Brewing Joy with Rob Tod ’91

Rob Tod ’91 meets me in Scarborough, Maine at the recently opened Allagash Bungalow. Equal parts tasting room and snack bar, it is a recent expansion for Allagash Brewing Company, which Rob founded in 1995. Decked out with wood furniture and rustic touches on the tasteful side of Maine kitsch, the space has real warmth. That’s intentional. The main draw might be the beer, but Rob tells me he cares as much about the people who enjoy it. 

“Beer is all about community,” he says. “There’s an argument that beer is why human beings originally got together in group living to grow because there’s early evidence of growing barley. Which is not really good for things like making bread, but it’s good for making beer,” he adds with a smile. It’s that spirit that brought Rob to brewing. But before he ever thought about hops and barley, it’s also what led him to Middlebury.

“I wanted a campus where the campus was the community, not a school in another community,” he says. Once he arrived, he “never wanted to leave on the weekends,” opting to spend the time connecting with his peers and taking advantage of the Vermont setting. Fostering those relationships and discovering the depth of connection available on campus taught him how community goes both ways. “It’s not just about the community supporting you,” he says. “You have an active role and responsibility to do the same.”

It’s not lost on Rob that the push and pull of relationships is responsible for Allagash. When he graduated, he was at an inflection point with no idea where to go next. Without a clear sense of immediate direction, he relocated to Colorado to try out somewhere completely new. He worked construction and washed dishes, but made little progress on life plans. Finally, he packed up and drove back to Middlebury, where a chance conversation with a friend changed his life. 

That friend was Ian Kirkwood ’93, and the conversation was about a part-time keg washing role at Otter Creek Brewing Company. 

“I’ve always liked drinking beer and I figured I can get paid and drink beer. So I was like, I’ll be there tomorrow morning,” says Rob, adding a sip of the Allagash White in front of him for good measure. “I showed up the next day and literally right when I walked through the door, it was like a watershed event.” The combination of tactile work and creativity in the brewery connected with him in a profound way.

“I went into that brewery having no idea how to make beer. Not knowing what barley was or what hops were,” he says. “After two eight-hour shifts, I knew I was going to make beer for the rest of my life. Like one hundred percent sure.” He channeled that feeling into a year at Otter Creek where he committed to learning everything he could about brewing and running a business. After that? It was time to strike out on his own.

The summer before making the decision to move on, Rob visited Portland, Maine to see college friends. He loved the place, and remembered that feeling when he was ready to pick a starting spot. “I didn’t feel like it would be very ethical to start a brewery in the backyard of the guy who taught me the trade,” he says, “and there weren’t many breweries in Maine back then.” 

In those early days and up through present successes, Rob felt guided by lessons and experiences tied back to Middlebury. 

“How Middlebury approaches community has been a big driver in how I run my business,” he says. “Our purpose is to brew with integrity and build community. ‘Brew with integrity’ really means to me, quite literally, to brew. But it also means a lot more. It means when you do something, do it right.” A snapshot of “doing it right” includes a paid program for Allagash employees to volunteer, sustainable philanthropy, and deep relationships with local organizations. 

With so many Middlebury alumni involved in the brewing industry, it’s hard not to wonder why. Rob has a theory. “What beer does is it brings people together. You know, it’s a social lubricant. You can have a conversation like we are now,” he says. “The brewing industry is community-forward craft and experience. I can walk into a brewery anywhere in the world, essentially, and they will welcome me with open arms. And I’ll welcome anyone with open arms into ours.” Here he pauses. “Maybe there’s something about the Middlebury community and the beer community that draws people towards it.”

With one of his daughters graduated from Middlebury and another just starting, not to mention his regular commitment to teaching MiddCore classes over J-Term, Rob has kept the College close to him. The community he connected with and built remains a bright spot. 

“There’s something about Middlebury. If I’m in the airport and I see a Middlebury sweatshirt, I’m walking across the terminal to ask if they went to Midd or have a kid at Midd,” he says with a laugh. “It’s a community that remains tightly bound and valued even after graduation.”

Rob Tod, alongside Robynne Maii ’96, is a 2026 Alumni Achievement Award Winner for his culinary leadership with Allagash Brewing Company. You can read more about the award here, and submit a nomination for 2027 here.