October 11, 2024

382: Brewlihan’s John Hoolihan Uses Tannin and Acidity to Build Support for Sweetness in Top-Rated Mead

1 hour 5 minutes

In Oakland Park, Florida, Brewlihan meadery sits in rarified air atop Untappd's list of top breweries in the world. Their rabid fan base has propelled them to No. 5—as of this recording—a ranking that founder John Hoolihan doesn't take for granted, as he continually applies science and chemistry to balance flavor, acidity, gravity, and tannin. In this episode, recorded live during the 3 Sons Lumberjack Day festival, Hoolihan discusses:

growing the meadery from a homebrewing project to a commercial business

designing a base mead for multiple fruit expressions

using carbonation and oak-aging in session mead

flavor contributions of various honey varieties

healthy but low-and-slow fermentation with 14 yeast varieties

scaling mead from homebrew to commercial batch sizes

mead fermentation dynamics

communicating the sweetness levels of finished meads

working with tannin and tartness to balance sweetness

the impact of acidity on aging

And more.

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