If you’ve been a fan of Slick Nick for the past 20 years, then you may know that the “long winter ale” wasn’t named after a jolly, fat man dressed in red. Nope, Slick Nick is named after the song by Fishbone, a ska-funk band beloved by our VP and co-founder Kai Adams. Slick Nick has been popular since we first started brewing it. You know what? Let’s let …Read More
As we creep up on 2019, we wanted to take a moment to look back on this amazing year. Sebago Brewing Co. kicked off 2018 with some Barleywine kudos: Paste Magazine ranked our 2017 Barleywine as the third best out of 62 other barleywines across the country. In the spring, we opened our Destination Brewery in Gorham. First the Tasting Room in February, followed by our beautiful new brewery. We …Read More
It’s been a killer Fall for Sebago small batch beers. (And for fresher than fresh local hop beers, including our first-ever estate brew Hop Yard Porter.) Our brewers Kevin Depot and Molly Wolkin experimented with one of the most recent twists on the American IPA, the Brut IPA. Typically, Brut IPAs are bone dry, aromatically hoppy, and lack the traditional bitter bite found in many IPAs. This style is …Read More
Our brewmaster Tom Abercrombie calls HopYard Porter a nod to harvest, autumn, and all things Maine. This year’s version features our first estate-grown barley harvested from the site of our new Brewery. When the Shaw Brothers leased six acres of land in Gorham to us back in March, conserving farmland was what they had in mind. Of course what we had in mind was how soon we could grow …Read More
Ready for NED? We’re serving it up to you fresh from the canning line. On Friday, November 2nd, we’re (re)releasing NED, a hoppy IPA with a spicy, piney aroma and bold rye flavors. If it feels like deja vu, it’s because we brewed “Ned Ryerson” back in 2016 in honor of Portland Beer Week (and Bill Murray). It’s back by popular demand, though the name and recipe have …Read More
How do brewers raise money? They get together and make beer! Our own Jon Clegg is the president of the District New England group of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. MBAA was formed in 1887 to promote and improve “the professional interest of brew and malt house production and technical personnel.” Today Master Brewers has more than 4,000 members in 25 different districts from more than 50 …Read More
For this year’s Local Harvest brew, we really changed things up. Instead of doing one big Local Harvest batch like we’ve done in the past, we took advantage of our pilot brewhouses (and proximity to a local farm) and created two very different small batch fresh hop beers. For both beers we used fresh hops, of course – but when we say fresh, we mean FRESH. The hops came …Read More
Autumn. In some corners this means pumpkin beer, but around here we’re all about Bonfire. What started out as a pilot brew by Sebago brewer Rusty Packer, this dark ale has become a favorite because of its earthy undertones (think pine and sage) balanced with toasty, sweet malt flavors. This year’s recipe features Columbus, Chinook and Simcoe hops – added late in the process to maximize those generous hoppy …Read More
After a brief hiatus, we threw our favorite Fall party, Oktoberfest! More than 300 people joined us on September 22 for our first Oktoberfest at the Destination Brewery. We were cooking up bratwurst with sauerkraut and onions, serving up wood-fired pretzels and German potato salad, not to mention yummy pickles made by our own talented brewers. And of course we were pouring: Oktoberfest (our tribute to the classic Marzen …Read More
People know our classic beers like Frye’s Leap IPA and Runabout Red, or favorites like Hop Swap, and Whistle Punk. But our Sebago small batch beers are some of the most delicious, inventive brews coming out of the brewery now. Since our new brewery opened in late February, we’ve released a dozen new small batch beers: Spring Cleaning, Saison Saisoff, Dieter Redux, Chiquito, Danquito, Bog So Hard, Pack in …Read More
Sophie LeBlanc has helped to grow Sebago Brewing Co. — and has grown in the process. When she started working at the company four years ago, it was as the Southern Maine sales representative. Six months after that, the opportunity arose for Sophie to cover the entire state; she took it. Sophie has been managing Key Accounts at Sebago for a year and has supported the training and growth of …Read More
Don’t be fooled by the dark, practically opaque, color. This is a light, refreshing session ale that’s perfect for a hot summer day! Blazing Summer is Sebago Brewing Company’s first beer made with coffee and carbonated with nitrogen. It’s made with a mix of Briess barley, Williamette hops, California Ale yeast— and sixty pounds of cold brewed coffee in a ten-barrel batch. (That’s almost a quarter pound per gallon!) …Read More
Aroma + flavor: our first batch of Hop Swap 2018 is here. We brew this unique IPA twice a year using the same recipe, but it’s never totally the same— hence the name. This year’s creation (ABV 6.8%, IBU 68) features Simcoe, Citra, and Cashmere hops. Expect a bold, well-rounded combination of fruit, pine, and citrus flavors, with a clean and dry finish. Grab a pint (or …Read More
When brewer Kevin Depot invited Sean Nolan, co-owner of Honest Weight Artisan Beer, to collaborate on an IPA for Summer Session 2018, he knew what he was in for. “It was a great brew day, and the workflow was easy,” said Kevin. “We’re very much on the same page when it comes to what we’re looking for in a finished product.” The two brewers have been friends since …Read More
This is the last post in our series celebrating 20 years of Maine craft beer. It’s a big milestone for us – as a company and as small business owners – so thanks for joining us on our trip down memory lane, re-visiting our favorite beers, and looking forward to what’s next. Our biggest thanks go to our families for their unending support, love, and humor. You’re the reason …Read More
