Beer with a little
weather in it
A small-batch brewery and taproom on the Damariscotta River, pouring slow-fermented lagers, hazy ales, and barrel-aged oddities a few miles from where the hops grow.
We brew like the season tells us to — bright and quenching in July, dark and warming come November. Pull up a stool by the fermenters and find out what's fresh.
What's pouring
Twelve lines, rotated as the kegs blow. Growlers and crowlers to go.
The Ledger — On Now
Updated weeklyRiver Fog
Hazy IPACitra and Mosaic over oats and wheat. Soft, juicy, smells like a cut grapefruit. Our flagship and the reason most people walk in.
Cold Snap
Czech PilsnerFloor-malted Bohemian pils and Saaz, lagered six weeks. Crisp, bready, the one we drink after a shift.
Tidewater
Maine Coast GoseBrewed with sea salt off Pemaquid and a squeeze of lime. Tart, briny, weirdly refreshing.
Black Ice
Baltic PorterLagered dark beer, smooth as a frozen pond. Dark chocolate, toffee, a whisper of licorice.
Barrel 9
Bourbon-Aged StoutSixteen months in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Vanilla, dark cherry, a long warm finish. Limited pours.
Field Day
Farmhouse SaisonDry, peppery, brewed with grain from a Knox County farm down the road. Crackly and rustic.
...and six more lines rotating. The full board lives on the tap list.
See the full tap list
In the brewhouse
It started with a homebrew kit and a cold garage
Lupine started in 2016 when Cal and Maren Doering blew out the breakers in their Newcastle garage one too many times and decided to do it for real.
They took over an old boat-repair building on the river, scrubbed it for a winter, and fired up a secondhand 10-barrel system. The name came from the lupines that take over the Midcoast roadsides every June — stubborn, beautiful, and unmistakably Maine.
We still brew everything in that same building, still answer the door ourselves, and still think the best beer is the one you drink where it's made.
Read the whole story
The taproom
A warm room on a cold river
Reclaimed wood, a wood stove, and a view straight into the fermentation tanks. Come as you are.
- Pours & flightsFull pours, half pours, and four-beer flights so you can taste your way down the board.
- To-go beerCrowlers filled fresh, four-packs in the cooler, and growler fills of anything on tap.
- Food trucksA rotating Midcoast food truck parked out front Thursday through Sunday — check the calendar.
- Dog & kid friendlyLeashed dogs welcome inside, board games on the shelf, and a fridge of Maine root beer for the little ones.
More than a place to drink
Trivia Tuesdays
7pm every week. Free to play, winning team takes home a four-pack. It gets loud.
Fresh Release Fridays
We tap something new most Fridays at 4pm — first pours, brewer's notes, and the occasional small-batch experiment.
Live music weekends
Local Midcoast players on the corner stage Saturday evenings. Folk, bluegrass, the occasional surprise.
Brewhouse tours
Walk the line with whoever brewed it, finish with a flight. Free, just show up.
Food trucks, tap takeovers, and seasonal release parties land on the calendar too.
See the full calendarWhat folks tell us
The Cold Snap pilsner is the best beer brewed in Maine, full stop. I'm there every Friday for the new release and I've never been let down.
We brought the kids and the dog on a rainy Saturday and ended up staying three hours. Wood stove going, a fiddle player in the corner — it just feels like home.
We've been to breweries all over New England and the barrel-aged stout here holds up against any of them. Worth the drive every single time.
Trivia night is a town institution. Cal heckles every wrong answer and the Tidewater gose somehow tastes better when you lose.
A few quick answers
01Do you serve food?
We don't have a kitchen, but there's a rotating food truck out front Thursday through Sunday, and you're welcome to bring your own food in any day.
02Can I take beer home?
Yep — crowlers filled to order, four-packs of our canned releases, and growler fills of anything currently on tap.
03Are kids and dogs allowed?
Both are welcome. Leashed dogs inside, kids anytime, and we keep Maine-made soda and root beer in the cooler.
More questions about hours, distribution, or booking the space?
Read all the FAQsCome find your new favorite pint
Twelve taps, a wood stove, and a view of the tanks — a short drive from Damariscotta, Newcastle, Waldoboro, and Boothbay. Pull in, grab a stool, and let us pour you something fresh off the line.