PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Hot Plate Brewing Co. is now operating out of their new location in Pittsfield with 10 beers on tap. It’s far from where they started brewing beers on a hot plate in a Brooklyn, New York condominium.

Hosting a trivia night for one of their “First Ten” events, head brewer Sarah Real said it’s been a blur of welcoming new neighbors and old friends to Hot Plate. 

“I have yet to really take a step back," Real said. "We had our best friends surprise us last weekend with a visit flying out from California. Coming in from Brooklyn, tonight, two of the owners of a beer bar in Brooklyn that was right around the corner from us.”

“It's incredible to see them from just being home brewers to having this vision and dream and to see them talk about the dream and now execute and have this beautiful space here in Pittsfield," Chris Maestro said. "It's just incredible.”

“We're super proud of them, bringing their authentic selves to this new community," Yahaira Gil Maestro said. "We are so grateful to have met them early on in their journey.”

A brewing journey which started on the hot plate now hanging above their new bar in Pittsfield. Co-founder Mike Dell’Aquila said they aimed for an atmosphere which feels like home.

“It's been really fun to see the whole community come out," Dell’Aquila said. "Families coming out on the weekends with their kids, groups of friends. You know, one thing that we've been really excited about, members of Berkshire Pride have come out, members of the Latino community. So, we've really wanted to make this an all-inclusive place.”

As they were working on getting the venue ready to open, Real talked about finally having full control of the brewing process - a challenge she was excited to take on.

“A lot of people have asked me like ‘am I scared to be on a commercial system?’ And I'm like, ‘absolutely not,’" Real said. "Because, yes, there are a thousand more levers; there are, you know, 20,000 more pipes to deal with, everything's much bigger. But you have - I have control that I did not have on a hot plate. So, you know, it's, it's crazy. I find it much easier.”

Still, Dell'Aquila and Real said they won't forget where they came from, still offering brews which have evolved from their hot plate.

“We've really been able to, I think, see the space come to life in the way we were hoping,” Dell’Aquila said.

“I probably will cry at some point if I can tap into my cold cobwebbed heart," Real said. "But it has been absolutely surreal, and I haven't been able to catch my breath.”