WV Brewery of the Year 2019

The last year of the decade was a strong one for West Virginia breweries, which made it tough to select one for West Virginia Brewery of the Year. We have a lot of brewers who are making super good beer these days.

Where the one selected as 2019 Brewery of the Year stands above the others is in its all-in commitment to selling beer in West Virginia. No other brewery matches this brewery’s enthusiasm and success in the WV market. No one matches their commitment to the West Virginia beer drinker. No one else touches the extent of their distribution. No one equals their support for other industry members. Without them the West Virginia craft beer scene would be a much lesser place.

Brilliant Stream is pleased to name Big Timber Brewing Company of Elkins as West Virginia Brewery of the Year, 2019.

Brewery of the Year is not just about who makes great beer. It’s about who best exemplifies the ideal spirit of West Virginia beer. Who did the most to boost the craft beer market. Who runs the best brewery business. Who has helped build the industry more than anyone else. Who are we proudest of for their overall accomplishments and contribution.

When I put it all together, the answer is clear. Big Timber Brewing (BTB) is the cream of the crop in WV beer this year.

Commitment to WV beer drinkers

When I go into the beer cave at a convenience store, the answer is clear. When I check the beer shelf at the supermarket or drug store, the answer is clear. One WV label is always there (and often the only WV beer on the shelf). Big Timber is a distribution master. They know how to work with their distributors and beer retailers to get their products on the shelf and keep them there. Their flagships rule. I get the feeling that their Porter, IPA, and Logger Lager not only have more retail market penetration than any other WV beer, but they even compete pretty equally for shelf space with the big national craft labels.

A significant part of their retail distribution mojo is related to their pricing philosophy, which grows directly from their commitment to West Virginia beer drinkers. And I love them for it. They are the West Virginia brewery that truly cares about keeping their beer affordable to West Virginians. Let’s get real. This isn’t Columbus or Pittsburgh. The West Virginia economy isn’t a Charlotte or a Northern Virginia/D.C. We have one of the lowest average household income levels of any state in the nation. We love beer, but the average beer drinker here doesn’t have a ton of money to spend on it. You can charge big urban-center prices for your beer, but you will greatly limit how many West Virginians can afford your product.

A 4-pack of 16 ounce cans of Big Timber flagships often sells for an affordable $7.99. That’s a 6-pack equivalent price of $8.99. You commonly see other local and national craft breweries selling six packs of similar beer for $10 or more.

BTB flagship’s keg pricing for on-premise accounts and growler filling accounts is similarly more affordable. Big Timber flagships will cost the account only around $60 for a one-sixth barrel keg, while others often charge considerably more. 

I know, BTB small-batch specialties cost a lot more than their flagships, but that is to be expected. Big Timber keeping their flagships at an affordable price, though, is huge.

Back in 2014, when I first interviewed Matt Kwasniewski, BTB president and head brewer, he told me pricing was important to him.

“I want to keep our prices pretty reasonable,” he said. “We want our craft beer to be accessible to all West Virginians. We want to stay competitive with national craft prices. We think we can do that.”

And do that he has.

New brewery a game changer

Big Timber began brewing in their new, greatly expanded brewery last spring. The new brewery is a game changer for them. Big Timber’s brewers have always had the ability to brew very good beer. You don’t have to look farther than BTB Porter and Double Bit IPA for proof. Until they moved into their new brewery, however, they did not have the space to really focus on brewing anything much except keeping up with their popular flagships. “At the old facility, 99% of our production went into our core varieties because that’s all we had space for,” Matt told me.

Once they had the equipment and space to brew more styles, they jumped on it. Additionally, a lot of small improvements were made, which together are a plus for brewery efficiency and beer quality and consistency. The WV beer market is now reaping the rewards.

Throughout 2018, I seemed to notice less of the Big Timber flagships on the on-premise account taps than were there a year or so before. They were being replaced on the taps at craft beer bars by beers from the newer WV breweries — brewers such as Stumptown, Weathered Ground, and Short Story. I wondered how and if Big Timber would be able to respond to this challenge. Did they have it in them? This year, we found out.

In 2019, Big Timber boldly reclaimed their place at the taps by releasing and promoting an incredible array of new beers, including many in the trendier, newer beer styles. And they didn’t just make a bunch of new beers; they made a bunch of the best beers sold in WV during the year. Just look at this list of the new Big Timber brews rated very good to excellent (3.75 and above on Untappd).

Head Brewer Matt Kwasniewski, Lead Brewer Chris Newsome, and their team outdid themselves in the brewhouse. They showed they could compete with anyone in the latest-greatest beer categories. 2019 was in incredible year for this brewing team.

Market promotions

Big Timber’s market promotions are second to none in WV. Whether it is at a tap takeover, beer festival or other event, Big Timber always puts on a good show.

Announced new taproom project

When they opened their Elkins taproom in 2014, Matt said he wanted it to be a community meeting place. If you’ve been there to see it, you know they accomplished that. It’s always crowded with locals.

In succeeding years, as local craft breweries became more prominent in the state, a brewery taproom’s potential to become a real tourist destination, drawing in all kinds of visitors and local customers, began to be well understood. The Big Timber owners observed this market dynamic and realized their small original taproom was not ready to compete in this bigger, more lucrative tourism game. Their place didn’t have a restaurant; it could seat only a handful of folks, and didn’t have the amenities necessary to compete in the broader tourist market.

In 2019, the owners laid out a plan to construct a spacious, modern, more up-scale taproom that, when built, could become the best of its kind in the state. The half million dollar addition will be attached to the rear of their new brewery building. Brewery partner Amber Kwasniewski, who has a background in architecture, has designed the space. It will include an outdoor seating area along the Tygart Valley River. Ashley Kwasniewski, who manages the current taproom, will manage the new taproom operation once it is completed in 2020. 

More accolades

There is so much more I could say about Big Timber Brewing and the people that work there. I think I’ll stop now and just let some other West Virginia beer market leaders chime in.

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“Big Timber is the whole package. They have appealing branding and brew beers that attract all types of beer drinkers. They’ve really dialed in their core and seasonal brands and have expanded to release more limited beers (Sours, NEIPAs, barrel aged beers) than ever before. Their portfolio is not only well rounded, but continually fresh with new offerings.”

Jeff McKay, owner of Summit Beer Station, Huntington

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“Good service. Sam Mauzy always lets me know in advance when new beers are available. Every beer they make is solid and they have a good variety.”

Ron Tornes, Store Manager at Drug Emporium, Charleston

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“Big Timber Brewing has one of the most easily recognized brands in West Virginia. While now operating at a much larger facility, Matt Kwasniewski and team continue to produce a diverse selection of outstanding products. Sam Mauzy has always been willing to provide marketing support and guidance to me as an event organizer. This year, Sam worked with our festival to bring in a sky diver for the opening ceremony providing an incredibly exciting experience for our patrons. Congratulations Big Timber team on receiving this recognition, it is very much deserved!”

Jeff Hayes, President of Mountaineer Brewfest, Wheeling

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“Big Timber has really shown what is possible for a West Virginia brewery. Their beer is widely available through distribution, but they haven’t rested on their laurels. This year especially they’ve produced some of the most creative beers in the market.”

Aaron Rote, President of WV Craft Brewers Guild & Co-founder of Short Story Brewing Co.

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Other WV breweries had good years too

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention several other WV breweries that also had outstanding years with some pretty major accomplishments.

Short Story Brewing was probably the state’s hottest brewery during the year, producing beer after beer that caught the craft beer fans’ attention and scored high ratings. Late in the year they announced a major move to open a second taproom in McHenry, Maryland.

Screech Owl Brewing expanded its outdoor beer garden, enclosed its porch for cold weather use, expanded its kitchen operation, and conducted a major brewery expansion by adding a new 10-barrel brewhouse and more fermentors. Proprietor Roger Johnson was also very pleased that they were selected as WV’s Best Brewery by the readers of WV Living magazine.

Weathered Ground Brewery, WV’s 2018 Brewery of the Year, continued its fast pace by beginning to can and bottle selections of its beers and put them into distribution. It released a series of incredibly good beers all year and got its new kitchen and brick pizza oven up and running last fall.

Berkeley Springs Brewing got real serious about canning its beer and getting those cans into wide distribution, both in West Virginia and Maryland. They expanded their food service operation, introduced a new line of unique tea flavored beers, and got more aggressive in their market promotion activities.