Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company
 | |
 The Portland location in 2022 | |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine, U.S. |
Number of locations | 3 |
Key people | Ed Stebbins, brewmaster[1] |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner |
|
Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company, commonly contracted to Gritty's, is a brewery, with locations in Portland, Freeport, and Auburn, Maine, United States.
History
[edit]Gritty's began as a brewpub in Portland, Maine, founded at 396 Fore Street in 1988 by Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer.[2] The Fore Street location is considered the first brewpub to open in Maine since Prohibition ended. [3]
In 1995, a second location with a larger brewing facility was opened in Freeport, Maine. The company experienced a downturn in sales in the late 1990s, as did most craft breweries.[1] A third brewpub was opened in Auburn, Maine, in 2005. The company's production volume that year, 2005, was in excess of 250,000 gallons.[1] By 2006, Gritty's was the third-largest Maine brewer, after Shipyard Brewing and D. L. Geary Brewing.[1]
The company's Freeport location will close at the end of November 2024.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]Among the microbrews produced by Gritty's was Vacationland Summer Ale, reviewed for the Hartford Courant in 2008,[5] and Gritty McDuff's Best Bitter.[6] Gritty's has frequently been awarded the titles of "Maine's Best Brew Pub", "Best Maine Microbrew" and "Best Bar" in statewide polls. In 2011 Gritty's was awarded Restaurateur of the Year by the Maine Restaurant Association. Gritty's ales have been repeat winners at the annual Real Ale Festival in Chicago and have also appeared as Featured International Selections at the Great British Beer Festival.[7]
To celebrate Gritty's 21st anniversary, the brewery released its 21 IPA. The brew was created at the Freeport brewery and originally called "Punch You in the IPA", a reference to the Phish song "Punch You in the Eye".
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Another Round for Craft Beer". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 11, 2006. p. C7. Retrieved October 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "History | Maine's First Brew Pub Since Prohibition | Our Story". Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
- ^ "Portland's Gritty McDuff's celebrates 30 years of simple suds". Press Herald. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ "Gritty McDuff's closing its Freeport brewpub". Press Herald. 2024-11-04. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ Callahan, Kerry R. (June 26, 2008). "Flavors Of The Season". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Zimmermann, Matthew; Stice, Chad B. (1996). Microbrews. Kansas City, Missouri, United States. p. 116. ISBN 0836221710 – via Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Gritty McDuff's". Archived from the original on July 22, 2007.[self-published source]
External links
[edit]
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