The story is a common one: recession hits, guy loses job, guy sets out to build a business around something he loves rather than jumping back in the corporate rat race—but what sets Dan Kleban’s Maine Beer Company apart is a dual focus on values and quality and just how intently they pursue both. In the world of brewing, artists are plentiful, as are businesspeople, engineers, and even idealists. But harnessing the strengths of each of those personalities is a true balancing act.
Maine Beer Company has done it, creating groundbreaking hoppy beers from their sustainably powered brewery in Freeport, Maine, while giving back to environmental causes in a consistent and intentional way. Kleban is known for his use of hops, so it’s no surprise that his dream 6-pack starts with a classic in the IPA genre.
Bell’s Two Hearted
(Kalamazoo, Michigan)
“I grew up in southeast Michigan. My brother went to school in East Lansing, Michigan, and I remember going up to visit him in my late teens, going out to eat at a local college bar, and ordering Two Hearted. I didn’t know there were breweries around back then—this was 1994, probably—but after ordering that beer I was like, ‘holy smokes there’s something different about this.’ It was the first experience having a beer from a brewery that was close to me.