Carson Lynch, owner of The Gorham Grind on South Street in Gorham Village, is bottling and distributing a coffee milk he developed called Rocket Fuel.

Rocket Fuel is bottled and distributed by Carson Lynch, owner of The Gorham Grind on South Street in Gorham.

Customers at restaurants and stores throughout New England are getting a lift from a coffee-milk beverage blended and bottled in Gorham.

Carson Lynch, owner of The Gorham Grind, spent months developing his recipe for the drink he calls Rocket Fuel. He chose the name because he wanted customers to know that the drink, with its deep coffee flavor, works as a “pick-me-up.”

Lynch, who first sold Rocket Fuel  at a music festival in 2008 in Cornish, describes his product as a “high-test” coffee milk.

“It was a hit right off the bat,” Lynch said last week.

So, he decided to put Rocket Fuel on his menu at The Gorham Grind, the coffee house he’s owned for a decade at 18 South St., in downtown Gorham. Lynch is bottling Rocket Fuel at his shop to distribute to a growing list of wholesale locations that include Whole Foods Market in Portland and the Boston area, Mister Bagel in Gorham, Bow Street Market in Freeport,  Frog & Turtle in Westbrook, and Portland outlets including Union Bagel Co., Bayside American Cafe and Rosemont Market.

Lynch, who now has 15 outlets, is pursuing marketing Rocket Fuel nationally, and so far, customers can find it at locations as far south as Hingham, Mass., and as far north to Brewer.

A 16-ounce bottle of Rocket Fuel, which can be served cold or hot, sells for $4.99.

James Tranchemontagne, who owns the Frog & Turtle., described the beverage as somewhere between chocolate milk and espresso. 

“It’s awesome,” Tranchemontagne said Tuesday. “It’s a great product.”

Heather Moody, owner of Mister Bagel in Gorham, said Rocket Fuel is “very” delicious, and added that she and her co-workers love it as much as her customers.

“We have regulars who grab a bagel and a Rocket Fuel,” Moody said.

At Bow Street Market in Freeport, Cindy Laughlin, the grocery manager, said Rocket Fuel is “a great-tasting product and gives energy.”

Rocket Fuel is now an ingedient in frosting for cupcakes at a Maine bakery. Tranchemontagne said his bartenders are using it in drinks and is in speciality doughnuts made at his restaurant.

“We have a doughnut named the Carson,” Tranchemontagne said.

“I have achieved my 15 minutes of fame as a doughnut,” Lynch joked.

Lynch once worked for Fresh Samantha, a fresh-juice company that began in Maine several years ago. Lynch’s Rocket Fuel is in a bottle just like ones originally used by Fresh Samantha.

Lynch distributes Rocket Fuel in his coffee truck, a 1994 delivery-type step van once used as a maintence vehicle in Pennsylvania.

A native of Hingham, Mass., Lynch moved to Maine in 1990 and lives in Portland. He bought The Gorham Grind in December 2005. The coffee house carries pastries, nine choices of drip coffee, espresso, fresh breakfast sandwiches and soups. Last fall, Lynch and Moody partnered – she sells his Rocket Fuel and he sells her bagels.

For The Gorham Grind, Lynch rents parking from Amato’s.

The Gorham Grind, Lynch said, has a mix of customers, including commuters, business travelers, tourists and musicians, along with students . He’s seen local kids grow up over the past 10 years.

A historic shop, it still has original floors and it has grown into an  institution in Gorham Village. 

“He’s a staple in downtown Gorham,” Tranchemontagne said.

Local artwork is available for purchase at The Gorham Grind and Lynch enjoys his role in the Gorham Village culture.

“Downtowns are incredibly important,” Lynch said.