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V O L . X X I X N O. X I M AY 1 5 , 2 0 2 3 26 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S "Honestly, everything stunned us," Hop Culture researchers said of all the IPAs from Belleflower, which was founded by Zach and Melissa Page and Katie and Nick Bonadies in 2021. Calling Scrugsy "vibrant and fresh," the magazine said the beer "hits you like a neon sign in a sea of bill- boards. All your taste buds turn on, blinking and flash- ing as if you've won a brand-new car on a game show." e spotlight comes as Belleflower launches a new beer called Heart Trail that Nick Bonadies said the team has "fallen in love with." "We are very humbled to be a part of such an amaz- ing list of craft beers and breweries," he said. While the name Belleflower is a nod to his family's farm and a beloved apple tree that fell many years ago, Scrugsy "was a mutt and was Katie's mom's dog when she was a little girl," he said. Rupee Beer is on a roll Rupee Beer, an Indian-style lager developed by two brothers who grew up in Portland, continues to expand its reach. "We're now in 12 states and are launching in weeks to come across Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Georgia and the Carolinas," said Van Sharma, who teamed up with brother Sumit Sharma to launch the brand in October 2021. e siblings, both of whom were honored on last year's Mainebiz 40 Under 40 list, launched Rupee Beer with input from Shipyard Brewing Co. co-founder Alan Pugsley, once called the "Johnny Appleseed of brewing" by the Portland Food Map. Still working with Puglsey, Rupee Beer is gearing up to launch two new products developed in partner- ship with the British-born craft-beer pioneer. e first will be launched just before summer. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E PRIVATE REAL ESTATE LENDING HARD MONEY LENDING & LOAN ACQUISITIONS PROMPT AND PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE LENDER CALL OR TEXT BEN KELLER TO DISCUSS YOUR FINANCING NEEDS 207-944-6450 bkeller@capservicing.com Ben Keller, Senior Loan Officer C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 8 » F I L E P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Sumit Sharma, left, and his brother, Van Sharma, right, are the founders of Rupee Beer. Both were honored on the Mainebiz 40 under 40 list in 2022. We love Scrugsy and it's an honor to be featured in Hop Culture. — Nick Bonadies Belleflower Brewing