Beer Inspiration in our Backyard: Maine Beer Company AHA Rally

Regular readers of this space know how big of a fan I am of Maine Beer Company. They make some of the best contemporary hoppy New England ales. I finally made it to the brewery last week for an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Rally.

The stretch of Route 1 where Maine Beer Company is located looks like it is straight out of American Pickers.

While I have always wanted to visit the brewery, ideally it would not have been on a Wednesday night. The last time I drove two hours each way in one night would have been when my buddies and I used to make the trip to Foxwoods. We were so broke we would occasionally pool our money just to have enough to gamble with. An over-priced hotel room down there was out of the question.

The reason I made the trip was that the Brewers Association Board of Directors were all going to be at the rally. This is where a real journalist would prepare and show up with well thought out questions to ask these craft beer luminaries. A schmuck with a blog would just show up and scratch his head wondering what to ask these people. Guess which one was me!

 Not only to they give away their spent grain, they deliver it too

I didn't even think to bring my copy of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing to have the author and Brewers Association founder Charlie Papazian sign it. It's okay, I will probably never have the chance to meet him again.

My girlfriend decided not to come, so I didn't know anybody there. As an introvert being in large groups, especially large groups of strangers is not my thing. I kept to myself for the most part. Maine Beer Company was pouring three beers: Lunch, Beer 2, and a special Imperial Stout they brewed for the event. We had two drink tickets. While it was hard not to have a pint of Lunch, I haven't seen Beer 2 in Massachusetts, and the stout was a one-off. I thoroughly enjoyed both.

The event was held inside the brewhouse and we essentially had free run of the place. I manged to trip climbing up the stairs leading to a catwalk. Luckily I had both hands on railings and managed not to face-plant.

One of the co-owners of Maine Beer Company addresses the crowd, while the other is visible through the window.

The AHA had a lot of great raffle prizes. I was standing by myself while they were pulling the winning tickets when I felt somebody standing immediately to my right who wasn't there before. When I looked over I was shocked to see Kim Jordan, CEO and co-founder of New Belgium Brewing was standing right next to me. I tried to smile and she immediately walked away. On a variety of levels I really hope I didn't come across as a creep.

After blanking at the raffle, I made my way upstairs to the shop. It was too late to get a sample or a pint, but I did pick up four bottles and a sticker. With a two hour ride home ahead of me, I used the men's room before leaving. I then proceeded to leave my commemorative glass in the restroom. I emailed the brewery and they said they would be able to ship it to me.

The ride home alone was a nice opportunity to recharge. When my exit came up I drove right by it and took a little bit of a longer route home.

The lesson I take from this experience is being prepared and having a plan. I usually pride myself on my preparedness. Even when planning a brew day planning and preparedness are crucial. I didn't brew my Galaxy IPA with the correct yeast because I bought my ingredients at the last minute. I still haven't bottled the Rounders Brown Ale which is supposed to be a fall beer.

In the coming weeks I should have more time to actually brew some beer.

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