Michael Tonsmeire

Fresh @brewingnetwork's Brew Strong interview! Planed to talk mixed-ferm... we started there, but over nearly three hours we touched on tank push outs to minimize oxygen exposure on hazies, chelating metals with pomegranate extract, Madeira, stout pH etc. youtube.com/watch?v=b9DjY-…

Recently did an interview for Canvas Rebel Magazine. We covered the @SapwoodCellars journey over the last seven years, from recipe development, through the pandemic to our recent kitchen addition! canvasrebel.com/meet-michael-t…

Even almost seven years in we're continuing to tweak our dry hopping process... sat down with @beersmith to talk about it (with a more in-depth @BrewYourOwn article coming soon): beersmith.com/blog/2025/04/2…

@DavidJesudason Not my print, but certainly my design!

@MadFermentation was this your work, Michael?

Newest version of our brewery connections poster (prints available next week)! Added six new (and upcoming) Maryland breweries: Berlin Beer, Gillfast, Brewery and the Beast, Vanish, Old Barn, and Hub City! Best of luck to all of them! Closed today, open as usual tomorrow!

@JasonUMD @SapwoodCellars @LocalRelic I have not, but sounds great! Will have to check them out next time I visit my brother in law there!

@MadFermentation @SapwoodCellars Are you familiar with @LocalRelic in CO Springs? Was lucky to visit them during a work trip and was amazed. They don't brew the same things twice. Wish I could have run the board.

It's been six years since I brewed at home, but despite employees and 1,500 bbl/year we run @SapwoodCellars like a big homebrewery rather than a small craft brewery. Post about embracing inefficiency (and quality/variety over quantity): themadfermentationist.com/2024/10/embrac…

@ALthekow @SapwoodCellars Our only distribution outside of Maryland is direct shipping through @tavour: subscriptions.tavour.com/sapwoodcellars Although we are sending a few cases to the @TBBCo Badass Beer Fest in Tampa 11/9: tbbc.beer/babf

getting ready for a Club Shipment of @SapwoodCellars mixed-ferm beers! Stained (Merlot+Raspberry), Honeymoon SZN (Phantasm+Muscadine), Neologism (Gin+Cryo), Opulence (Cherry Brandy+Cherry), Gindicators (Gin+Stone Fruit), Flemish Gothic (3-year Red Blend): subscriptions.tavour.com/sapwoodcellars

@BeerGuysRadio Great idea I probably should have thought of... We did something similar from the other direction, aged a Stout in a Coffee Amaro barrel from Baltimore Spirit. Theirs has a really nice anise note along with the coffee.

@MadFermentation Glad you asked, I forgot! I was thinking about adding a little Caffe Amaro to the Espresso Martini Coffee Stout. (After making the original version of course.) I also like the idea of using sherry to give a sense of age to the drink.

I love this idea from @MadFermentation. Will definitely play with a few of these recipes. I'm particularly intrigued by the "coffee stout". #BeerCocktails (Well, #BeerAdjacentCocktails maybe.) themadfermentationist.com/2024/08/invent…

@essmithSD It's made me a much more cautious brewery owner.

@MadFermentation Such a sad turn of events.

Feels way too recent for the grand opening to have been 2013. Always loved stopping back in when I was in San Diego to to see what they were up to. sandiegoville.com/2024/09/modern…

@niceguybille That was always my favorite of the "core" beers we developed! So much flavor for a restrained ABV and balanced drinkability. Still funny to me that we were worried about opening with a classic IPA since there were already so many available...

@MadFermentation A tweaked version of the CYBI Fortunate Islands clone is still my go to pale ale recipe. 🙂

@eugegim Haven't used them yet. Lots of extract out there, some good, some bad, some reasonably priced, some exorbitant!

@MadFermentation Thats super cool. I saw Yakima Valley Hops (via Haas) has something called Euphorics which looks interesting as well.

New Post: I don't drink many cocktails... they are just often too sweet or boozy for me. So I invented four cocktails inspired by some of my favorite beer styles: Hazy IPA, Rye Barrel Barleywine, Flemish Red, and Coffee Stout. Recipes and tasting notes: themadfermentationist.com/2024/08/invent…

@eugegim We've been pretty happy with it, have used them a few times (Prismatic Clouds TIPA with Gelato terpenes is on now). Have some of their Simcoe for the DIPA in tank now too!

@MadFermentation Very cool! How is the Abstrax stuff? Use it for any beers at Sapwood?

Brazil Chamissonis vanilla bean... crazy. Getting prepped for our annual bourbon barrel-aged vanilla showcase stout (Vanilla Threads). Used Tonga the first year, Cook Islands last year, a pound of these this year!

@benbirdsall @tavour @SapwoodCellars Likely part of it, inhibits lactic acid bacteria. But I think something is going on with the hop aromatics too.

@MadFermentation @tavour @SapwoodCellars The IBUs? After reading your last few posts I realized I need to significantly increase my hopping rate on my sours as they are becoming abrasively sour

@MadFermentation @tavour just got my subscription box from @SapwoodCellars

@benbirdsall @tavour @SapwoodCellars One of my favorites, hops have definitely mellowed in the bottle. None of our beers get as Bretty as the hoppier ones... still can't figure out why!

@MadFermentation @tavour @SapwoodCellars Barrel of Rings. I thought it'd be hoppier but instead it's just Bretty and not super sour. Great job