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Meet owners of Energy City Brewing, Batavia's first nanobrewery

Why do entrepreneurs start a new business? Some do it in hopes of making money. Others do it for the love of it.

Heidi and David Files are passionate about their new business. The two enterprising entrepreneurs are owners of Energy City Brewing, Batavia's first nanobrewery.

The brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month - including March 3 - for tasting and selling lager, ales and stouts. It is at 2 1/2 W. Wilson St., Suite A-1 (on the south side of the building).

"David got interested in brewing when he went to a garage sale and bought a beer making kit for $20," said Heidi. "He really liked the science behind creating the beer."

David admits that he threw out quite a few batches when he was first starting out. Now the brewmaster enjoys the challenge of putting recipes together to see how different ingredients can be combined to create unique tastes. He is always tinkering with different recipes.

David Files is a chemical engineer with a masters in biochemical engineering. Heidi is a biology major. Both have demanding day jobs. Operating a brewery, even a nanobrewery, takes a lot of hours when you are limiting your involvement to nights and weekends. It's definitely a labor of love.

The brewery offers a bottle release from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. However, most of the bottles are sold before closing. The enterprising couple are very thankful for the many volunteers who help out, since it takes a lot of work getting ready for each bottle release. The Fileses rely on family and friends, who help out by preparing the bottles for the release.

"David built the brewery himself," said Heidi. "He has studied fermentation and he loves creating the beers."

David Files is quick to point out how important his wife is to the business.

"She does everything," he said. "She handles the business end and she recruits all of the volunteers for our first Saturdays."

Even the couple's three daughters help out with monthly tasks, getting the bottles and the brewery ready for the monthly bottle release.

"We have had so much support from the community and from family and friends," said David. "but the support from Heidi means the most to me."

Energy City Brewing supplies its beer to one restaurant in the area, Elske, owned by Michelin-starred chef David Posey, in Chicago. The Fileses have no plans to add more restaurants but they would like to grow the business and open a separate tasting room someday.

In January, the Fileses introduced "Bataviak," a Baltic-style cold-fermented porter. The addition of a "k" - in Polish - means "Pertaining to or from."

Although he has only been selling his beer since last November, Files has won numerous awards and critical acclaim from beer sites. Judging from the long lines that form outside the brewery each month, I would say that the local community has given the brewery high marks as well.

David Files is co-owner of Energy City Brewing in Batavia. The business is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of the month. COURTESY OF HEIDI FILES
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