A new brewery and restaurant opened in Brewer last week.
Benjamin’s Brewer, owned by Richard Clark, opened to a large crowd on July 1 and “pretty much sold out” the first two nights, Clark said. It’s the kind of reception that Clark had been waiting for after five years of renovating and preparing the building on Acme Road.
The veteran-owned restaurant and brewery offers pub-style food, including sandwiches and pizza, and beer brewed on site seven days a week. There are six of Clark’s own brews on tap, but space for up to 20, he said.
Clark previously owned Benjamin’s on Franklin Street in Bangor after buying it in 2019, he said. He sold the business to its current owners over a year ago but decided to use the name for his new venture.
Clark had to convert the Acme Road building from a HVAC business to a brewery and restaurant. In the five years since he bought the building, Clark has created a brewing area, put in plumbing and added windows and walls, he said.
Clark did almost all of the work himself, he said. Some of it took longer than expected and prolonged the opening date, he said.
“I guess it was smooth, except it just took a long time because I was by myself,” Clark said.
But Clark, a Brewer resident, has wanted to open a brewery for much longer than five years.
“I’ve been wanting to do it now for 20 years, and it took five years to build the place, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot longer,” Clark said.
Using what he’s learned from brewers while working at Sea Dog in Bangor and by talking with other experts at Orono Brewing Company, Clark made beer in his own home for 20 years. He was able to brew some of his favorite beers and wanted to open his own brewery to sell it, he said.
Clark offers an Orono Brewing Company beer, champagne and six of his own brews on tap. A seventh beer will be available in the coming week, he said.
“I do make the best beer I’ve ever tasted, so I thought maybe I should share it with the public,” Clark said.