Thursday, May 31, 2012

Breweries Of The Week: D.L. Geary Brewing Company and Gritty McDuff's

This weekly blog series will feature each of our member breweries located throughout the state of Maine. We invite you to grab a pint, sit back and relax, while we fill you in on the lively brew scene in our state.



Who? D.L.Geary Brewing Company located in Portland Maine, has an impressive past, present and no doubt future, in the brewing world. David and Karen Geary first turned dream into reality in the fall of 1983 when they incorporated D.L. Geary Brewing Company. But this dream didn’t just happen overnight and they spent the next 3 years, traveling to Scotland and England for research and training, creating a business plan, securing investors, real estate, equipment and product brand. In December of 1986 their hard work and vision paid off when they produced their first pints of Geary’s Pale Ale, in what became the first microbrewery in Maine and New England.

What? It seems like the Geary’s team pretty much always has something exciting happening …like being named ‘The Best in the WORLD!’ Yes that’s right; the New York Times blind taste test awarded that impressive title to the Geary’s London Porter. That is some pretty big recognition! Not only for D.L. Geary’s, but for Maine Breweries AND for the state itself! But I think one of the coolest things about D.L. Geary Brewing Company, is their scholarship program. Every year, in partnership with the Maine College of Art, the Geary team awards an undergrad scholarship to an art student, as part of their summer label design contest. Now how cool is that?

Where? The brew team offers scheduled brewery and tasting tours and have a very cool online store as well. Check out their website for details and to enter their great contests like the one running right now: A Striper Fishing trip for four people! Cheers to Geary’s and all of the great ways they celebrate summer in Maine!




Who? I’d be willing to be that pretty much everybody who has visited Portland, has at least once, spent time at Gritty’s Brew Pub! And those who have not hung out in the Old Port location have most likely spent a time or two at one of the classic {Gritty’s style} tavern tables in Freeport or their newest location in Auburn. There is always some sort of party going on, be it in the huge backyard of the Freeport Pub, in the heart of Portland’s Old Port or on the riverfront deck in Auburn. My point being, Gritty’s Brew Pub is pretty much a Maine staple at this point, when it comes to fun in Maine. The humble beginnings of founders Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer date back to 1988 and consisted of two simple goals; 1) to create a true, English-style pub serving fresh ales and great food, and 2) to have fun doing it! I guess I’ll go way out on a limb here and say that they just might have achieved their goals!

What? The Brew Pub stands just fine on its own, with 24 years of awards piled up in countless categories like the Best Brew Pub in Maine and the Best Bar in Maine. But let’s talk for a minute about the beer. After all, what is a brew pub without the brew? The Gritty’s brew team has been perfecting the art of brewing award winning ales for almost 25 years and there are certainly no signs of slowing down. From flagship ales, to special brews to seasonal brews…there doesn’t seem to be an end to the possibilities...or the fans. Just check out their facebook page….7,000 and counting!

When? Pretty much all the time. This is the section where I typically talk about what great event is coming soon, in hopes to help spread the word. At Gritty’s however, the task of choosing is far too daunting and the best advice I can give is this: Pick a day and a location and show up. Chances are there will be something fun going on! Or… follow their blog, join their mailing list, check their calendar, like them on facebook or tweet them. Shop online, visit their stores, or join their mug club. Whatever you decide to do doesn’t really matter…as long as you just Do it, at Gritty’s!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

First Annual 633 Hop Swap Weekend in Boothbay


Contact Information:
Winn Mitchell: win@boothbaycraftbrewery.com

Boothbay, ME –The Boothbay Craft brewery in partnership with several area businesses will host the 1st annual “633 Hop Swap” Event during the weekend of June 1st-3rd.  Event festivities will begin on Friday afternoon at the Boothbay Country Club with a Local Ale Golf Scramble scheduled to tee off at 5:30pm.  92 Moose Cumulus radio out of Augusta will be broadcasting live from 4-7pm, featuring contests and prizes, exclusive ticket holder specials from Boothbay Country Club, Boothbay Craft Brewery, Hay -Val Private Boat Charters, Fisherman’s Wharf Inn and Restaurant and Marketing Cents 4u Consulting, a hot grill and local ale.  The festivities continue on Saturday at the Boothbay Craft Brewery with the Hop Swap event from 1pm-4pm, featuring a tour of the newly completed brewery, a beer tasting and a hop plant for guests to bring home.

The Hop Swap idea was ‘brewed up’ by none other than the BRU team (Boothbay Region United) sometime over the long and quiet mid coast winter.  The team planted a seed that quite literally came to life this spring, when dozens of community members came together to share in the efforts of planting baby hops for future harvest.

Win Mitchell of Boothbay Craft Brewery said this about the upcoming event, ‘The Hop Swap was an idea that we thought would be a fun addition to the regions’ more mainstream events and attractions.  We believed it would provide an opportunity for individual participation within our community {and beyond} and possibly even ignite some fun competition among our confident gardeners!  It’s a way to include all walks of people in a perpetual event that we see culminating into a late August ‘Hop Harvest Days’ and then to a weeklong ‘Oktoberfest’.  With so many gardeners in our midst, like the crew at Boothbay Region Greenhouses {who were excited to jump onboard} and the world class botanical gardens just down the street, what better way to celebrate our peninsula’s beauty and growing community and hopefully get a little exposure for the region at the same time!  Move over pumpkins and make room for hops!’

The Hop Swap weekend kicks off a very exciting upcoming season in the Boothbay Harbor Region, with the 50th Windjammer Days Festival on June 26th & 27th, the Maine Brewers Guild Craft Beer Fest on July 14th, the 10th Annual Shipyard Cup Regatta on August 11th & 12th, the Boothbay Region Land Trust Shipyard Concert on August 16th and countless additional events happening around the region.

‘Our region is literally bursting with activities and festivities, offering something for all interests and all ages’, says Lori Pecor of Marketing Cents 4u. ‘Many people don’t realize just how much our peninsula has to offer; from a world class arts and culture scene with incredible venues like the Historic Opera House and Boothbay Playhouse, to world class Botanical Gardens or the Maine State Aquarium that draws marine scientists from all over the world’.  It is well worth the 12 mile drive off route one and we encourage our fellow Mainers to come and enjoy a vacation that’s close to home but feels a million miles away’.

About 633 Hop Swap Weekend:
Friday, June 1st, 2012:  Boothbay Country Club Hop Swap Golf Scramble 5:30pm-9pm. $45.00 pp includes 9 holes of golf with cart, followed by a local brew tasting & swag party in the club house with Boothbay Craft Brewery.  Open to the public, exclusive deals for Hop Swap ticket holders.  92 Moose radio broadcasting live from 5p-8p.  FMI call 207.633.6085.  33 Country Club Road, Boothbay, Maine.  www.boothbaycountryclub.com.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012:   Boothbay Craft Brewery 1st Annual Hop Swap & Grand Opening, 1pm-4pm.  $10.00pp includes a brewery tour, a pint of fresh brewed ale and a hop plant to bring home.  Boothbay Resort, 301 Adams Pond Rd., Boothbay, Me  www.boothbayresort.com.  Tickets are on sale at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/209823, the brewery and several area businesses.  Hop plants are available for planting now and can be picked up at the brewery.  FMI call 633-3411.
All Weekend:  Ticket holders will enjoy exclusive deals and lodging packages at several area businesses to include:  Boothbay Harbor Inn and Restaurant, Boothbay Resort, Fisherman’s Wharf Inn & Restaurant, Paradise Studio & Cottages, Tugboat Inn & Restaurant, Kaler’s Restaurant, McSeagull’s Restaurant, Calypso Boutique, Janson’s Clothing, Hay- Val Private Boat Charters, Boothbay Country Club and Boothbay Craft Brewery.

Area businesses:  Local businesses interested in participating in the weekend festivities should contact Heather O’Brien or Lori Pecor at marketingcents4u@gmail.com, www.marketingcents4u.com  or find them on facebook.