If you’re craving quintessential New England, Brunswick, Maine checks every box.
In this charming town of about 22,000 inhabitants, granite mill buildings line the Androscoggin River, a white-steepled church rises above tree-lined streets, and Bowdown College students mix with the locals in cozy brick cafes and independent shops on Maine Street (yes, that’s really its name). The scent of salt and pine fill the air and, come autumn, fiery colors transform the town, luring out-of-town tourists like us.
Visit Brunswick, and you’ll quickly feel its charm and history — In the heart of downtown, that story and charm continues at Moderation Brewing Co. At Moderation, beer is brewed with place in mind – made by people who live here, for people who are part of its history.
Creating a “Third Place”
After visiting dozens of breweries across the country, it’s clear that what truly sets one apart is its connection to the community it calls home. In a country without a traditional pub culture, breweries are more than just places to drink—they’re neighborhood hubs and community gathering spaces.
“Our vision for Moderation was to create a small, community-focused brewery that serves as Brunswick’s ‘third place’—it’s not work, it’s not home, it’s that in-between space where people from all walks of life can gather,” says Philip Welsh, the co-owner of Moderation Brewing Co. “Over the past seven years, we’ve really seen that vision come to life. People have met here, gotten married, had kids—one couple even came back with their baby just three days after they were born.”
"Our vision for Moderation was to create a small, community-focused brewery that serves as Brunswick’s ‘third place’—it’s not work, it’s not home, it’s that in-between space where people from all walks of life can gather."
In a sea of sameness – warehouse breweries with concrete floors, high-top metal stools and a minimalist industrial vibe – Moderation has crafted not only phenomenal beers but also a uniquely cozy, local feel. The brewery’s 6-seater bar is tucked in a little nook beneath a staircase. Where we sat, a home-y curtain hung from the front-windows, with a bed of potted flowers beneath the other side of the pane. With a local magazine in-hand and a cozy spot by the window, it felt more like a living room than a brewery.
Step around back, and you’ll find a narrow beer garden hugging the side of the old brick building. Everything about the brewery felt authentically local. What we didn’t yet realize was that Moderation’s emphasis on “local” isn’t just a vibe — it’s integral to their business model.
Locally-Sourced Flavor in Every Pint
At Post Hike Brew, we love exploring how landscapes shape the communities that live, work, and gather around them. Moderation Brewing is a perfect example of that intersection.
Co-owners Philip Welsh and Mattie Daughtry are Brunswick natives, but they’re not the only local ingredient that make Moderation’s beer so good. Moderation sources almost all of its grain, and many other ingredients, from the state of Maine.
“We do multiple farmers markets throughout the year, so we’re pretty in-tune with our local farming community and what they have going on. We serve several entirely Maine ingredient beers and we’re always looking at expanding as new things become available,” Philip told us.
In the summertime, Moderation adds a touch of local sweetness to their small-batch beers by working with several nearby blueberry and strawberry farms. “As ingredients become seasonally available, we try to utilize them as much as we possibly can.”
History on Tap
Moderation offers a wide variety of beer – everything from IPAs and stouts to seltzers and sours. But what truly sets Moderation’s beer menu apart is its connection to local history. Each brew is inspired by a different chapter of Brunswick’s past, offering a flavorful glimpse into the stories that shaped the town.
Take, for example, their 1856 lager: a nod to pre-prohibition brewing traditions that often used a mix of grains beyond barley. The name also references a pivotal year in Maine’s alcohol history: the state was the first in the nation to enact prohibition in 1851, but that “noble experiment” ended abruptly in 1856. In 1855, tensions over the law boiled over during the Portland Rum Riot, a violent clash that left one person dead and eroded public support for the ban. The law was repealed the following year, long before national prohibition took hold in the early 20th century.
Another hyper-localized nod to Brunswick’s history bubbles up in every pint of Box Shop Girls – a breakfast stout conceived from a partnership with the Pejepscot Historical Society. The name “Box Shop Girls” references the Dennison Manufacturing company’s nearly all-female workforce, who manufactured cardboard boxes during World War II just a stone’s throw from Moderation Brewing Co.
To learn more about Moderation’s beers and the stories behind them, check out their beer menu. When you get a chance to visit for yourself, ask the owners about their historically-themed beers. “If it’s not already evident, we like to have a bit of fun with the history and name behind every beer,” Welsh notes, smiling.
Combine Your Visit to Moderation with a Cliff Trail Hike
The coastal hike along Cliff Trail in nearby Harpswell offers some serious bang-for-your-buck views just 40 minutes from Portland and is one of our favorite coastal hikes in the midcoast region of Maine.
The 2.2-mile loop is packed with Maine coastal soul: ocean inlet views, lush coastal forest, and that salt air magic unique to Maine’s coastline. And it’s just a 10-minute drive from your next great post-hike brew.
Cliff Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate (262 ft elevation gain)
- Route Type: Loop
- Duration: 50 min
- Distance: 2.2 miles
Exploring the Landscapes — and the Locals — Behind Every Pint
At Post Hike Brew, we believe that a good hike and a good beer share the same roots: local roots, a sense of place, and time well spent. If you’re into that too — trail guides, local brews, and stories that connect them — subscribe and join us on the trail and at the tap.
