Allagash Brewing Co. is rolling out three new products as a growing number of drinkers seek alternatives to beer.
As U.S. consumers drink less alcohol, Allagash Brewing Co. is rolling out its first cider and two fruity ales touted as lighter alternatives to traditional craft beer.
Previously available only at the brewery’s tasting rooms in Portland and Scarborough, Allagash’s Rosé Cider and Maine Blueberry Ale will be distributed throughout Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. The cider, packaged in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, is made from freshly pressed apple juice sourced from New England and New York.
Sticking to the fruit theme, Maine’s largest brewer also plans to release a citrus-accented ale called Clementine Kölsch to round out a trio of new products.
“We started exploring cider after noticing that visitors to our tasting room were increasingly looking for choices beyond beer,” said Allagash's brewmaster Jason Perkins.
“Seeing how much people connected with it in the tasting room made us excited to share it more broadly throughout our home state of Maine and with our New England neighbors,” he added.
Josh Fruchtman, the company's sales director, told Mainebiz that the releases are a response to what the brewer has seen firsthand in its Portland and Scarborough tasting rooms, where guests have "increasingly been looking for thoughtfully crafted options beyond beer."
The move comes as alcohol consumption declines, as shown in a Gallup poll released in August. It found that the percentage of Americans who say they drink has fallen to a record low of 54% amid a growing belief that moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one’s health.
Federal dietary guidelines were also recently updated to recommend that people “consume less alcohol for better overall health,” removing the longstanding previous recommendation that women who drink limit their intake to one drink per day and men to two drinks daily.
'Focused on fundamentals'
At Allagash, beer sales are actually up in the brewer's home market, according to Fruchtman.
"We'd credit that to staying focused on fundamentals and delivering the kinds of high-quality drink experiences our fans expect," he said.
Allagash, led by founder Rob Tod, was ranked Maine's largest brewer in the
2026 Mainebiz Book of Lists. Brewers were ranked by 2024 production in barrels. Tod, a James Beard Award winner, was honored as a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in
2025.
