A Winemaker’s Dream

Bob and Kathe Bartlett, proprietors and vintners of Bartlett Maine Estate Winery, brought their passion and wine-making prowess to this part of Maine in 1975. Making quality wine has always been our calling, but back then we knew that grapes wouldn’t appreciate the cooler New England climate. Inspiration hit with the low-bush blueberries that cover our coastline. Rich in tannins and bursting with flavor, we knew they’d be an ideal fruit for making wine. But the Bartlett’s weren’t done yet.

The couple added a distillery in 2007 to create pear eau de vie and apple brandy, although Bob’s interest in distilling stems from childhood. Bartlett asked his father, who was a research biochemist, how to ferment. His father wouldn’t tell him, so Bob took matters in his own hands, buying cider from a local mill and sneaking it into the woods to break down.

That childhood creation fell short, but Bartlett has won awards for his Pear Eau de Vie and Apple Brandy, which he distills in a German-made copper potstill using traditional European techniques.

Bartlett distills their award winning Rusticator Rum in the same copper potstill. Rusticator Rum is distilled from organic South African molasses and aged in French oak barrels for two years. With robust aromas of vanilla, toffee, and cigar smoke give way to faint traces of lime and banana. In the mouth the smooth vanilla, brown sugar and a subtle salinity work their magic lending a hand to its long sweet finish.

As our reputation spreads, so does the pressure to industrialize—but at our heart we remain a homegrown locally owned business. We make wines and premium spirits that we want to drink and send to our friends . We hope you’ll enjoy them, too.

Bartlett Spirits of Maine Distillery
175 Chicken Mill Pond Road
Gouldsboro, ME
(207) 546-2408

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