Tributary Brewing Co. in Kittery, Maine

Yes, we know it's in Maine. But we think you should check out what Tod Mott, formerly of the Portsmouth Brewery, is up to.

For Galen Mott, the process of opening the Tributary Brewing Company with her brewer-husband Tod Mott has been long in coming, but well worth it. 

Fans of the Portsmouth Brewery and the Seacoast beer scene will remember Tod Mott as the brewer behind the iconic Kate the Great, among many other popular brews.

But it was Kate the Great that warranted its own special release day each year with crowds that often waited outside the brewery – in any weather condition – for a taste of the legendary beer.

"The crowds just kept coming," says Galen. The brewery would be packed with families, beer geeks, press, old friends and the people who put the building together. 

Eventually, despite huge success at the Portsmouth Brewery, it was time for Mott to realize his own dream of opening a brewery with his wife Galen.

And so the Tributary Brewing Co. was born just across the river in Kittery, Maine. (Yes, we know it’s not technically in NH, but have a sneaking suspicion some of you beer lovers will venture over the bridge to see what Mott’s up to.)

The uniqueness of the Tributary Brewing Co. goes beyond that of its exceptional owners. The brewery doesn't serve food, rather Galen explains that there are a couple of food trucks in rotation that will come when the brewery is open. Customers can bring their food into the brewery, if they like. So far, one of the food trucks is Juice Burger, which boasts interesting items like "The Adventures of Husklecherry Finn & Tom(ato) Sawyer burger." The other truck is Vida Verde, which promotes "local ingredients, traditional flavors" in their tacos, burritos and bowls.

The brewery concept has been tweaked and perfected for the past two years and the Motts had the lease for a year before it even opened. All that planning paid off. Galen says the brew house is beautiful; there are brew vessels, and fermentation and conditioning tanks. The tasting room, she said, has a cool feel to it with its blue paint. To top it all off, Galen painted the front wall with the water pattern from their logo. Go for Tod's beer because "brewing is what Tod knows how to do." Currently on tap are a pale ale, a London session brown ale, and a Gose. Who knows – perhaps the next Kate the Grate sensation will soon bring lines out to door to Tributary Brewing Co.