THE TIMBER CREW
Making beer ain’t easy. These are the people that work hard for their enjoyment...and yours!
MATT
PRESIDENT/HEAD BREWER
Matt was born in Elkins and grew up on his parents' farm in nearby Beverly. He attended WVU and graduated with a degree in finance. After moving back and working with his Mom and Dad full time at their Sawmill (where he had been working summers and after school since middle school), he decided to move to Montana on a whim. Shortly thereafter he met Ashley, who had just moved there as well from her native New Mexico. Matt soon became obsessed with his new hobby of home brewing, which eventually helped him get a job at Glacier Brewing in Polson, MT. Matt and Ashley and then decided to move to Elkins and pursue their dream of opening their own brewery. They partnered with Matt's sister Amber and his best friend Sam and together they started on what would come to be Big Timber Brewing Company, selling their first keg on May 2, 2014!
ASHLEY
TAPROOM MANAGER/PARTER
Raised in beautiful New Mexico, Ashley felt an itch to travel and see what else the world had to offer. Settling in Missoula MT, she met her husband Matt and together they set out to start their dream; Big Timber Brewing. Creating a happy meeting place for the local community and travelers alike is something she always aspired to and she hopes the taproom feels like home. When she’s not filling glasses and planning events for some of her favorite people, she enjoys backpacking, snowboarding, and traveling with her husband and dog Hatchet.
sam
SALES MANAGER/PARTNER
Sam was born and raised in Elkins WV and spent the majority of his life in the surrounding hills. He grew up with three brothers, several dogs and lots of creeks, fields, and forest to explore, which led to his love of the outdoors and surrounding natural attractions. When he was 4 he met one of his lifelong friends while their parents were selling redwood trees for a fund raiser in the Kroger parking lot. A young Polish boy named Matthew from Whitman run with squirrely orange hair and a tupperware box full of trains. It did not take long for them to become friends, and up to this day they still remain best friends, most of the time! His best friend is one of the partners and the Head Brewer at Big Timber Brewing. In June 2012 Sam married Ashley Varian and life got even better. In 2014 twelve days after the brewery opened Sam’s wife Ashley gave birth to their daughter Cora. Two years later 2 months after Big Timber bought their second location Ashley gave birth to their son Silas, and with a new brewery in the works things are busier than ever!
amber
CREATIVE DIRECTOR/PARTNER
If I was a beer... Drawing from local roots, the creative juices may be apparent but the technical design is a little surprising. Oaky tannins developed from being raised in the lumber industry and spending hours in the woods. Subtle earthy tones from working in the soil on the farm. Aged in the city but balanced by weekends in the mountains makes for a well-rounded experience. Medium body makes lifting kegs difficult. Good head retention with a rich, amber color. Amber currently resides in Arlington, VA working full-time as a commercial interior designer. Hoping to return to the area one day, she dedicates most of her free time to being Creative Director and Partner at Big Timber Brewing Company.
CHRIS
LEAD BREWER
Chris was born in 1988 and grew up in Elkins. He became interested in home brewing shortly after he graduated from WVU where he majored in Sociology and Anthropology. With a growing reputation as an innovative brewer, Chris was recruited to be Big Timber's first brew house employee, rapidly becoming their principal brewer. Outside of his full time work at Big Timber, Chris also works part time as a school teacher and on the weekends, he can usually be found playing drums with multiple local and regional artists.
alex
CELLAR/PACKAGING
Hobbies: Listening to gangster rap, reading comic books, painting with water colors, and trying new beers.
AARON
ASSISTANT BREWER
Aaron started brewing beer when he realized that even though he was too young to buy beer, there was nothing stopping him from buying malt, hops, and yeast. Since studies have proven that hop consumption greatly increases one's chance of getting into heaven he figured he should run with the whole beer thing. In college he bartended at a pub that prided itself on its craft beer selection. Since then he has been involved in many areas of the craft beer movement from production, as assistant brewer for Mountaineer Brewing Company, to distribution, working with Martin Distributing. Now he has the privilege of being a part of the team at Big Timber. It's nice.
erin
SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING
Erin moved to West Virginia from Columbus, OH about ten years ago and rules South Elkins with a scrap metal fist. In addition to working on marketing and social media for Big Timber, she performs all over the world with Blackwater Mojo, a stomp-rock duo with her husband Seth. She enjoys running, traveling, and mountain biking.
lauren
BARTENDER
Lauren was born and raised in Fairmont, WV. She discovered her love for the outdoors and craft beer when her husband showed her around this beautiful place we call home. When she’s not at Big Timber you can find her on the river side with her labs Gunner and Major or by a campfire with friends and family and, of course, with a glass of Hatchet Session IPA in hand.
HATCHET
DIRECTOR OF FUN
The youngest member of Team Big Timber, Hatchet can always be counted on to bring energy and cheer to any situation. Born in PA and raised Elkins WV he is an advocate of FUN! For being so young, he takes his responsibilities of greeting patrons and causing chaos quite seriously. When not stirring the pot at Big Timber, Hatchet can be found swimming,running,eating or posing for selfies.