"Change is brewing at Surly after abrasive split with co-founder"

except that when tod mott left portsmouth, he took the recipe for kate the great with him.

 

The article really didn't go in depth at all. I wanted more pointed questions with substantial answers and I felt like this was a brush under the rug.

 

This is not that, obviously. Tod also left Portsmouth with the relationship between the two being amicable, and with a clean taste in his mouth about the decision of leaving. I suspect Todd Haug was not in the same straits when he made 'the' decision to leave Surly.
Typically, however. If Tod read about what he can and cannot do when he signed those papers. He would have seen that that is something which he cannot do. The brewery "owns" those recipes. They are the breweries property. He can take whatever he designed off the clock. At home. On his equipment. But. If he is designing it on their time. With their equipment. And for the brewery. It is theirs. The corporate body of the brewery has certain legal and binding rights to what you have designed and made for it. Those are the common binding agreements brewers have to commit their signature to with production oriented facilities.

 

Even if they "own" the recipes, the chef is not there.

If you give me the same recipe for your grandma's brownies, I'm not gonna make exactly the same, even if I'm in the same kitchen

 

You might not make the brownies exactly the same, but other people can, and will make them exactly the same.

 

I have heard that Todd hadn't been around for many brewing days and the brewing staff have done most of the brewing. I'm less worried about making the current line up and more worried what new beers Surly will develop in the future.

 

Well there's a new IPA at the taproom called DAF which probably stands for dank as farts. Anyone tried it out yet? Just wondering since we're all curious to find out if their new stuff will be inspired.

 

Surly will keep brewing their beers. Going the other direction though, outside of an explicit non-compete clause, I don't know how anyone could prevent a brewer from brewing and selling beer elsewhere. There are hundreds of breweries brewing nearly identical recipes. He can't use the same name, but there is nothing proprietary about canning a single malt "West-Coast style IPA" with citra and mosaic.

 

I guess I didn't expect anything more than a puff piece. My thoughts on the situation are that I really don't feel bad for either party.

Todd - if he wasn't happy with their arrangement, he probably should have made that known right away. That said, regardless of how things turned out, he's helped launch a highly successful brewery and has made himself into a highly sought after commodity (with Omar's backing). It sucks that he isn't staying around here, but I'm sure he got a pay raise to go to FFF. I, for one, am excited to see what he does there.

Omar - the guy is a millionaire now, partially due to Todd, yes, but partially also because he took a huge risk to get Surly off the ground. He's taking another chance now, and if it doesn't work out, he only has himself to blame if his empire crumbles.

Capitalism at it's finest, ladies and gents.

 

My god what a terrible article. Do editors look these over anymore?

 

I had four glasses of DAF last Wednesday. It is tremendous. Imagine if Todd, Abrasive, and Duet had a baby. 8.6%. Dry, dank, divine. I loved it.

 

Perfectly said, sir.

 

I agree w all of your comments, but it sounds like Linda being let go on unfavorable terms may have been his last straw.

To give Omar credit where it's due, he did a hell of a lot more than simply provide the financial backing. He was all over the place, not only advocating Surly, but craft beer in general and did a lot of good for it in our state. Not saying he didn't need Todd or a different brilliant head brewer, but Omar had every bit as much to do with their overall success (in my opinion, of course).

 

Farts you say?

 

When your employer fires your wife by text message it would really piss anyone off.

 

Damn, is that really what happened? If true, that's pretty low.

 

No idea what else it could be... Dry as farts??

 

If Omar doesn't can Linda, Todd is still brewing beer in Mpls.

 

"Can" shouldn't be used as a term for firing when discussing beer and people with beers named after them. Surly is still "canning" Todd.

Basically, there really isn't any good way to let someone's spouse go from a job without angering the other one. The price you pay for working together. They could have given her a great package and I'm sure Todd still would have felt the "After all I've done for you" attitude. At the end of the day it's business and we (as beer drinkers, not people associated with any of these parties) wish everyone success and delicious brews going forth.