“Psychedelic Pilgrim,” declares Kellan Bartosch. “And Davin says, Adjective Animal.”
Yes, both are beers on the roster of Wiseacre, the Memphis craft brewery the two brothers founded in 2013.
But they are also fictitious band names that either would select, if pressed. After all, the artwork (featured on their cans) looks more like a collection of killer album covers. Their beers are all astutely named with a serving of ingenuity and often wit. But most importantly they make lagers and ales that taste like lagers and ales. Really good ones.
Opening a brewery was a dream. Perhaps it was first manifested in high school when they had the chance to tour the Sam Adams Brewery in the late 90s. The chance was only made possible by stealing the rental car while their father was in meetings for then, Federal Express, in Boston. Both brothers credit their father for always telling them to “find the joy in learning.”
Kellan and Davin Bartosch have made over 250+ different beers in their time at Wiseacre. They outgrew their first operation on Broad Avenue in just three years. It’s still open and now a thinktank or “drink tank” where they can experiment with new flavors and smaller runs. Their second production facility and taproom opened in 2020. The brothers built the 40,000 square foot downtown location in the South Main District, on a lot that had been empty for decades.
“The idea to make it our life’s work was Kellan’s, not mine,” says Davin Bartosch, older brother.
Davin has always had a healthy dose of skepticism, he adds. “I’m also really cheap. I figured out that I could make a case of beer cheaper than I could buy it,” explaining his collegiate home brewing origins freshman year of college.
“I knew he had greatness in him. Anytime he tried something he loved - from cooking camp in 4th grade to chess, and beer – he had such a crazy focus.” Davin wasn’t going to be happy in any sort of traditional desk job says Kellan. “And then I realized I wasn’t either,” he adds.
So the idea was planted; Davin would brew and Kellan would handle most everything else. First, they focused on getting as much real-world experience in their respective fields. The brothers spent almost ten years of education, training, learning, industry research and a lot of behind-the-scenes grunt work. They lived all over the country and in Europe for Davin, who studied in Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Austria. Because, as he explains, “Passion does not equal ability.”
They picked their hometown, Memphis, because, well – they really love Memphis. And they thought the town was ready to support a craft brewery. The Memphis water certainly helps. Our water is really soft and mineral-free which makes for a better tasting lager, thanks to the Memphis Sand aquifer and the artesian well it forms.
“We knew how to make good beer. But having a growing business has been the hardest thing we’ve ever had to figure out,” Kellan explains.
The brothers claim they don't speak in code, but definitely know how to communicate. There aren't dueling egos. "We are able to get through anything and move forward, even if we have to use bad words," says Kellan.
“Our saving grace is that we respond to being brothers before the business. We were a family before we were a brewery,” adds Davin.
And they try to emulate a similar vibe for their employees and partners. It starts top down with their company culture. BEEFY is not a new name for their latest Pale Ale. It’s an acronym for their core values: Bliss, Education, Excellence, Folks, and Yourself. Ask them about it over a beer.
wiseacrebrew.com