Portland’s original hybrid distillery/brewery, Liquid Riot, is celebrating a big anniversary on June 2nd, 2023
Liquid Riot has spent the last decade providing a space where everyone in the Portland community can drink what they want. With a particular focus on using Maine-grown ingredients, they create a variety of beverages by blending traditional methods with modern style.
In addition to Liquid Riot’s tenth anniversary, June 2nd of this year will mark the 168th anniversary of the Portland Rum Riot. In 1855, hundreds of Portland residents gathered to protest their teetotaling mayor’s storage of $1600 worth of spirits in City Hall. The violent uprising would kick off a series of events that would lead to the eventual end of prohibition in Maine and the disintegration of that Mayor’s career. Liquid Riot’s name – and its rebel spirit – was born from this inspirational legacy.
A Personal History
After successfully opening and running Novare Res in the Old Port for several years, Eric Michaud founded Liquid Riot as a pioneering brewery/distillery hybrid ten years ago. He convinced his brother, Ian, to move back to their home state of Maine to become the Head Distiller. “I’d always been interested in the beverages that my brother shared with me, but I had never made anything, never fermented anything, never distilled anything,” Ian reminisces about the early days of Liquid Riot. “It was definitely an interesting, steep learning curve for me to come in and learn how to make spirits. That was fun, especially the first few years, a lot of learning and figuring things out.”
Since then, Ian has led the distillery team in creating 11 different spirits. “The concept of our distillery was that we wanted to create basically a full back bar of products so that we could make a whole cocktail program using all of our house-made spirits,” He explains. Notably, their shelves include the nationally recognized Fernet Michaud. This bitter, aromatic European-style amaro includes a blend of 22 botanicals and has won many awards, including a 2019 Eastern Region Good Food Award.
Looking forward, Ian is especially excited about Liquid Riot’s Whiskey program. “I’m excited about being able to work with the Maine growers and the agricultural community here. It’s really fun to get new things from them and play with them. All of our whiskeys are now 100% Maine grown.” A personal goal of his was to use all Maine-grown ingredients in Liquid Riots beer and spirits. In doing so, they are able to support the local community not only by providing an inclusive place to gather but by contributing to the rich agricultural community of the state, as well.
Meanwhile, Head Brewer Greg Abbot met Eric through friends and bonded over his burgeoning passion for home brewing. “11 years ago I was really getting into brewing and building this passion and love of craft beer, as well as all the rich history of brewing tradition. I ended up sharing some of my home-brewed beers with Eric and he was pretty into it. We met up a few times and brewed together, and the rest is history.”
Craft breweries abound in Portland today, but ten years ago Liquid Riot pioneered a lot of what we see across the market today. Ian explains, “I feel like, when we opened most breweries only had two maybe three styles of beer that they were focusing on. Right from the get-go, we had 15 taps with all of our own beer, trying to offer something for everyone.”
As for the future of beer at Liquid Riot, Greg says he draws inspiration from the past to produce clean, balanced beers that are friendly and approachable, “with room for experimentation, I would add.” While the craft beer world has drastically expanded and churned through trends over the years, the team at Liquid Riot has offered its own spin on popular styles. They are pushing the boundaries of what beer can be while maintaining approachable options for their loyal fans.
Greg explains, “We’ve come ten years and we’ve evolved a lot. It’s the same inspiration whether it’s producing two gallons or five hundred. I’m just happy to share the product with people.” He feels lucky to be involved with Liquid Riot ten years later. Looking back to his own beginnings, he says, ”I was able to take this passion, something I was really focused on and interested in, and turn it into a profession. I think you’re pretty fortunate when you get to get paid to have fun.” That level of passion certainly comes through in their product, even after a decade.
A Community Celebration
Hannah Martin, Liquid Riot’s Director of Marketing and Sales, says this is not just a celebration of Liquid Riot, but of the supportive food and beverage community that thrives in Portland. “We couldn’t do this without the support of the community, so we’re partnering with some pop-ups and takeovers to really collaborate with our friends who support us.” This includes a takeover at Paper Tiger, a collaboration with Vena’s Fizz House (who are also celebrating their tenth birthday this year), and a pop-up with Sopo Seafood on the Liquid Riot back patio throughout the weekend.
Additionally, Liquid Riot is taking the opportunity to refresh its visual brand, uniting its dual identity as a distillery and brewery while paying homage to both its storied history and its exciting future. “We still wanted to play into our heritage,” explains Hannah, who worked with the company’s graphic designer, Warren Cathro, on the new visual identity. “We wanted it to feel modern. We took a fresh take – instead of the true violence depicted in riots, looking at the elements of fire and water that can really bring about change.” This new branding is represented on a special re-release of the brewery’s first beer, Primus, in a beautiful new can.
Liquid Riot is hosting several events throughout the week to share their excitement with the Portland Community. They invite everyone to come by for a cocktail, a can, or a draft of their favorite drink to toast the past ten years – and the next ten to come. RSVP here.
Liquid Riot 10th Anniversary Celebration Schedule
May 29 (open – close) Rum Riot Rum pop-up at Paper Tiger
May 30 (6 – 8 pm) Tiki Cocktail class with Vena’s Fizz
May 31 (5 pm) Special tasting at Man and Oak
June 1 (4 pm – close) Mini tap takeover at Great Lost Bear (10 Beers for 10 Years)
June 2 (noon – close) 10-Year Anniversary Celebration
- SoPo Seafood oysters on the back patio
- DJ Mosart
- raffles
- food & drink specials
- new branding release
June 3 (noon – close) 10-Year Anniversary Celebration continues
June 4 (noon – close) Liquid Pride release party with Queers + Beers
