Josh Christie, 28, is the author of “Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland,” a history of beer making in the state. The North Yarmouth resident has a degree in political science from the University of Maine and works as a bookseller at Sherman’s Books & Stationery in Freeport and also as a freelance writer.

The Washington, Maine, native describes himself as a twice-a-year home brewer who jumped at the chance to write the first history of Maine brewing at a time when the craft beer phenomenon is growing in record numbers. Christie, who maintains a blog called brewsandbooks.com, a site dedicated to the discussion of brewing, books, beer and bookselling, recently spoke with the Tri-Town Weekly about the ubiquity of craft brewing in Maine, the state’s love of both temperance and intoxication, and the difference between bottled beer and canned beer.

Q: How did you come to write the book?

A: I was contacted by a publisher who was doing a series of books called “American Palates,” and they thought I would be a good person to write this. I jumped at the chance, but I never thought I would ever write one.

Q: How would summarize your book?

A: It’s basically a hybrid history and guide book. The first third of the book is a history of brewing in Maine from the earliest European settlers, through statewide Prohibition, and through the 1980s. Then starting in 1984 with the opening of D.L. Geary’s brewing company in Portland, it’s a chapter on every brewery in the state of Maine since.

Q: In a historical sense, did Maine once have many small breweries?

A: Maine really reflected New England and the country as a whole by having small local breweries that served local communities. Maine is a bit of an outlier because in 1851, Maine passed the first statewide Prohibition in the country. So Maine was flirting with the prohibition of alcohol about 70 years before national Prohibition went into effect. That squelched the brewing business here in Maine well before the rest of the country.

Q: Who was brewing beer back then and what type?

A: In Maine, there were a lot of English and Irish immigrants that were brewing. My favorite story involved a pair of brothers called the McClinchey brothers who had two breweries, one in Cape Elizabeth and one on Munjoy Hill in Portland. The beers were English mild ales and easy-to-drink bitter ales, stouts and porters.

Q: Before Geary’s opened, what was the craft beer scene like in Maine?

A: It was similar to the rest of the country, which was not a lot. National Prohibition really destroyed the local breweries across the country. Big brewers like Budweiser were able to shift and make soda during Prohibition, where the little local guys couldn’t. This was exacerbated during World War II, when big brewers convinced the Army that beer should be part of the rations soldiers received overseas. When the soldiers returned, they had developed a taste for those types of beers. When Geary’s opened in 1984, they were one of the first dozen or so new breweries to open in the country.

Q: How would you explain the explosive growth in craft beer here in Maine and across the country?

A: At the end of the day, people are all making really good beer. They are making beer of a quality that you don’t find from big national brewers. Even regional brewers like Sam Adams isn’t as good as some of the beers produced by our local brewers. It’s tied in with a couple of other popular movements like the “foodie” movement and the buy-local movement, where it’s great to know the people that are producing what you’re consuming.

Q: With new breweries opening every week, it seems, is there danger of a craft beer bubble that will eventually pop? Are they profitable ventures?

A: I think there is some concern. There was a bubble in the 1990s, when people saw how batch beer was growing and how profitable it could be. Many were looking to make a quick buck and the market was saturated by really subpar beer. The difference now is, experienced brewers are making good beer. Hopefully that means it’s a little more sustainable now than before. I think they are profitable because most don’t close. Maine and New England has a long tradition that rely on local products. It makes sense that there would be a local brewery.

Q: How many breweries are there in Maine?

A: It’s tough to get an accurate number, but I believe its 39 active with 19 in the planning stages.

Q: Bottles or cans?

A: I really like the cans because they are more recyclable and light proof. It’s your own personal preference – they are both great ways to serve beer.

Q: What was a favorite discovery of yours while writing this book?

A: Probably the complicated history that Maine has had with alcohol. The pendulum really swings to both sides. In the early 1800s, Maine had the dubious distinction of being considered the drunkest place in the country. By way of example, Portland had less than 10,000 residents and more than 600 bars. There was a really serious drinking problem. Conversely, Maine also had the first temperance society.

A CLOSER LOOK

Josh Christie will speak Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m., at the Freeport Community Library. Following the presentation and book signing, interested attendees will relocate to Maine Beer Company’s new location on Route 1 for a tour of the facility.

Christie also blogs at www.brewsandbooks.com.

Josh Christie, author of “Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland,” says that Maine has a “complicated history” with alcohol.

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