PITTSFIELD — Hot Plate Brewing Co., the award-winning, Latina-owned craft brewery known for its community-driven ethos, announced the launch of the Scrum, a first-of-its-kind loyalty program inspired by Agile software development. Instead of a traditional mug club built around spending, the Scrum invites guests to become ‘community developers’ who earn points through participation, engagement, and showing up.

Borrowing from the Agile methodology of collaborative ‘sprints,’ the Scrum transforms everyday taproom experiences into opportunities to contribute to the revitalization of downtown Pittsfield. Members earn points for attending events, checking in during visits, taking part in special releases, supporting local businesses and artists, and helping shape the experience of the taproom. Points can then be redeemed for rewards ranging from exclusive merch to special access to exclusive beers, private events, and more.

“The Scrum reflects who we are as a company — collaborative, creative, and committed to building community,” Hot Plate co-founder and General Manager Mike Dell’Aquila said. “We wanted a program that celebrates participation, connection, and the people who make our taproom such a dynamic place.”

The Scrum is now open for signups. More information is available at www.hotplatebeer.com/the-scrum.

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

Since opening its doors in downtown Pittsfield in February 2023, this mission-driven organization has been garnering attention on a local, regional, and national level, for both its beers and the impact it is making in the community.

Sarah Real, owner and head brewer, 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 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% of all breweries in the U.S. 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.”

While Hot Plate is garnering attention in the world of craft beer, it has also been awarded for its work by organizations as varied as Mass Econ, National Alliance on Mental Illness Berkshire County, and Berkshire Pride. In 2024, it raised more than $10,000 for a variety of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations, including the Pittsfield Area Council of Congregations, which 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 founder,” co-founder Mike Dell’Aquila. Said. “We’ve been able to make a measurable difference in this city.”

PITTSFIELD — Hot Plate Brewing Co., a Latina-owned brewery opening in downtown Pittsfield in early 2023, was selected as one of the Imbibe 75 in the January/February 2023 issue of Imbibe. According to the magazine, the Imbibe 75 features “individuals, organizations, and businesses that are dedicated to creating a more positive, sustainable, inclusive, and equitable drinks world.”

As a BIPOC- and women-owned business, Hot Plate was selected by Imbibe because of the company’s mission to make the craft-beer world more accessible and inclusive. According to the Brewers Assoc., less than 1% of all American craft breweries are owned by women of color, which makes Hot Plate stand out in a crowded, maturing marketplace. Beyond representation, Hot Plate also seeks to leverage its founders’ professional skillsets to execute on their brand promise in a data-driven way.

With almost 40 years of combined experience in market research, brand development, and data analysis, founders Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila plan on implementing tools and best practices to reach, inspire, and engage historically underrepresented consumers.

“For the last 10 or so years of my career, I’ve learned how to leverage qualitative and quantitative market research to support corporate sales and marketing teams as they develop and execute strategies that lead to top-line revenue growth,” Real said. “I’m so excited that I now have the opportunity to use that expertise to support my own passion for craft beer and making it relatable for people who might not see themselves reflected in the industry today.”

Dell’Aquila echoed his wife and business partner’s enthusiasm and strategic approach. “Going back to when we were still home-brewing, we noticed that a lot of our friends were very gendered in their consumption habits. The men would drink the beer, and our female friends would politely take a sip, expecting to switch to wine pretty soon after that. But one of the things we started noticing was that beers like Sarah’s chamomile blonde ale had a lot of women saying that, even though they didn’t consider themselves beer drinkers, they’d drink that. And we continued getting that feedback during the pop-up events we were doing in Pittsfield and throughout the Berkshires.”

In addition to its beers and marketing plans, Hot Plate also intends to make a tangible, positive impact in the Berkshires with its Community Line, which will feature collaborations with a rotating list of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations and raise money for a variety of causes; proceeds from these collaborative beers will go directly to the charitable organizations with whom they are partnering. “We know that one of the things that makes beer special is its ability to bring people together,” Real said, “and with our Community Line, we really believe that we can show that craft beer can also be a force for good.”