Prior to 2011, Suspended Brewing Company co-owners Josey Schwartz and Yasmin Karimian weren’t really beer drinkers.
That changed when Schwartz tried a Chimay in California. The Belgian brew changed his outlook on beer.
“It was like, wow, every sip I was blown away,” Schwartz said. “I didn’t know beer could be so dynamic.”
A friend then introduced Schwartz to craft breweries and he immediately became obsessed with craft beer. Another friend bought him a home-brewing kit, and then he became obsessed with brewing, too.
Schwartz, 26, then roped his friend, Karimian, 25, into his new passion and the two started traveling around the country visiting breweries. They first met while students at the University of Maryland Baltimore County while Karimian served as student body president and Schwartz was attempting to raise climate change awareness on the campus. Through the brewery trips, Karimian’s own appreciation for beer and brewing grew.
“I didn’t like beer, but I started to fall in love with the industry,” Karimian said. She admired the local craft breweries that subscribed to her community-focused beliefs by treating employees well, being environmentally conscious and supporting other local and small businesses.
The two then hatched an idea to open a similarly focused brewery.
Enter Rockville’s Suspended Brewing Company. That’s the name the two chose for their new Rockville brewery, which they’re launching with Karimian’s older brother, Amir.
Amir Karimian, a doctor in the U.S. Army, is training in El Paso, Texas, but lives in Bethesda. He’s been staying in the loop through email, video chats and text messages as the other co-founders set up the brewery. Karimian lives in D.C. and Schwartz lives in Germantown.
Schwartz said they hope to open the 2,300-square-foot brewery and taproom in about a month—if the permitting process goes well. They’re renovating an industrial space at 610 Lofstrand Lane, which is about a mile east of Rockville Town Square.
Josey Schwartz works on the taproom inside Suspended Brewing Company in Rockville. Provided photo.
The brewery will have a four-kettle electric brewing system powered by solar panels installed on the roof. Schwartz, who works in the energy management field, says the brewery will buy offsets if the solar power isn’t adequate. The owners purchased the brewing equipment from a small business in Michigan who they say subscribes to a similar mantra as their new business.
“When you’re opening a company, that’s one of the beauties of it, you get to invest in other companies that you like,” Karimian said.
Schwartz said they hope to produce about 500 barrels per year—about 1,000 kegs of beer. Signature styles will include a low-alcohol session beer, an IPA and an imperial stout.
The brewery will also offer unique coffee blends and cold-brewed coffee. The coffee aspect is a nod to their name, which comes from a tradition in Italian cafes called “caffe sospeso” or suspended coffee, where customers buy an extra coffee or two and ask for it to be “suspended” so someone less fortunate can claim it for free.
Schwartz said the taproom will measure about 230 square feet and be located in front of the brewing equipment. The owners expect to open daily. They also hope to sell beer to bars and restaurants in the area.
Schwartz said it was a “no-brainer” to choose Montgomery County to locate the brewery.
“My mom always says, ‘Home is where your mom is,’ and she’s in Montgomery County,” Schwartz said. He added that he thinks the area market enjoys locally made craft beer, but is currently underserved.
“The biggest push for us is not only brewing beer,” Schwartz said, “but doing it in a way that’s meaningful. We want to make an example of what a business should be.”
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