Berkshire Tr Commerce

DIF
February 2016 berkshire Trade & CommerCe
3
news & notes from the region
first few years of operation have been an
exercise in careful and deliberate growth.
The brewery is based in an 8,500-squarefoot
commercial facility just south of Sheffield
town center that the Heatons purchased
for $309,000 in late 2011. It took almost a
full year after that before production began
and Big Elm products started showing up in
area taverns and package stores.
The early success and local popularity of
Big Elm products can be attributed in good
part to the local following and reputation for
good beers and ales that
the Heatons had established
with Pittsfield
Brew Works, a microbrewery
and restaurant
they operated for five years. They closed that
business in May 2010 after deciding that their
long-term interests did not include running a
restaurant, but instead centered on establishing
a full-fledged craft brewery.
In late 2012 Big Elm debuted with three
core products – a farmhouse ale, IPA, and
stout – that were available in 12-ounce-can
six-packs and in kegs for area taverns.
The company soon added a fourth regular
product, an American-style lager, and also
began brewing seasonal ales that were available
on a limited basis in kegs and 22-ounce
bottles.
An opportunity for added exposure came
about in 2013 when the Red Lion Inn’s executive
chef Brian Alberg approached Big Elm
about producing a signature product for the
iconic Stockbridge inn’s dining room and
tavern. “We said, ‘That sounds like a great
idea,’” recalled Heaton.
What they came up with is an English-style
brew known as Lion’s Ale, which immediately
was a hit with customers at the inn’s
dining room and Lion’s Den tavern.
“It sells like gangbusters there,” said
Heaton, noting that the Red Lion is Big Elm’s
largest draft account.
The popularity of Lion’s Ale also propelled
the product onto package store shelves. “This
“The distributor takes
their cut, but they take a
lot off our plate.”
past year, we started doing 16-ounce cans for
Lion’s Ale,” Heaton said.
This packaging option was also adapted for
Big Elm’s other seasonal ales as a replacement
for the 22-ounce bottles. “We stopped
doing the bottles because it was too labor
intensive,” Heaton said, noting that this is
a trend taking shape throughout the craft
brewing industry.
This change was made possible with the
development of more affordable ways to
purchase aluminum cans for specialty products.
Heaton explained
that Big Elm connected
with a company in Colorado
that specializes
in producing shrinkwrap
sleeves for use with generic 12- and
16-ounce aluminum cans. This means that
labeling can readily be done for a wider range
of products in much smaller orders than is
the case with printed aluminum cans (such
as those used for Big Elm’s core products).
As a result, Big Elm has been rolling out new
products, such as its Fat Boy Double IPA, to
area stores in 16-ounce four-packs.
Heaton also noted that both the four-packs
and traditional six-packs now utilize a new
more environmentally friendly packaging
product. “We’re no longer using the six-pack
rings,” he said, explaining that they have
been replaced by a recyclable plastic cap-like
holder produced by Oregon-based Pak-Tech.
“For us, the environmental benefits outweigh
the added cost.”
Big Elm has also had a good response
to another packaging option – the 12-pack
sampler case, which includes three cans of
each of the company’s four core products.
While Big Elm has always supplied kegs
to area taverns, Heaton said that the sale of
its canned products is by far the larger part of
its operations. “Package stores are our bread
and butter,” he said, noting that they account
for about 80 percent of sales.
“Draft is sort of a loss leader for us,” he
added. “Dealing with kegs is more capital
intensive for us. The bars love it, though,
because their margins are pretty good.”
With wider distribution of these and other
Big Elm products, Heaton said the company
is looking to at least double the volume
of beer it produces over the coming year.
“We’re at 1,800 gallons a week right now,
and we’re aiming for 3,600 gallons a week
by next year,” he said. “That’s going to be
easily attainable.”
The company’s staff is also likely to increase
as part of this process, he said. Big Elm
currently has four full-time and four part-time
employees (including the four co-owners).
“We’re going to need to add people at some
point,” said Heaton.
He added that the Sheffield facility is large
enough to handle future expansion of brewing
operations. That facility also houses a
brewery retail shop that is open daily (except
Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Our retail store
is our biggest dollar account,” said Heaton,
noting that direct sales to customers there are
more profitable for the company.
Big Elm also conducts free brewery tours
and beer sampling on Saturdays from noon
to 4 p.m. For information, call 413-229-2348
or visit bigelmbeer.com.◆
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