Talking Craft Beer with Berkley Beer’s Glenn Barboza

The Berkley Beer Company is a three-barrel nanobrewery located in the small farming community of Berkley, Massachusetts – and it’s also one of the “Bay State’s” most exciting new operations. Founded in 2012 by Glenn Barboza, the brewery was an almost immediate success, and they’ve been happily working overtime since then just to keep up with demand.

But Glenn and his crew are not just about making great beer; they’re also deeply committed to caring for the environment. Glenn utilizes a wood gasification boiler in the brewing process, which uses recycled cord wood to heat all the water. So not only are you drinking a great beer every time you choose a Berkley Beer, but you’re also doing your bit for the environment. I call that a win/win.

You went from being a homebrewer for 10 years to owning your brewery. What was the most difficult thing about making that transition?

I think getting clean, consistent beer every time. As a homebrewer, we just brewed what we wanted and as long as it was good beer, we drank it and had lots of fun.

How much beer do you brew in a year?

We hope to do 200-250 bbls this year with our 3 bbl system.

What is your most popular beer?

Our Golden Ale and IPA have been neck and neck on sales since August last year.

Will you be releasing any new beers in 2013?

We are working on a Harvest Ale for the fall and Stout for winter so far.

What is the most difficult part about getting your beer on stores shelves and on tap at bars?

So far, everyone has contacted us. It has been the easiest part of the brewery to this point. At this time, we are in mostly retail stores. Taps are a different story. I will be getting into taps this summer so we will see.

The craft beer industry is now in the midst of a canning craze. Will we see any Berkley beer in cans in the future?

Not in the near future.

Berkley Beer is currently only available in Massachusetts. Do you have plans to add any new states in the future?

Not at this time… There is plenty to do in Massachusetts.

With craft beer growing as fast as it is, do you think the industry can sustain all this growth?

Definitely, craft beer is still a small part of the market.

What would your advice be to someone who wants to get into the beer business?

Be prepared – even on a smaller scale, it takes a lot of capital and all your time. Do not shortchange yourself. Take the time to talk to people in the industry and do some free labor helping out at some breweries.

If you were not a brewery owner, what would you be doing?

I had a small plastering and painting company and would probably still be doing that.