Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 F E B R UA R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 O N T H E R E C O R D B Y L O R I V A L I G R A "W hat's Brewing in New England: A Guide to Brewpubs and Craft Breweries," was published last fall by Down East Books. e lawyer and mother of three tapped numer- ous resources in all six New England states for the book, which lists brew- pubs and craft breweries by address and with a short description and history of each. Some, like Allagash, are known nationally, while others, like Fore River Brewing in South Portland, have neigh- bors beating a path to their door. Cone counted 200 breweries or brewpubs, including multiple loca- tions for some, in New England as she started writing her new book, and in one year's period, fi ve alone opened in Maine. As her book went to print in 2016, the Brewers Association in Colorado said the number of craft breweries in the country had topped 4,200, up from the 3,000 in July 2015. In the edited transcript that fol- lows, she tells Mainebiz what's on tap. Mainebiz: How did you become a beer writer? Kate Cone: I worked for a law fi rm in Brunswick that represented Shipyard Brewing when they were just open- ing on Newbury Street in Portland. I have a law degree, but didn't pass the bar exam, so I couldn't go to court. So I ended up working as [Shipyard co-founder] Fred Forsley's assistant. I also was writing fi ction and met a book agent who suggested I write a beer book. Down East published it. MB: What's the biggest difference in the craft beer/brewery market between then and now? KC: ere were 25 craft breweries and brewpubs in all of Maine, includ- ing some with multiple locations like Gritty McDuff 's. Six were in Portland. In the course of 2014 and 2015 when I was writing the new book, that grew to 90 in Maine. A lot of people went under in the late '90s. At the same time people in Maine were loving local, which is why Portland can sup- port 13 tap rooms. MB: How do Maine brewers stack up other New England states? KC: Maine and Vermont are the two states that are over-the-top. Everybody is nuts about our [Maine] beer. Massachusetts has more than 150 breweries and at some brewer- ies like Tree House people wait for hours in line for new releases, just like at Maine Beer and Bissell Brothers here. Rhode Island is growing as is Connecticut, which was slow to the game because a lot of import beer companies had their headquarters there, so the state's culture wasn't ready for craft beers for years. MB: Have you caught the beer bug? KC: When I wrote the fi rst book it was like immersion journalism. I joined a brewers club and homebrewed. My sweet stout got a blue ribbon at the Common Ground Fair. I stopped for a while, but I got a new kit recently. MB: How would you summarize what beer means to Mainers? KC: is has become part of the fabric of people's lives, especially the millennials. A couple will go out on the weekend to refi ll their growlers and then they'll talk about it on social media. It's a good thing for Maine businesses. P H O T O / PAT R I C K B R A N C A C C I O Kate Cone of Waterville is the author of "What's Brewing in New England: A Guide to Brewpubs and Craft Breweries," published by Down East Books. Author Kate Cone noticed a lot of changes in craft breweries and brewpubs since she published her first book on the topic in 1997. Neighborhoods embraced craft pubs, and craft brewing permeated the mainstream beer industry nationally. And then came the NPR news report that craft brewing is a $6 billion-plus business. It seemed time to revisit the subject and update her book, she told Mainebiz by phone during one of the recent blizzards. " " " " Colors Pantone 2747 Pantone 1807 IT Solutions Designed for Your Business Finding the right IT partner is one of the most important decisions your company can make. At WGTECH, making information technology work for your business is our core competency. We develop individualized solutions that help you grow your business, improve operations, and boost efficiency. We're Northern New England's resource for advanced technology – we'd like to partner with you. www.WGTECH.com 207.856.5300 Build a Better Technology Environment [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become [Craft beer] has become part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of part of the fabric of people's lives, especially the millennials.

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