On a 2006 hike in Everglades National Park, beer lover David Kleban shared his idea of starting a brewery with his dad, who jokingly responded that David would drink all of his own profits.
“I then figured that if I made enough beer, that problem could be solved,” David says. While David had brewing on the brain, his brother Daniel Kleban was studying to be a lawyer. But during an internship one summer, a partner at the law firm gave the interns a lesson in beer and brewing, and Daniel was hooked, too.
The pair started experimenting with home brewing and eventually decided to take the gig full-time, officially launching Maine Beer Company in 2009. Since then, the Freeport-based brand has expanded several times, going from a small shop to a one-room tasting room in 2013, and finally expanding to a much larger brewery that can accommodate about 450 guests indoors with a barn, patio, and pizza oven in 2019. Over the years, fans have fallen in love with the brewery’s pale ales and IPAs that are brimming with character and complexity, as well as the company’s clear dedication to the environment.
Today, walking down the aisle of any East Coast craft beer store, you’ll likely spot Maine Beer Co.’s tall glass bottles with sleek white labels among the colorful cans. Now that you know the basics, here are nine more things you need to know about Maine Bee Co.
Maine Beer Co. started by perfecting one beer.
