LENOX, Mass. - After years of brewing beer at home, Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila are preparing to open their own brewery, and realize a dream sparked by a brewery visit during a post-college road trip.

“That’s where I was like, ‘I want to do this,’” said Real. “And he was like, ‘Do what?’ and I’m like ‘This, all of this. I want to do this.’ But, for once in our lives, he was the level-headed one, and was like, 'Why don’t we use our degrees>', that we just literally got, and we were like, fine. But it was always a passion of mine.” 

What You Need To Know

  • Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila are preparing to open Hot Plate Brewing Co. in Pittsfield
  • They have been brewing their own beer in their home for years
  • Over the years, they’ve developed new techniques and flavors, and even had to brew using only a hot plate
  • The goal is to open the new brewery by next summer

Real and Dell’Aquila kept brewing for themselves while pursuing their careers in New York City, learning new techniques, upgrading their equipment, and persevering through challenges which ultimately inspired their brewery name.

“We actually had an issue with the condo we were living in and we lost our gas,” said Dell’Aquila. “Sarah really didn’t want to give up on the dream a second time, and I didn’t either because I was like, who knows when we’ll feel that sort of inspiration again. So we went out and literally got a hot plate and started brewing beer on a hot plate, which, if anyone’s ever tried it, is super not ideal.”

They try to make beers they want to drink, which includes classics like porters and pale ales, and occasionally, some more unique flavors too.

“I used to drink chamomile tea with my grandmother, so I was like, let’s just throw that in,” said Real. “I love cooking and baking, so I’m always that person who’s just like, ‘let’s try this!’ So we did a chamomile blond ale, which I love. And we do a jalapeno pale ale, and we try and do that in the summer when jalapenos are available.”

Now, they’re focused on perfecting their recipes so everything is ready to go once they get approval to open the Hot Plate Brewing Company, hopefully by next summer.

“There’s a lot of obviously licensing and all that, from a local, state, and federal level for breweries, so we have a lot of paperwork ahead of us,” said Real. “But we are in the process of getting the design down, getting all that set, and trying to make sure we can secure the building we want.”