Image / Courtesy, Orange Bike Brewing
Orange Bike Brewing won two awards at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival.
Updated: October 28, 2024
Portland niche brewery, Maine's largest beer-maker each take home prizes in national competition
File photo / Jim Neuger
Tom Ruff, founder and CEO of Orange Bike Brewing in Portland, said the brewery is expanding its operations to meet growing demand in its tap room and distribution channels.
Less than a year after Tom Ruff launched Orange Bike Brewing, the Portland-based, gluten-free brewery has won two national awards and is gearing up for expansion.
Currently staffed with four full-time employees and eight to 10 part-timers, Orange Bike has eight beers on tap at its 31 Diamond St. headquarters. The company also sells five products in cans.
At this year’s Great American Beer Festival, held Oct. 10-12 in Denver, Orange Bike received a silver medal for its Oktoberfest brew and a bronze for its Pilsner entrant. The brewery also took home two of the top three spots in the gluten-free category.
The annual competition, organized by the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association, is the country’s largest and most prestigious professional beer competition.
“Being only 11 months into operation and entering the competition for the first time, this recognition means the world to us,” Ruff told Mainebiz. “We’ve always believed our beers are exceptional — world-class, and happen to be gluten-free — but having some of the top certified beer judges in the country validate that belief, regardless of the category, is truly rewarding.”
Allagash Brewing Co., another Portland brewery, also picked up two awards: a gold for Allagash White and a silver for Allagash Triple.
“Being one of only two Maine brewers to medal this year alongside Allagash, whom we deeply respect and admire, is a tremendous honor,” Ruff said. “Allagash is one of the best breweries in the world, and to be recognized alongside them is a proud moment for our team.”
Ruff launched Orange Bike Brewing in November 2023, naming his business after his orange RadWagon Cargo Bike as a tribute to his daughter “and her future aspiration for a broader community grounded in a more humane, healthy and sustainable way of life,” he told Mainebiz last year.
Ruff describes Orange Bike's Oktoberfest beer as a "unique blend of rich malt backbone with subtle notes of caramel and toasted bread," and the flagship Pilsner as a "crisp, refreshing beer with a clean, slightly herbal hop bitterness and a light malt character.
"It's a classic Pilsner, crafted to be enjoyed by everyone, gluten-free or not," he added.
Behind the scenes, Ruff said it took a few months to perfect both winning recipes, largely thanks to the collaborative efforts of Alan Pugsley, a master brewer and consultant to Orange Bike, and Orange Bike’s head brewer, Jason Kissinger.
As Orange Bike enters its second year in business, Ruff said the brewer is expanding its operations to meet growing demand both in the tap room and its distribution channel.
“Additionally, we’re also doubling down on our non-alcoholic beer program, given the recent success of our first non-alcoholic beer,” he continued. The niche “is the fastest-growing sector in craft beer, and Orange Bike is well-positioned to benefit from that organic growth.”
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