Maine craft beer and brewery boom, Richard Ruggerio

Local Craft Beer & Brewery Boom

Text Richard Ruggerio.

Craft breweries in MaineWorking in the craft beer brewing industry for over 20 years, I have experienced all the ups and downs of major booms and fallouts. The growth and expansion this industry has experienced in the past few years has been unprecedented. As of 2016, the Brewers Association reported there are over 4,134 Brewery/Brew Pubs operating in the USA, with over 1000 still in the planning stages. The US hasn’t seen brewery numbers like this since 1870 when when there were 4,000 operating breweries in the USA. As I write this article, there are over 70 craft breweries operating in the great State of Maine! Outstanding, considering when I first moved to Maine to build a craft brewery during the last craft beer boom in 1994, there were less than 20. The Industry has exploded with no signs of slowing down. Maine, where small and unique craft breweries are opening every month, now ranks fifth in the nation for the number of breweries per capita.

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