The last two years have tested every Maine Craft Brewery. Taprooms felt the squeeze of higher costs, changing drinking habits, and fiercer shelf competition. Some breweries closed. Others merged or switched strategies. And yet, craft beer in Maine still feels alive in tasting rooms, at community nights, and on dinner tables.
This check-in explains what changed, why it matters, and how Brickyard Hollow is navigating the moment. We’ll look at national trends, the local outlook, and the simple choices that help independent beer thrive. If you care about Maine-made lagers, IPAs, and easy-drinking classics, this guide is for you.
Quick links to explore as you read:
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Our story
What the Numbers Say for a Maine Craft Brewery (and Why They Matter)
Across the U.S., craft beer growth slowed. Production leveled off. In some years, more breweries closed than opened. The reasons are not mysterious: higher ingredient and freight costs, tight labor markets, and new competition from ready-to-drink cocktails, flavored seltzers, canned cocktails, and a wave of nonalcoholic options.
For a Maine Craft Brewery, seasonality adds another layer. Busy summers bring visitors from all over. Winter can be quiet outside ski towns. Spring and late fall are “shoulder seasons,” when locals carry the load. That rhythm affects everything: how many cans to print, when to brew a lager that needs more time, and whether to run a draft-only special that fits a chilly weeknight.
Packaging also matters more than it used to. Grocery chains may want pallets of year-round SKUs, while taproom regulars ask for a fresh pilsner and a simple pale ale. Smart breweries mix both: a consistent shelf set for the store, plus taproom-only or seasonal beers that reward a visit in person. If a beer performs well in the room, it can graduate to a wider release. If it fades, the team learns fast and pivots.
If you want to dig into national data, the Brewers Association keeps helpful roundups of openings, closings, and production trends. For a statewide view and events, the Maine Brewers’ Guild is a great resource.
Big Beer vs. Small Beer: Different Playbooks
Larger or corporate breweries have real advantages: scale, long contracts for hops and malt, national ad budgets, and powerful distribution networks. They can win shelf space, launch big displays, and lower their cost per can. That’s part of why independents feel squeezed at the grocery store. As input costs rise, bigger brewers can absorb shocks more easily and hold promo pricing without losing volume.
Independent breweries have a different edge: the taproom. A glass poured by someone who helped make it. A server who can describe the malt bill. A brewer who tweaks a recipe because regulars asked for a drier finish. Local breweries also plug into neighborhood life—fundraisers, trivia, music, art shows, and youth sports. Those small, human moments are the true moat.
There’s another difference: speed of feedback. A small team hears what guests love within hours. A new pale ale that pairs well with pizza may sell out over a weekend and return as a core beer by month’s end. That loop is hard to copy at scale. Price still matters, of course, but many guests will pay a fair premium for beer that is fresh, local, and connected to the place where they drink it.
The Independent Edge for a Maine Craft Brewery: Classic Styles, Consistency, and a Seat for Everyone
Trends come and go, but the most durable Maine Craft Brewery playbook looks simple on paper:
Brew clean, classic styles that are easy to love—pilsners, kölsch, pale ales, porters, and stouts.
Keep quality steady. Drinkers return when beers taste the same today as they did last month.
Make the taproom welcoming for families, date nights, and friends catching up.
Host community events that give back and make regulars proud.
That’s been Brickyard Hollow’s focus since day one. We brew in Maine and serve those beers in our own locations. The result is a tighter loop between brewers and guests. Feedback arrives fast. Favorite beers stay dialed. Limited runs come to life when there’s a real reason—seasonal food pairings, collabs, or local events.
Food also pulls more people into the room. When a taproom pairs a crisp lager with a hot pie, a salad, or a shareable app, the experience opens to non-beer experts. You don’t need buzzwords to enjoy a pint; you need a tasty match and a relaxed seat. Consistency builds trust, and trust builds repeat visits.
Want to see what’s pouring now? Check the live list here: https://brickyardhollow.com/beers/.
How Brickyard Hollow Competes—A Maine Craft Brewery Model That Scales
Brickyard Hollow started in Yarmouth with a simple idea: make a pub that feels local, brew beers that stay true to style, and serve food that families want to share. As we grew, we kept those parts intact.
Brewed here, served here. Our New Gloucester brewhouse anchors production and lets us keep classics consistent across locations. See the brewhouse hub: https://brickyardhollow.com/new-gloucester-brewpub-brewery/.
A menu that brings people together. Handcrafted pizza and crowd-pleasing starters make it easy to invite everyone. That helps new beer drinkers try a flight with a meal—and come back.
Formats for every occasion. Dine-in for a round with friends. Order takeout or delivery (at select locations) for a game night. Need a larger event? Use our Food Truck for hot pies on site and our Beer Truck for a mobile tap list. Details: https://brickyardhollow.com/food-truck/ and https://brickyardhollow.com/beer-truck/.
Simple distribution. Four-packs to go from our locations keep things local and fresh.
On the beer side, we focus on balance and clarity. Lagers like 1901 Kölsch and Pratt’s Brook Pilsner are crisp and reliable. Trestle IPA offers bright citrus with a clean finish. Darker months welcome a porter or stout for richer pairings. Limited releases add fun without crowding the board. That portfolio gives guests a map they can count on—the same styles, brewed with care, from a team they know.
We also aim our beers where drinkers actually are: beach coolers in July, ski condo fridges in February, and the dinner table all year. That’s how a Maine-focused brewery stays flexible without chasing every fad.
Community Is a Strategy, Not Just a Value
Giving back isn’t a side project for us—it’s the plan. Community Nights share a portion of sales with local nonprofits, school teams, and cause groups. Pink Boots Brew Days help elevate women and non-binary professionals in beer. Clean-water partnerships connect great pints to healthy rivers and aquifers. These efforts aren’t only feel-good stories. They create a stronger, more stable base of regulars who want their dollars to matter.
A community-first plan also means making the taproom useful. We schedule gatherings that fit real life: team dinners, alumni nights, meetups, and low-key shows where conversation comes first. Those events help neighbors meet one another, and they help small organizations raise funds without adding stress to volunteers. The result is a better night out and money that stays close to home.
If you want to host a fundraiser or learn about upcoming events, start here:
Community Involvement
Host an Event
Pink Boots Society
How to Support Your Favorite Maine Craft Brewery (In 10 Minutes or Less)
You don’t need to overhaul your budget to help local beer win. Try one or two of these:
Buy a flight in the taproom. It tells the team what you like and funds the work that happens onsite.
Grab a four-pack to go. Fridge beer for the week helps breweries plan production.
Leave a review. Two minutes on Maps or Yelp makes a real difference. A photo helps even more.
Bring a friend. Introduce someone to a kölsch or pale ale if they think they’re “not a beer person.”
Pick a community night. Your dinner does double duty—good meal, good cause.
Choose local for your next event. Book the Food Truck and Beer Truck so your dollars circulate close to home.
Join the loyalty program. Points add up, and your repeat visits stabilize demand.
Follow on social. You’ll catch small-batch drops and community-night announcements before they sell out.
Ask for local at restaurants. A simple request to your server helps breweries earn tap handles.
Gift local. A four-pack and a gift card make an easy birthday or thank-you present.
The Bottom Line: Independent Beer Still Belongs at Your Table
The past few years changed beer, but they didn’t change why we gather. We still raise a glass for good news, share a pie on a weeknight, and unwind after a long day. A Maine Craft Brewery makes those moments feel local.