Started by Kyle DePietro and his wife, Angela Trombley, Sasanoa Brewing is an organic brewery that uses Maine farm-grown ingredients. The brewery is located at Tarbox Farm on the end of Westport Island and is a property that DePietro and Trombley lease from Jeff Tarbox (who is also an investor in the brewery). Westport Island is a very small town in Lincoln County, Maine, and is separated from the mainland by two saltwater rivers, one of which is the brewery’s namesake: The Sasanoa River. The process to obtain both federal and state approval took some time, but by September 2018, Sasanoa Brewery had been approved as a legal brewery and by the end of October, the owners had brewed their first batch of beer.
Brewing had always been an interest of Kyle’s and, at age 19, he took his first job in the brewing industry at Times Square Brewery in New York City, where he apprenticed under a German brewmaster. After that, he worked at Mountain Valley Brewing Co. in Suffern, N.Y., where he learned bottling and other skills. He was then assistant brewer at Brooklyn Brewery in New York City. Before heading into the world of farming, Kyle’s last position was as an assistant brewer at Great Adirondack Brewing Co. While Kyle attends to a majority of the brewing at Sasanoa, Angela is in charge of sales and (and some art— she created the brewery’s logo!) and they both tend the farm.
Sasanoa Brewery is Maine’s first MOFGA certified organic brewery and has been in commercial production since 2003, and certified organic since 2005. DePietro and Trombley are proud to be among the few certified organic breweries in the country and they source their ingredients preferentially from their farm, where there is an abundance of certified fruit, herbs, nuts and wild foraged species to choose from. Some products they grow themselves for their brewing include ginger, basil, and hops. Throughout New England, there has been a resurgence of local grain and hop farmers, as well as artisanal malt houses, all of which have helped supply the growing craft beer industry in the state, and they feel fortunate to support their neighbors and the local communities who grow and provide these organic ingredients.
Kyle and Angela take pride in being stewards of the land and strive to grow the most delicious and nutritious food as possible on their farm, while also caring for the unique coastal environment that they live in. They use cover crops and organic amendments to enrich their soil at Tarbox instead of chemical inputs. They rotate crops yearly to promote healthy and disease-free soil, and believe in the importance of working with Nature. Each year, they plant a combination of “old favorites,” as well as new varieties of heirloom and hybrid seeds, and are always seeking out vegetables with great flavor and appearance. Tarbox also keeps pigs, raising them on only certified organic feed without the use of antibiotics or hormones. Their animals are handled with care daily and treated lovingly and respectfully throughout their entire lives. Additionally, Tarbox composts everything at the farm. The compost pile receives the spent grain from Sasanoa Brewery, which returns nutrients into the soil, roots, flowers, and leaves that grow from it.
In 2017, in keeping with their desire to work with Nature as opposed to against her, Kyle and Angela chose to transition to solar power and replace as much of their fossil fuel consumption with a sustainable power source as possible. Since that time, they have been offsetting a portion of their electrical usage with solar panels that were installed by Liberty-based ReVision Energy on the roof of their barn. When the sun is shining, the 36 solar panel array produces electricity that is used in real-time by the farm and brewery or fed back to the grid, where it benefits the community and earns extra credit. Each year, the system generates roughly 13,255 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) of electricity, offsetting the equivalent of over 22,900 miles driven in a gasoline-powered car.
Sasanoa has a tasting room on site, open May-November on Saturdays and Sundays 1-7pm. This special location reflects Kyle and Angela’s deep love of nature and for being outdoors— you are surrounded by beautiful fields, rock walls, flowers, trees, and open blue skies, and can watch the Sasanoa River mosey by as you sip your beer. As you drive down the one lane dirt road leading to the farm, you will spy canary yellow beach umbrellas. Instead of a paved lot, you will find parking in a field overlooking the river and the farm gardens. There is plenty of seating and a post and beam covered area. There are 6-8 beers on draft on any given day— some beers are only offered on draft while others may only be available in bottles. There is also merch (t-shirts, glasses and bottles) as well as meats and cheeses from other local farmer friends available to enrich your experience. If you want to plan a visit, bear in mind that this outdoor tasting room is weather dependent so be sure to give them a call or check Google to make sure they are open first. Tarbox Farm and the tasting room at Sasanoa is located at 62 Tarbox Road, Westport Island and their number is (207)522-0840.
Sasanoa offers a variety of beers: Lime Basil Farmhouse Ale, Bisquitte, Big Island Saison, Back River Farmhouse Ale, Tiny Farm Petite Saison, Belgian Ales and Dark Amber Ale. Their seasonal beers are Hop Barn, Barrel of Bisquitte, and Jordbaer.
The Blue Hill Co-op is pleased to carry a number of Sasanoa’s brews, on the shelf and in the beer cooler. Currently, we are carrying 500ml bottles of Tiny Gems Marigold Wit, Tiny Farm Petite Saison, Lime Basil Farmhouse Ale, and Big Island Saison. Look for them in the refrigerated beer cooler at the back of the store.
