BY LISA HORSCH CLARK

Like many Mainers, Amy and Alex Maffucci work hard—really hard. Alex serves as the president of the Atlantic Brewing Company and Amy is an associate broker at the Swan Agency and works at Atlantic in her rare free time. As the second generation running the brewery, they love carrying on the family business and traditions.

Doug Maffucci, Alex’s uncle, started Atlantic Brewing Company as one of the early Maine breweries in the 1990s. With the popularity of their beer, demand grew, and they moved operations to Town Hill. They now have two locations in Bar Harbor—the main brewery in Town Hill and their location in midtown Bar Harbor on Cottage Street, conveniently located across from the Friends of Acadia offices.

The Town Hill location is situated on a 19th-century Bar Harbor farmstead and hosts the popular Mainely Meat BBQ. The midtown location is a sleek, modern brewery, restaurant, and taproom focusing on pilot and specialty batches. Over the years, Friends of Acadia has co-launched several beers in partnership with Atlantic Brewing in addition to hosting other activities and events at the midtown location.

Amy and Alex Maffucci with their daughter Lydia at Jordan Pond (Photo: Julia Walker Thomas/Friends of Acadia

In June 2021, Atlantic Brewing Company launched Flat Hat—a crisp, refreshing pale ale brewed with Hallertau and Saaz hops and Maine grown grains, named after the iconic “flat hats” worn by park rangers. A portion of the proceeds of this brew supports the water quality monitoring of Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park through a partnership with Friends of Acadia.

When asked about Flat Hat, Alex says, “We are very happy with the beer; it’s easy, refreshing drinking for hot summer days. And we are pleased to support the water quality program at Acadia. Water is the foundation of life, and of beer. Taking care of our water resources is vital.”

The formal water quality monitoring program at Jordan Pond was established in partnership with Acadia and the University of Maine at Jordan Pond in 2013, with major capital expenses incurred with the purchase of the NexSens CB-400S Inland Lakes Data Buoy. It was a great investment, yielding 7,700 measurements in its first year, compared with only 219 measurements taken since 1942 using the manual monitoring system the Data Buoy replaced. The result? A 3,416% increase in the number of measurements, with more accurate, real-time data being delivered for analysis.

“Atlantic Brewing Company has been a great partner to Friends of Acadia,” said President David MacDonald. “Their popular and delicious beers like Flat Hat generate funds for the park and help raise awareness of key conservation issues, like water quality.”

Be sure to visit the Maffucci family at Atlantic Brewing and order your Flat Hat Pale Ale. If you miss Amy and Alex at the brewery, catch them walking their dogs and sweet baby daughter Lydia on their favorite trails and roads in the Duck Brook area of Acadia National Park.

LISA HORSCH CLARK is Director of Development and Donor Relations for Friends of Acadia