A whale in the tasting room
Maine Beer Co. has installed a 53-ft fin whale skeleton above its Freeport tasting room. Apparently it’s the first fin whale skeleton permanently displayed outside an educational institution in the United States. Soon visitors will be able to stand beneath the second-largest whale species in the world while drinking a pint.
The whale, nicknamed Finny, washed ashore in Steuben, Maine, in 2023. Students from College of the Atlantic and researchers from Allied Whale recovered the skeleton. Dan DenDanto of Whales and Nails led the cleaning and reassembly. The skeleton was suspended in the tasting room this month (September 2025). An official unveiling will take place October 1 at Maine Beer Co. The celebration also marks 16 years of the brewery’s partnership with Allied Whale through 1% for the Planet donations. According to the press release:
“This isn’t just about honoring the past 16 years,” said Steve Mills, CEO of Maine Beer Company. “It’s about celebrating the science, collaboration, and shared commitment to conservation that brought us here — and what lies ahead.”
The inspiration behind the whale
The installation traces back to 2009, when cofounder David Kleban visited a whale museum on a rainy day. He learned about Lunch, a fin whale with a distinctive bite mark in her dorsal fin. Lunch later inspired the name of Maine Beer Co.’s flagship IPA. That same year, the brewery made its first nonprofit gift — just $100 — to Allied Whale. Since then, Maine Beer Co. has donated more than $4 million to environmental organizations. That’s a pretty cool story.
A history of Maine Beer Co.
Maine Beer Co. began in 2009 on Industrial Way in Portland, Maine, with a one-barrel system. Brothers Dan and David Kleban started with a single recipe that became Peeper Ale. The brewery quickly expanded. A larger facility in Freeport opened in 2013, followed by a major expansion in 2018. Today, Maine Beer Co. employs more than 100 people and operates a busy tasting room with a pizza oven and patio. From the beginning, the Klebans pledged to “do what’s right.” That included paying living wages, covering employee healthcare, and donating 1% of sales to environmental nonprofits.
Dan Kleban enters politics
It’s been a busy month for Maine Beer Co. In September 2025, cofounder Dan Kleban announced a run for the U.S. Senate. He framed his campaign around the same “do what’s right” motto that guided the brewery. Kleban criticized incumbent Senator Susan Collins, citing the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and energy in Maine. He said his experience building a business with fair wages, healthcare, and environmental responsibility would shape his political vision. Kleban now balances two identities: small business founder and political candidate. His campaign emphasizes the values that helped Maine Beer Co. grow from a porch homebrew setup to a nationally known craft brewery.
Why this matters for brewers
Independent breweries often serve as cultural anchors in their communities. Maine Beer Co. has added a new dimension with Finny’s skeleton — a blend of art, science, and beer culture. It shows how a brewery can move beyond beer to spark curiosity, support conservation, and create lasting impact.
