Hot Plate Brewing Finalist For USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

12:04PM / Saturday, February 08, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Hot Plate Brewing Co., the only Latina-owned brewery in Massachusetts, was recently named a finalist for the USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for Best New Brewery.

Since opening their doors in downtown Pittsfield in February 2023, this mission-driven organization has been garnering attention on a local, regional, and national level, both for their beers and the impact they're making in the community, stated a press release.

Owner and head brewer, Sarah Real, was also recently elected to the Massachusetts Brewers Guild Board of Directors as well as the Pink Boots Society Board of Directors, largely because of the work she has been doing to increase the diversity, equity, and inclusion in an overwhelmingly male industry.

"For years, I didn't see myself reflected in the brewhouse or in most leadership positions at other breweries," said Real, who discovered that fewer than 1 percent of all breweries in the US are owned and operated by women of color. "And while I know how much representation matters, I also wanted to make sure that I'm empowering and supporting other marginalized people in this industry, which is why we have a mostly female and mostly queer staff, and why so many of the vendors I work with are also small, local, and women owned."

Hot Plate Brewing has also been awarded for their work by organizations as varied as Mass Econ, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Berkshire County, and Berkshire Pride. In 2024, they raised more than $10,000 for a variety of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations, including the Pittsfield Area Council of Congregations (PACC) who collectively raised more than $27,000 for this year's Fuel Fund, which the brewery supported in several ways.

"Even though we're new to the Berkshires, we're incredibly proud of the partnerships we've formed here with mission-aligned organizations and individuals. We've been able to make a measurable difference in this city," says co-founder Mike Dell'Aquila.

Votes can be made online using this link: https://10best.usatoday.com/qr/45046/

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Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action.

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature."

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures.

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis.

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.

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