USA, ME: Rock Harbor Brewing Co. becomes the first craft brewer in Rockland

It’s been two years since Rock Harbor, a restaurant and pub on Main Street, sprung up. But working pretty much seven days a week to get the new restaurant up to speed wasn’t the only priority for owner Dan Pease. He had a vision all along to add a brewery to the restaurant and after several months of construction and brewing, he introduced three new Rock Harbor beers to the public this past weekend, October 12-13, just in time for football season, Penobscot Bay Pilot reported on October 8.

A home brewer himself, Pease said he wanted to put a brewery in when they opened the restaurant, but held off until he could first research the best type of commercial system to purchase.

The copper and stainless steel system is encased in a glass room that has taken up some restaurant space, but affords patrons and passersby on Main Street an attractive view of the brewery’s inner workings.

Over the summer Pease began brewing his first batch, which he titled Batch 101, a saison, also called a farmhouse ale. After experimenting with Batch 101, he decided to make two more. The next one, a pale ale, was called Twin Screw. And the third one is Copper House Ale, an English style bitter, better known as his house beer.

At the time of this interview, no one but himself and a few tasters had sampled the beers. He was on the verge of launching them this past weekend.

As it turns out, Pease said the Copper House Ale instantly became a fan favorite, selling out two of the first eight kegs in that weekend.

Rock Harbor Brewing Co., now officially the only craft brewer in Rockland, just joined the Maine Brewer’s Guild and has put itself on the Maine Beer Trail map, which is welcome news to folks who come to the Midcoast to sample hand-crafted Maine brews.

16 October, 2013