Meet Kate Ohanesian - Taproom General Manager at Timberyard Brewing Co.
Full Name? Kate Ohanesian
Your title? Taproom General Manager
Brewery Name? Timberyard Brewing Company
Brewery Location? 555 East Main Street (Route, 9, East Brookfield, MA 01515
#1) What made you decide to get into the craft brewing industry? I grew up working in restaurants and with an older brother who dabbled in homebrewing, so I was exposed to craft beer both as a hobby and on a professional level. As I got older, it was really a very natural progression to bring my hospitality experience into something I was curious and passionate about.
#2) Which of your beers do your customers enjoy the most and why? While most people may know us for our Hindsight (New England IPA), our Sour Series produces some of our biggest sellers. I think our most recent Sour Series: Strawberry Lemonade has been so popular because it is really accessible for people who are either not used to, or new to craft beer, especially sours. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
#3) What's your favorite thing about your brewery? While our main goal is to make great beer, we put equally as much work into investing in our community. Our location (an old lumberyard) gives us a lot of room to grow, so we've used that space to host events like a local artisans market, open mic nights, and charitable events for organizations like the local animal shelter our brewery cat came from. In addition to the beer, I think that sense of community is a huge part of what keeps people coming back, customers often say "this feels like home" and that's one of my favorite compliments to hear.
#4) Besides your own, what Massachusetts craft beers or breweries impress you the most and why? So many Massachusetts breweries inspire me, but I'm super impressed with how much Medusa has grown over the course of the pandemic. Every time I check them out it seems like they've got something new happening and I am dying to check out their newest project, Wild Hare.
#5) What’s a little known fact about you or your brewery that you think customers would get a kick out of?
There's a lot of things I can think of, though it's not my story to tell, but I do think customers may find it interesting that we're mostly a bunch of childhood friends. If you ever played restaurant with your friends growing up, it feels a lot like that. I met our chef when he moved in next door to me when I was 10 years old, I remember thinking it was cool that he knew how to bake a pie, and now look at us!
#6) Do you remember your first gateway craft beer? What did you love about it and why?
My cool answer? Saison Du Pont. My real answer? Probably Magic Hat #9. I really loved Vermont, turned 21 in the early 2000's, and was a sucker for the little sayings under the cap. However, I do remember my first legal purchase, it was a 4-pack of Midas Touch, who did I think I was?!