Ep. 163 – How to Innovate Whiskey with Ethan Beswick, Research Director at Endless West
I met Ethan Beswick at the Prime Root’s panel at IndieBio a couple of months ago and he was just a really cool, chill dude. It helped that he offered me some whiskey before the talk. After he told me what Endless West was about, I was curious to learn more.
Ethan himself has an interesting background, especially since he took about a year off to go travel the world. I’ve heard of people do this, whether it’s teaching English, or just because they’re sick of it all. Sometimes I wish I could do that, so I ask Ethan my biggest fear: how do you adjust back after you take your trip?
Ethan definitively got back to food science as his journey took him to a few innovative companies until he finally joined Endless West. Over time, he’s picked up different innovation tips and tricks, which we dive into as well.
So get ready to learn a bit about the alcohol industry, a little bit about hiring, and maybe a few tips and tricks, to innovate in your industry.
About Ethan
Ethan graduated as a Dean’s Scholar with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science from the University of Delaware. He has spent his career working with startups and established food companies focusing on quantifying our senses and product design A food lover at his core, the move to Endless West opened up the depth of exploration of his favorite subjects – food, wine, and spirits- to a nearly unimaginable level.
Show notes
Ingredion
Prime Roots Food Tech Panel
Spero Foods
A few people telling me I was bad
Miraculex
When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you tell people in a sentence or less?: I love food
What is your role in Endless West?: Research Director
What does Endless West do?: We make Whiskey in 24 hours instead of 18 years
Whiskey has so many different components and we will always try and track it.
Are you guys currently in the market?: Yes. We’re in California and New York
Do you make the whiskey in house?: Yes!
TTB – Tax and Trade Bearau – They evaluate formulas
Difference between a Spirit or Whiskey?: Spirit – a hard liquor. More than a 0.5% alcohol.
First Job: Beecher’s New York
Then traveled to New Zealand, Thailand
Innovation tips: Ingredient suppliers: How to do innovate through functionality or mouthfeel?
Innovation in consulting companies: How do we innovate to solve a goal?
Innovation for product development companies: How do we make something where nobody has made it before?
At Endless West: Innovation is creating thingws we recognize but with unconventional materials. For Endless West, it’s different because we have so many components.
How do you do research?: The ability to search is spectacular. You can get research papers really easily
Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: there is no job I can think of where I can just create
What kind of trends and technologies excite you right now?: Impossible Foods and Cellular Agg, and Prime Roots and Spero. Big companies also have the power to create innovative things
Charles Spence – Future of Food
Tasty by John McQuaid
Texture Analyzer
What is something in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: Flavor chemistry such as reaction chemistry
Herve This – Molecular Gastronomy
Any advice you for people going into the food industry?: Most universities actually have a focus on what they do. EG: Chocolate, Microbiology, etc. If you transition, just know is that food is not clean and pure, unlike other sciences.
Cal Poly
Kansas State – Grains
University of Sasketchewan- Peas
UMass Amherst – Food Chemistry
Michigan State – Toxicology
Ohio and Wisconsin – Flavor Research