Maine Beer Company

Dan Kleban suspends Senate campaign; BrewDog layoffs hit U.S.; Sunset’s new GM; Outlaw rides into Texas; Lawson’s and Crowns & Hops partner on Illumin-8.

Dan Kleban, founder of Freeport-based Maine Beer Co., has entered the race to unseat longtime U.S. Senator Susan Collins. Kleban is the latest candidate to join a growing field of challengers in the state’s Democratic primary to take on Collins, a Republican, in 2026.

What propelled the craft beer industry to nearly 9,000 breweries over several decades isn’t volume growth, distribution expansion or heaps of medals, but the stories of its people, according to Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban. Kleban delivered a keynote address Thursday at the New England Brew Summit, hosted by the Maine Brewers’ Guild centered on the theme of standing out in a crowded marketplace.

Leaders with the Brewers Association (BA) opened Tuesday’s opening session of the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver by soliciting donations for its new political action committee (PAC). Their goal? To make permanent the excise tax cuts in the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), which are slated to expire at the end of the year.

This week’s Middle Tier Headlines include: Ska Brewing exits Texas; Cigar City begins exporting to Scandinavia; Maine Beer Company adds Georgia distribution; the NBWA releases the latest Beer Purchaser’s Index; and more news.

Maine Beer Company of Freeport, Maine, announces their expansion into Indiana with distributing partner Cavalier Distributing. Maine Beer Company’s highly sought-after IPAs and other styles are now available for limited distribution throughout the state.

Two Maine-based craft breweries — Sebago Brewing and Maine Beer Company — are in the process of finalizing brewery expansions projects what would enable each company to significantly grow their operations in the greater Portland area. Sebago Brewing, based in Gorham, today announced plans to open a new $5 million destination brewery in 2017. Pending planning board approvals, the company could break ground as early as November, it said in a press release.

Freeport, ME — Here at Maine Beer Company, we’re all about freshness, but this notion doesn’t stop at our beers. We want to keep our perspective fresh, our experiences fresh, and our relationships fresh. What better way to do so than a with a collaboration beer?

Sales of Maine-made craft beer could soon rival those of Vacationland’s most celebrated crustacean and iconic product — the lobstah. According to a new economic study released by the Maine Brewers Guild, craft beer production in Maine is projected to grow by 200 percent in the next four years.

Chicago beer drinkers should get ready for a taste of ‘Vacationland.’ Popular boutique brewer Maine Beer Co. recently signed a new wholesale agreement with Windy City Distribution — part of the Reyes Beverage Group of beer distributors — and made its first shipment of beer to the Midwest just last week.

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ — Maine Beer Company will be expanding their Northeast distribution footprint, entering New Jersey on October 1, 2012. The brewery has chosen craft beer wholesaler Hunterdon Distributors to represent their brand throughout the state. The debut will feature the brewery’s original flagship brew, Peeper, in 500ml bottle format.