Tributary Brewing

 Interview with Tod Mott of Tributary Brewing (part 1 of 3)

 Interview with Tod Mott of Tributary Brewing (part 2 of 3)

 Interview with Tod Mott of Tributary Brewing (part 3 of 3)

  Non-Flash version of the entire podcast

It seems like every week, another small brewery opens. Often times it's a journeyman assistant brewer or cellar man striking out on their own after a couple of years service in a small local or regional brewery. Their brewing education and experience can be wide ranging. There are even many who have opened or are opening breweries who have no formal training or experience beyond home brewing! Talk about a land of opportunity!

Front entrance.

But when the Tributary Brewing Company, a 15 barrel production brewery in Kittery, Maine, opened in September of 2014, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was destined to be one of the best small breweries in operation. Anywhere. The brewer/owner of Tributary is none other than Tod Mott, whose credibility, reputation, skill, and knowledge are beyond reproach. Tod was on the scene for the first big craft beer surge in the early 90s, and he's been one of the most important forces driving the quality of craft beer on the East Coast ever since.

In Sept. of 1990 Tod started a brewing apprenticeship at Vermont's Catamount, along side another New England brewing legend, Paul Sayler, who is currently at Gravity Brewing in Burlington, VT. His first full-time paid brewing job followed in 1991 at the Harpoon Brewery, then a fledgling operation. It was during his two year stint there that Tod developed Harpoon IPA, essentially planting the IPA flag on the East Coast at a time when it was only flying out west.

Olde Ale, Solstice Saison, IPA, and Oatmeal Stout.

Mr. Mott continued to journey through the New England brewing world, leading production at Commonwealth Brewing in Boston for about six years, and while there hiring former fellow Catamount brewer Paul Sayler to be head brewer at Commonwealth's expansion at 10 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. Tod also did some brew time at Back Bay Brewing (Boston), Quincy Ships (Quincy, MA), and The Tap (Haverhill, MA), before landing at the Portsmouth Brewery for an 8 1/2 year tour of duty.

Heads up!

We first met Tod at the Portsmouth Brewery for an interview in 2011 and our antiquated MiniDisc recorder failed us (thanks to that, we got a much better recorder). Even if we didn't get to record it, it was an honor and pleasure to talk about beer with Tod, and learn about his great work at the Portsmouth Brewery. It was there where he reprised a recipe for a Russian Imperial Stout once called Boston Strangler Stout from his days at Back Bay Brewing. People tended to choke on that name, so it was rechristened Kate the Great!

When Tod finally got his own brewery, after almost a quarter-century of commercial brewing, he knew that he'd finally have the opportunity to brew and age his prized 12% ABV stout in the proper fashion. The Portsmouth Brewery, though with all its charms, was severely lacking in space. He had to be creative to attain the rich barrel aged characteristics of the beer -- without barrels. But the latest incarnation of the highly acclaimed beer, now known as Mott the Lesser, will enjoy a lengthly aging in actual oak barrels. One version will rest in former Pinot Noir barrels infused with port. Another is an apple brandy barrel infused with apple brandy. And a third is a Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel which is infused with Jamaican rum. He's still looking for one more barrel in which to age the rich stout -- an Islay whisky barrel. Another benefit of a bigger brewery for this beer is that he'll release it not once a year, as was done at the Portsmouth Brewery, but twice -- in April and October.

When asked about the name of the brewery, it turns out that Tod's partner Galen came up with the name while the two were rafting in the Colorado River. She also gave the brewery it's motto: "One tributary leads to another", which certainly has been the case with Tod's brewing career.

We sampled all four of the brews on tap during our visit, plus a special bottle of a barrel aged version of the Olde Ale. The Olde Ale was brewed with a very special and rare heritage malt, Chevalier Malt. Only 4 metric tons of it were made by Crisp Malting for just four select US breweries. But when one of those lucky brewer's (Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery) couldn't fit it into his busy brewing schedule, an opportunity arose for Mott to get some. Lucky for Tod he has malty friends in strategic places!

All of the Tributary beers were incredibly well made, full flavored, had fantastic aromas, and above all things were balanced. Balance is the first thing that comes to mind when tasting his IPA. It's no surprise that Tributary ranks #6 of the best new breweries of 2015 by the Rate Beer website, worldwide! Listen to the podcast for more on Tod, Tributary, and what may be trickling in from tributaries yet to be explored!

Bob, Galen, Tod, and B.R.

Tod is always happy to chat with patrons.

Growlers to go.

Tasting room.

Crazy looks from Billy, one of two brewery dogs.

Katie, named for The Great. That's her heard howling on the podcast!

15 barrel brewhouse.

CO2 blow off.

Chiller. 

Mott the Lesser's chart.

Beach Beer

[link to podcast page]

One of the nice things about a beach that's located in a federal park is that you can crack open a beer with no fear. It's completely legit. That's one reason to swim at Fort Tilden rather than Jacob Riis in the Rockaways! But for this trip, we went the distance, all the way out to Fire Island National Seashore.

Beach cat wagon?

Got a seagull problem? Start cartin' in the cats.

You can't get to this part of Fire Island by car. You have to take a boat. And that means bringing provisions, like cats, from the ferry to your beach bungalow in a cart. At the Davis Park area, there are about 100 bungalows, most quite nice and spacious. Further east at Watch Hill, where we end up, there are no commercial buildings, motels, residences or anything, really -- just sand and sea. There's a small convenience store and snack shop/bar where the ferry docks, a changing station, and some camping spots. But that's it.

Cool old telephone pole on Davis' "main street".

We brought four beers with us: Blue Point Summer Ale, Brooklyn Summer Ale, Stevens Point Nude Beach and Harpoon Summer Beer, which we saved for the ferry ride back to Patchogue, where the LIRR train station is.

It was an amazing day! We spent about four hours swimming, sunning and suddsing! The water was extremely warm for this time of year, and about as clear as we've ever seen it in the North Atlantic. We even got visited by a small school of juvenile banded rudderfish, who hung out with us in the shallow water, swimming between our legs, and up to our faces when we dove under the waves!

Beer at the beach!!!

We kind of got a little crazy making beer messages in the sand with colored stones on the beach. At first it was just a simple "BEER!" Which turned into a "BEER HEAR!" And then a drawing of a beer mug was added. Then the mug was colored in with stones. People walking along the beach took notice.

A few people stopped and photographed the "art"! Though some, we believe, thought that it was an advertisement, and that we we're selling beer. It clearly amused and confused.

 

We saved a can of Harpoon Summer Beer for the 30 minute ferry ride home. Three gals across from us on the ferry had brought their cocktails from the harbor bar on board, but most of the other passengers didn't think to have a nice return trip tipple, and they looked a bit jealous.

Once the ferry docked, we thought that rather than run to catch the next LIRR train back to the city, we'd drop by Harbor Crab, next to the ferry station. We sat by the window in the casual backroom bar overlooking the water, watching the geese float about while a white egret-kind-of-bird picked off small fish swarming in the warm shallow tidal river beneath us.

 

While the birds were feasting below, we enjoyed pints of Great South Bay (Bayshore, L.I.) Blonde Ambition and Blue Point Summer Ale, along with some raw clams and oysters, and some Italian calamari, which had marinara sauce and ricotta cheese -- very tasty. Then, inevitably, it was the long, sleepy train ride back to the busy city, far from the desolate sand and soothing waves... for now.

It started off simple, making a message in the sand with stones.

Then it got more involved.

And even more involved.

And then we lost control.

This is a mosaic of a beer mug... if you couldn't figure that out.

What other beer could you possibly drink on this beach towel?

Waiting for the ferry back to the main (is)land.

That's right -- we brought beer on this cruise!

Well, they've at least got Blue Point and Great South Bay.

Geese goosing around.