By Sommelier Dan Thomas
“For souvenirs in Berkshire county, you can start south to north. Hit Sheffield and within five minutes of each other you have Berkshire Mountain Distillery and Big Elm Brewery.”
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
DISTILLERY | Berkshire Mountain
Distiller Chris Weld is making small batch artisanal spirits in their new facility on Route 7 in Sheffield. Their line-up is ever-expanding and includes the original Greylock Gin, Ethereal Gin, Ragged Mountain Rum, Corn Whiskey, Bourbon, and beyond spirits you'll discover Bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.
"They are doing a great job and they have a store and tasting room here. They now have a greenhouse and are promoting some of the local products they are using in their distilling."
356 S Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
T: 413.229.0219 | berkshiremountaindistillers.com | Gin Cocktail Recipes
BEER | Big Elm
"This is right around the corner from Berkshire Mountain Distillery. Stop in and get some beer. Not only growler fills, but they also sell cans. Their beers have a very clean flavor profile and they are very consistent in each style, meaning their lager tastes like a lager, their IPA tastes like an IPA, and the 413 Farmhouse Ale is very drinkable. They mix it up with some limited edition beers, so they'll do a double IPA, or a session IPA, but they come and go.”
65 Silver Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
T: 413.229.2348 | www.bigelmbrewery.com
Photograph courtesy of Big Elm
“Next, swing up through Barrington Brewery and stop and get a bite to eat at their pub.”
Photograph courtesy of Barrington Brewery
BEER | Barrington Brewery & Restaurant
"They have good home grown beers that really don’t get exported outside of Berkshire county. You can also get a bite to eat at the pub."
420 US-7, Great Barrington, MA 01230
T: 413.528.8282 | www.barringtonbrewery.net
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
COFFEE | Six Depot Roastery & Cafe
“I love what Flavio is doing at Six Depot. I see him once a week to pick up coffee for myself and we have their cold brew iced coffee on tap at Eat + Drink on North. It is delicious and a perfect summertime beverage. Their coffees overall have a great flavor. They also sell a lot of wonderful products like sea salts, teas, great shrubs, vinegars, and oils.”
6 Depot Street, West Stockbridge, MA 01266
T: 413.232.0205 | sixdepot.com
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
COFFEE | Barrington Coffee Roasting Co
Coffee roasters founded by Gregg Charbonneau and Barth Anderson. They source their coffees from multi-generation family farms, cutting edge farming collaborations, and coffee growing cooperatives. Stop in to see the plant and buy a bag of beans, or stop into Chris' coffee shop in Lenox.
“They have been in the Berkshires since 1993 and are just doing great quality coffee.”
ROASTERY | 165 Quarry Hill Road | Lee, MA 01238 | barringtoncoffee.com
LENOX COFFEE | 52 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240 | T: 413.637.1606
BEER | Wandering Star
"I really like Chris Post's beers at Wandering Star. Chris is a great brewer. He is an Englishman and there is a definite English style to his beers that shows through. We have the North Star on draft on Drink on North. It's his ESB and I love a good English bitter. There is a lot of flavor to it and it is not over the top in any way. The Wandering Star beers are food friendly. The product he puts out on a regular basis is consistent and very drinkable, in a 'drink a second or third beer' type of drinkable. Stop in and see Chris for a growler fill. He is always entertaining and tells a good story."
11 Gifford Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
T: 413.717.7041 | www.wanderingstarbrewing.com
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Close, but not the Berkshires
Photograph courtesy of The Hudson Standard
SHRUBS & BITTERS | The Hudson Standard
Made in the Hudson Valley and committed to using local New York ingredients to make their shrubs and bitters. All of their shrubs use a base of organic apple cider vinegar from the Finger Lakes region.
"They do a wonderful job. Their strawberry rhubarb shrub is one of my favorites and that is a great gift and something unique. The shrub movement is going on, as a health benefit and a good alternative to soda."
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Beverage Director / Sommelier Dan Thomas
Dan is the sommelier at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge and the beverage director at the Eat on North in the Hotel on North in Pittsfield. He joined the Red Lion Inn in February 2007. He is foscued on including local beers and spirits in his beverage programs, but also includes an array of interesting and accessible food-friendly wines.
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