Allagash Brewing Company closed its thirtieth year with hardware, healthy momentum against a tough market, and a sharpened focus on purpose. On a recent media call, founder Rob Tod recapped national wins, local recognition, sales performance, and a disciplined plan for 2026.
Awards and Accolades
The Portland, Maine brewery capped its anniversary year with top honors at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival, earning Brewer of the Year, its third such recognition in the last five years, alongside notable wins for Allagash Tripel and Allagash Lager. The brewery’s Tripel, which Tod described as the “most awarded Tripel in the world,” continues to excel in global competitions, from the Brussels Beer Challenge to the World Beer Cup. Its new Allagash Lager, released across a nine-state footprint, captured gold in the International-Style Pilsner category.
“We’re always humbled when we win awards like this,” Tod said. “There’s so many great beers being brewed these days, it’s great reinforcement after 30 years that we’re still making great beers. Quality has always been a huge, huge focus and driver and one of our core values here at the brewery, and this is just a nice reinforcement that we continue to deliver on those values.”
Outpacing a Declining Market
Beer volumes are down across the United States—about five percent industry-wide and seven percent for craft—but Allagash Brewing Company continues to outperform those trends. Though sales were down slightly year-to-date through September, the brewery improved markedly after a tough first quarter that saw a ten-percent decline, closing the gap to just two percent. “We’re absolutely beating both beer and craft trends,” Tod said.
That performance is driven largely by Allagash White, which still represents more than 80 percent of production. “It continues to grow and gain tap handles on and off premise,” Tod noted, cracking open a can mid-call. “After three decades, that’s something we’re very proud of.”
Innovation and Expansion
The brewery also credits disciplined innovation and targeted product development for keeping the brand relevant. The brewery’s House Series, a lineup of seasonally themed beers, grew 67 percent over its first year, led by strong demand for the winter release, Ski House. The new Allagash Variety Pack, featuring four distinct styles, became both the number-one variety pack and top new 12-pack in New England, outselling its nearest competitor nearly threefold.
Allagash Brewing Company’s Lager ranked as the number-one new craft American lager, and its Hazy IPA became the top new hazy IPA by dollar sales in New England. Even its hop water, a small but growing category, led new entries in regional sales. “We now have two brands that are kind of outside our historic lane of Belgian inspired beers, but beers that we’ve been making internally for such a long time,” said Sales Director Josh Fructman. “So I was super excited to see the results for those two brands in particular.”
Partnerships and Visibility
Allagash strengthened its visibility through high-profile partnerships. A new branded bar, Allagash Alley, debuted at Citi Field as part of a sponsorship with the New York Mets, becoming the brewery’s largest on-premise venue by volume. In Maine, Allagash became the official beer sponsor of the Hearts of Pine soccer club, whose breakout debut season drew international attention. The three-year deal aligns with Allagash’s efforts to reach younger and more diverse audiences, particularly ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Another collaboration, with musician Noah Kahan’s Busyhead Project, saw Allagash sponsor the inaugural Folk & Fairways Festival in Vermont, combining craft beer, music, and mental-health advocacy. This project “was a way that just really delivered on the core values that we hold so dear to our hearts,” Fructman said.
Looking Ahead to 2026
While Allagash White continues to dominate the brewery’s production, accounting for a wild 80-percent of production, for the coming year, Allagash Brewing Company plans to focus on fewer, better-supported innovations. The lineup includes Kickabout Lager, a hoppy lager at 5-percent and a collaboration with the Hearts of Pine club; Clementine Kolsch, a fruited Kolsch-style ale expanding regionally after strong taproom demand; and the company’s first large-scale non-beer release, Allagash Rosé Cider, arriving in six-pack cans across New England.
The brewery also plans to buy 1.9 million pounds of local grains in 2026, up from 30,000 pounds a decade ago. This has been a large area of focus for Allagash in recent years. “This has a huge impact on sustainability, the Maine economy, and the farmers in the State of Maine,” said Tod. “We’re supporting Maine farmers, reducing our carbon footprint, and are proud that more Maine breweries are getting on board and buying Maine grain. We’ve made a huge impact on this front. We’re very passionate about it.”
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Andy Crouch is the Publisher of All About Beer. He is the author of two very outdated books, Great American Craft Beer and The Good Beer Guide To New England. He is a devoted lager enthusiast and pilsner apologist. Drop him a line at andy@allaboutbeer.com.