31-01-2025
Local brewery named finalist for Best Brews
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Hot Plate Brewing Co. in Pittsfield is a finalist for USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
Sarah Real and her husband, Mike Dell'Aquilla, say owning a brewery has been a dream. It is the only Latina-owned brewery and café in Massachusetts and is located on School Street in downtown Pittsfield.
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'It's been an odyssey that's been about 20 years in the making,' said Dell'Aquilla. 'When we graduated we actually took a cross country trip, one of our stops was at New Belgium Brewery in Colorado. Sarah was like 'I want to do this.'
'When we started home brewing as a hobby Sarah started getting serious about this again. She kind of remembered the dream differed and she realized at that point that part of what deterred her early on is she didn't really see herself represented in the industry,' says Dell'Aquilla.
One percent of all breweries in the U.S. are owned and operated by women of color.
'We have one New England IPA on tap which means we have 11 other types of beer. Sarah's signature recipe is the Chamomile Blonde Ale, which is a very light and herbal beer' says Mike.
The couple crafting unique brews while uniting the community.
'We help join up a cause that's run by the interfaith community to raise money for food insecure households and together we were able to raise $27,000.'
Those who'd like to show their support can vote for Hot Plate Brewing Co. as Best New Brewery here.
You can learn more about the brewery here.
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