EP-144 Michael Tonsmeire and Scott Janish of Sapwood Cellars

Today is a special kind of geekery, so pull out your lab coats, pocket
protectors and hydrometers, because things are about to get nerdy.
Especially when it comes to New England IPAs.

One of the amazing things I’ve found covering the beer industry is the
number of brilliant people who fill up the ranks of bartenders, brewers,
biologists and more. It makes perfect sense within a profession that blends
aspects of science and art, and when I find myself in the midst of a
particularly engaging conversation that goes well beyond talking beer
styles, ratings or trends du jour, it’s something I really value. Lucky for
me, this podcast provides the opportunity to make such occurrences happen.

While I was recently passing through Washington DC, I met up with Michael
Tonsmeire and Scott Janish, two highly-accomplished homebrewers who will
soon go pro together with the launch of Sapwood Cellars. From my
perspective, these are two of the smartest guys in the business, not just
because they’ve made great homebrew, or in Michael’s case help launch
barrel programs for commercial breweries, but because I know it - they’re
two of the most public brewers who share recipes, research and in-depth
insight through Michael’s Mad Fermentationist blog and at ScottJanish.com,
where Scott puts in heavy lifting sorting through white papers and academic
analysis related to beer. They’ve also literally written the book on their
areas of expertise, with Michael behind the book, American Sour Beers, and
Scott just recently announcing he’s writing one about the modern IPA.

Whether you love or hate New England IPAs, I think the first half of our
conversation will help you think about them differently, as Michael, Scott
and I do a deep dive into recipes, chemistry and psychology of the trendy
style. We’ll also hit on the challenges of opening a brewery in today’s
market and what the DC and Maryland area can expect when Sapwood eventually
opens.

Grab a notebook or simply sit back and let the mentions of polyphenols wash
over you.