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| Rising Tide Brewing Company | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rising Tide Brewing Company |
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Michael LaFontaine; Troy Pepin |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine |
| Products | Craft beer |
Rising Tide Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 2010 in Portland, Maine by brewers with roots in the New England craft beer movement. The brewery grew alongside regional peers and national trends, expanding from a neighborhood taproom to brewing and distribution partnerships across the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada. Known for a diverse portfolio of ales and lagers, the company participates in festival circuits and collaborates with other craft breweries, restaurants, and institutions.
Rising Tide began amid the resurgence that followed the early 2000s craft beer expansion in New England and the broader American craft renaissance influenced by pioneers such as Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Boston Beer Company, Samuel Adams, and Allagash Brewing Company. Founders with experience linked their efforts to local culinary scenes in Portland, Maine, drawing on partnerships with eateries like Eventide Oyster Co., Fore Street Restaurant, and Central Provisions. Early collaborations and taproom events connected the brewery with regional festivals such as Maine Brewers' Guild gatherings, the GABF circuit, and the Great American Beer Festival outreach programs. Expansion milestones included a second facility and pilot system growth timed with distribution deals similar to those negotiated by Harpoon Brewery and Shipyard Brewing Company affiliates. The brewery navigated regulatory frameworks involving the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and state craft beer regulations in Maine and neighboring New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The brewery’s core facility in Portland, Maine houses brewhouse systems informed by practices at Belgian and German brewing schools, and equipment vendors akin to Schaefer, Braumeister, and custom stainless-steel fabricators used by peers like Trillium Brewing Company and Tree House Brewing Company. The layout includes a brew house, lagering cellars, a canning line echoing setups at Ball Corporation-equipped plants, and cold storage influenced by standards at Boston Beer Company and Guinness. Quality control and lab operations draw from protocols used at commercial brewers including Stone Brewing and Founders Brewing Co., with yeast management practices referencing strains cataloged by institutions such as White Labs and Wyeast Laboratories. Taproom and event space design reflects elements common to venues operated by The Alchemist and New Belgium Brewing Company.
The brewery produces a core range of styles spanning American Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, Pilsner, and specialty barrel-aged series reminiscent of programs at Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, New Belgium Brewing Company, and Westvleteren Brewery influences. Seasonal releases align with agricultural cycles and collaborations with local producers such as Maine oyster fisheries, Stonewall Kitchen, and regional farms like Raspberrry Hill Farm; limited releases have included sour ales using techniques from Belgian lambic traditions and mixed fermentation influenced by Cantillon and Gueuze methodologies. The brewery’s single-hop and experimental series echo approaches by Jester King Brewery and Bourbon County Brand Stout-style barrel aging familiar to connoisseurs following Kentucky Bourbon Festival-linked producers.
Rising Tide expanded distribution through partnerships with regional wholesalers and retailers similar to those used by Portland Food Co-op, Total Wine & More, and independent liquor stores in the New England corridor. Market penetration targeted metropolitan centers including Boston, Massachusetts, New York City, Providence, Rhode Island, and select markets in Canada such as Halifax and Montreal via cross-border distributors used by other craft producers. The company participates in beer festivals and trade shows such as Craft Brewers Conference, Great American Beer Festival, and regional events hosted by the Brewers Association and the Maine Brewers' Guild to build on-tap presence in gastropubs, brewpubs, and hotel bars that host taplists curated by beverage directors from establishments like The Standard and Ace Hotel.
Sustainability initiatives mirror programs at New Belgium Brewing Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company with efforts in energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water stewardship aligned with standards promoted by organizations such as the Brewers Association and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The brewery has engaged in local community partnerships with groups including the Maine Community Foundation, regional food banks like the Good Shepherd Food Bank, and conservation organizations similar to The Nature Conservancy in Maine. Educational outreach has included collaboration with hospitality programs at institutions like Maine College of Art, University of Southern Maine, and culinary training hosted with chefs from Eventide Oyster Co. and Fore Street Restaurant. Volunteer and benefit events have linked the brewery to local arts festivals, maritime heritage celebrations such as those organized by the Maine Maritime Museum, and relief efforts coordinated with municipal authorities in Portland, Maine following major storms.
The brewery and its beers have received recognition at regional and national competitions including honors at the Great American Beer Festival, awards from the New England Brewers Guild and citations in publications like The Boston Globe, Portland Press Herald, Thrillist, Paste Magazine, and BeerAdvocate. Industry peer citations have compared its innovation and community engagement to notable craft breweries such as Trillium Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company, and Boston Beer Company. Brewers and staff have been featured in interviews and panels at industry events including the Craft Brewers Conference and local entrepreneurship forums hosted by Greater Portland Council of Governments.
Category:Breweries in Maine Category:Companies established in 2010