Baxter Brewing Co. is a Maine-based micro craft brewery which will be the first brewery of its kind in the state to can all of its beer.
Located in the up-and-coming community of Lewiston/Auburn, Maine, Baxter Brewing Co. will begin to distribute its quality, flavorful and unique craft beers state-wide in the fall of 2010 (and will distribute across northern New England beginning in 2011). Why cans, you ask? The reason we chose to can our beers, rather than the traditional brown glass bottles more often associated with craft beer, is three-fold:
- Cans are better for the environment. Our cans, which come from Ball Corp., are made of a minimum of 50% post-consumer recycled aluminum and are infinitely recyclable. Americans are also at least twice as likely to recycle aluminum as they are glass, so our packaging will continue to help the environment, even after the beer is consumed. Cans require less energy to create than glass bottles and less fuel to ship to the brewery, since empty cans weigh far less than empty bottles. Consequently, they weigh less when filled and thus require less fuel to ship to the end-user.
- Cans are better for the beer. The beer in our cans has never seen UV light, which spells death for fresh beer. Every glass bottle, regardless of the color of the glass, will let some UV light in over time, resulting in spoiled or “skunked” beer. Anything you drink from a glass bottle will be less fresh than the same beer in a can. Our dissolved oxygen levels are much lower than similar beers in bottles (again, helping the beer maintain freshness) and our packaging cools down much faster than thick glass bottles, so you can be drinking the beer sooner!
- Cans can go where glass cannot. How many times have you been somewhere outside where you have wanted a high-quality, flavorful craft beer but weren’t able to because glass was frowned upon or was flat out not allowed? The park, the pool, the beach, the golf course, the disc golf course, the sailboat; camping, hiking, fishing, or just lounging in the hammock. Think about it, cans can go where glass cannot.
Founded by company president H. Luke Livingston, Baxter Brewing Co., LLC and its line of year-round and seasonal full-bodied, flavorful ales will be available throughout Maine beginning in the fall of 2010 and is expected throughout Northern New England in 2011 and 2012. The brewery, which is located in the historic Bates Mill Complex in downtown Lewiston, Maine, will be open daily for tours and tastings; as well as many special events. The brewery will also feature an in-house retail shop where you will be able to purchase all of our beer, sweet schwag and have growlers and kegs filled on-site.
What’s with the flying moose? The creature in our logo is Pamola, an Abenaki and Penobscot legend of a spirit which is said to be the god of Thunder, the cause of cold weather and protector of Mt Katahdin, the tallest peak in the state of Maine. The Indians described him as having the head of a moose, the body of a man and the wings and talons of an eagle. Pamola was both feared and respected by the tribes who believed in him.
