no. 043 | Mondo
We’ve gone north for batch no. 043, but not very far. In fact, we’ve not even crossed the Thames, remaining in London to introduce Battersea’s Mondo Brewing Company.
There are no doubt many that would – quite rightly – argue that London is not the centre of the UK’s craft brewing world. There are countless other cities, towns and regions across the country that have contributed more than their fair share of skill, insight, style or experience to making modern brewing the rich and burgeoning industry it has become.
However, what is inarguable is that we will always wind up back in the capital sooner rather than later. In fact, for March’s feature brewery, we haven’t even left, taking a short journey north from Mitcham – home to batch no. 042’s Drop Project – to Battersea-based Mondo who are located a stone’s throw from the Thames. Founded by Todd Matteson and Thomas Palmer in 2014, the two American-born brewers originally met at London Fields Brewery, where they quickly formed a friendship over a mutual love and respect for great beer. “We’d both dreamed of starting our own brewery”, says Todd, “and over time we got to talking about joining forces to start something in the UK and so started working on test batches, looking at properties and putting together our business plan”.
The name is something that came pretty quickly to Todd and Thomas during these early stages, and speaks to a lifetime of seeking out new experiences whilst exploring the world. “We’re obviously hugely influenced by our American roots, but Mondo, meaning ‘world’ in many romance languages, is a reflection of our time living in, brewing in and travelling to various parts
of the world and the influence this has had on our perception of what beer could be”.
These experiences have informed their approach to brewing too; a big part of Mondo’s DNA are the collaborations and joint experiences they create with their partners and for their customers. Visit Mondo’s taproom and you’ll be hard-pressed to miss the brick wall adorned with a rich tapestry of projects that range from joint beers with microbreweries or special releases for the Dungeons & Dragons and Mortal Kombat movies, to an ongoing partnership brewing the IPA for popular Indian mini-chain Dishoom. The beer itself is based on simple but incredibly important principles. “As clichéd as it sounds”, Todd explains almost bashfully, “we make sure to use only the finest ingredients and we give the beer the proper care and attention it deserves from start to finish”. It’s by sticking to simple tenets like these, along with giving their brews proper time to condition and come into their own, that they’re able to confidently and consistently stand behind the results of their hard work.
Putting the icing on the proverbial cake of their beers is artist Luke Drozd, who has been responsible for all of Mondo’s can artwork for the last 6 years. With each new beer that’s brewed, the team will brainstorm and land on a name that, more often than not, is heavily influenced by its style. Luke is then briefed on this name (and not much else) and uses it to create beautiful, aesthetically pleasing kaleidoscopic artwork that embellishes each can.
Whilst one eye is very much on the future for Todd and Thomas (“we’re working on some very exciting things this year”, they tell me, before coyly and rather cruelly adding “but we can’t discuss them quite yet”) their sights remain set on the ever-present pressures the industry faces in 2025. “It’s a challenging and changing environment for sure. We face some of the highest taxes on alcohol in the world and the market continues to go through consolidation with global brewers and investment groups coming in and buying the likes of Camden Town, Fourpure, Magic Rock and many more. That’s an opportunity for us too, though, as we remain one of a shrinking number of independent breweries”.