In April 2019 Kathleen Dunckel and Dan Waldron were heartbroken. The owners of Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, David and Sarah Carlson, had announced they were closing the brewery and adjacent Three Tides bar and restaurant. After years of battling rising sea levels and storm surges due to climate change, the Carlsons could no longer combat the continuous flooding that plagued the waterfront brewery.

As longtime Belfast residents and friends of the Carlsons, Dunckel and Waldron feared not only the loss of Marshall Wharf’s bold ales like Pemaquid Oyster Stout, brewed with fresh Maine oysters, and the legendary (and dangerously drinkable) 9-percent-ABV Cant Dog Double IPA. They were also facing the closing of a Belfast institution.

“Marshall Wharf is an anchor to our community,” Dunckel muses in an empty tasting room on the cold December day when I visit. Since opening in 2007, Marshall Wharf has served as a gathering place for local residents to celebrate birthday parties, anniversaries, and holidays.

When it was announced that the brewery was going to public auction in January 2020, Dunckel, formerly a professor of landscape ecology at Unity College, and Waldron began brainstorming how they could buy Marshall Wharf. After feverish months of securing financing and finalizing contracts, the couple purchased the brewery building and property along with both businesses—Marshall Wharf and Three Tides Bar and Restaurant—just days before the auction date.

Waldron joins us in the tasting room after finishing a conversation with the bartender, who is changing out a kicked keg. Although the cozy indoor tasting room is closed, the outdoor beer garden, recently equipped with temporary plexiglass walls and a corrugated roof to cut down on coastal winds, remains open. It’s a Friday afternoon, and despite winter weather and a pandemic, craft beer lovers have shown up with their puffy jackets, face masks, and insatiable thirst for Marshall Wharf beer.

Sporting a thick black sweatshirt and a winter hat, Waldron, a former bartender at Three Tides, takes me through the process of making the brewery flood-resilient. “We spent five months renovating the building before we could brew beer,” he says. Along with modifications to secure the building against tidal waters, the long-neglected circa-1900 structure needed a new heating system, electrical work, and a boiler. The long-term plan to compensate for the rising sea levels is to raise the entire structure eight feet.

As co-owner of White Cap Builders, Waldron explains that having a construction team on hand to do the work was essential to purchasing Marshall Wharf. Although the building is still prone to taking on water during high tide, the brewing system is now secure from seawater.

After hearing about the journey to purchase the brewery and secure the building, I ask the question that’s been tugging at me since I pulled in to Belfast: Who’s the brewer responsible for maintaining the legacy of Marshall Wharf?

“Let me get Kevin,” Waldron says, disappearing into the brewery.

“We’ve been drinking his beer for years,” Dunckel explains, as her husband returns with Kevin Spigel, their gregarious, energetic head brewer. Spigel has been homebrewing for over 20 years. While the term “homebrewing” may conjure images of off-color wort boiling on a kitchen stove, Spigel’s home set-up is close to a commercial system.

What stands out in speaking to Spigel is his deep understanding of the science of brewing, which squares with his background as a former professor at Unity College, where he first met Dunckel. He takes meticulous notes on each batch of beer, paying careful attention to the minutiae of the brewing process to ensure that the original recipes live up to the standards beer lovers have come to expect from the Belfast brewery. “The plan is to continue brewing the old recipes while creating new beers that fit in with the original lineup,” Spigel explains.

Leading me out to the beer garden, Dunckel recalls how, when they first opened to the public last August, the outpouring from the community was overwhelming. “Once we opened we were slammed,” she says. “A couple of people even got teary-eyed when they came in—I did, too.”

Inevitably, Dunckel and Waldron are pulled away from our conversation by the demands of running a business, leaving me to drift to the bar to order a flight of beer. I choose two original Marshall Wharf brews (Cant Dog Double IPA and Coughing Dog Coffee Porter) and two of Spigel’s new additions to the brewery’s oeuvre (Booty Shake Milkshake IPA and Brass Nipple Rye IPA).

When I sit down at a socially distanced table with my flight, as if by kismet, the house speakers click on with a Sam Cooke song. Firewood pops and crackles in the two woodstoves heating the beer garden. Out on Belfast Bay, seagulls dive for baitfish, and lobster boats undulate next to floating docks. I sip the clean, beautiful beer from my tasting glass, convinced that one of Maine’s most beloved breweries and beer destinations is safe in the loving hands of its new caretakers.

The post The Resurrection of Marshall Wharf Brewing Company appeared first on The Maine Mag.

As the temperatures dropped in Maine, propane heaters and blankets became the must-have accessories for dining out. Some restaurants have taken an extra step and constructed igloos, fish shacks, and other creative ways to keep diners feeling safe while eating. Here’s a list of 10 spots around the state that are helping to make dining outdoors in a Maine winter a little more comfortable.

Batson River Brewing and Distilling | 12 Western Ave., Kennebunk | 207.967.8821
Get cozy at this brewery and distillery’s tasting room in one of six fish shacks that are far cuter than anything you’ll see on a pond. The heated shacks seat up to eight and can be reserved in advance. Flip the flag on the outside of the shack to alert your server that you’re in need of another round.

Chaval | 58 Pine St., Portland | 207.772.1110
Heated greenhouses on the back patio of this West End restaurant let you enjoy Chaval’s French- and Spanish-inspired menu with less risk. Reserve one for dinner or a weekend brunch when you can enjoy a basket of chef Ilma Lopez’s famed pastry, a soft-boiled egg, and a mug of Speckled Axe coffee.

Rising Tide Brewing Company | 103 Fox St., Portland | 207.370.2337
This East Bayside brewery has worked hard since reopening in June to provide a comfortable outdoor environment for guests. Heated bubble tents and open-air patio seating around fire pits is the latest iteration. Reserve a bubble and enjoy wood-fired comfort food from Fire and Company with your brew.

The Thirsty Pig | 37 Exchange St., Portland | 207.773.2469
Enjoy the Pig’s vast selection of sausages and craft beers on its expansive back deck in the heart of Portland’s Old Port. Newly constructed ice huts, enclosed on three sides, offer a respite from the chill. Snag one of four huts on a first-come, first-served basis.

Terlingua | 40 Washington Ave., Portland | 207.956.7573
Terlingua has reopened down the street from its original location, just in time for us to reunite with its house margaritas on the heated back deck. With open-air patio seating, Adirondack chairs around a fire pit, and picnic tables in the Margarita Garden, there’s ample opportunity to enjoy the barbecue and Tex-Mex menu.

Mast Landing Brewing Company | 920 Main St., Westbrook | 207.887.9147
This Westbrook brewery has constructed several heated igloos in front of the brewery and on its back patio. Order beer and food from the on-site food truck Mainstay with your phone, and a server will drop the order on a barrel outside the igloo.

Maine Beer Company | 525 US-1, Freeport | 207.221.5711
The covered patio just off this Freeport brewery’s tasting room is more popular than ever, as customers can now reserve a table. Heaters knock the chill off so you can comfortably enjoy the selection of hoppy ales, along with wood-fired pizza from the kitchen.

Oxbow Beer Garden | 420 Main St., Oxford | 207.539.5178
Oxbow Brewing took over Carter’s XC Ski Center in early 2019, making it perfectly poised as a pandemic activity. Snowshoe, cross-country ski, or fat bike through the trails (gear rentals available on site) and then warm up by a fire pit with wood-fired pizza and the brewery’s funky beers. The brewery’s Portland tasting room also offers heated A-frames over picnic tables.

Odd Alewives Farm Brewery | 99 Old Route One, Waldoboro | 207.790.8406
Reserve a fire pit at this Midcoast farmhouse brewery to stay toasty while you sip a brew. Three different style pits can accommodate groups of various sizes. Wood-fired pizza and snacks are available—don’t skip the s’mores kits for some family-friendly fun.

Cafe Miranda | 15 Oak St., Rockland | 207.594.2034
This Midcoast favorite is known for its extensive menu of globally inspired fare and quirky decor. The new outdoor seating area, dubbed the Flamingo, is a festive spot to wait for takeout or enjoy a meal. Cozy up to a fire pit and have a drink from the full bar with live music on weekends.

The post 10 Unique Options for Outdoor Dining in Maine This Winter appeared first on The Maine Mag.