Right along the Penobscot River in Brewer, Maine, sits a brewpub that grew from a dream sketched out from a mortgage lender’s desk. 🍺
Mason’s Brewing Company opened in May 2016, built from the ground up by husband-and-wife owners Chris and Barbara Morley.
What started as a $3 million bet on an abandoned riverfront lot has become one of the most beloved gathering spots in the entire Bangor area.
How Mason’s Brewing won Brewer’s hearts
Chris and his wife Barbara spent years traveling the world together researching beer culture, visiting brew houses and beer festivals across Germany, Belgium, and California in search of the perfect formulas to bring home.
That research eventually led Chris to spot an abandoned riverfront parcel on Google Earth, prompting him to approach the city of Brewer directly about building something there.
The result was a $3 million, ground-up construction project that became a 6,800-square-foot riverfront brewery paired with a 120-seat restaurant, sitting directly across the Penobscot River from Bangor’s Waterfront Concerts venue.
The name itself pays tribute to John Mason, the sailor and colonist best known as the founder of New Hampshire, who also helped map some of Maine’s earliest waterways back in the early 1600s.
To build out the team, Chris brought in Forrest Brown, a veteran of Bangor’s Geaghan Brothers Brewing, as head brewmaster, along with Jake Bridges and Josh Bard as manager and chef.
That team-building approach paid off, and Mason’s quickly built a reputation not just for its beer lineup, but for a genuinely creative kitchen willing to put cashew butter and blueberry jam on a burger without blinking.
Word of Mason’s creative pub food and riverside patio spread well beyond Brewer, drawing beer lovers from across the greater Bangor community who wanted a taste of the Morleys’ years of global beer research.
Nearly a decade after opening, Mason’s remains a defining piece of this Maine brewpub scene, proof that a former cop’s home-brewing obsession and his wife’s shared passion for beer culture can transform an empty riverfront lot into a genuine community hub.
Food Highlights
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Hound Dog Burger: A smash-style beef patty topped with cashew butter, blueberry jam, caramelized onions, bacon, and banana chips. 🍔
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Sweet Hot Mess Burger: Gouda cheese, bacon, pickled apple, candied jalapeño, dirty ketchup, and a maple drizzle. 🍯
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Tuna Tartare: Crisp wontons topped with chopped and marinated tuna, avocado, sticky rice, spicy mayo, tobiko, wasabi, and ginger. 🐟
- Smash Mac Tacos: Tortilleria Pachanga corn tortillas hold a smashed burger patty, American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, and burger sauce. 🌮
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Sushi Wontons: Crispy wontons piled with spicy tuna, Kewpie mayo, cucumber, daikon, and sesame seeds.
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Brew Haus Frites: Hand-cut fries topped with mushroom, bacon, and a brandy cream sauce, finished with fresh herbs.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: Roasted chicken, candied bacon, and red onion sit over a white BBQ sauce base.
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Best Damn Pepperoni Pie: Red sauce forms the base for pepperoni, soppressata, ricotta, peppadew peppers, and fresh oregano. 🍕
Atmosphere
Mason’s makes the most of its riverfront setting, with an outdoor patio along the Penobscot River Riverwalk that draws crowds on warm evenings. 🌅
Inside, the space carries a genuine brewpub energy, casual enough for families but lively enough for a night out with friends over a beer flight.
Live music and sports on the TVs keep the room buzzing, while the open brew house gives the space an authentic working-brewery feel.
It’s the kind of spot where a quick beer flight easily turns into a full night out. 🍻
Bottom Line
Visit for inventive burgers built by a genuinely adventurous kitchen, a beer lineup shaped by years of global research, a riverfront patio with real Penobscot views, creative pub food that goes well beyond the usual bar menu, and a true husband-and-wife story behind every pint. 🍺
Address:
15 Hardy Street, Brewer, ME 04412
📞 (207) 989-6300
🕔 Open Mon-Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri 11 AM–10 PM, Sat 10:30 AM–10 PM, Sun 10:30 AM–9 PM