PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Hundreds of enthusiasts from nearby New Brunswick and parts of the Pine Tree State poured into the Nordic Heritage Center to guzzle locally crafted brews and wines Saturday at the third Aroostook County Brew and Wine Festival.
Drinkers were already lined up prior to the 1 p.m. opening of the festival, according to Theresa Fowler, director of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, which collaborated on the event with the heritage center..
“A lot of folks were buying tickets at the door,” she said.
Before the festival was over, Fowler estimated ticket sales at around $7,000.
She said the proceeds would support facilities at the Nordic Heritage Center and “go to general operation of the chamber. It’s what we do, advertise and promote.”
Rick Solman of Northern Maine Brewing Company, which operates out of Caribou and takes advantage of local agriculture for ingredients used in its brews, was happy with Saturday’s turnout.
“There’s a lot of people that come here that might be from Canada, Houlton and they might not go to the Caribou, Presque Isle area that often,” he said. The event was “a chance for people to try out beer who don’t know who we are.”
Northern Maine Brewing opened in June of last year, just in time to be licensed to serve beer at last year’s fest. This year, Soloman came back with some popular suds from batches of Harvest Break and German Wheat.
“A lot of people love wheat because it’s different,” he said. “A lot of people up here don’t like really bitter beers, and the German Wheat beer is the number two seller at our restaurant. And the Harvest Break is just the fall beer. We brewed it in July and we break it open in October.”
Drinkers milled around the front lawn of the Nordic Heritage Center eating, playing games and enjoying live music from the band Unlucky Joe.
“The vendors have been wonderful, very friendly, very informative,” said festival-goer Kim Michaud of Mapleton. “They love to share the information about the wine and the beers and they’ve been awesome.”
This was Michaud’s first time attending the festival.
“We’ve had friends come to this in the past and they said what a great time it is,” she said. “And we like to come to anything that supports community and the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce.”
Despite getting stung by a hornet at the festival, Michaud was in good spirits, thanks to a sample of rhubarb wine and pumpkin wine.
“I think the hornet stinging me sort of sobered me up a bit,” she said before heading off to sample more wine.
Those enjoying wine and beer didn’t have to worry about a ride home. Volunteers from North Country Auto were on hand to shuttle folks to and from the event.
“It’s all about having fun and being responsible and enjoying a product of nature,” Fowler said.
