ORONO, ME – Orono Brewing continues their literary beer collaborations with New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden. This time the Maine brewery partnered with Golden to craft The Night Birds IPA in celebration of the author’s release of The Night Birds, publishing May 6 by St. Martin’s Press.
Following successful collaborations with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus on Whalefall IPA and Pay the Piper IPA in 2023 and 2024 respectively, Orono Brewing reached out to New England author Christopher Golden to work on the next literary collaboration as it felt fitting to partner with someone a bit closer to home.
“Christopher Golden is one of my favorite authors in recent years,” said Orono Brewing’s Creative Director, Justin Soderberg. “I had the chance to read The Night Birds early and absolutely loved it and with his more local connection I felt like it would be a great fit to collaborate on a beer based around his upcoming novel.”
Distributing to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, this collaboration also allowed for the brewery to get the beer in the hands of those attending Golden’s book launch at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH on May 6. Authors Nat Cassidy (Nestlings, When the Wolf Comes Home) and Errick Nunnally (The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile) will also be in attendance at the Gibson’s event.
“The two previous literary collaborations with Kraus had logistical roadblocks that made it impossible to sample the beer with attendees at his book release, not distributing to his state,” said Soderberg. “With the book launch in New Hampshire, I will be in attendance to serve up free tastings to those of legal drinking age the same day as the book releases at Gibson’s.”
Orono Brewing, known for their New England India Pale Ales, brewed this juicy and refreshing The Night Birds IPA with Sabro, Strata, and Mosaic hops.
The Night Birds IPA is a limited release and will be available at select locations around Maine in addition to sampling on May 6 at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH. Orono Brewing will also have it available at their two tasting room locations in Orono and Bangor, Maine. If you cannot make to the May 6 book launch, you can meet Christopher Golden and taste a sample of The Night Birds IPA at BookSpace by Briar Patch in Bangor, Maine on May 30.
Christopher Golden has other stops on his book launch tour as well, The Night Birds IPA is only available tasting at Gibson’s and BookSpace.
The Night Birds novel publishes on May 6, 2025 and is available at bookstores everywhere!
About The Night Birds
Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak years ago, they never expected to see each other again.
Now, as part of his work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Book lives aboard the Christabel, a 19th century freighter half-sunken off the shore of Galveston. Over many years, a massive forest of mangrove trees has grown up through the deck of the ship, creating a startlingly beautiful enigma Book calls the Floating Forest. As a powerful storm churns through the Gulf, he intends to sleep on board as usual.
But when he arrives at the dock, he’s stunned to find Ruby there waiting for him. And she’s not alone. With her are a mysterious woman and her infant child, asking Book to hide them safely aboard the Christabel while they’re on the run. Only it isn’t the police who are after them, it’s a coven of witches the woman, Mae, has fled, stealing away the helpless infant for whom the coven had hideous plans…or so Mae claims.
It’s lunacy and Book wants nothing to do with it. But after the way he and Ruby ended things, and the unspoken pain between them, he can’t refuse. Yet even as he brings them out to the ruined ship and its floating forest, there are shadowed figures looming back in Galveston, waiting out the storm. And despite the worsening wind and rain, the night birds are flying, scouring the coastline for their prey.
About Orono Brewing
Orono Brewing is located in the basin of Orono, Maine – home of the University of Maine. Opening on New Year’s Eve 2014, Orono Brewing is known for their New England India Pale Ales, barrel-aged sours and a variety of other beers. Their flagship and multiple award winning beer, Tubular IPA, has been a staple in the Maine craft beer industry for over six years.
Orono Brewing beer is distributed throughout the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
