Maine Craft Distilling

What Maine Craft Distilling does

Maine Craft Distilling LLC is a Portland, Maine-based craft distillery founded in 2012 that produces small-batch spirits and ready-to-drink canned cocktails under the MCD brand. Its flagship product is Blueshine Lemonade, marketed as the original blueberry lemonade canned cocktail, built on an in-house MCD Potato Spirit base with cane sugar, natural botanicals, and carbonated water (7.0% ABV, 145 calories, 6g sugar per serving). The company has expanded its canned lineup into Elderflower, Rhubarb, Grapefruit, Cranberry, and Orange variants, alongside variety packs and a traditional Handcrafted Spirits line that includes vodkas and other craft spirits.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model, anchored by an age-gated e-commerce storefront on its website, and supplements it with regional retail and on-premise distribution across Maine via a store locator and bar/retailer network. Distribution channels identified are retail stores, bars and restaurants, and direct e-commerce, all of which serve a persona target of adult consumers (21+) seeking premium, lower-sugar canned cocktails made with real fruit ingredients. The company markets primarily through organic Instagram content (@mainecraftdistilling) emphasizing Maine provenance and wild blueberry authenticity.

The company is a privately held LLC that has raised approximately $2.07 million across seven disclosed rounds from 2014 through 2022, including participation by CEI Ventures and Maine Angels in 2016; the most recent activity is a 2022 Regulation D exempt offering with proceeds allocated to debt repayment and operational needs. Management includes co-founders John Rogers, Fred Farber, TJ Dupree, and Luke Davidson (Head of Distilling and Managing Partner), with Peter Murray serving as Chairman and Bob Hilscher as COO. Geographic footprint remains concentrated in Maine with a national DTC option through the website.

Name

Maine Craft Distilling

Legal name

Maine Craft Distilling LLC

Website

https://mainecraftdistilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Maine Craft Distilling LLC is a Portland, Maine craft distillery founded in 2012 that produces small-batch spirits and blueberry-based canned cocktails for adult consumers through DTC e-commerce, regional retail, and on-premise channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits & Ready-to-Drink Canned Cocktails

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverage Production (Canned Cocktails, Hard Seltzer) (AFAFAAAE), Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

Keywords

• Craft spirits
• Canned cocktails
• Blueberry lemonade
• Handcrafted distillery
• Farm to flask

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Spirits and canned cocktail product sales: Maine Craft Distilling generates revenue through the sale of alcoholic beverages including their flagship Blueshine Lemonade canned cocktail and handcrafted spirits. Products are sold through retail stores, bars, and direct-to-consumer channels. The company filed a Regulation D exempt offering of securities in 2022, indicating ongoing capital raising to support operations and debt repayment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Maine Craft Distilling is a farm-to-flask craft distillery based in Portland, Maine, that produces small-batch handcrafted spirits and ready-to-drink canned cocktails. The flagship product is Blueshine Lemonade, the original blueberry lemonade canned cocktail made with real wild Maine blueberries, available in multiple flavor variants including elderflower, rhubarb, grapefruit, cranberry, and orange. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via an age-gated e-commerce site, through retail stores, and through bars and restaurants.

Product overview

Maine Craft Distilling is a craft distillery based in Portland, Maine, producing canned cocktails and handcrafted spirits. The core product is Blueshine Lemonade, the original blueberry lemonade canned cocktail made with real wild Maine blueberries. The product lineup includes multiple flavored variants (Elderflower, Rhubarb, Grapefruit, Cranberry, Orange) and variety packs, as well as traditional handcrafted spirits. All canned cocktails feature MCD Potato Spirit base with cane sugar, natural botanicals, and carbonated water (ABV: 7.0%, 145 calories, 6g sugars).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blueshine Lemonade Canned Cocktails Carbonated spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails featuring MCD Potato Spirit, cane sugar, natural botanicals, and carbonated water, made with real wild Maine blueberries. Available in original (blueberry), elderflower, rhubarb, grapefruit, cranberry, and orange flavors, at 7.0% ABV, 145 calories, and 6g sugar per serving. Targeted at adult consumers (21+) seeking convenient, lower-sugar craft cocktails.
• Handcrafted Spirits Distilled spirits offerings produced at the Portland, Maine distillery, including vodkas and other craft spirits made through small-batch distillation. Sold through the company's retail and on-premise channels.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• High Noon Spirits: Large-scale vodka-based canned RTD cocktail brand owned by E. & J. Gallo. Comparable as a major canned RTD competitor, though operating at substantially greater scale and distribution than Maine Craft.
• Diageo: Global spirits giant with multiple RTD cocktail brands and substantial U.S. distribution muscle. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose scale and trade leverage shape the competitive environment Maine Craft operates within.
• Boston Beer Company: Public craft beverage company behind Truly Hard Seltzer and a growing RTD cocktail portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same canned-cocktail shelf space and consumer occasions.

Direct peers

• Cutwater Spirits: Craft distillery producing both bottled spirits and a leading line of canned cocktails (margarita, paloma, etc.). Closest direct comparable to Maine Craft's dual spirits + RTD cocktail model, though at meaningfully larger scale.
• On The Rocks Cocktails: Premium ready-to-drink craft cocktails (e.g., Espresso Martini, Old Fashioned) sold in glass bottles. Comparable as a craft-focused RTD cocktail brand targeting the same premium, ingredient-conscious adult consumer.
• Tip Top Proper Cocktails: Premium RTD cocktail brand built around classic cocktail recipes and natural ingredients. Comparable as a craft-positioned RTD competitor targeting similar health- and ingredient-conscious adult drinkers.
• New England Distilling: Regional craft distillery in New England producing gin and other craft spirits with an emphasis on local sourcing. Comparable as a regional craft distillery in an overlapping Northeast geography.
• Cold River Vodka: Maine-based craft distillery producing vodka and other spirits with a strong local-provenance narrative. Closest geographic and category peer, comparable in scale and craft-distillery positioning.

Emerging players

• Post Meridiem Spirit Co. Emerging craft RTD cocktail brand focused on bottled premium cocktails. Comparable as an emerging competitor in the craft RTD space with overlapping target consumer and use occasions.

Regional players

• Split Rock Distilling: Maine-based craft distillery producing a range of small-batch spirits. Comparable as a regional craft distillery peer operating in the same Maine geography with overlapping channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mainecraftdistilling
• Xx.com/farm2flask
• Facebookfacebook.com/mainecraftdistilling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-craft-distilling-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Craft Distilling