WEBSITE HEADER

Big Timber opens taproom

Big Timber Brewing logoBig Timber Brewing Company of Elkins, West Virginia opened a taproom at the brewery in Elkins. Featuring seven taps, you can count on a great variety of fresh Big Timber brews.

Located at 1210 S. Davis Ave., the taproom will offer light food and snacks along with Big Timber beer.

Matt Kwasniewski, owner/brewer, said he hopes the taproom will become a community meeting place like the taverns of yore. He likes the connection it allows him to have with the customer.

“You know exactly who your customer is whenever that tap opens and they get their glass of beer,” he explained.

Ashley and Matt Kwasniewski
Ashely and Matt Kwasniewski have opened a taproom at Big Timber Brewing Company in Elkins, WV. The room will be decorated with a lot of native woods that reflect Matt’s family background in the forest products industry. 

Matt feels the West Virginia market provides a tremendous opportunity for craft breweries today. Compared to Montana, where he started in craft brewing, he thinks the West Virginia market is still in its infancy with a big upside.

“They’ve got 40 breweries out there with a population half our size,” he said. “So with 11 breweries, I think West Virginia still has a lot of room to grow.”

Big Timber initially began by self-distributing its beers. Now they have signed on a few distributors and will soon add more. Kwasniewski is adding to his keg numbers too so he can distribute Big Timber statewide.

He is also getting into casked beer. By next spring he will have some specialty products available to craft beer bars that they can serve on cask.

With all this growth, you might think it would have an impact on pricing. But he plans to keep his pricing reasonable and be competitive with big national craft brands such as Sierra Nevada.

“We want our craft beer to be accessible to all West Virginians,” he said.

If taproom prices are any indication, Big Timber pricing will be among the most reasonable for any local craft beer. For his standard beers in the taproom, 64 oz growlers are going for $8.00, while pints are $3.50.

BT-taproom-4

Canning line next up

With the taproom now underway, Matt’s next big push will be installing a canning line in the first half of next year.

“We’ve got our canning line picked out,” he said.

“We’re getting our quotes, getting our templates, and starting to work on the can design. Hopefully by next summer we’ll have Big Timber in pint cans statewide.”

Matt at Big Timber
Matt Kwasniewski surveys his fermenters at Big Timber Brewing Company. He recently ordered a load of kegs that will about double his cooperage and allow Big Timber beer to be distributed statewide.

In the Youtube video below, Matt Kwasniewski talks about opening and operating a small craft brewery in West Virginia.

Big Timber Brewing Company
1201 S. Davis Ave.
Elkins, WV

Taproom Hours:
Wednesday – Thursday: 3:00 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

About author:-

4 comments on “Big Timber opens taproom

Mark Henson

Being from Colorado, visiting Huntington, for the first time in ten years. I ask in every restaurant I had dinner, if the sold any type of craft beer. Your IPA was the only one I was able to sample.
I was delighted with the bigger taste and smoothness that it has.
On the other hand disappointed that it was the only one, that I could find. And the folks had very little knowledge of it. (I Had to look you up on the internet).
Being a resident of a state that has dove head first into brewing, gives me some perspective. I like stouts and porters and wished that I cold have enjoyed that as well.
Keep up the good work and hope to see you at the next American Beer Festival.
Cheers
Mark

Reply

Thanks Mark, I’m glad you enjoyed. WV might be a little behind on the craft boom, but we are definitely working to catch up. We hope to make it out to the GABF this year, and we hope to see you there!

Reply
Mark

I hereby declare the Big Timber WV Wet Hop my favorite beer of the Brew Skies Festival 2015! Good luck, boys!

Reply

Leave a comment. Let other West Virginia beer lovers know what you think.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Posts

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts.

Join 830 other subscribers