual toast with Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Quincy Hentzel at Thursday's Kegs & Issues event.
Despite a bumpy 2020 so far for Maine craft brewers during COVID-19, the head of the Maine Brewers' Guild remains optimistic about the industry's continued growth and popularity.
"While we have a bump in the road here, beer will be here in the future," Executive Director Sean Sullivan at Thursday's virtual Kegs & Issues event hosted by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce' on Zoom.
More than 70 viewers tuned in during the course of the late-afternoon event, which ran a little more than half an hour.
Reflecting on the industry's growth in recent years, Sullivan noted that that the number of craft breweries in the state has grown from 66 in all but four counties in 2015 to more than 150 brewers today in all 16 counties.
He also said that while Maine craft brewers are gaining market share in the state vis-a-vis Bud Light and other so-called "Big Beer" mass-market brands, there is still plenty of room for upside.
"Maine brewers are still selling a lot of beer and holding their ground," said Sullivan, a 2016 Mainebiz Next list honoree.
But the past few months have taken their toll, he said, with 650 Maine craft brewery employees furloughed or laid off based on early April survey data of Maine breweries, and the recent permanent closures of Nuts & Bolts Brewing in Biddeford and Andre's Brewing Co. in Lincolnville.
According to Sullivan, while both said that while COVID-19 was not the sole reason for closing their businesses, it was the final straw. On the plus side of the equation, he highlighted four openings this year including Outland Farm Brewery in Pittsfield and Trinken Brewing Co. (from the German word "trinken," which means to drink), both of which opened this spring.
Two others are slated to open in fall or winter of this year, Bath Ale Works in Wiscasset, and Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast, with the latter reopening under new ownership, Sullivan said.
Sullivan gave a shout-out to Maine craft brewers thinking on their feet to pivot and innovate during the pandemic by offering curbside pickups and opening beer gardens.
Elaborating on that point, he told Mainebiz Friday that "one of the things to really appreciate and enjoy is that beer gardens, long thought of as a European thing, are really becoming quite the trend as more municipalities shut down streets, and more space is created for people to hang out. While there are a lot of challenges right now for breweries to keep their businesses afloat, there are positive trends and brewers are reporting a lot of community support from locals who are making the effort to still swing by to buy some local beers."
'Creating a new reason' to visit
During Thursday's webcast, Sullivan reflected on craft beer's importance to tourism and the industry's ability to innovate during the pandemic with outdoor beer gardens that tend to be more common in Europe, saying, "Beer is creating a new reason to visit here."
The event wrapped up with a virtual toast, Hentzel holding a can of Rising Tide's Back Cove Pilsner and Sullivan with a glass of Foundation Brewing Co.'s Cosmic Bloom American Pale Ale.
"It's made with some Maine ingredients," he told Mainebiz afterwards, "and Foundation has always been a great supporter of the Guild, with one of their owners, Tina Bonney, serving as board member and treasurer in the past."
Hentzel said the Chamber was pleased with the viewer turnout, saying: "We were excited to highlight our world renowned craft brew scene and learn a bit about how the breweries are operating during the time of COVID. Maine has created a burgeoning ecosystem we should be proud of."
On Saturday, the Maine Brewers' Guild will host its first-ever Maine Beer Night, a fundraiser in place of its cancelled Summer Session featuring videos from brewers and other paid content.
"If we all are going to continue to have to be socially distant," Sullivan recently told Mainebiz, "we want to give people something to look forward to on a Saturday night that is fun, connects our community and keeps everyone safe."
Tickets for Maine Beer Night are still available and can be purchased online. Proceeds will benefit the Maine Brewers' Guild.
The YouTube video replay of Thursday's Kegs & Issues virtual event is available here.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments