Jon Stein Turned his Passion for Making Beer into a Thriving Community Brewery

Apr 20

Fogtown Brewing sits just off Ellsworth’s main drag in a converted industrial building that feels less like a destination brewery and more like a gathering place that grew outward over time. On a summer afternoon, the beer garden fills with families, dogs, and neighbors lingering longer than planned. Inside, the taproom hums quietly, anchored by brewing tanks and a wood-fired pizza oven that has become as central to the experience as the beer itself.

Owner Jon Stein came to brewing through chemistry, travel, and hands-on training, but Fogtown today is defined less by backstory than by practice. The brewery’s focus is on making beer that reflects where it comes from. That philosophy shows up in the details: Maine-grown grains, oysters sourced from nearby farms, spruce tips harvested in season, apples gathered from old trees that might otherwise go unused.

The tap list is broad and steady, with twenty lines that balance year-round flagships and rotating releases. “Some beers are tied to the calendar,” Stein said. “They exist for a few weeks, and then they’re gone.” Night Nurse, the brewery’s stout, remains a constant, while seasonal beers quietly mark time.

Outside, the garden blurs the line between brewery and commons. Spent grain becomes compost. Basil and peppers grow steps from the kitchen. Children wander, music drifts, conversations overlap. “The goal is to make something hyperlocal,” Stein said, “and let people experience the whole ecosystem, not just the beer.”

Famous for:
A deeply local brewing philosophy, a lively beer garden, Night Nurse stout, and wood-fired pizza made with Maine-grown ingredients.

25 Pine St, Ellsworth, ME | fogtownbrewing.com