Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 M AY 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 NYA BELIEVES preparing for college is preparing for life Toddler through grade 12 | admission@nya.org | www.NYA.org Shadow a student while classes are still in session Expanded Transportation Offered Fall 2016 Elevation Burger — Bangor Elevate To elevate your expectations for your next construction project, call Laura Blanchette at 207.282.7697 Craft brewers soak up locally sourced and processed grains Rising Tide Brewing Co. said it plans to use some Maine-grown and processed grains in every batch of beer it brews. Buying from local growers and pro- cessors is a new trend in Maine as malthouses and local grain growers turn their eyes to the booming market for craft beer and other beverages, whose makers are striving for distinc- tive fl avors and local lineages to ride the "source locally" trend. To suppor t their effor ts, Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Maine Brewers' Guild, told Mainebiz the guild is working with U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree's offi ce to convene a round- table discussion "in an effort to identify opportunities to accelerate the posi- tive impacts the craft beer industry may have on Maine's agricultural sector." Sullivan said the roundtable will be held in Maine likely in the next three to six months. It will include maltsters, hop growers and others in the industry, those who are considering getting into some aspect of the craft beer industry and people who have technology or tools that can be applied to craft brewing. Maine has 70 breweries — double the number three years ago, Dick Cantwell, co-founder of Elysian Brewing Co. and now "quality ambassador" at the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association, said at April's New England Craft Brew Summit in Portland. In its most recent annual report on the industry, the association estimated the economic impact of Maine's breweries to be $432 million, based on 52 breweries. Rising Tide, which is based in Portland, will source malted barley from the Maine Malt House in Mapleton and unmalted wheat and oats from Maine Grains in Skowhegan. Rising Tide Brewing has been using local ingredients in its Daymark rye pale ale since it was fi rst released in 2011, but for that ale partnered with Valley Malt in Hadley, Mass. "We have been buying some limited amounts of local malt for a long time," Heather Sanborn, co-owner of Rising Tide, said in a statement. "Now that there are more Maine options available, we are excited to expand our commitment to sourcing as locally as we can." Sanborn, whose company was named one of the three Mainebiz 2015 Fastest Growing Companies, explained that sourcing ingredients locally helps to support Maine's agriculture industry, while also reducing Rising Tide's carbon footprint. Amber Lambke, president of Maine Grains and one of Mainebiz's 2014 Women to Watch, noted that, "Maine's craft breweries are an economic engine in our state. By purchasing ingredients grown and made right here in Maine, Rising Tide is helping to strengthen the cluster of businesses and organizations, like grain farms, mills and maltsters working to rebuild a viable local grain economy." Jacob Buck of Maine Malt House, which uses traditional fl oor malting, said in a statement that, "It is pretty cool to plant the seeds in the spring, see the grain grow and follow it all the way to the glass. It makes it all worth it." Rising Tide expects to use at least fi ve tons of malted barley and about three quarters of a ton of unmalted grains grown and processed in Maine in 2016. The company said that when more high quality local options become available, it will continue to evaluate and expand its use of local ingredients. Rising Tide isn't the only local craft brewer sourcing locally. Allagash Brewing Co., also in Portland, released Sixteen Counties, a wet hop Belgian pale ale, in its tasting room on April 16, but started piloting the ale with Maine-grown malts about three years ago, and started shipping it about a year-and-a-half ago, Heather Muzzy, quality control specialist at Allagash, told Mainebiz. "This is a trend in Maine among other brewers to use local malt," she said. "If you have 20 beers to choose from and you support farm-to-table, the local aspect will be strong. This is true in Maine, especially in Portland." — L o r i V a l i g r a P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y L A U R I B U C K Maine Malt House in Mapleton uses a traditional fl oor-malting process. Hops and malts are a growing business in Maine. (See related cover story.)

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