Last night, we went to Winthrop’s very own brewery, aptly called Van der Brew. It was trivia night, sponsored by Bailey Public Library and hosted by Nick Perry, Adult Services Librarian.
The modest exterior of Van der Brew, previously a Paris Farmers Union (a farm, home and garden center) belies the good vibe of this brewery.
But the sign’s logo says it all: Brew Well. Do Good. Have Fun.
The spirit of this logo infuses the brewery. This is from Van der Brew’s website: “Making great beer isn’t just about the brews. It’s about building community, bringing people together and supporting local businesses and organizations that make our towns great places to live, work and play.”
Yes, yes, and yes, and Van der Brew is certainly making our community a better place.
Confession time: Not to put too fine a point on it, but I am not a beer enthusiast. Instead, I am more of a cocktail girl, and Van der Brew doesn’t serve cocktails or wine—only beer and soft drinks. But Clif is a beer drinker, and the atmosphere, which encourages all ages, is so much fun that a soft drink is just fine with me.
Yesterday we arrived early to get a good table and chairs for our trivia team, the Great Library, named after my very own series of YA fiction. Here are pictures of the interior before the crowds arrived.
And here is a picture of our fearless trivia leader, Nick, who has been leading trivia nights at various places for ten years. Go, Nick!
By the time trivia night started, the place was packed, and there were around eighteen teams. Liz, one of our team members, told me that a couple months ago, on Van der Brew’s first trivia night, there were about six teams. Clearly, the word has spread about Nick’s trivia nights at the brewery.
Along with being a fun night, donations were also taken for the library for a much-needed proposed parking lot nearby. By the end of the night, the box on the stand was filled with donations.
Also, at various times the line for beer and soft drinks was long, which meant Van der Brew also had a good night.
So how did Team Great Library do? Well, I am sorry to report that we weren’t at the top. We bombed on questions regarding sports and geography, but we did pretty well with books and movies. Big surprise! We talked ourselves out of the right answers a couple of times, which was irritating. As a result, we came in ninth, smack dab in the middle.
But we had a lot of fun, and Clif and I will return on February 14 for the next trivia night.
Many thanks, Nick, and many thanks Van der Brew for this fun event that brings our community together.
Notes From the Hinterland 
What fun though sorry your team didn’t win. Better luck next time.
Yes, yes! So much fun.
Sounds like you had fun, which is the main thing – or the Maine thing – groan – sorreeeeeee!
Tee-hee! No apologies necessary.
Quiz nights are always fun. Haven’t been to one for ages – must try and get some people together to go to one.
A really fun night out!
Looks like a fun place with a sense of community Laurie!
Exactly what I was thinking, Lavinia. Any town would benefit from its people coming together like this. Wish we had such a thing.
Who knows, Jodie? Maybe some day someplace like Van der Brew will come to your community. For years, Winthrop didn’t have anything even remotely resembling this. So very grateful to have them here, and we will support them as best we can.
It really is. For years and years, Winthrop didn’t have anything like this, and Clif and I are going to support them as much as possible. And even though I am not a beer drinker, I feel perfectly comfortable being there.
So important to support the businesses you want to flourish.
Yes, and we will do our small bit to support the businesses in Winthrop.
Bob is really good at sports and geography and my specialty is biology and nature. Maybe we could join you?
lol
Sounds good! However, teams are limited to six, which is what we had on Friday. But who knows what it will be like in February. Come on down anyway. If all the regulars on our team are there, form your own team!
Back in my sailing days, Trivial Pursuit, Texas Trivia, and other such games were big. They were easy to play on boats, which was a big plus. That looks like a fun evening, and the fact that the library and the brewery profited, too, makes it even better.
You bet! All good.
Sounds like a fun event and a great idea for bringing the community together on a cold, winter night. You’ll have to hone your sports and geography skills for the next match! 😉
Right? Perhaps Clif and I should get trivia flash cards and practice every evening. 😉
Always go with your first instinct in these quizzes. You may lose a few but you will get more right than wrong.
I will keep that in mind.
Quiz nights are always fun and a great community event..(I’m never on the team that wins it seems!)
We usually aren’t either. Never mind! Still fun.
Sounds like a fun event, and I hope the beer (and soft drink) was good too. They play trivia down here a couple of times a month. 🙂
Clif said the beer was very good. And, yes, so much fun.
I have never attended a trivia night, but would like to, it sounds like so much fun. Kind of like Jeopardy with a bunch of other people, plus vittels and libations.
Exactly! A really fun community event.
Hi, Laurie – Your night sounds wonderful. Richard and I recently went to a Music Trivia event. While I would love to report that our team scored in the middle….sadly, we were rock bottom. Mispent youth, I say!!
I look forward to following your upcoming adventures.
Oh, my! Nevertheless, a fun night, I bet.
I’m with you on the beer – which is a shame as Mr. Tialys brews his own. I would also have flunked the sports questions. . It sounds as if a great night was had by all but, it looks like a big, wide open space – is it heated well? I worry about these things.
Yay for Mr. Tialys! It was a fun night. And the space is very well heated. Of course, we are Mainers, and we might have a different notion of what well heated is than you do. 😉
This sounds like a a fun night and a great community hub Laurie, even when you’re not into beer! xxx
Yes, yes!
I’m pleased you both had fun.
Thanks, Derrick. Perfect activity for a cold January night.
You sure know how to have fun in the dark of winter!
So lucky to have Van der Brew in town!
I love those events which bring a community together to have fun, support local businesses and raise funds for good causes. Win – win all round.
What a great community event. Everyone pulling together and having fun too. Who knows, maybe a few people learned some new trivia facst along the way! Sorry you didn’t win but I’m sure you weren’t too upset. A respectable mid-table place is more than acceptable 🙂
We weren’t upset at all. Just grateful we weren’t at the very bottom. But even so, it’s such a fun night. Van der Brew has provided a much-need space in our small town of 6,000. Before they came in, there was nothing at all like this for our community.
This looks like a blast. My mind is filled with trivia, so I might do well, but I’m also really bad with pop culture and tv shows/movies, so might not be a good addition to the team.
There are all kinds of questions, not just TV shows and movies. I think you would be a great addition.
Thanks, Laurie!
Sounds like a great evening at the brewpub and for the community! I’m not a fan of beer either, but do love the atmosphere of the breweries and the great beer names. Wish I was along so I could have helped with some of the sports questions!!
Wish you lived close enough to come.
So do I!🙂
It’s great to have a place like this nearby. I’m not really a beer drinker either. It makes me smile (ruefully) that a license in the US to sell beer doesn’t neccessarily permit selling wines and spirits. There’s no distinction in the UK, so far as I know. Though they might not serve what you’re hoping for, that’s because they see no market for it. Our small local music bar is up for sale and we are hoping against hope it will still have a community feel when the next owner takes over.
A soft drink is just fine with me, and Van der Brew is fortunately the kind of place where it doesn’t matter if you don’t drink beer. Good luck with the local music bar. Hope it retains its community feel.
That’s good. One of our experts have just suggested that when we order a glass of wine, we should ask for three straws with it so we can share it with two friends so we don’t exceed what he thinks are safe daily limits. Obviously he’s not thinking of the environment!
Time for paper straws?