Tap Handle #366: Montauk

2/03/2014 01:05:00 AM

Tap Handle #366: Montauk - Driftwood Ale

Tap size: 12"
Rarity: 50 or less seen, tap retired
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Another day, another tap from New York. It seems like a simple design, but this is a really cool tap up close. Montauk's logo was inspired by the area's rich Indian heritage. They didn’t want just another lighthouse insignia - they liked the idea of an artifact, something that could be held, and their friend, artist Charlie Ly, designed the logo with the founders' input. The tap was retired around 2014-2015 when the brewery changed their packaging and switched to a different style - a long white handle with a colored knob on the top - to match the new packaging design. This tap first appeared on the secondary market around 2012-2013. Several have appeared with damage; for one in good condition, the price was in the $25 range early on, but peaked in 2020 for a whopping $145. With a couple of exceptions, the market price swung between $100-$130 until 2024 and 2025, when there was only 1 listed in each of those years, selling in the $45 range. Either the value of the tap has dropped immensely, or the sellers were unaware of its past market value when they listed it for sale.

Montauk Brewing Company was founded in Montauk, New York in June 2012 by Vaughan Cutillo, Joe Sullivan, and Eric Moss. The three went to high school together at East Hampton High School, and spent years as ocean lifeguards, fishing, and surfing the beaches. After returning to Montauk after college, Cutillo and Sullivan worked at an alternative energy company. In 2009 they started experimenting with home brewing, having friends over to sample it. The beers were so popular that they began to plan opening a brewing company. They knew that they were missing something and called Moss, who had brewed beer while studying finance at the University of Colorado Boulder. Moss became the third partner in the brewing company. However, banks wouldn't loan them money without a track record, so Cutillo's father offered up his kitchen showroom, shaped like a big barn, and his woodworking shop in the back. With their combined savings, the three friends came up with enough to get the beer flowing. They agreed their first beer would be Driftwood Ale, and connected with the brewmaster of Butternuts Ales & Lagers, who helped them brew their first batch. They delivered their first hand-filled kegs to local bars on bicycles

Borrowing brewing space from the Cooperstown Brewing Company in Milford, N.Y., they made 535 barrels in their first year. The kitchen showroom was turned into a tasting room affectionately known as the "Brew Barn." They planned to use the woodshop in the back to house their own brewery equipment, but their plans hit a snag when they learned that the addition would trigger a requirement to provide three more parking spaces on the site. With no room on the property to add them, they were told that they could, instead, pay fees in lieu of providing the parking spaces - $15,000 per spot - that the town collects for the creation of municipal parking in central business zones. After three years of construction and wading through red tape, they finally opened a production brewery in 2015 with a 7-barrel system that brews beer for consumption in the tap room and for keg distribution on Long Island.

Meanwhile, contract brewing continued to support their wider distribution. They shifted from Cooperstown to Wachusett Brewing in Massachusetts, later adding Two Roads Brewing in Connecticut as a second contract partner. The growth was explosive: production increased from 535 barrels in 2012 to 39,000 barrels by 2018, making Montauk the second-largest brewery on Long Island behind Blue Point and one of the top 100 craft breweries in the U.S. by sales volume. One of the smartest early decisions was to package their beers exclusively in colorful cans with distinctive nautical graphics- at a time when premium craft brews were rarely canned.

In November 2022, Montauk Brewing was acquired by Tilray Brands, Inc., a global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer products company that also owns SweetWater Brewing, Green Flash, and Alpine brands. Founders Vaughan Cutillo and Eric Moss remain with the company; Joe Sullivan is no longer involved in daily operations. With Tilray's backing and nationwide infrastructure, Montauk expanded distribution beyond the Northeast into Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Their beers are now available in over 3,500 retail locations including Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Costco, and 7-Eleven, plus major NYC venues like Citi Field, Madison Square Garden, and UBS Arena. In February 2025, Tilray struck a deal with JetBlue Airways to feature Montauk's Surf Beer Golden Ale on all domestic and international flights.

Though Driftwood Ale was the brewery's first beer, Wave Chaser IPA has emerged as the flagship and is now the #1 selling IPA in the New York Metro market. The brewery also produces Summer Ale, Watermelon Session Ale, Cold Day IPA, Pilsner, The Surf Beer, hard seltzers, and various seasonal releases. Their trademark motto remains "Come As You Are."

Driftwood Ale is an American style ESB. Known for its dark copper color and appeal to a wide audience, it relies on balance between hops and malt for its drinkability. Driftwood Ale will impress both beer enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. Recommended food pairings are any seafood dishes.

BeerAdvocate: 83 out of 100 (good)

Untappd: 3.46 out of 5

Montauk Brewing Official Website

Source Material

New York Times

Long Island Pulse

Dan's Papers #1

Hamptons Magazine

The East Hampton Star

Long Island Press #1

Long Island Press #2

27 East