Maine Beer Company And The Various Ways Of “Doing What’s Right”

Visitors to the Maine Beer Company go there for a number of reasons. They’re on vacation and want to stop at the brewery they’ve been hearing about to try a new ale in the tasting room. They want to meet with friends for pizza and beer and enjoy the atmosphere. They’ve been there before, and they love the friendly, attentive staff.

The Maine Beer Company Family

Likewise, Maine Beer Company appreciates the family-friendly environment so they prefer to bring their children with them. Regardless of the reasons, visitors to the Freeport, Maine, brewery typically have one thing in common: They like the beer. This, of course, pleases co-founders Dan and Dave Kleban to no end.The brothers and business partners created the mantra “Do what’s right” as the motto for the company, and the phrase is stamped on every beer bottle and company product. The motto is the commitment from the company to its employees and customers, as well as to creating a quality product.

Maine Beer Company: Doing Right by Customers

Based on the many four-star and five-star reviews of on Trip Advisor, Yelp and Google, quite a few customers believe that Maine Beer Company is doing what’s right. One Yelp reviewer from Washington state made the cross-country pilgrimage to Maine to visit the brewery and was definitely pleased.She described all of the beers as “delicious, clean and fresh,” while also giving high marks for the attractiveness of the décor. Another Yelp reviewer gave the brewery an “A-plus” rating and cited the patio as being dog-friendly. One review on Yelp described the taproom as having a “good vibe” and stated it was an open area with a good view of the brewing area.

The Company Reviews

On Google, a reviewer praised the brewery for providing “absolutely fantastic service,” stating that the staff acted quickly to serve a large group and made no mistakes while doing so. Another Google reviewer described Maine Beer Company as being the best brewery out of all visited in the state.The reviewer declared Lunch, one of the beers offered, a favorite and also mentioned it was ranked one of the best beers in the state by Beer Advocate, an online beer resource. One Google reviewer from Connecticut stated that she tells everyone she meets about Maine Beer Company.More notably, she enjoys her favorite beers there, and now that pizza is also being served, she believes it is better than the pizza sold in her own state. A Trip Advisor reviewer also liked the fire-cooked pizza as well as the beer. But, specifically mentioned the family-friendly atmosphere, with toys and coloring books for children.

Your Purchase at the Company

Another Trip Advisor reviewer liked the no-limits approach to the purchase of beer.  The person stated that there exist no limits on the amount of beer allowed for purchase to take home. Also, the same goes for the daily tasting. One customer arrived during the last half-hour of operation. Yet, they became very pleased with the warm welcome he received.In his glowing review on Trip Advisor, he stated that he actually had dinner with two of the staff members he met that evening. Furthermore, he described them as “amazing.” Obviously, there’s much ado about the beer offered by Maine Beer Company.Currently, the brewery offers 12 beers: Peeper, Lunch, MO, Another One, Zoe, a tiny beautiful something, Mean Old Tom, Woods & Waters, King Titus, Dinner, Post Ride Snack and Thank You 2018.

Doing Right: Creating Quality Beers

As per the history of beer, each beer has a story. Peeper, a pale ale, was the first beer created by the founders of Maine Beer Company in 2009. Lunch, an India pale ale, is named for a whale spotted off the Maine coast. It has a distinctive fin that looks as though a bite was taken from it, inspiring the name. MO, a pale ale, is a nod to Dan Kleban, the brewer, who welcomed a set of twins shortly after the brewery was founded.

When the brewery expanded in 2013, Dave Kleban was inspired to create Another One, an India pale ale. Zoe, an amber ale, is named for Dave Kleban’s daughter. a tiny beautiful something is a pale ale with candied orange. Mean Old Tom, a stout is fondly named after the founders’ uncle. Knowing this makes you more of a budding beer enthusiast.

The Unwavering Company Efforts

Woods & Waters, an India pale ale, was brewed in honor of the establishment of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In support of the efforts of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s research in Rwanda, the company created King Titus, a porter.  This honors the silverback gorilla of the same name.

Dinner, a double India pale ale, is a popular offering with a citrus theme. Dave Kleban, a bicycling enthusiast, created Post Ride Snack, a session India pale ale, to enjoy after a ride. Thank You 2018, an India pale ale with fruity flavors, is the latest offering. Hence, this pays homage to the customers who supported the company through the years.

The popular tasting room remains the place for customers to sample and enjoy eight beers on tap, as well as wood-fired pizza. Bottles are available for to-go purchases, as well as gift certificates and other merchandise. Additionally, the tasting room stays open almost every day, closed only on major holidays.

How It Started ‘Doing Right’ and Took Off

The idea for the company came to Dave Kleban while on a family vacation in 2006. He announced that he should start a brewery. He just needed a good business partner. Unable to find the right one, he shelved his plans. In the meantime, younger brother Dan took a fun lesson in brewing from a partner in the law firm. During this time, he completes a summer internship, and he liked it.Upon graduation, he and his brother drank beer on the weekends for leisure. Certainly, they decided to start brewing their own beer. After several months of brewing for their own pleasure, Dan Kleban declared he would rather be a brewer for the rest of his life than be a lawyer.

The Maine Beer Company Dream

Image: CC by 2.0, James Brooks, via Flickr

The dream of starting a brewery was reignited, this time with the brothers as business partners for Maine Beer Company. The idea signifies the creation of one beer that both of them liked and that others would like too. If the plan failed, they decided they would stay with their day jobs. After trial and error, the created the first beer, named Spring Peeper Ale (later shortened to Peeper).

Consequently, this happened with Dave Kleban making deliveries door to door, accompanied by daughter Zoe. It was 2009, and Maine Beer Company went from a dream to reality. Plus, the first brewery started in Maine in quite some time. Originally founded in Portland, the brewery relocated to its current location in Freeport in 2013.

Moreover, this involved with more fermenters, a warehouse, tasting room, and office. The company recently completed an expansion of the brewery in Freeport. Even more, they added a distribution and storage site in Westbrook. As of the spring of 2018, Maine Beer has a staff of 35 as well as a CEO, Steve Mills, to oversee the brewery’s rapid expansion.

What the Brains of the Company Have to Say

The Kleban brothers admit they did not expect their weekend hobby to become this successful. In an interview with Mainebiz, Dan stated that last year became a challenge to keep up with the growing pace of the business. Therefore, Dave admitted in a separate interview that he and his brother did not possess the experience of professional managers.

Hence, they did not anticipate the rapid growth of the company. Now with a CEO at the helm, they can handle their increasing obligations while staying true to the “do what’s right” mantra.

Doing Right for the Environment

A big part of doing what’s right is the association of Maine Beer Company with 1% for the Planet. This remained an international nonprofit network of businesses, environmental nonprofits, and consumers committed to environmental issues. Accordingly, Maine Beer Company, as a business member of the network, donates 1 percent of its sales to 15 nonprofits.

Likewise, this includes Protect Our Winters, Center for Wildlife, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Bicycle Coalition of Maine and Freeport Conservation Trust. The company also sponsors a Do What’s Right Ride, a non-competitive bicycling fundraising event.

Participants choose either a 25- or 50-mile route through Freeport and the surrounding area.  So, the Maine Beer Company raising money for various environmental nonprofit agencies. The goal is for this ride to become an annual event. The 2018 ride is scheduled to take place Oct. 13.

Luckily, this benefits 317 Maine and Freeport Conservation Trust, with support from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. An afterparty at the brewery will follow, featuring dinner, games, live music and, well, beer. This makes them one of the great brew houses in the world.

Declaration of Maine Beer Company for Independence

Another element of the Maine Beer Company, the proud declaration of independence. As a family-owned, independent craft brewery, it has adopted the Brewers Association Seal of Independence. They also attached the logo to its products. Dave Kleban, a member of the Brewers Association board of directors, explained the blog concerning Good Beer Hunting.

it grows a number of consumers who care about the company that makes the beer they drink. Additionally, this adds to the quality of the beer itself. To those consumers, the display of the logo is a value-add, signifying the beer as being crafted by a brewery.

This stands on its own and not owned by a corporation or parent company. He also stated that he and his brother started the company not only to make beer but to show that a small brewery could make massive strides. And, of course, do what’s right. Try reading more on the best beer kits for your first homebrew adventures. Afterward, get to know more of the ‘home’ behind the hops and brewhouses.