Baxter Brewing nears its first batch

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I’m lucky enough to live in Lewiston, Maine right now (haha, that’s a joke you’d probably only get if you live here in Maine). The problem is, that is a joke. But Luke Livingston, a Lewiston native has other ideas for his fair city, and he’s taken the first step toward helping to change Lewiston’s image by starting his own craft brewery. Located in the converted skeleton of Lewiston’s former Bates Mills, Baxter Brewing aims to be Maine’s (and in fact, the Northeast U.S.’s ) first craft brewery to offer its entire line of beers in cans.

Despite the unfair stereotype canned beer has gotten over the years due to poor marketing and even worse beers, putting your beer in a can is perhaps the best way for a beer to be stored. Think of kegs: they’re just giant cans. Canned beer benefits from the lack of light and oxygen, which can spoil a beer in a hurry. Baxter Brewing is banking on these facts, in addition to canned beer’s decided advantage over bottled beer in the shipping and recycling areas.
Last week, I took a drive down the road to see the progress that’s being made at the fledgling brewery. I was pleasantly surprised to see two kegs in a cooler brewing the first test batch of Baxter’s Stowaway I.P.A. and Pamola Extra Pale Ale. Both beers go into production this month, and should hit store shelves and bar taps in Maine come January.

Baxter Brewing's mash tun & hopper.

Baxter Brewing's mash tun & hopper.

Workers prep the kettles.

Workers prep the kettles.

Baxter's two conditioning tanks.

Baxter's two conditioning tanks.

Owner Luke Livingston, center, works in Baxter Brewing's gift shop.

Owner Luke Livingston, right, works in Baxter Brewing's gift shop.

Some of the shwag available at Baxter Brewing's gift shop.

Some of the shwag available at Baxter Brewing's gift shop.

Chris Cavallari

About Chris Cavallari

Chris is a longtime digital content producer based in Maine. Since 1999, he has been an early adopter and active participant in blogging, podcasting, and social media, and has been guiding small and mid-sized businesses in leveraging video, social media, and digital publishing to the fullest. With an avid love of travel and the outdoors, Chris started PartTimeVagabond.com in 2009 to give him a platform to showcase his outdoors and travel adventures, and to help educate others in doing the same.