Batson River Brewing and Distilling | Portland

Completed at Barrett Made. Interior design by Krista Stokes.

Recipient of the 2021 AIA Maine People's Choice Award

This project transformed an underutilized industrial building in Portland into an upscale brewery and distillery, designed to celebrate the raw scale of the original space rather than disguise it. A U-shaped center bar and an oversized fireplace anchor the main floor as deliberately large architectural gestures matched to the building's volume. A new mezzanine level adds additional seating and game space above the main bar, with sightlines down to a second back bar where full-height glass windows let customers watch the distilling operations happening behind it.

The existing building lacked the plumbing and restroom infrastructure to support a space of this scale, so new bathrooms were strategically inserted on the main level between the front and back bars. Rather than the typical large open restroom layout, the design uses individual unisex toilet rooms sharing a common handwash area with a custom concrete sink — a more efficient use of space that also reads as a small luxury touch. Throughout the dining areas, a mix of custom-built banquettes, bar seating, custom marble high-top tables, and a soft-seated back bar lounge gives the restaurant several distinct seating experiences within one upscale, architecturally driven space.