Allagash Brewery | Rob Tod | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Allagash Brewery owner, Rob Tod, shares his journey in the craft beer industry and discusses the process of making Belgian-style beers and barrel aging.

Transcript

Well, welcome everybody to -- what I'm happy to say is becoming a regular occurrence here to another brewer series here in Google New York. So, cheers to that, right? [clapping] Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Rob Tod, who is the owner/operator of Allagash Brewery up in Portland, Maine. Allagash started -- first beer sold in 1995, and ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🍺 Allagash Brewery has experienced steady growth since its founding in 1994, and its flagship beer is the Allagash White.
• 🧡 Belgian-style beers offer a wide range of flavors and styles, often using unique ingredients and yeast strains.
• 🌲 Barrel aging transforms beers, infusing them with flavors from the wood and introducing wild yeasts and bacteria.
• ⚡ Allagash beers can be aged further to develop more complexity, especially higher alcohol ones.
• 🤗 Allagash has a collaborative and open approach to brewing and welcomes experimentation with different ingredients and brewing techniques.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Allagash Brewery get started?

Allagash Brewery was founded in 1994 by Rob Tod, who built the brewery from scratch and operated it alone for the first year.

Q: What makes Belgian-style beers unique?

Belgian-style beers often use unique ingredients and yeast strains, resulting in a wide variety of flavors and styles. They can have characteristics ranging from fruity and spicy to complex and sour.

Q: What is barrel aging, and how does it transform the beer?

Barrel aging involves aging beer in wooden barrels, which can infuse the beer with flavors from the wood, such as vanilla, coconut, and mocha. It can also introduce wild yeasts and bacteria, adding complexity to the beer.

Q: How long do Allagash beers age for, and can they be aged further?

Allagash beers, such as the Black and Curieux, have different aging times. While they can be enjoyed fresh, some Allagash beers, especially higher alcohol ones, can continue to age and develop more complex flavors over time.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Allagash Brewery in Portland, Maine, began in 1994 and specializes in brewing traditional Belgian-style beers.

• The brewery started small but has experienced steady growth over the years and now produces a wide range of beers.

• Allagash's flagship beer is the Allagash White, a Belgian-style wheat beer that makes up the majority of the brewery's production.