Victoriahope McAuliffe

If you are looking to sit down and enjoy a beer in a mundane and quiet atmosphere, then the Timberyard Brewing Company is not for you. This newcomer to the craft-beer scene, located in East Brookfield has found a way to seamlessly incorporate music and a relaxed outdoors vibe with its farmers market featuring local musicians, and vendors. 

The incorporation of the farmer’s market fell into the mission and goal of Timberyard Brewing Company with ease following its conception, according to Taproom Manager and coordinator of “The Market” Kate Ohanesian, “Supporting local agriculture is definitely something I am passionate about, but it’s also part of our mission to use local ingredients in our kitchen whenever possible; hosting a Farmers Market just made sense. The idea of being able to shop for food grown by your neighbors while drinking a beer brewed on-site and listening to local musicians is exactly the vibe, we were going for…we knew we wanted to have some great live music and host events that would harvest a sense of community, so things like the Farmers Market happened really organically by just making connections with neighboring farms and local crafters.”

Kate Ohanesian and her husband Marcus Ohanesian, the Marketing Manager for Timberyard Brewing Company both confirmed they wanted to create a “laid back and groovy vibe” for customers who visit their establishment and pairing the Farmer’s Market along with live music events was a perfect way to do that, while strengthening community connections. Traditionally, a brewery isn’t a place you’d envision families spending a relaxing Saturday or Sunday afternoon, however with the incorporation of The Market as a separate entity in a barn on their property.

“While the Farmers Market is a part of the brewery, we wanted it to kind of take on a life of its own. This year we added live music, picnic tables and a mobile beer trailer with the hopes that guests would feel encouraged to stay awhile,” Kate Ohanesian said. As she anticipated, the combination of live music with the Market has enticed people to get comfortable and settle in at Timberyard Brewing Company, “I think now that our guests are learning that we have live music at our Market, they are coming to visit to stay for the day as opposed to just dropping by, which is exactly what we were hoping for.”

Marcus oversees recruitment of musicians for the Market and evenings within the Taproom, and his hope is to maintain a specific, “groovy, funky, and mellow indie vibe” that is welcoming to guests. He and Kate have worked together to ensure the music booked for each event matches its mood, “The process is the same, but The Market tends to have more of a focus on solo or duo artists with a more acoustic sound, where we welcome full bands in the taproom at night. We schedule music to create a vibe, so Saturday night music may look different than Sunday brunch and that’s intentional.” 

Creativity abounds at Timberyard, from the music down to the drink offerings. While their Taproom does not offer hard liquor or wine options, they have created cocktails based off their most popular beers that introduce the universe of craft beer to wary guests, “Our Beer Cocktails are some of our most popular menu items. We have a Beermosa, a Lazy Mary (housemade Bloody Mary mix with our Lazy Lightning IPA) and a Lagerita that serve as a good alternative for non-beer drinkers and hopefully give them an introduction to trying new things. Many guests come in saying they do not like beer because they do not like Hazy IPAs, and there’s so much more to beer than that. Sometimes the same person who comes in saying they don’t drink beer ends up leaving with a 4-pack of a sour or a stout. There is a beer out there for everyone, and we love to play matchmaker,” shared Kate.

Both Marcus and Kate said one of the joys of working at Timberyard is the ability to connect with the community and work within a collaborative and inclusive environment. Kate shared, “I love that I can show my staff you don’t have to be a head brewer to have a big idea, everyone can take a seat at the table.” 

The collaboration and inclusivity come from the bonds forged through family and friendship, which brought Timberyard Brewing Company from an idea to reality. Though some might shudder at the thought of working with their close friends or family, Kate and Marcus have a different view, “It is no secret that it can be difficult working with family and friends, but as long as you maintain good communication; it can be powerful. Because we are so deeply rooted in each other’s history, we can play to each other’s strengths and help each other grow as a team and a business. What brought us together as friends helps us create an environment that we want to work in…This camaraderie gives off less of a “buy our product” message and more of a “welcome to our dream” vibe that we hope to encompass in our Taproom.”

To learn more about Timberyard Brewing Company and how to purchase their beers, you can visit them online at Timberyardbrewing.com or on Facebook @timberyardbrewing.

Some of Timberyard Brewing beer cans featuring artwork from a variety of artists