Episode 311 - Zach Nichols, Cellar West Artisan Ales
Happy Monday, Thieves! Welcome to another raucous episode, recorded from our various bunkers, complete with heavy sighs, Vasse musings, hot takes from the black glass, and minutes long questions from the Orange clad one.
We are minus Kennedy on this episode as he was off taking in some hikes in the Hudson Valley, but joining us is Zach Nichols, the founder, owner, and brewer at Cellar West Artisan Ales.
Zach began his journey in beer in 2009 while working at a small bottle shop in his native Madison, Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter he spent time as an assistant, and later lead brewer, at a small brewpub in the midwest countryside, crafting traditional lager and occasionally experimenting with eccentric Belgian farmhouse ales.
In 2012 his now wife, Rachael, lead Zach to the Front Range where he spent several years working in the Colorado brewing industry, including a stint in the world of mead-making.
In January 2017, after years of brewing observation and application, Zach's longstanding dream of a small, artisanal beer company was brought to life in a little garage space in North Boulder. There, nestled at the base of the foothills beside autobody shops, a homeless shelter, and strip club, Rachael and Zach founded Cellar West Artisan Ales.
We should note that we recorded this episode a few weeks before the tragic mass shooting occurred in Boulder, Colorado.
As a huge snow storm was getting ready to roll in, Zach tucked in to tell us about his brewing career, his fascination with mixed fermentation and love for lagers. Tune in and let us know what you think!
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As always, you can email your questions, complaints, whimpers, or whines to us at stealthisbeerpodcast@gmail.com. We read everything we get and we'll try to respond as quickly as we can. If not online, then on air. And THANKS! You can subscribe to STB on iTunes and PLEASE LEAVE US A REVIEW!!! Co-hosts: Augie Carton & John Holl Producer: Justin Kennedy Engineer: Brian Casse Music: "Abstract Concepts - What Up in the Streets" by Black Ant.