SPOTLIGHT

Maine Brew & Bev Guide Spotlight By: KAY STEPHENS

Maine Tasting Center

506 Old Bath Road, Wiscasset | www.mainetastingcenter.com

Tasting plates prepared for a class on Maine-made cheeses and Maine-made wines in Spring 2022. Photo courtesy Cody James Barry

Wiscasset gained a new hub for all Maine native food and drink in 2021 when the Maine Tasting Center opened on Route 1. The brewpub-style tasting room is the main gem in a crown that contains a Learning Center, a Discovery Center, group tours, classes, events, workshops, and more.

Sara Gross, general manager, and her parents Andy Gross, president, and Elizabeth Gross, chef, opened the Center with the aim of introducing both local Mainers and visitors alike to the vast array of Maine-made beverages and foods that farmers and producers make. Experience beers, wines, meads, ciders, kombuchas, and juns with bites of the well-known lobster and the lesser-known seaweeds, smoked fish, sauces, cheeses, jams, and more. And new this season, with a spirits license, they will be adding a small selection of cocktails featuring products from Maine distilleries

The best part is mixing and matching samples all paired together from the diverse menu in their Tasting Room featuring build-your-own charcuterie and Ploughman’s mini boards. Additional food and drink pairing events through the Learning Center include hands-on cooking classes, meet-the-producer events, tasting and pairing experiences, pop-up dinners and more.

Put the Maine Tasting Center on your map this summer for a bite and a sip.