Allagash Brewing Co. used more than two million pounds of Maine-grown grain in 2025, marking a major milestone in the Portland-based brewer’s long-standing commitment to Maine agriculture.
A decade after pledging to brew with one million pounds of Maine-grown and processed grain, Allagash Brewing Co. says it has more than doubled that total — shrinking its supply-chain footprint while strengthening local agriculture.
Maine’s largest brewer used 2,025,674 pounds of Maine-grown grain in 2025, marking a major milestone in its long-standing commitment to Maine agriculture. The Portland-based company, led by founder Rob Tod, employs 130 people.
“When we made this pledge, Maine simply didn’t have the capacity to support it,” said Jason Perkins, the company’s brew master. “Reaching more than two million pounds shows what’s possible when brewers, farmers and processors make — and keep — long-term commitments to grow together.”
In 2016, when Allagash was using around 65,000 pounds of Maine-grown grain a year, it pledged to increase that amount to one million within five years despite the lack of infrastructure, processing capacity and scale at that time, the brewer said.
Partnerships and trial runs
Via partnerships with Maine Malt House, Aurora Mills & Farm and Blue Ox Malt House, Allagash reached the one-million-pound milestone in 2021 and expanded to 1.8 million pounds in 2023. Last year, it surpassed the two-million-pound mark.
To use more grain from those suppliers, the brewing team experimented with ways to incorporate additional Maine-grown grain into existing recipes — including its flagship Allagash White — by running pilot batches and testing different local grains.
Those trials enabled the brewer to steadily increase its use of local grain in its core beers, with no noticeable changes in quality or shelf life, according to the company.
Rob Tod FILE PHOTO / COURTESY OF ALLAGASH
"Thanks to our collective efforts, there's now more high-quality grain that's more affordable, coming right from our backyard in Maine,” said Tod, who was honored as a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in 2025.
"It's a win for us, it's a win for our farmer partners and it's a win for beer fans and brewers across New England,” he added.
'Leading the way'
Sarah Bryan, executive director of the Maine Brewers' Guild, told Mainebiz that the milestone achieved by Allagash reflects the a "deep commitment" to local sourcing.
"Investing in home-grown raw materials strengthens supply chains, supports Maine farmers and processors and reinforces the healthy connections between breweries and their communities," she said.
"It also demonstrates that scale and local sourcing are not mutually exclusive — they grow together, and we’re proud to see breweries like Allagash leading the way in building a more resilient, Maine-based craft beverage economy," she added.
