Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

L.L. Bean Teams Up with Main Craft Breweries for New Beer and Boot Collab

Ross Collicutt
By

Beer and the outdoors go together well. To celebrate the launch of its fall line of Small Batch Bean Boots, outdoor gear-maker L.L. Bean teamed up with five Maine craft breweries to make a limited run of outdoor-inspired craft brews that complement the autumn collection.

L.L. Bean launched the campaign and a contest (more on that in a bit) with a post to social media showing the boots “on tap.” While we would never want any of my boots that close to a drink, the new boots look bomb(er) and the beer delicious.

Recommended Videos
View this post on Instagram

Introducing #BeanBootsandBrews, a collaboration between L.L.Bean and Maine craft breweries! Five amazing brewers – @fogtownbrewing, @mastlanding, @oronobrewingcompany, @risingtidebeer and @threshersbrewingco – will be unveiling outdoor-inspired small batch beers, to complement our new fall collection of Small Batch Bean Boots. Starting 10/19, these beers will be available at the breweries and through limited distribution. Stay tuned for details, and a look behind the curtain at how beer and boots are made. Cheers to Maine craftsmanship! (Video by @pjhavel and @Jackiegreaney) * * *Please drink responsibly and with moderation. This content is for responsible adults of legal drinking age in the United States of America (21 years old or older). It is purely intended for entertainment purposes.

A post shared by L.L.Bean (@llbean) on

Every season, L.L. Bean introduces limited sets of custom Bean Boots, all made in Maine. In 1912, Leon Leonwood made the first Maine Hunting Shoe, now the L.L. Bean Boot, to stay warm and dry in the Maine woods. Over a century later, Small Batch Bean Boots get fresh styling every season while maintaining the iconic functionality and quality.

Just as the Bean Boot has become iconic for Maine, so has craft brewing. When L.L. Bean put out the call for outdoor-inspired craft brews, five local breweries stood out: Fogtown, Rising Tide, Orono, Threshers and Mast Landing.

ll bean batch boot beer
L.L. Bean/Instagram
  • Fogtown Brewing Co. of Ellsworth is brewing the Wonderland Acadian Pale Ale, a herbal ale infused with sweet fern and bog myrtle at 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.
  • Rising Tide of Portland is brewing the Drift American Ale, a tart ale with local sumac at 4.2 percent ABV.
  • Orono Brewing Co. of Orono and Bangor is brewing The Way Life Should Be IPA, a triple dry-hopped IPA with 100-percent Maine grown grain at 6 percent ABV.
  • Threshers Brewing Co. of Searsmont is brewing Knife’s Edge IPA, a malty IPA with a woodsy profile and hints of caramel at 8 percent ABV.
  • Mast Landing Brewing Co. of Westbrook is brewing 100 Mile Wilderness Stout, a stout with flavors of peanuts, chocolate, and cranberries at 5.4 percent ABV.

To celebrate the launch, L.L. Bean is offering a free pair of boots and a gift bag of goodies from the breweries. To enter, share a photo of you, or your friends, or family:

  • wearing L.L.Bean boots,
  • experiencing the outdoors,
  • and enjoying one of your favorite craft beers.

Share your photo on Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtags #BeanBootsandBrews and #Contest. Get more info and official contest rules here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ross Collicutt
Ross Collicutt
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ross is an outdoor adventure writer, amateur photographer, and computer programmer based on Vancouver Island, British…
This bundle saves you $300 on a lawn mower, string trimmer, and leaf blower
A man using a Greenworks lawn mower.

Looking for lawn mower deals? We can do better than that with Best Buy offering a great bundle including a Greenworks lawn mower, string trimmer, and a leaf blower for $700. You save $300 off the regular price of $1,000 plus you're going to score a much better maintained lawn than before. If you're serious about your lawn care, you need this bundle. It's unlikely to stick around for long but if you take a quick look below at what else you need to know, you can get straight to making an informed purchase.

Why you should buy the Greenworks Ultimate Outdoor Combo Kit
Learning how to mow a lawn is one thing but you really need to make sure you have the right equipment to do so. Greenworks is a reliable name in the business which is why this combo kit is worth checking out. The three-piece bundle includes a 21-inch self-propelled brushless lawn mower that's capable of tackling the toughest of lawns. Its SmartCut technology constantly monitors grass conditions, then automatically adapts to give you the perfect amount of power to get the lawn cut neatly. Its rear wheel drive system also has variable speed control to help you, while there are high-intensity LED headlights for mowing in all lighting conditions.

Read more
How to pack golf clubs the right way when traveling for play
How you pack your golf clubs is important
People loading their golf bags into the cart to start playing a round.

It may not seem like something to stress over, but if you're traveling with your golf clubs, how you pack them for transport is something to think about. After all, you spend a small fortune on your clubs, balls, and bag, so you want to protect that investment. We asked an expert about the best practice for packing clubs so they don’t break, what should and shouldn’t be in your bag when shipping golf clubs, how to manage weight, and some other tips and tricks so when you arrive at your destination your clubs are in the same condition as when you left.
Why should you ship your clubs?
"One of the best parts of golfing is exploring new courses, playing in different climates and terrains, and getting out of your comfort zone," said Audrey Kohout, co-CEO of Luggage Forward. "Renting can throw you off when you’re used to your own clubs," he continued, so why not ship your clubs ahead of time and have the experience you deserve?  This can eliminate the stress of logistics and oversized baggage fees, plus you don't have to lug your clubs into the airport or wait at baggage claim when you land. That means more time to play golf, right?
How to keep your gear safe
Whether you're shipping your clubs or bringing them on the plane with you, there are extra precautions you can take to keep your gear safe, said Kohout. "The simplest thing you can do is to use headcovers and wrap each club individually so they don’t get scratched." He also said to make sure you pay attention to is where the shaft meets the club head, as it takes the brunt of the weight during transit. "The key here is to provide a little extra stability; think of it like you would splint a broken finger and use bubble wrap around this 'joint' of the club," he explained. Once each club is wrapped and padded appropriately, Kohout said, you want to take time to bundle them all together. "By wrapping all of your clubs together, it gives them extra support so they won’t snap and minimizes movement inside the bag," he said.

Finally, because the longest club often gets the most wear and tear, adding a support rod inside your bag can help. "Support rods from brands like Club Glove are sold specifically for this purpose at most golf or sporting stores, but you can also throw in a broomstick or curtain rod," he said.
Other considerations
Obviously, if you are shipping your clubs, you want to think about the weight of them since that will impact the cost. But Kohout said not to stress too much because "while bubble wrap or air pockets may help lighten up your shipment a little versus using packing materials like paper, heavier fabrics, the reality is that it’s not a big enough difference to save you money." His company, Luggage Forward, has all-inclusive pricing so your quote is one flat rate. Designated sports equipment shipping services like this help save money over UPS or FedEx, which change by size and weight.

Read more
Layer up or strip off? What’s the right way to sleep in a sleeping bag?
Does sleeping naked in a sleeping bag really keep you warmer? We take a look
Four-season sleeping bag

It's one of the oldest camping debates around; do you layer up or strip off before climbing into your sleeping bag? Call it an old wives tale, call it camping folklore, call it what you want; there are strong opinions on both sides of the divide. For every believer in the benefits of being buck-naked, there will be someone who argues that layering up simply makes sense. Well, I'm not one to shy away from throwing my two cents into the debate, so here's my take on the old problem.

Remember, before we get too in-depth, that a sleeping bag is just one component of your camping sleep system. However you adorn yourself overnight, you're only going to remain warm by using an appropriate sleeping bag for the season, as well as an insulated sleeping pad. Without these, it won't matter whether you layer up or sleep naked; you'll still wake up cold and uncomfortable.

Read more