A classic craft brewer in an “alternative” craft beverage world
From rebel to beer style loyalist | As a new breed of finnicky millennial drinkers is entering the beer marketplace, clamoring for such beverages as hazy, juicy, fruity New England IPAs, pastry stouts with plenty of lactose and even real pastries, kombuchas and ciders, flavored hard seltzers, and even fermented teas and coffees, many of the original microbrewers are struggling with succession planning. Some have sold their enterprises for handsome sums to their erstwhile “enemies,” big Beer, while others are still plying their trade but are wondering about their continued place in the industry. Are they still relevant? BRAUWELT International joined Tod Mott, brewer/owner of the Tributary Brewing Company in Kittery, Maine and one of the erstwhile craft brew pioneers, for a conversation about the current trends in the craft beverage industry and how recent shifts in consumer preferences are affecting his business.