The Big Brew Theory #001 Zach Nichols Cellar West Artisan Ales

CELLAR WEST ARTISAN ALES - BOULDER, CO    - All barrel-aged.  Various wine and whiskey barrels from around the world.   ORIGINS   Zach is from Madison, WI.  He worked at a local bar and got to know the craft beer work with a  wild passion.  He later got a job a local brewery as assistant brewer and soaked up all the fermentation knowledge he could!   After a couple years, Zach's wife convinced him to move out to her home state of Colorado.  Some friends asked him to come and help with a brewery they were starting in Boulder, called Sanitas Brewing Co.  While collaborating there he fell in love with barrel-aged beers and wild yeast fermentation.   Later, Zach started exploring other options, possibly even moving back to Wisconsin and taking the barrel-aged wild ale model there.  The business plan concept was to call it "Cellar North."  After opportunities kept the Nichols family in Colorado, the name changed to CELLAR WEST.   Zach does all of the design and branding work himself.  The logo includes a loon.  Though these are native to the midwest, they are a symbol of the 'backwoods' and icon of Zach's vision.       SPECIALTIES   Farmhouse-inspired ales.  Working with local family farms and wild yeasts.  Cellar West has a proprietary yeast strain they've cultivated and stored at a local lab in Denver.   90-95% of beers oak-aged.  Fermentation and extended aging all happen in oak.  Barrels are procured by Rocky Mountain Barrel Company.  They are a broker of high-quality barrels from around the world.   FUTURE GOALS - Bigger space - More equipment - Stay small and local.  True to the art.  Beer first!