Paul Lorrain, who grew up in Boothbay Harbor, was an outstanding high school basketball player, served in the Army during the Vietnam War, and once was involved with a marijuana smuggling business, has written a book about the business he and his son, Abraham, started in 2013 – the Funky Bow Brewery and Beer Company in Lyman.

The 6” x 8.5” softcover book (StoryTerrace, July 2023) is Lorrain’s first book and is available ($19) at all nine Sherman’s Bookstores in Maine and on Amazon.com

Lorrain, in a no-holds barred style, tells about his upbringing and how his life transpired before the beginning of the successful brewery and beer company.

Funky Bow may not have been formed if the seven-year fallout between father and son did not become resolved. At the time of the estrangement, Paul was running a lettuce farm in Lyman and Abraham was a senior in high school. Abraham went on to attend college (he earned his MBA in June 2022 while also running the company).

The book goes on about the reconciliation between the two, with Abraham and Paul’s wife, Alice, offering statements about their thoughts on the estrangement. The three family members also talk about the hard work of establishing Funky Bow, how it grew into a community draw, the variety of beers, and the sometimes strained economic situations.

The 90-page, eight-chapter book contains several color and black and white photos of Lorrain’s family, the brewery and friends.

In the book’s Afterword, Lorrain writes: “I believe in effort. In preparation meeting opportunity. If I hadn’t been a businessman and Abraham hadn’t been a chemist, the Funky Bow Beer Company would never have happened. Our success here at the brewery has been the result of so many little decisions, and little choices that we’ve made.” Lorrain also credits the brewery employees for making the business successful.

Lorrain said he wants to write another book though he didn’t divulge its focus.