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After years of rapid growth, Maine brewers face new challenges

Industry leaders addressed those challenges and potential solutions during the 7th annual New England Craft Brew Summit in Portland on Thursday.

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine's craft brew industry grew rapidly for years, but there are some challenges business owners will need to face in the near future.

Addressing those issues and possible solutions was one focus of the 7th Annual New England Craft Brew Summit in Portland on Thursday. The Maine Brewers' Guild hosted the all-day event.

“The market’s got a lot more competitive, costs are rising, the challenges are mounting. So now is the time to support the local breweries you like supporting," Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers' Association and keynote speaker, said.

Watson laid out some of those challenges during his speech.

A new generation of alcohol consumers is quickly filling up the market space, but they're not really buying local craft beer. Watson said brewers will continue to compete with hard seltzer or 'ready to drink' cocktails brands for the foreseeable future.

He proposed to brewers: control what they can control, focus on their products, and find creative ways to attract those younger consumers.

Industry Consultant Bump Williams said brewers should be in contact with their retailers and distributors to hear what they want to stock on their shelves. He added craft beer could be the first to go, but there's no need to panic and adjust the business model.

Credit: NCM

“Focus on what you’re good at, and make sure you’re the best in the business at that," he added. “Own your backyard, and by the way, Maine brewers own their backyard.”

Williams also shared a number of tips for brewers during his address, like focusing on quality and brand.

The summit also included a wide-ranging vendor floor where Mainers could check out new products and merchandise.

Speakers also covered a wide range of topics during a number of sessions, like how to handle employees' mental health and the topic of suitability. 

“Here [at Maine Beer Company] we have a better control on quality. We are constantly monitoring our system. We are learning more about compressed gas systems every day," Maine Beer Company's Sustainability Manager Dave Love said.

Love was part of a group discussing ways breweries can use more carbon capture technology and why it's important to be sustainable during the event. One reason why the brewery made a push to engage in new technology was driven because of last year's CO2 shortage.

He added an average Maine brewery uses more than five gallons of water to make one gallon of beer, another reason why he said it's important to be sustainably conscious.

“The more we can kind of start that conversation and get everything moving, the more we can learn from each other," Love added.

While there are some challenges facing Maine breweries, there are still a lot of positives for employees to be proud of as we head into the busy tourism season.

Sean Sullivan has been the Maine Brewers' Guild's executive director for 10 years. He is leaving that post at the end of the month.

Sullivan said there were about 40 active breweries in Maine when he began his position with the guild, and now there are more than 175.

He said the demographic of Mainers visiting breweries continues to adapt, and member breweries have seen "a more diverse audience".

While there are certainly challenges to tackle for industry leaders, speakers at the event reiterated the fact that breweries need to control what they can control and continue to build their brand for their local customers. 

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