Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Janish.
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It’s an “Author-Meets-Author” Connection..
Before they we were business partners, both Mike Tonsmeire and myself were prominent figures in the homebrewing community through their respective blogs and books:
Mike Tonsmeire: Known as “The Mad Fermentationist,” Mike wrote American Sour Beers and was a consultant for Modern Times in San Diego.
Scott Janish: An obsessive researcher of hop science, Scott authored The New IPA: Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor.
We met in 2014 through the DC Homebrewers Club. We were both impressed by earth others brewing knowledge and of course the quality of each other’s homebrew! The idea for the brewery was cemented in late 2016. While sitting on a friend’s couch after having “too many IPAs” brewed by myself, Mike suggested that if I ever wanted to open a brewery, he’d be interested. To Mike’s surprise, I had already drafted a business plan!
In a big leap of faith we both quit our DC jobs (Scott worked in politics in DC and Mike a economist for the Government) and decide to start the brewery nearly 8 years ago.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We were fortunate to start with a loyal following among the craft beer community, which gave us the initial momentum we needed. The real challenge was reaching the casual drinker—the person just looking for a great local spot. Just as we hit our stride, COVID-19 arrived. Like every small business, we were forced to pivot overnight. It was a daunting time, but it pushed us to evolve; for instance, we finally started canning our beer—something we now realize was a long-overdue move. We worked harder than ever during that period, but emerged in a better spot overall. Forced change can still be good change!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Since opening seven years ago, we’ve released over 1,000 different beers—a track record of experimentation that stands out even among the nation’s largest breweries. But, we are proud of the quality of those beers, it’s not just about coming up with something new, but doing so in a purposeful way that teaches us new things about the brewing process, new ingredients, or just what customers like!
Our barrel program is where our ‘Wood’ philosophy really shines. We feature big Imperial Stouts aged in local rye whiskey barrels from great places like Sagamore Spirit, often adjuncted with things like coffee, vanilla, and coconut. Balancing these more pastry-leaning stouts our are mixed-fermentation sours, which age in wine barrels for years. These are often blended and re-fermented with local fruit and wine grapes or packaged plain letting the microbes shine.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We recently took a significant leap by expanding our physical footprint and investing in a full commercial kitchen (Albura Taqueria). Launching a restaurant inside the brewery was a major financial and operational undertaking, but the risk has already begun to pay off. We’ve been thrilled by the community’s response as we continue to ‘dial in’ our culinary identity. To keep pace with Sapwood’s constant rotation of new beers, Albura features weekly food specials in addition to it’s standard taco-themed menu. It’s been especially rewarding to bridge the gap between the brewhouse and the kitchen—like our recent dessert special: a rich chocolate brownie infused with our own Imperial Coffee Stout.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sapwoodcellars.com/ and https://alburataqueria.com/
- Instagram: @sapwoodcellars @alburataqueria
- Facebook: @sapwoodcellars @alburataqueria
- Twitter: @sapwoodcellars @alburataqueria
