The Sipping Point

Maine has one brewery per 8,710 people, the highest per capita in the country, and between 2019 and 2021, an increase in binge drinking was reported throughout the state. Reasons for this increase were increased stress, increased alcohol availability, and boredom as the COVID-19 pandemic introduced new and innovative ways for Mainers to order alcohol for home delivery and to takeaway with meals from restaurants or breweries. Women were disproportionately impacted by the shutdowns, often trying to balance working full-time, while home-schooling children, and dealing with every day domestic stressors all at the same time.