Big Timber’s new taproom a beauty

Ever true to its name, Big Timber Brewing Company’s new Elkins taproom features at least six different varieties of local hardwoods in its construction. It’s a both a dendrological and zymergical showcase.

Beautiful West Virginia hardwoods like white oak, hickory, maple, yellow poplar, white ash, and even magnolia, have all found their place inside this rustic, yet gorgeous new building. The woods seem perfectly complementary to the IPAs, porters, pale ale, lager, fruited sours, and such.

Hardwood and heart shine

Big Timber’s loving use of local wood perfectly underscores this business’s commitment to its West Virginia mountain location. It’s a location that produces arguably the finest hardwoods anywhere in the world, and is home to a brewery that produces West Virginia’s most popular craft beer.

The beauty and craftsmanship found in the new structure tells you much about the quality, character, and heart of brewery founders and co-owners, Matt & Ashley Kwasniewski. The West Virginia craft beer community is so lucky to call them ours.

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Ashley and Matt give us a 5-min. tour of the place

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In-house construction team produces winner

Matt Kwasniewski led the in-house construction team, which worked deliberately on the taproom project for over two years. They began the project with a general idea, but didn’t have every final feature figured out when they began. The deliberate pace of the project allowed Matt and his crew to make a myriad of changes along the way.

“We had the plans laid out, but a lot of the finishing touches and a lot of things changed,” said Matt.

Originally, the building wasn’t going to be timber-framed structure, but then Matt decided to timber frame the building. It was a decision that truly paid off in the wow factor produced by the sight lines and spaciousness of the building’s interior. 

The timber framed construction opened up the interior. The high ceiling soars from the bar area up to the office space visible on the second floor balcony.  The spacious open concept helps show off the multiple hardwoods used in the finish work.

First time for everything

It was actually Matt’s first time doing timber framing. “I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer,” he explained.

Not that Matt has no background in the use of timber: His parents happen own a local sawmill. At the family sawmill, they cut all the 14” x 14” white oak posts used in the building’s framing. The mill also supplied much of the other hardwoods used, Matt said.

The big oak posts, combined with long, laminated hardwood beams from the Truss Joist facility in nearby Buckhannon, WV, formed the bones of the building. Other hardwoods were then used in paneling and finish work. 

The extensive use of hickory wainscoting and paneling in the bar area presents the natural knots and colors of the wood—so visually interesting. The expansive white oak flooring shines throughout the public spaces.

The taproom’s event space/band room is finished in gorgeous spalted maple, and upstairs, the brewery office area walls are white ash. The ceiling paneling throughout the building is all magnolia. The exterior soffits are heat-treated yellow poplar. Huge, live-edge oak slabs top the bar. 

And it’s not only the wood that’s local. The fireplace chimney was built with stones salvaged from an old house in Huttonsville, just down the road from Elkins.

Matt says a lot of the wood paneling came from a stockpile of what his father had on hand and that he was happy to move. The white oak floor boards were milled and prepared by Mountain State Wide Plank in Bruceton Mills, WV. 

West Virginia-made furniture too

The taproom furniture also plays a local role. Wooden twig-style barstools and tables were made by Tim Wohleber, formerly of Elkins and now operating out of Shepherdstown, WV.  Tim also made the tap handles for the bar.  Chairs in the taproom were made at Gat Caperton’s Gat Creek handmade furniture factory in Berkeley Springs, WV. 

Local Elkins business, Wilson Quality Mill Work, did all the finish milling on the woods provided by Matt’s father’s sawmill.

“For other work, we definitely used as many local contractors as possible,” Ashley says, explaining that they tried to keep it local. For example, the merchandise display cabinetry was made by Quick Cabinets of West Virginia, located in Elkins. 

A striking steel exterior

An additional striking feature is the building’s exterior steel paneling. It is steel which has been treated with U.S. Steel Corporation’s Cor-Ten® process. That process develops a deep brown, corrosion-resistant finish on the metal’s surface that is weatherproof. It’s the same type of steel that was used in the famous New River Gorge Bridge on US 19 in Fayette County.

The taproom’s outdoor space is divided into three areas, which all have scenic Tygart Valley River views. You’ll enjoy a covered open air patio in front of the large fireplace, a spacious hard-surfaced outdoor table area, and a grass covered lawn with tables and play space.

New taproom opens for Forest Festival

The new taproom officially opened September 30, just in time for this year’s week-long Mountain State Forest Festival. 

“Forest Festival was amazing, and the community support was awesome.” Ashley said.

In fact , she said their grand opening during Forest Festival was the best week ever from a taproom cash-flow perspective.

Matt said that when people saw how much effort and care was put into the place, they were saying it was definitely worth the wait. We wholeheartedly agree. 

With 20 taps, brewery patrons have much to be happy about.

Expect regular programming features

Activity programming at the taproom will consist of a mix of smaller themed activities and larger special events. Current examples include a Halloween party on Friday, Friday, Oct. 27, and on November 11, a big WVU Football watch party featuring their Country Roads Trust Lager. It’s the beer from which 15% of the sales proceeds go to help fund the Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) group that supports WVU athletes. 

The kitchen is coming

Still to be developed, a kitchen will open inside the taproom to provide food service. Big Timber is seeking a contractor to setup and operate the kitchen and food service.

“I want it to be really well done,” Ashley says. “I’m looking for someone who will work with the local farms to source much of their food. We’re hoping to have the kitchen open by next summer.”

Credit goes to construction crew

Over the past two years, Big Timber’s in-house constriction crew performed most of the work building the taproom. From the initial timber framing to finish carpentry, Big Timber’s crew, often including Matt himself, put the building up board by board, panel by panel.

Ashely and Matt gave a big shout out to their construction crew members, who they said put in lots of extra hours to help get the taproom open in time for this fall’s Mountain State Forest Festival. They were still completing a bit of finish work when Brilliant Stream visited recently. On that list are Ian, Adam, Aaron, and Will. Guys, your efforts are much appreciated.

Article taken from visit to Big Timber Brewing Company on Oct. 19, 2023. Also a thank-you to Chris Godwin for providing some extra photos.