The Story Behind Portland Hearts of Pine's First Collaborative Beer
Peter Bissell of Bissell Brothers talks about working with the Portland Hearts of Pine.
Portland Heart of Pine’s first collaborative beer is locally produced and meant to be enjoyed by all.
Not unlike the USL League One team set to kick off in 2025.
The beer, aptly named Hearts of Pine Pale Ale, was created by Bissell Brothers. It features 100% Maine-grown grain and the lead hop, Simcoe, was hand-selected. The “essence of pine, wet forest, and green forest” is supported by Galaxy and Chinook.
“It's an accessible pale ale,” Peter Bissell told The Blazing Musket. “We really wanted to put tasting notes in that speak to the team. It needs to be accessible to everybody. It’s 5.2% by volume. We really just want it to be like you're drinking the brand.”
It’s currently available at the Thompson’s Point tasting room, along with an exclusive mug and scarf, and at various beer stores around the area. Fans will be able to sip it at State Theater on November 21 when the club reveals its inaugural jersey.
A few months after that, fans will be enjoying the beer while watching their hometown team at Fitzpatrick Stadium, whether they’re in the stands or the beer garden sponsored by Bissell Brothers.
Details regarding the beer garden are still being worked on, though Peter mentioned that the hope is to have grounds open several hours before kickoff to create an atmosphere. It’s expected that the garden will be next to food trucks
“I can tell you right now, it will be an experience that you can't currently get anywhere in Maine at sporting events,” Peter said. “I would watch the entire match from our beer garden on its pitch-side location. It's going to be really great.”
Peter is also excited to see professional soccer come to his home state. The Manchester United fan grew up playing the beautiful game and was named to the All-Maine team for the last two years of his high school career.
He still plays soccer today and serves as a coach for his son Felix’s Seacoast United team.
Peter was immediately interested in helping when he heard whispers of a pro soccer team coming to Maine, especially after he spoke to Gabe Hoffman-Johnson.
“It's impossible not to get behind this movement,” Peter said. “They do a really good job. They walk the walk and talk the talk. They're connecting with people in the community all the time.
“They want us to be available and accessible to everybody in Maine. They want us to be the team for Maine, not necessarily linked to Portland. They're out beating this drum every day. I've never seen anything like it.”
Peter has collaborated with Hearts regarding food, drink, and branding. The two entities have hosted several events together, including watch parties at the brewery and a fans-only event called Heartzapoolza at Thompson’s Point.
In June 2024, Bissell Brothers was announced as Hearts' first founding partner. The combination of two local businesses that care about the community simply makes sense.
A family-first brewery that opened a small taproom at One Industrial Way in April 2014, Bissell Brothers has grown into an iconic Maine brand available around the country.
Peter believes that Hearts could do something similar in the USL community. The club has already set league records for season ticket deposits, merchandise sales, and web traffic.
“It's been two groups really trying to work towards making this goal and not just going through the motions like, ‘All right, it's another minor league sports team,’” Peter said. “This is going to fucking matter. This is going to matter. This is going to be a big deal.”
The beer, watch parties, and garden are early products of the hard work of Bissell Brothers and Portland Hearts of Pine.
More will come in the months ahead as the team prepares for its first season. The aim is to create a product that Portland–and all of Maine–can be proud of.
“It's going to change things here in Portland,” Peter said. “It's going to give people something to really believe in. And they're so inclusive. They're bringing everyone along for the ride. So that's what I'm most proud of is the stuff that ultimately no one's going to really know or see that these two groups have done just in the name of getting them to the finish line to launch this team.”