I've know Steve for quite a few years now, and he's one of the most ambitious people I know. What does this mean? Steve has stocked Shapleigh Hops with just about every grain, malt, equipment, yeast and kit you can think of for the home brewer. And he knows his stuff. He taught me how to brew five years ago, and we still brew together. (Of course he is the
master, I'm the apprentice - still.) I would highly recommend anyone who is or would like to be a home brewer to come to Shapleigh Hops and check out the merchandise!
- Shaun Reehl

"It was indeed a pleasure to assist Steve Loignon by brewing a couple of my favorites at the opening of his new Homebrew supply store, Shapleigh Hops. Southern Maine lacked a source of homebrew supplies, and Steve's shop delightfully fills this void. I was very impressed by how well he stocked the shop with needed items for all of us brewers that love the hobby. Steve has been committed to homebrewing for a long time, and his enthusiasm is contagious. May his new store live long and prosper."
- Frank Mase

"My husband and I attended the 2002 Maine Brewers' Festival at the Portland Maine Expo on behalf of Steven Loignon to advertise the opening of his new brew shop. We displayed the shop's logo by wearing a t-shirt and handing out business cards to people who took interest in the advertisement. We had a great time meeting local brewers of Maine and sampling many different kinds of alcohol beverages. My husband especially enjoyed the Barn Owl Amber Wheat Ale from Freeport Brewing and I had a taste for the Portland Headlight Pale from Gritty McDuff's Brewing Co. For more information on the Maine Brewers' Festival please visit http://www.mainebrew.com "

- Tammy and Ryan Wilder

"Adding a Crankenstein mill to my set of brewing tools has offered me the ability to save even more money brewing since now I can purchase grain in bulk. With minimal set up to get the mill working, It performed better than expected. It is extremely fast when powered by a hand drill. Truly of my favorite brewing additions and has the potential to pay for itself in just a few batches of beer."
- Talbot J. Rickard

"Having a quality Homebrew shop in southern Maine is an asset to all home brewers in New England. Steve Loignon's (owner S.Hops) dedication and passion for brewing will continue to grow the market for home brewers in the surrounding areas. The shop is very inviting and offers even the most novice brewer a great place to learn and start brewing truly great beer. For
the advanced brewers... Shapleigh Hops offers some products I thought were only available mail order. Steve's opening day was a huge success and I found it difficult to leave.."
- Talbot J. Rickard

Thank you for your gracious hospitality at the Shapleigh Hops grand opening and brew day! Friends, food, and beer making supplies abounded. My only regret is that you were too busy tending the new store to brew your own batch. With the aroma of five batches of brew wafting into the air, it must have been tempting. I know that I couldn't resist brewing my second batch of the day, the aptly named Hyland Grant Temptation Porter. Hyland Grant for the historic name of your road, and temptation porter for yielding to the temptation to put the kitchen sink into what could have been the same old brew. The leftover runnings from Talbot's all grain batch made for a good start with some amber and dark malt and a couple types of English hops from your shop, then four types of specialty grain to make use of those valuable leftovers from previous concoctions made for a rich thick wort. With all those natural nutrients, I have a fully
fermented brew in just 3 days. I can't wait to bottle it and bring few samples back to the shop.
- Brewer Chris Strock