Photo Credit: Kristin Jackson
Summer in Maine is a great time to relax by a lake or the ocean while enjoying one of Maine’s excellent craft beers. These two things have more in common than you might imagine because clean water is an essential ingredient for the great beer being brewed by Mainers.
Maine Brewshed Alliance (MBA) is a coalition of 36 Maine craft brewers and the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) working together to protect the clean water that makes our state a special place to live, work, brew, and enjoy great beer.
MBA members pledge to support the protection of watersheds that are critical to Maine’s renowned microbrews by collaborating with NRCM to help educate consumers about how they can help protect Maine’s waterways. They support policies and programs safeguarding the waters of Maine and help to raise awareness and funds for clean water initiatives.
In March, the MBA celebrated its first anniversary, a capstone to an active year of education and events, including volunteer river cleanups, like one they organized in partnership with Mast Landing Brewing Company along the Presumpscot River, and outreach throughout the year and during Drinking Water Week at various breweries.
During Earth Month in April, members released collaboration beers and special brews from Tributary Brewing and Side by Each Brewing Company that raised money for clean water protection. They produced a mini-documentary, “For Beer’s Sake” with Shipyard Brewery, featuring nine brewers and Sebago Clean Waters tracing water used by breweries through the Sebago Lake watershed.
The Brewshed Alliance was also involved in advocating for clean water funding at the legislature. The owner of Orono Brewing Company testified in support of legislation (signed into law in March) increasing funding to protect Maine’s rivers, lakes and streams.
Plans for 2020 have shifted in the near term, due to COVID-19, but we expect to see a lot more from this group in the years to come.
Get involved, learn more, or support the MBA:
- Celebrate a milestone year for Maine’s wilderness with NRCM, Allagash Brewing Company, and others! July 17 is the 50th anniversary of the federal designation of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway as wild and scenic, and August 11 is the 20th anniversary of Maine’s Ecological Reserve System! Learn more here.
- If you love great beer, make a point to check out the 36 breweries who work to protect Maine’s clean water.
- Join the MBA email list and follow them on Instagram #CleanWaterGreatBeer
- Follow their clean water community and public utility partners:
- Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission, on Instagram, and Facebook
- Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District, on Instagram and Facebook
- Portland Water District, on Facebook, join their email list to learn about protecting Sebago Lake & upcoming events; email [email protected] to sign up
- Sebago Clean Waters, on Instagram and Facebook
- Donate to the MBA through parent organization, NRCM; join NRCM’s email list, and follow on Instagram and Facebook
- Watch the mini-documentary, “For Beer’s Sake”
- Become an Ambassador. MBA Ambassadors help during events to educate and engage people across Maine.
- And if you’re a brewery who wants to protect clean water, they invite you to become a member!
Find out more at www.mainebrewshedalliance.org.
