http://www.lipulse.com/ en info@lipulse.com Copyright 2015 2015-05-11T13:29:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/destination-unknown-beer-company-launching-friday http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/destination-unknown-beer-company-launching-friday#When:14:00:00Z I briefly mentioned Destination Unknown Beer Company near the end of my last article, one that started by referencing new research revealing—or confirming, to the impassioned, interconnected world of local beeronauts—New York’s beer-industry boom over the last three years, and continued with introducing Lithology Brewing Company amid a month-plus Kickstarter campaign. Lithology’s four partners reached their goal of $35,000 on the massively popular crowdsourcing website, then surpassed it by $1,335 before last Thursday’s deadline. They only await state approval before commencing from Farmingdale’s The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island as one of its tenant brewers. Destination Unknown experienced similar success using Kickstarter recently, the reason for my aforementioned mentioning, strongly finishing a $20,000 campaign with $24,028 on April 26. It’s a different post-pledge plan for the greenhorn company, however, involving the launch of a physical brewery and tasting room in Bay Shore during Long Island Craft Beer Week, an annual 10-day series of events to promote the area’s prospering culture, this Friday, May 8. Destination Unknown Beer Company’s tasting room, which will open for the first time, this Friday. Brad Finn and Chris Candiano are the duo behind Long Island’s next brewery to open, longtime homies who reconnected more than a decade after attending West Islip High School together through a mutual love of homebrewing. A shared penchant intensified over the five-year period of brewing in Finn’s garage that followed, until “it became a habit,” Finn said, laughingly admitting his kitchen was once filled with as much as 70 gallons of fermenting beer. His wife wasn’t thrilled with the smell of carbon dioxide regularly permeating their entire house, but she always encouraged him to continue trying new recipes, brewing bigger amounts. Candiano’s wife offered the same unwavering support. “They’ve both been there all along, since day one,” said Candiano. “They said, ‘If you’re going to do it this much and spend all this money on a hobby you love, just go for it.’ So we went for it.” The pair signed a lease on a 2,000-square-foot industrial unit at 1 South Chicago Avenue and applied for a federal license in November. They spent the next few months arduously renovating the long-neglected space. “We had to pressure wash the floor four times. It was a mess,” Candiano recalled. They dismantled the unit’s second floor, previously used for offices, and built a bar on the ground level with repurposed wood from a house in East Hampton. They also made a small walk-in cooler for keg storage. Candiano owns a construction business, so all the labor was handled by him and his employees. “Having the pickup truck in the driveway, you’ll just get the itch to drive to Home Depot at 8:00 p.m. on a Sunday and start making stuff,” he said. At the beginning of April, with their Kickstarter started, the duo received a state (Farm Brewery) license and immediately began brewing to accumulate as much liquid as possible for their launch. Each batch made yields about 30 gallons, only a few kegs, so some of the tasting room’s eight drafts will initially serve other on-Long Island breweries. (Great South Bay Brewery, Barrage Brewing Company and 1940s Brewing Company will pour at the Beer Week event.) According to Finn, it’s a “win-win move. We want to build relationships with other beermakers in the area which it accomplishes, and doing this also takes away the pressure of us making a set amount of beer. This’ll help while we get our feet wet and start to get a scheduling system going.” The money raised from Kickstarter will also help their small-scale operation: to purchase more fermentation equipment. “The more fermentation tanks we can buy, the more we can fill with beer, so the more we can make,” Finn said. Destination Unknown Beer Company’s logo. At one point during our conversation, I inquired about the brewery’s name. Candiano immediately removed his shirt and turned around, revealing a tattoo nearly identical to the Destination Unknown logo covering most of his back. He explained: “I’ve traveled a lot of countries, I’ve worked at a golf course as a kid, I’ve had my own construction business for years. And now I’m opening a brewery. What I mean is, you never know where you’re going to be down the road, whether it’s one year, two years…” “I got this compass tattooed long before we had an idea of opening a brewery. But the idea behind it fit what we’re doing here. We’re not pretending we know the answers. We just love beer and followed our dream. We’re called Destination Unknown because who really knows what’s going to happen next? We’re not afraid to admit that.” Before the unveiling of Destination Unknown on Friday, I asked Finn to discuss their first four beers: Dominick White IPA//7.2% ABV: This is our take on the white IPA style, and it’s a personal one: My brother Dominick White passed away in 2003 at the age of 21. This is my tribute to him. As a craft drinker, white IPA is one of my favorite styles. I’ll never forget the first time I had Blue Point’s Mosaic Session IPA. While it’s not a white IPA, it really showed me that an IPA didn’t have to be attached to a huge alcohol content and a ton of bitterness. It was a gateway to discovering the white IPA—Blue Point has a great version of this, as well—and after that I knew I wanted to make one, hitting a perfect balance between lightness and hop bitterness. We worked on Dominick for a few years, changing the ABV and the aroma. Our dry-hopping methods were the thing that changed the most from batch to batch; I just wanted the aroma to burst out of the glass. After some time we finished at the current ABV which people are always shocked to see—everyone expects all wheat beers to be really low in alcohol. The malt profile is very low and the body is highlighted by a generous amount of wheat and Belgian yeast. It’s dry-hopped with Galaxy hops to give a very citrusy, fruity aroma. We tried Citra hops but that was a little too familar to a lot of other IPAs around. Galaxy gives it a little touch of peach that I love; it’s distinctive. I think we found the perfect balance of witbier and IPA with Walter. A common response from someone drinking this beer is “This is good, and I’m not an IPA person.” To me, that’s the ultimate compliment. Breakfast Stout//5.1% ABV: My partner Chris is the stout guy, so this is his baby. I have to say that we were both torn at times over the years with this beer. It started as just your basic breakfast stout we brewed for St Patrick’s Day car bombs; we just wanted something like a Guinness that we could sit and drink. Then as our beer education increased we felt pressure from all of the big and complex stouts. We noticed people raving about barrel-aged stouts and ones with huge ABVs. We wondered, Do we want to make ours a Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout or Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout? We’ve always tried to stay true to our roots with brewing and those types of beers were not what we were looking for in our stout. So we went back to the old recipe that had a balance of oats and wheat. We steep local coffee—mostly from Babylon Bean—just before fermentation to give it a nice espresso finish. It comes in at a low ABV which allows us to have one before noon if needed. And that was always the original idea. Westtown IPA//6.3% ABV: This is one of our newest IPA recipes and it was the first time we brewed it. But I’m okay with saying it’s not exactly where we want it; we are always learning and trying new things and so we’re not afraid to fail. Unfortunately with the small size of our brewhouse at one barrel, or around 30 gallons, our “pilot batches” become the beer we serve. This is a “SMaSH” beer, meaning Single Malt and Single Hop. We used all two-row pale malt and the hops were whole-leaf Cascade hops donated to us by Westtown Beer Works, a farm brewery in upstate NY. For the ABV this beer has a more malty profile than a traditional American IPA. With the malt at the front you may expect to have the ABV a little higher. Although this beer could be a little more bitter we were very happy with how it came out and we’re even more excited to use some local New York hops in the future that come right from the farm, not in a vacuum-sealed retail bag. Dubbel Rainbow//5.1% ABV: We never thought of ourselves as dedicated to one style of beer, but now sometimes when we look back at all the beers we made as homebrewers, we seemed to do a lot of Belgians; and why the hell not? They’re delicious! The heartiness and complexity of Belgian yeast strains allow you to do so much, so we’ll be doing a whole Rainbow Series of Belgian-style beers that play off the Double Rainbow viral video from a few years ago. Back then we had our main Belgian and then we made a Belgian dubbel. We couldn’t just call it that and sure enough the week after we bottled it that video went viral and Dubbel Rainbow was born! With its popularity among our friends and family over the years we knew that we had to make it for the grand opening. It comes in at a drinkable ABV and it’s loaded with a ton of Belgian dark candi sugar. This darkens it up a little more than a traditional Belgian dubbel and gives it a unique character of its own. Be on the look out in the future for Tripel Rainbow and Quadrupel Rainbow, by the way. Are you ready to taste it? I briefly mentioned Destination Unknown Beer Company near the end of my last article, one that started by referencing new research revealing—or confirming, to the impassioned, interconnected world of local beeronauts—New York’s beer-industry boom over the last three years, and continued with introducing Lithology Brewing Company amid a month-plus Kickstarter campaign. Lithology’s four partners reached their goal of $35,000 on the massively popular crowdsourcing website, then surpassed it by $1,335 before last Thursday’s deadline. They only await state approval before commencing from Farmingdale’s The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island as one of its tenant brewers. Destination Unknown experienced similar success using Kickstarter recently, the reason for my aforementioned mentioning, strongly finishing a $20,000 campaign with $24,028 on April 26. It’s a different post-pledge plan for the greenhorn company, however, involving the launch of a physical brewery and tasting room in Bay Shore during Long Island Craft Beer Week, an annual 10-day series of events to promote the area’s prospering culture, this Friday, May 8. Destination Unknown Beer Company’s tasting room, which will open for the first time, this Friday. Brad Finn and Chris Candiano are the duo behind Long Island’s next brewery to open, longtime homies who reconnected more than a decade after attending West Islip High School together through a mutual love of homebrewing. A shared penchant intensified over the five-year period of brewing in Finn’s garage that followed, until “it became a habit,” Finn said, laughingly admitting his kitchen was once filled with as much as 70 gallons of fermenting beer. His wife wasn’t thrilled with the smell of carbon dioxide regularly permeating their entire house, but she always encouraged him to continue trying new recipes, brewing bigger amounts. Candiano’s wife offered the same unwavering support. “They’ve both been there all along, since day one,” said Candiano. “They said, ‘If you’re going to do it this much and spend all this money on a hobby you love, just go for it.’ So we went for it.” The pair signed a lease on a 2,000-square-foot industrial unit at 1 South Chicago Avenue and applied for a federal license in November. They spent the next few months arduously renovating the long-neglected space. “We had to pressure wash the floor four times. It was a mess,” Candiano recalled. They dismantled the unit’s second floor, previously used for offices, and built a bar on the ground level with repurposed wood from a house in East Hampton. They also made a small walk-in cooler for keg storage. Candiano owns a construction business, so all the labor was handled by him and his employees. “Having the pickup truck in the driveway, you’ll just get the itch to drive to Home Depot at 8:00 p.m. on a Sunday and start making stuff,” he said. At the beginning of April, with their Kickstarter started, the duo received a state (Farm Brewery) license and immediately began brewing to accumulate as much liquid as possible for their launch. Each batch made yields about 30 gallons, only a few kegs, so some of the tasting room’s eight drafts will initially serve other on-Long Island breweries. (Great South Bay Brewery, Barrage Brewing Company and 1940s Brewing Company will pour at the Beer Week event.) According to Finn, it’s a “win-win move. We want to build relationships with other beermakers in the area which it accomplishes, and doing this also takes away the pressure of us making a set amount of beer. This’ll help while we get our feet wet and start to get a scheduling system going.” The money raised from Kickstarter will also help their small-scale operation: to purchase more fermentation equipment. “The more fermentation tanks we can buy, the more we can fill with beer, so the more we can make,” Finn said. Destination Unknown Beer Company’s logo. At one point during our conversation, I inquired about the brewery’s name. Candiano immediately removed his shirt and turned around, revealing a tattoo nearly identical to the Destination Unknown logo covering most of his back. He explained: “I’ve traveled a lot of countries, I’ve worked at a golf course as a kid, I’ve had my own construction business for years. And now I’m opening a brewery. What I mean is, you never know where you’re going to be down the road, whether it’s one year, two years…” “I got this compass tattooed long before we had an idea of opening a brewery. But the idea behind it fit what we’re doing here. We’re not pretending we know the answers. We just love beer and followed our dream. We’re called Destination Unknown because who really knows what’s going to happen next? We’re not afraid to admit that.” Before the unveiling of Destination Unknown on Friday, I asked Finn to discuss their first four beers: Dominick White IPA//7.2% ABV: This is our take on the white IPA style, and it’s a personal one: My brother Dominick White passed away in 2003 at the age of 21. This is my tribute to him. As a craft drinker, white IPA is one of my favorite styles. I’ll never forget the first time I had Blue Point’s Mosaic Session IPA. While it’s not a white IPA, it really showed me that an IPA didn’t have to be attached to a huge alcohol content and a ton of bitterness. It was a gateway to discovering the white IPA—Blue Point has a great version of this, as well—and after that I knew I wanted to make one, hitting a perfect balance between lightness and hop bitterness. We worked on Dominick for a few years, changing the ABV and the aroma. Our dry-hopping methods were the thing that changed the most from batch to batch; I just wanted the aroma to burst out of the glass. After some time we finished at the current ABV which people are always shocked to see—everyone expects all wheat beers to be really low in alcohol. The malt profile is very low and the body is highlighted by a generous amount of wheat and Belgian yeast. It’s dry-hopped with Galaxy hops to give a very citrusy, fruity aroma. We tried Citra hops but that was a little too familar to a lot of other IPAs around. Galaxy gives it a little touch of peach that I love; it’s distinctive. I think we found the perfect balance of witbier and IPA with Walter. A common response from someone drinking this beer is “This is good, and I’m not an IPA person.” To me, that’s the ultimate compliment. Breakfast Stout//5.1% ABV: My partner Chris is the stout guy, so this is his baby. I have to say that we were both torn at times over the years with this beer. It started as just your basic breakfast stout we brewed for St Patrick’s Day car bombs; we just wanted something like a Guinness that we could sit and drink. Then as our beer education increased we felt pressure from all of the big and complex stouts. We noticed people raving about barrel-aged stouts and ones with huge ABVs. We wondered, Do we want to make ours a Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout or Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout? We’ve always tried to stay true to our roots with brewing and those types of beers were not what we were looking for in our stout. So we went back to the old recipe that had a balance of oats and wheat. We steep local coffee—mostly from Babylon Bean—just before fermentation to give it a nice espresso finish. It comes in at a low ABV which allows us to have one before noon if needed. And that was always the original idea. Westtown IPA//6.3% ABV: This is one of our newest IPA recipes and it was the first time we brewed it. But I’m okay with saying it’s not exactly where we want it; we are always learning and trying new things and so we’re not afraid to fail. Unfortunately with the small size of our brewhouse at one barrel, or around 30 gallons, our “pilot batches” become the beer we serve. This is a “SMaSH” beer, meaning Single Malt and Single Hop. We used all two-row pale malt and the hops were whole-leaf Cascade hops donated to us by Westtown Beer Works, a farm brewery in upstate NY. For the ABV this beer has a more malty profile than a traditional American IPA. With the malt at the front you may expect to have the ABV a little higher. Although this beer could be a little more bitter we were very happy with how it came out and we’re even more excited to use some local New York hops in the future that come right from the farm, not in a vacuum-sealed retail bag. Dubbel Rainbow//5.1% ABV: We never thought of ourselves as dedicated to one style of beer, but now sometimes when we look back at all the beers we made as homebrewers, we seemed to do a lot of Belgians; and why the hell not? They’re delicious! The heartiness and complexity of Belgian yeast strains allow you to do so much, so we’ll be doing a whole Rainbow Series of Belgian-style beers that play off the Double Rainbow viral video from a few years ago. Back then we had our main Belgian and then we made a Belgian dubbel. We couldn’t just call it that and sure enough the week after we bottled it that video went viral and Dubbel Rainbow was born! With its popularity among our friends and family over the years we knew that we had to make it for the grand opening. It comes in at a drinkable ABV and it’s loaded with a ton of Belgian dark candi sugar. This darkens it up a little more than a traditional Belgian dubbel and gives it a unique character of its own. Be on the look out in the future for Tripel Rainbow and Quadrupel Rainbow, by the way. Are you ready to taste it? Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2015-05-05T14:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/five-things-to-know-about-lithology-brewing-company http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/five-things-to-know-about-lithology-brewing-company#When:12:00:00Z According to new research—prepared for the New York State Brewers Association and the New York Wine and Grape Foundation—the number of craft breweries in New York has more than doubled between 2012 and January of 2015, from 95 to 207. The state’s craft-beer-industry grew by 59 percent from 2013 to 2014, with a total economic impact estimated at $3.5 billion. An area once scarcely inhabited by locally produced beer, Long Island evolved into one of New York’s craft-brewery hubs during this period of prosperity—and its future seems poised for continued success. In an article last month, WPIX noted that “the number of microbreweries on Long Island has doubled in just the last three years,” this while detailing Port Jeff Brewing Company’s involvement with a local homebrewing contest and the amateurs behind likely the area’s next debuting beermaker: Lithology Brewing. (L-R) Marc Jackson, Kevin Cain, Manny Coelho, and Lee Kaplan are the owners of Lithology Brewing Company. After starting the traditionally arduous application process last September, Lithology Brewing’s four partners—Marc Jackson, Kevin Cain, Lee Kaplan, and Manny Coelho—secured a federal license this February. They now await only state approval to sell their beer. “It’s a mysterious thing from what I’ve heard. It just comes in the mail. It could literally happen at any moment,” Jackson said. “When it does, we’ll start brewing right away. We’re ready.” As the foursome anticipate starting commercially, these are five things to know about Lithology Brewing: 1) Lithology’s partners started brewing together in 2007. They have more than 20 years of combined experience. “Kevin and I shared an apartment in Deer Park and we’d brew in our kitchen, a really cramped space,” Jackson said. “Lee and Manny are college buddies and so we eventually started rotating brew days: Wednesday at our place, Friday at Lee’s… As far as recipe development it helped because sometimes we’d each brew the same beer with a little twist. It helped us to see what worked and what didn’t. We could really refine them, and that’s what we want. We’re the meticulous type.” 2) When I ask about the genesis of the company’s name, “Lee and I have environmental science and geological backgrounds, we were both scientists at one point,” Cain said. “We’re interested in rock and sediment as a whole, and Lithology is the study soil and sediment characteristics. These are earth’s natural water filters, and we all know the importance of water in beer. The connection seemed to be a perfect fit.” Jackson added: “Our water is what makes New York’s pizza and New York’s bagels unique. And beer is right up there with those. We’re fortunate to be able to brew with such great water on Long Island. Our name pays homage.” 3) Lithology will launch operations from Farmingdale’s A Taste of Long Island, which has a small brewery dubbed The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island in its commercial kitchen. Jim Thompson, who owns Taste with his daughter, was a homebrewer in the 1990s. After a two-decade hiatus, he returned to his hobby and started this hub for fledgling brewers last summer, enabling them to rent and share his facility while remaining separate companies. This agreement is referred to as an alternating proprietorship and allows newcomers to function as a brewery without investing in a space. The Craft Microbrewhouse is used by Thompson, its host, and three tenant brewers: 1940s Brewing Company, The Brewer’s Collective, and Po’ Boy Brewery. Lithology will become the fourth. 3) A win at Hoptron Brewtique’s annual Beer Fields Homebrew Competition last June pushed Lithology’s partners to pursue brewing professionally. As promotion for the next competition at this year’s Beer Fields on June 27, which we alluded to earlier, they recently joined Port Jeff Brewing to make a larger batch (over 200 gallons) of their winning American IPA. Port Jeff’s version, Beer Fields IPA, will debut this weekend. “It’s a malty IPA and the Lithology guys are a nice laid back bunch,” said Michael Philbrick, Port Jeff’s owner and brewmaster. “We had a good day brewing the beer and it’s cool running into them at the various events in the beer community as they start to cut their teeth in the business.” 4) According to Cain, their initial focus is “to put out balanced styles, straightforward beers. As we grow and develop, we’ll introduce more complex recipes we’ve been working on for the last three or four years. I’d say we have about seven solid beers at this point.” Lithology will launch with two of these liquids. The first is L.B. I.P.A., the recipe used to win at Beer Fields. A “well-balanced IPA between malt and earthy hop profiles that’s very drinkable and should cater to everyone,” Cain said, it was originally made for Jackson’s wedding two years ago. The second, Lithology Brown Ale, also received an accolade recently: a bronze medal in the English Style Brown Ale category at the New York International Beer Competition (NYIBC). “I always wish more people made brown ales, and that’s what pushed us to have one at the forefront,” Cain explained. He describes Lithology Brown as “chocolaty, nutty, and malty. Plus a kick of hops to balance those flavors.” 5) Lithology has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to help raise startup capital. The crowdsourcing platform’s use by prospective breweries is not unprecedented on Long Island: Riverhead’s Moustache Brewing Company and Farmingdale’s Barrage Brewing Company both used Kickstarter successfully before opening, while Destination Unknown Beer Company, slated to open next month in Bay Shore, has already surpassed its current campaign’s goal by more than $500 with three days remaining. Lithology’s has raised over $17,000 to date. It must reach $35,000 by April 30 or the company will receive nothing. “We’re starting a brewery one way or another, but the Kickstarter will help us get off on the right foot and speed up the process for us to get out beer on the market,” Jackson said. “It’s money to buy more kegs, money for a truck and so on.” According to new research—prepared for the New York State Brewers Association and the New York Wine and Grape Foundation—the number of craft breweries in New York has more than doubled between 2012 and January of 2015, from 95 to 207. The state’s craft-beer-industry grew by 59 percent from 2013 to 2014, with a total economic impact estimated at $3.5 billion. An area once scarcely inhabited by locally produced beer, Long Island evolved into one of New York’s craft-brewery hubs during this period of prosperity—and its future seems poised for continued success. In an article last month, WPIX noted that “the number of microbreweries on Long Island has doubled in just the last three years,” this while detailing Port Jeff Brewing Company’s involvement with a local homebrewing contest and the amateurs behind likely the area’s next debuting beermaker: Lithology Brewing. (L-R) Marc Jackson, Kevin Cain, Manny Coelho, and Lee Kaplan are the owners of Lithology Brewing Company. After starting the traditionally arduous application process last September, Lithology Brewing’s four partners—Marc Jackson, Kevin Cain, Lee Kaplan, and Manny Coelho—secured a federal license this February. They now await only state approval to sell their beer. “It’s a mysterious thing from what I’ve heard. It just comes in the mail. It could literally happen at any moment,” Jackson said. “When it does, we’ll start brewing right away. We’re ready.” As the foursome anticipate starting commercially, these are five things to know about Lithology Brewing: 1) Lithology’s partners started brewing together in 2007. They have more than 20 years of combined experience. “Kevin and I shared an apartment in Deer Park and we’d brew in our kitchen, a really cramped space,” Jackson said. “Lee and Manny are college buddies and so we eventually started rotating brew days: Wednesday at our place, Friday at Lee’s… As far as recipe development it helped because sometimes we’d each brew the same beer with a little twist. It helped us to see what worked and what didn’t. We could really refine them, and that’s what we want. We’re the meticulous type.” 2) When I ask about the genesis of the company’s name, “Lee and I have environmental science and geological backgrounds, we were both scientists at one point,” Cain said. “We’re interested in rock and sediment as a whole, and Lithology is the study soil and sediment characteristics. These are earth’s natural water filters, and we all know the importance of water in beer. The connection seemed to be a perfect fit.” Jackson added: “Our water is what makes New York’s pizza and New York’s bagels unique. And beer is right up there with those. We’re fortunate to be able to brew with such great water on Long Island. Our name pays homage.” 3) Lithology will launch operations from Farmingdale’s A Taste of Long Island, which has a small brewery dubbed The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island in its commercial kitchen. Jim Thompson, who owns Taste with his daughter, was a homebrewer in the 1990s. After a two-decade hiatus, he returned to his hobby and started this hub for fledgling brewers last summer, enabling them to rent and share his facility while remaining separate companies. This agreement is referred to as an alternating proprietorship and allows newcomers to function as a brewery without investing in a space. The Craft Microbrewhouse is used by Thompson, its host, and three tenant brewers: 1940s Brewing Company, The Brewer’s Collective, and Po’ Boy Brewery. Lithology will become the fourth. 3) A win at Hoptron Brewtique’s annual Beer Fields Homebrew Competition last June pushed Lithology’s partners to pursue brewing professionally. As promotion for the next competition at this year’s Beer Fields on June 27, which we alluded to earlier, they recently joined Port Jeff Brewing to make a larger batch (over 200 gallons) of their winning American IPA. Port Jeff’s version, Beer Fields IPA, will debut this weekend. “It’s a malty IPA and the Lithology guys are a nice laid back bunch,” said Michael Philbrick, Port Jeff’s owner and brewmaster. “We had a good day brewing the beer and it’s cool running into them at the various events in the beer community as they start to cut their teeth in the business.” 4) According to Cain, their initial focus is “to put out balanced styles, straightforward beers. As we grow and develop, we’ll introduce more complex recipes we’ve been working on for the last three or four years. I’d say we have about seven solid beers at this point.” Lithology will launch with two of these liquids. The first is L.B. I.P.A., the recipe used to win at Beer Fields. A “well-balanced IPA between malt and earthy hop profiles that’s very drinkable and should cater to everyone,” Cain said, it was originally made for Jackson’s wedding two years ago. The second, Lithology Brown Ale, also received an accolade recently: a bronze medal in the English Style Brown Ale category at the New York International Beer Competition (NYIBC). “I always wish more people made brown ales, and that’s what pushed us to have one at the forefront,” Cain explained. He describes Lithology Brown as “chocolaty, nutty, and malty. Plus a kick of hops to balance those flavors.” 5) Lithology has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to help raise startup capital. The crowdsourcing platform’s use by prospective breweries is not unprecedented on Long Island: Riverhead’s Moustache Brewing Company and Farmingdale’s Barrage Brewing Company both used Kickstarter successfully before opening, while Destination Unknown Beer Company, slated to open next month in Bay Shore, has already surpassed its current campaign’s goal by more than $500 with three days remaining. Lithology’s has raised over $17,000 to date. It must reach $35,000 by April 30 or the company will receive nothing. “We’re starting a brewery one way or another, but the Kickstarter will help us get off on the right foot and speed up the process for us to get out beer on the market,” Jackson said. “It’s money to buy more kegs, money for a truck and so on.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2015-04-24T12:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/irish-inspired-beer-brewed-on-long-island http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/irish-inspired-beer-brewed-on-long-island#When:16:00:00Z In our March issue—and more specifically, in my latest Red Zone column—I offered Long Ireland Beer Company’s rowdy, rambunctious, and newly released Hooligan Dry Irish Stout as a locally made alternative to the universally available Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. I still endorse that endorsement fully, but before the holiday’s arrival tomorrow, I want to offer a second Irish-inspired beer brewed on Long Island, one that returns today for a second consecutive year, capable of delivering a similar taste of ubiquity’s flipside: BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant‘s Carrickfergus, a nitrogenated cream ale aged with whiskey-soaked oak. If that description just evoked a Huh?, join me for a terse history of the cream ale, yes? Label for BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant’s Carrickfergus Cream Ale. A style indigenous to the United States (one of only two; California common is the other), the cream ale was originally devised by ale-only breweries in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as a response to the instantly popular lagers introduced by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. This newcomer, which resembled the German-grown kölsch to some degree, shared mucho with the lager: the crisp palate; the pale color and brilliant clarity; the use of adjuncts like corn and rice to lighten body; and the warmer fermentation temperatures. It proved a successful retaliation, too. Before the start of Prohibition, cream ales were among the country’s most commonly consumed. As innovation continues to liberally steer the craft-beer Cadillac, the modern-day cream ale has become tough to categorize neatly; almost every brewery to embrace the style seems to have a unique interpretation. Florida’s Cigar City Brewing makes a potent cream ale spiced with cumin and lime peel and aged in tequila barrels named El Murcièlago, for example, while Swamp Head Brewing’s Wild Night is one also made in Florida, but infused with Tupelo honey. North Carolina’s Fullsteam Brewery, meanwhile, fuels El Toro with grits. BrickHouse’s Carrickfergus is another cream ale that defies strict categorization. While flaked maize is part of the grain bill, brewers Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman are using the classic style as a sudsy springboard to innovation. Their recipe includes oats—“We figured they would provide some slight creaminess and a silkier mouthfeel,” says Komsic—and honey malt, “To let a lite honeyish sweetness interact with the corn,” he adds. Their springboarding also continues after brewing, as Komsic and Zimmerman soak medium-toasted oak chips in a jar of Jameson for the duration of Carrickfergus’ fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the now-Irish chips are added to the fermenter to fornicate with the liquid for roughly six weeks. This period injects more sweetness and notes of whiskey and oak, and boosts the beer’s alcohol content to 7.5 percent ABV. The final product is “smooth, sweet, whiskeyish, and subtly fruity,” Komsic says. Another noteworthy thang: Carrickfergus is nitrogenated, or carbonated with a blend of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, to impart a creamier texture. Though many cream ales are also nitrogenated, including Empire Brewing’s eponymous version, the “cream” is not directly related to this process. Guinness is not a cream ale, but it is undeniably the world’s most popular nitrogenated beer, furthermo—oops! This blog is not about Guinness. BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant’s Carrickfergus Cream Ale Long Ireland Beer Company‘s Hooligan Dry Irish Stout are both available now. In our March issue—and more specifically, in my latest Red Zone column—I offered Long Ireland Beer Company’s rowdy, rambunctious, and newly released Hooligan Dry Irish Stout as a locally made alternative to the universally available Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. I still endorse that endorsement fully, but before the holiday’s arrival tomorrow, I want to offer a second Irish-inspired beer brewed on Long Island, one that returns today for a second consecutive year, capable of delivering a similar taste of ubiquity’s flipside: BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant‘s Carrickfergus, a nitrogenated cream ale aged with whiskey-soaked oak. If that description just evoked a Huh?, join me for a terse history of the cream ale, yes? Label for BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant’s Carrickfergus Cream Ale. A style indigenous to the United States (one of only two; California common is the other), the cream ale was originally devised by ale-only breweries in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as a response to the instantly popular lagers introduced by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. This newcomer, which resembled the German-grown kölsch to some degree, shared mucho with the lager: the crisp palate; the pale color and brilliant clarity; the use of adjuncts like corn and rice to lighten body; and the warmer fermentation temperatures. It proved a successful retaliation, too. Before the start of Prohibition, cream ales were among the country’s most commonly consumed. As innovation continues to liberally steer the craft-beer Cadillac, the modern-day cream ale has become tough to categorize neatly; almost every brewery to embrace the style seems to have a unique interpretation. Florida’s Cigar City Brewing makes a potent cream ale spiced with cumin and lime peel and aged in tequila barrels named El Murcièlago, for example, while Swamp Head Brewing’s Wild Night is one also made in Florida, but infused with Tupelo honey. North Carolina’s Fullsteam Brewery, meanwhile, fuels El Toro with grits. BrickHouse’s Carrickfergus is another cream ale that defies strict categorization. While flaked maize is part of the grain bill, brewers Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman are using the classic style as a sudsy springboard to innovation. Their recipe includes oats—“We figured they would provide some slight creaminess and a silkier mouthfeel,” says Komsic—and honey malt, “To let a lite honeyish sweetness interact with the corn,” he adds. Their springboarding also continues after brewing, as Komsic and Zimmerman soak medium-toasted oak chips in a jar of Jameson for the duration of Carrickfergus’ fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the now-Irish chips are added to the fermenter to fornicate with the liquid for roughly six weeks. This period injects more sweetness and notes of whiskey and oak, and boosts the beer’s alcohol content to 7.5 percent ABV. The final product is “smooth, sweet, whiskeyish, and subtly fruity,” Komsic says. Another noteworthy thang: Carrickfergus is nitrogenated, or carbonated with a blend of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, to impart a creamier texture. Though many cream ales are also nitrogenated, including Empire Brewing’s eponymous version, the “cream” is not directly related to this process. Guinness is not a cream ale, but it is undeniably the world’s most popular nitrogenated beer, furthermo—oops! This blog is not about Guinness. BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant’s Carrickfergus Cream Ale Long Ireland Beer Company‘s Hooligan Dry Irish Stout are both available now. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2015-03-16T16:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/spider-bite-beer-companys-taproom-set-to-open http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/spider-bite-beer-companys-taproom-set-to-open#When:17:00:00Z When Spider Bite Beer Company unveils its eight-legge, err, eight-draft taproom on Saturday, for the first time in over three years, people will drink its beers—not at some bar in Massapequa Park or some restaurant in St. James, or any venue where the alcohol stage is shared with other breweries, but at its headquarters in Holbrook, a bright-ass singular spotlight. At 920 Lincoln Avenue, the menu will always only feature Spider Bite. This is undeniably a milestone for Larry Goldstein and Anthony LiCausi, the two longtime friends and neighbors who started the company in 2011, but it’s not the only one to celebrate tomorrow. The other milestone occurred last month, when Goldstein, brewmaster, began brewing in the adjacent warehouse space previously used for storage. Spider Bite has cleared the cobwebs to make beer in Holbrook! When I visited their 1,500-square-foot operation last week, seven 1.5-barrel fermenters were happily filled with developing beers, while the taproom—essentially a small room with a small bar and a few stools—was still morphing from its previous form (the brewery’s office). As the duo swiftly painted its walls an airy beige-ish color, I asked about their first major event appearance in 2012, at TAP New York. TAP annually awards one brewery the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup for “Best Craft Beer Brewery in New York State” and that year, from a pool of over 50, Spider Bite won. This effectively announced the brand’s arrival with a bullhorn. “I was ecstatic,” Goldstein recalls, “but not entirely,” he quickly adds as his tone shifts to irked. “‘They don’t even make their beer, so how can they win?’ That’s what I heard some people say about us.” The hissy-fitters, to some extent, were correct. Since launching Spider Bite, Goldstein and LiCausi have contracted the production and packaging of their core offerings—first with Butternuts Beer & Ale, then with both Butternuts and Cooperstown Brewing simultaneously, and now with Mercury Brewing. This practice is generally accepted in the wineiverse, but it’s often a target of harsh (and sometimes childish) criticism in the craft-beer industry—not only from drinkers, but also from brewers, who claim the liquid yielded is inauthentic and inferior. I’ll refer to a quote from Cigar City’s founder, Joey Redner, for my stance on the contract-brewing issue: “There is nothing magical about owning the equipment you brew on ... The beer is either good or it is not good. A beer is not more good because you own the gear it was made on.” While the host brewery has changed during Spider Bite’s three-plus years of aliveness, its base has remained at 920 Lincoln Avenue, located in an industrial area near Sunrise Highway. When Goldstein and LiCausi started leasing the unit, one of many in a large brick warehouse, the goal was to start brewing to supplement their outsourcing within a year. That didn’t happen. “Time just flew by,” he reflects. “You start dealing with the matters involved with contracting your beer, making sure everything is working out on that end, and you start losing sight and steam on the building of your own thing. Before we knew it, it was three years later.” Despite the flak-wrapped poop flung from some, Goldstein does not regret their decision to outsource production: “It helped us get the ball rolling. It gave us a faster initial start being able to supply more locations from the beginning.” He pauses. “But things taste sweeter now, definitely.” The sweetness Goldstein is tasting likely derives from Spider Bite’s plans for Holbrook, which include not only brewing a slew of new recipes, but also recipes that were only brewed once or twice as exclusive offerings for major local events, like the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival. As its core “alerachnids”—the newest is Fundur, a crushable light-bodied and low-alcohol IPA presenting wonderful grapefruit and floral aromas—will continue to be contracted elsewhere on a large scale for distribution (they will also appear at the taproom occasionally), only experimental species will be bred at the brewery, for the brewery, in small amounts. The idea, Goldstein says, is to offer “stuff you can’t get anywhere else but the taproom.” “I already know a ton of beers we’re making soon,” he continues. He reveals some before I leave: the five dissected below this story, and Bohemia Raspberry, a bottle-only blonde ale spiked with Brettanomyces yeast and aged with fresh raspberries. There are also plans to pour stored kegs of Boris The Spider, my favorite of Spider Bite’s beers, from the last four winters simultaneously. As a brewmaster, Goldstein is the sum of his recipes. Whatever he chooses to make at Holbrook, each will taste sweeter than anything he has ever brewed before. Larry Goldstein discussed some of Spider Bite’s new beers made at, and made for, Holbrook (some are available this Saturday, Feb 21.): Silk Spinner Porter//5.1% ABV: I don’t want to call this a “session” porter since most porters fall into that category to begin with, but the label seems to fit the profile of this beer perfectly: light, refreshing, and way too easy to drink; the last is especially true. This hits all the buttons on a traditional porter: dark brown color, roasted cocoa aroma and flavor, and again, just easy to drink. We brewed this a few times in 2013 and plan to keep it around in the tasting room regularly. P.I.T.A. IPA//6.6% ABV: This is the first beer we brewed on the new system, and everything that could have went wrong that day, it went wrong: bloody hands, hurt backs, yeast splattered all over the walls. Despite all the chaos, though, the finished product tastes great. It has a golden color, medium body, moderate bitterness, a dry finish, and we hopped it with Citra and Centennial the whole way through—finished off with tons of dry-hopping. This lends big citrus and tropical fruit aromas to the IPA and makes it pop out of the glass. Ale X//11.5% ABV: We brewed this beer for our friend and neighbor, Alex Beauchamp, whose been a big supporter of the brewery before we were even a brewery, back when we were just brewing in my garage. He’s a huge fan of Simcoe hops, so we decided to make an imperial black IPA that’s intensely hopped with it. Whenever we make a black IPA, our goal is to have it look black but not have the roastiness that can occur in the style; this way, the hops can pop out. Ale X is no different: it’s somewhat dry, the alcohol is mostly hidden, and the hops are at the forefront. I get a nice lemony character from the Simcoe, actually. Melba’s Toasted Imperial Brown//7.0% ABV: Another beer brewed for one of our dear friends, this is for Melissa Barrett, who has designed most of our labels, six-pack holders, posters—anything you can think of, she’s helped out. This is our way of saying thanks. Melissa’s favorite style of beer is a brown ale, so that’s what we made: a medium-bodied brown ale with a smidge of sweetness and some nice chocolate flavors. We were thinking about adding coconut to play off the “Toasted” part of the name, but we figured that would be too much. Here, it’s just all about the brown ale. We hope she likes it enough to get “toasted” off of it, because she’s really important to us. Rophenia//10.0% ABV: Anyone that knows me knows I’m a huge fan of The Who. We’ve named three or four beers after them and Rophenia, our Belgian quad, is a play on their album, Quadrophenia. Here, the Belgian yeast provides fruity esters which gives those dark fruit flavors synonymous with the style. It’s ruby-colored, full-bodied with a light sweetness, and despite the ABV, it’s really easy to drink. We made this originally in 2012 for the North Fork Craft Beer, Wine & BBQ Festival at Martha Clara, and again, this will be a regular beer in our tasting room, only made in limited amounts. Yet another reason to come visit us. Spider Bite Beer Company’s taproom opens Feb 21, from 3:30pm to 7:30pm. It will sell pints and flights in-house and growlers to-go. Its regular hours of operation are: Thursdays, 4pm to 8pm; Fridays, 3pm to 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 12pm to 4pm. When Spider Bite Beer Company unveils its eight-legge, err, eight-draft taproom on Saturday, for the first time in over three years, people will drink its beers—not at some bar in Massapequa Park or some restaurant in St. James, or any venue where the alcohol stage is shared with other breweries, but at its headquarters in Holbrook, a bright-ass singular spotlight. At 920 Lincoln Avenue, the menu will always only feature Spider Bite. This is undeniably a milestone for Larry Goldstein and Anthony LiCausi, the two longtime friends and neighbors who started the company in 2011, but it’s not the only one to celebrate tomorrow. The other milestone occurred last month, when Goldstein, brewmaster, began brewing in the adjacent warehouse space previously used for storage. Spider Bite has cleared the cobwebs to make beer in Holbrook! When I visited their 1,500-square-foot operation last week, seven 1.5-barrel fermenters were happily filled with developing beers, while the taproom—essentially a small room with a small bar and a few stools—was still morphing from its previous form (the brewery’s office). As the duo swiftly painted its walls an airy beige-ish color, I asked about their first major event appearance in 2012, at TAP New York. TAP annually awards one brewery the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup for “Best Craft Beer Brewery in New York State” and that year, from a pool of over 50, Spider Bite won. This effectively announced the brand’s arrival with a bullhorn. “I was ecstatic,” Goldstein recalls, “but not entirely,” he quickly adds as his tone shifts to irked. “‘They don’t even make their beer, so how can they win?’ That’s what I heard some people say about us.” The hissy-fitters, to some extent, were correct. Since launching Spider Bite, Goldstein and LiCausi have contracted the production and packaging of their core offerings—first with Butternuts Beer & Ale, then with both Butternuts and Cooperstown Brewing simultaneously, and now with Mercury Brewing. This practice is generally accepted in the wineiverse, but it’s often a target of harsh (and sometimes childish) criticism in the craft-beer industry—not only from drinkers, but also from brewers, who claim the liquid yielded is inauthentic and inferior. I’ll refer to a quote from Cigar City’s founder, Joey Redner, for my stance on the contract-brewing issue: “There is nothing magical about owning the equipment you brew on ... The beer is either good or it is not good. A beer is not more good because you own the gear it was made on.” While the host brewery has changed during Spider Bite’s three-plus years of aliveness, its base has remained at 920 Lincoln Avenue, located in an industrial area near Sunrise Highway. When Goldstein and LiCausi started leasing the unit, one of many in a large brick warehouse, the goal was to start brewing to supplement their outsourcing within a year. That didn’t happen. “Time just flew by,” he reflects. “You start dealing with the matters involved with contracting your beer, making sure everything is working out on that end, and you start losing sight and steam on the building of your own thing. Before we knew it, it was three years later.” Despite the flak-wrapped poop flung from some, Goldstein does not regret their decision to outsource production: “It helped us get the ball rolling. It gave us a faster initial start being able to supply more locations from the beginning.” He pauses. “But things taste sweeter now, definitely.” The sweetness Goldstein is tasting likely derives from Spider Bite’s plans for Holbrook, which include not only brewing a slew of new recipes, but also recipes that were only brewed once or twice as exclusive offerings for major local events, like the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival. As its core “alerachnids”—the newest is Fundur, a crushable light-bodied and low-alcohol IPA presenting wonderful grapefruit and floral aromas—will continue to be contracted elsewhere on a large scale for distribution (they will also appear at the taproom occasionally), only experimental species will be bred at the brewery, for the brewery, in small amounts. The idea, Goldstein says, is to offer “stuff you can’t get anywhere else but the taproom.” “I already know a ton of beers we’re making soon,” he continues. He reveals some before I leave: the five dissected below this story, and Bohemia Raspberry, a bottle-only blonde ale spiked with Brettanomyces yeast and aged with fresh raspberries. There are also plans to pour stored kegs of Boris The Spider, my favorite of Spider Bite’s beers, from the last four winters simultaneously. As a brewmaster, Goldstein is the sum of his recipes. Whatever he chooses to make at Holbrook, each will taste sweeter than anything he has ever brewed before. Larry Goldstein discussed some of Spider Bite’s new beers made at, and made for, Holbrook (some are available this Saturday, Feb 21.): Silk Spinner Porter//5.1% ABV: I don’t want to call this a “session” porter since most porters fall into that category to begin with, but the label seems to fit the profile of this beer perfectly: light, refreshing, and way too easy to drink; the last is especially true. This hits all the buttons on a traditional porter: dark brown color, roasted cocoa aroma and flavor, and again, just easy to drink. We brewed this a few times in 2013 and plan to keep it around in the tasting room regularly. P.I.T.A. IPA//6.6% ABV: This is the first beer we brewed on the new system, and everything that could have went wrong that day, it went wrong: bloody hands, hurt backs, yeast splattered all over the walls. Despite all the chaos, though, the finished product tastes great. It has a golden color, medium body, moderate bitterness, a dry finish, and we hopped it with Citra and Centennial the whole way through—finished off with tons of dry-hopping. This lends big citrus and tropical fruit aromas to the IPA and makes it pop out of the glass. Ale X//11.5% ABV: We brewed this beer for our friend and neighbor, Alex Beauchamp, whose been a big supporter of the brewery before we were even a brewery, back when we were just brewing in my garage. He’s a huge fan of Simcoe hops, so we decided to make an imperial black IPA that’s intensely hopped with it. Whenever we make a black IPA, our goal is to have it look black but not have the roastiness that can occur in the style; this way, the hops can pop out. Ale X is no different: it’s somewhat dry, the alcohol is mostly hidden, and the hops are at the forefront. I get a nice lemony character from the Simcoe, actually. Melba’s Toasted Imperial Brown//7.0% ABV: Another beer brewed for one of our dear friends, this is for Melissa Barrett, who has designed most of our labels, six-pack holders, posters—anything you can think of, she’s helped out. This is our way of saying thanks. Melissa’s favorite style of beer is a brown ale, so that’s what we made: a medium-bodied brown ale with a smidge of sweetness and some nice chocolate flavors. We were thinking about adding coconut to play off the “Toasted” part of the name, but we figured that would be too much. Here, it’s just all about the brown ale. We hope she likes it enough to get “toasted” off of it, because she’s really important to us. Rophenia//10.0% ABV: Anyone that knows me knows I’m a huge fan of The Who. We’ve named three or four beers after them and Rophenia, our Belgian quad, is a play on their album, Quadrophenia. Here, the Belgian yeast provides fruity esters which gives those dark fruit flavors synonymous with the style. It’s ruby-colored, full-bodied with a light sweetness, and despite the ABV, it’s really easy to drink. We made this originally in 2012 for the North Fork Craft Beer, Wine & BBQ Festival at Martha Clara, and again, this will be a regular beer in our tasting room, only made in limited amounts. Yet another reason to come visit us. Spider Bite Beer Company’s taproom opens Feb 21, from 3:30pm to 7:30pm. It will sell pints and flights in-house and growlers to-go. Its regular hours of operation are: Thursdays, 4pm to 8pm; Fridays, 3pm to 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 12pm to 4pm. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2015-02-20T17:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/pioneer-brewers-1940s-brewing-company http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/pioneer-brewers-1940s-brewing-company#When:14:00:00Z Pioneer Brewers is an ongoing series profiling Long Island’s first brewery for alternating proprietorships, The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island, in Farmingdale. The second installment explores 1940’s Brewing Company, owned and brewmastered by… Charles Becker, owner and brewmaster of 1940’s Brewing Company. Image: Doug Young “I’m retired now,” says Charles Becker, his voice emanating from a speakerphone in my father’s office in Long Island City. A long silence follows his statement, which, due to my father distractingly shoving a Daily News story on the lowly New York Knicks in my eyeballs, I have mistakenly interpreted as “I’m tired now.” Uh. I’m tired, too. I’m gonna take a nap with my cat when I get home, I finally reply. Becker quickly corrects me before I start discussing our matching sleepwear: “Oh no. Retired, not tired. I actually feel the opposite of tired now—I started this second career! Age is nothing but a number. At 63, when most are thinking about slowing down or doing it, I did this. It’s something I really wanted to do.” This, the “something I really wanted to do,” was launch 1940’s Brewing Company. A resident of Old Bethpage, Becker became the first of The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island’s three tenant brewers (Po’ Boy Brewery and The Brewers Collective are the others) to start making, packaging, and selling beer from the commercial kitchen’s new brewery last September. His foray into professional brewing follows his great-grandfather, Joseph Weingand, who worked at a brewery—unknown to Becker, but based in New York City—during the 1800s, and his father, Walter Becker, who ascended the rungs of Rheingold Beer to assistant brewer during a 41-year career at its Brooklyn facility. Becker fondly recalls filling his father’s ornate mug at Rheingold’s annual company picnics as a child. “I was also filling my own mug, trust me,” he laughs. Before his father started at Rheingold, which, at its apex during the 1960s, was the one of the country’s largest breweries, he graduated from the U.S. Brewers Academy in 1940; the same year, he married Becker’s mother. “That’s why I picked the name 1940’s. Family is very important to me,” Becker says. This importance is also evidenced in the close relationships with his two children and, subsequently, their love of beer: he homebrews regularly with his daughter, Anne Marie, while Joseph, his son, handles 1940’s branding. Becker started homebrewing in 2008, in his fifties and nearing the end of a 40-year accounting career. He joined the Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME) and made beers with the island’s largest homebrewing club to serve at the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival, the International Great Beer Expo, and other annual events attended to gain exposure and recruit new members. His first brew with LIBME was a red ale named Bloody Charlie’s Red Ale. “People liked it. It ran out in a few hours. It gave me confidence to keep going.” A nod to Becker’s German heritage, 1940’s flagship is a hefeweizen, Hefie Injustice. His interpretation of the classic wheat-driven ale is “pretty by the book, crisp and unfiltered with nice flavors from the yeast,” he says. Hefie is one of four around-the-globe beers made already by Becker for his new brewery, all inspired by the “ones my father and great-grandfather likely brewed and liked to drink back then.” The others are Arsenal, a nicely balanced English-style IPA brewed with East Kent Golding and Fuggle hops; 838, a roggenbier (German for “beer with rye”) named for Becker’s father’s time in the Navy aboard the LST-838 during World War II; and Inna, an Irish dry stout sweetened with lactose. “They’re all easy to drink. That’s what I like to make.” (L-R) Jim Thompson, owner of A Taste of Long Island, and Charles Becker. Image: Doug Young According to the brewery’s Facebook posts, Becker has already delivered 1940’s to some of Long Island’s best-for-beer places: Hoptron Brewtique, T.J. Finley’s, Bellport Cold Beer & Soda, and BBD’s are some of the recents, though the likeliest spot to consistently find 1940’s is A Taste of Long Island’s specialty grocery store, which sells beers—in-house pints and to-go growlers—only made at The Craft Microbrewhouse. Jim Thompson, who we profiled first in Pioneer Brewers, is Taste’s owner and host brewer. He’s planning to add 10 more drafts to the store’s current draftage of three later this month to accommodate the deluge of new liquids. Before the expansion, the first opportunity to taste this unique group together is this Saturday at The Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore. The launch event will also feature the professional debut of The Brewers Collective... Pioneer Brewers is an ongoing series profiling Long Island’s first brewery for alternating proprietorships, The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island, in Farmingdale. The second installment explores 1940’s Brewing Company, owned and brewmastered by… Charles Becker, owner and brewmaster of 1940’s Brewing Company. Image: Doug Young “I’m retired now,” says Charles Becker, his voice emanating from a speakerphone in my father’s office in Long Island City. A long silence follows his statement, which, due to my father distractingly shoving a Daily News story on the lowly New York Knicks in my eyeballs, I have mistakenly interpreted as “I’m tired now.” Uh. I’m tired, too. I’m gonna take a nap with my cat when I get home, I finally reply. Becker quickly corrects me before I start discussing our matching sleepwear: “Oh no. Retired, not tired. I actually feel the opposite of tired now—I started this second career! Age is nothing but a number. At 63, when most are thinking about slowing down or doing it, I did this. It’s something I really wanted to do.” This, the “something I really wanted to do,” was launch 1940’s Brewing Company. A resident of Old Bethpage, Becker became the first of The Craft Microbrewhouse at A Taste of Long Island’s three tenant brewers (Po’ Boy Brewery and The Brewers Collective are the others) to start making, packaging, and selling beer from the commercial kitchen’s new brewery last September. His foray into professional brewing follows his great-grandfather, Joseph Weingand, who worked at a brewery—unknown to Becker, but based in New York City—during the 1800s, and his father, Walter Becker, who ascended the rungs of Rheingold Beer to assistant brewer during a 41-year career at its Brooklyn facility. Becker fondly recalls filling his father’s ornate mug at Rheingold’s annual company picnics as a child. “I was also filling my own mug, trust me,” he laughs. Before his father started at Rheingold, which, at its apex during the 1960s, was the one of the country’s largest breweries, he graduated from the U.S. Brewers Academy in 1940; the same year, he married Becker’s mother. “That’s why I picked the name 1940’s. Family is very important to me,” Becker says. This importance is also evidenced in the close relationships with his two children and, subsequently, their love of beer: he homebrews regularly with his daughter, Anne Marie, while Joseph, his son, handles 1940’s branding. Becker started homebrewing in 2008, in his fifties and nearing the end of a 40-year accounting career. He joined the Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME) and made beers with the island’s largest homebrewing club to serve at the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival, the International Great Beer Expo, and other annual events attended to gain exposure and recruit new members. His first brew with LIBME was a red ale named Bloody Charlie’s Red Ale. “People liked it. It ran out in a few hours. It gave me confidence to keep going.” A nod to Becker’s German heritage, 1940’s flagship is a hefeweizen, Hefie Injustice. His interpretation of the classic wheat-driven ale is “pretty by the book, crisp and unfiltered with nice flavors from the yeast,” he says. Hefie is one of four around-the-globe beers made already by Becker for his new brewery, all inspired by the “ones my father and great-grandfather likely brewed and liked to drink back then.” The others are Arsenal, a nicely balanced English-style IPA brewed with East Kent Golding and Fuggle hops; 838, a roggenbier (German for “beer with rye”) named for Becker’s father’s time in the Navy aboard the LST-838 during World War II; and Inna, an Irish dry stout sweetened with lactose. “They’re all easy to drink. That’s what I like to make.” (L-R) Jim Thompson, owner of A Taste of Long Island, and Charles Becker. Image: Doug Young According to the brewery’s Facebook posts, Becker has already delivered 1940’s to some of Long Island’s best-for-beer places: Hoptron Brewtique, T.J. Finley’s, Bellport Cold Beer & Soda, and BBD’s are some of the recents, though the likeliest spot to consistently find 1940’s is A Taste of Long Island’s specialty grocery store, which sells beers—in-house pints and to-go growlers—only made at The Craft Microbrewhouse. Jim Thompson, who we profiled first in Pioneer Brewers, is Taste’s owner and host brewer. He’s planning to add 10 more drafts to the store’s current draftage of three later this month to accommodate the deluge of new liquids. Before the expansion, the first opportunity to taste this unique group together is this Saturday at The Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore. The launch event will also feature the professional debut of The Brewers Collective... Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2015-01-15T14:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/a-taste-of-long-island-craft-brewery http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/a-taste-of-long-island-craft-brewery#When:19:10:00Z Pioneer Brewers is an ongoing series profiling Long Island’s first hub for alternating brewery proprietorships at A Taste of Long Island in Farmingdale. The first installment explores the host brewery, A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery, operated by… Jim Thompson recently unearthed his copy of Charlie Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Homebrewing from his garage. The book, once a regular read, now exists solely as a worn vestige of his former hobby: its cover is frayed and most pages are dog-eared; its spine is more wrinkled than a rhinoceros’ skinsuit. “It was in storage for a long time with the rest of my brewing stuff,” Thompson admits, pouring us a pair of beers. Jim Thompson, co-owner of A Taste of Long Island in Farmingdale, has started a unique brewery in his commercial kitchen. Image: Doug Young A homebrewer during the ‘90s, “when everything was extract in cans,” Thompson eventually shelved Papazian’s influential guide and stopped brewing with friends. “I started a family and life just got in the way,” he explains. The majority of his time now is dedicated to A Taste of Long Island, owned with his daughter, Courtney Citko. They provide a rentable commercial kitchen to small and budding food businesses, hosting roughly 50 rotating clients who “make and package everything from cookies to tomato sauce,” he says. The demand for their 800-square-foot space has only grown since opening in Farmingdale in 2012. “It’s hard for startup food entrepreneurs to find a good built-to-code kitchen in this area. We saw the need for it.” Christine Goldfuss, owner of Christine’s Sweets, uses Taste to make her company’s eight types of cookies. She agrees with Thompson, telling the New York Times last year, “This has been a dream of mine for a long time. The sticking point was always trying to find a commercial kitchen.” Goldfuss, like many of Taste’s clients, also benefits from the company’s other component, an adjacent specialty grocery store that sells her products. (“One-third of our selection are goods made by our clients,” Thompson beams). It’s my first visit to the 400-square-foot store on Main Street, and my mother is with me, though our agendas are discernibly different. While she indifferently orbits the tiny room on a quest for “something sweet,” my objective is specific: I came to taste some beers from Thompson’s new in-house brewery, A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery. A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery’s Farmingdale Blonde Ale. Image: Doug Young After a hiatus of two decades, Thompson has returned to brewing—though now, with the proper federal and state licenses and equipment, he’s using his commercial kitchen, not his home, as the site to make beer as A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery. His first release, Farmingdale Blonde Ale, debuted in September. It’s a “clean and crisp beer accessible to all the Miller and Bud drinkers,” he says. This was followed by two variations using Farmingdale’s recipe as a base: Honey Blonde Ale, brewed with honey from Raleigh’s Poultry Farms and Country Store in Kings Park, and Honey Harvest Ale, brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Both beers are available now. Similar to Goldfuss and Taste’s other food-based clients, licensed brewers can rent the kitchen’s new brewing equipment, which includes a 125-gallon mash tun and two 55-gallon brew kettles (fermentators must be purchased by the tenant), to make beer. Thompson is operating his brewery as a hub for alternating proprietorships, defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as an “arrangement in which two or more people take turns using the physical premises of a brewery. Generally, the proprietor of an existing brewery, the ‘host brewery,’ agrees to rent space and equipment to a new ‘tenant brewer.’” A growing trend in the industry, the alternating proprietorship model is being utilized by small brewers deciding to eschew traditional—and costly—startup methods. In New York City, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Radiant Pig Craft Beers, and Third Rail Beer all rent space and equipment at large facilities to make their beers, while Evil Twin Brewing and Stillwater Artisanal Ales have both become popular brands by brewing as tenants, or gypsies, internationally. Thompson is the first to launch a home for alternating proprietorships on Long Island. As of now, he’s agreed to host three companies (more are forthcoming): 1940’s Brewing Company, Po’ Boy Brewery, and The Brewer’s Collective. This trio will have the opportunity to brew, package, and distribute their beers without the financial risk of launching a brick-and-mortar operation. “They don’t have to find a warehouse and spend $500,000 on equipment, rent, electricity, and so on. But it’s basically like owning a brewery—everything is brewed and packaged by the brewer and they pay their own taxes,” Thompson says. “It’s not much different than a person coming here to make cookies,” he adds, though he also admits a lot of planning and restructuring was needed to accomodate the new endeavor. Thompson converted the building’s narrow basement into an area for storage and fermentation, for example, and it’s already stuffed with ingredients and equipment. He estimates tenants will brew at Taste “for only three or four years before opening their own brewery,” though, “so we’ll have the space to keep adding new brewers to the roster. I’m already getting tons of phone calls. I really think this can become the first launchpad for startup breweries on Long Island. We’re like a group of pioneer brewers,” he says. While Thompson is confident of his brewery’s chances for long-term success, he’s still uncertain of an optimal setup to serve beer at his store. He’s using a kegerator with three drafts now, but already anticipating a flood of forthcoming beers from himself and his clients, he’s planning to upgrade to 10 drafts before Christmas. Another uhhhhhhh is the lack of seating. Thompson is selling beer to-go in 64-ounce growlers and 22-ounce bottles, but serving pints on-premise with only one table and two chairs won’t exactly draw a sizable crowd. “I have a lot of decisions to make eventually,” he says. “For now, though, I just want to get all the kinks worked out with all the brewers coming in. That’s the main focus here. We’re gonna be making a lot of beer.” Filling Bottles at A Taste of Long Island. Image: Doug Young After we taste Farmingdale Blonde, deliberately more refreshing than complex, Thompson pours me a beer from the second brewer to launch at Taste: Charles Becker, owner of 1940’s Brewing Company. Becker, a homebrewer from Old Bethpage, is focusing on German styles with his new company. He started brewing at Taste in… Chapter II: 1940’s Brewing Company Pioneer Brewers is an ongoing series profiling Long Island’s first hub for alternating brewery proprietorships at A Taste of Long Island in Farmingdale. The first installment explores the host brewery, A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery, operated by… Jim Thompson recently unearthed his copy of Charlie Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Homebrewing from his garage. The book, once a regular read, now exists solely as a worn vestige of his former hobby: its cover is frayed and most pages are dog-eared; its spine is more wrinkled than a rhinoceros’ skinsuit. “It was in storage for a long time with the rest of my brewing stuff,” Thompson admits, pouring us a pair of beers. Jim Thompson, co-owner of A Taste of Long Island in Farmingdale, has started a unique brewery in his commercial kitchen. Image: Doug Young A homebrewer during the ‘90s, “when everything was extract in cans,” Thompson eventually shelved Papazian’s influential guide and stopped brewing with friends. “I started a family and life just got in the way,” he explains. The majority of his time now is dedicated to A Taste of Long Island, owned with his daughter, Courtney Citko. They provide a rentable commercial kitchen to small and budding food businesses, hosting roughly 50 rotating clients who “make and package everything from cookies to tomato sauce,” he says. The demand for their 800-square-foot space has only grown since opening in Farmingdale in 2012. “It’s hard for startup food entrepreneurs to find a good built-to-code kitchen in this area. We saw the need for it.” Christine Goldfuss, owner of Christine’s Sweets, uses Taste to make her company’s eight types of cookies. She agrees with Thompson, telling the New York Times last year, “This has been a dream of mine for a long time. The sticking point was always trying to find a commercial kitchen.” Goldfuss, like many of Taste’s clients, also benefits from the company’s other component, an adjacent specialty grocery store that sells her products. (“One-third of our selection are goods made by our clients,” Thompson beams). It’s my first visit to the 400-square-foot store on Main Street, and my mother is with me, though our agendas are discernibly different. While she indifferently orbits the tiny room on a quest for “something sweet,” my objective is specific: I came to taste some beers from Thompson’s new in-house brewery, A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery. A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery’s Farmingdale Blonde Ale. Image: Doug Young After a hiatus of two decades, Thompson has returned to brewing—though now, with the proper federal and state licenses and equipment, he’s using his commercial kitchen, not his home, as the site to make beer as A Taste of Long Island Craft Brewery. His first release, Farmingdale Blonde Ale, debuted in September. It’s a “clean and crisp beer accessible to all the Miller and Bud drinkers,” he says. This was followed by two variations using Farmingdale’s recipe as a base: Honey Blonde Ale, brewed with honey from Raleigh’s Poultry Farms and Country Store in Kings Park, and Honey Harvest Ale, brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Both beers are available now. Similar to Goldfuss and Taste’s other food-based clients, licensed brewers can rent the kitchen’s new brewing equipment, which includes a 125-gallon mash tun and two 55-gallon brew kettles (fermentators must be purchased by the tenant), to make beer. Thompson is operating his brewery as a hub for alternating proprietorships, defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as an “arrangement in which two or more people take turns using the physical premises of a brewery. Generally, the proprietor of an existing brewery, the ‘host brewery,’ agrees to rent space and equipment to a new ‘tenant brewer.’” A growing trend in the industry, the alternating proprietorship model is being utilized by small brewers deciding to eschew traditional—and costly—startup methods. In New York City, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Radiant Pig Craft Beers, and Third Rail Beer all rent space and equipment at large facilities to make their beers, while Evil Twin Brewing and Stillwater Artisanal Ales have both become popular brands by brewing as tenants, or gypsies, internationally. Thompson is the first to launch a home for alternating proprietorships on Long Island. As of now, he’s agreed to host three companies (more are forthcoming): 1940’s Brewing Company, Po’ Boy Brewery, and The Brewer’s Collective. This trio will have the opportunity to brew, package, and distribute their beers without the financial risk of launching a brick-and-mortar operation. “They don’t have to find a warehouse and spend $500,000 on equipment, rent, electricity, and so on. But it’s basically like owning a brewery—everything is brewed and packaged by the brewer and they pay their own taxes,” Thompson says. “It’s not much different than a person coming here to make cookies,” he adds, though he also admits a lot of planning and restructuring was needed to accomodate the new endeavor. Thompson converted the building’s narrow basement into an area for storage and fermentation, for example, and it’s already stuffed with ingredients and equipment. He estimates tenants will brew at Taste “for only three or four years before opening their own brewery,” though, “so we’ll have the space to keep adding new brewers to the roster. I’m already getting tons of phone calls. I really think this can become the first launchpad for startup breweries on Long Island. We’re like a group of pioneer brewers,” he says. While Thompson is confident of his brewery’s chances for long-term success, he’s still uncertain of an optimal setup to serve beer at his store. He’s using a kegerator with three drafts now, but already anticipating a flood of forthcoming beers from himself and his clients, he’s planning to upgrade to 10 drafts before Christmas. Another uhhhhhhh is the lack of seating. Thompson is selling beer to-go in 64-ounce growlers and 22-ounce bottles, but serving pints on-premise with only one table and two chairs won’t exactly draw a sizable crowd. “I have a lot of decisions to make eventually,” he says. “For now, though, I just want to get all the kinks worked out with all the brewers coming in. That’s the main focus here. We’re gonna be making a lot of beer.” Filling Bottles at A Taste of Long Island. Image: Doug Young After we taste Farmingdale Blonde, deliberately more refreshing than complex, Thompson pours me a beer from the second brewer to launch at Taste: Charles Becker, owner of 1940’s Brewing Company. Becker, a homebrewer from Old Bethpage, is focusing on German styles with his new company. He started brewing at Taste in… Chapter II: 1940’s Brewing Company Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-11-07T19:10:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-blind-bat-brewery-thaipa http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-blind-bat-brewery-thaipa#When:13:35:00Z Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers consumed by Niko Krommydas—with assistance from their creators. ThaiPA is the first collaboration between Blind Bat Brewery and Lenn Thompson, founder and editor of New York Cork Report. While a forthcoming series of beers was announced in 2012, born from a “mutual admiration for and dedication to local food, wine and beer,” explains Thompson, brewing for the project was delayed for two-plus years. This is partly due to an ongoing—and arduous—effort by Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat, to relocate the brewery from his residence in Centerport to a commercial building. ThaiPA is a pale ale brewed with four ingredients commonly used in Thai cuisine: Thai basil, lemon basil, lemongrass, and ginger. The basils were grown by Dlugokencky’s wife, Regina, at Seedsower Farm in Centerport (a trait of Blind Bat’s beerfolio, as Long Island Potato Stout, Hell Gate Golden Ale, and Honey & Basil Ale also feature Regina-planted schtuffs), and Mary Callanan, owner of Three Castles Garden in Westbury. Dlugokencky bottled the entire three-barrel batch, roughly 90 gallons, and is only selling them at the Northport Farmers’ Market and Babylon Village Farmers Market. ThaiPA debuted on Sept. 13. Blind Bat Brewery/ThaiPA ABV: 6.6% Format: Bottle (22oz) Super Neat Descriptors: Spicey, Lemony, Herbal, Fruity Paul Dlugokencky: Back in 2011, Lenn Thompson asked if I would be interested in brewing an IPA he had an idea for incorporating lemongrass and Thai basil called “ThaiPA.” Since Lenn had already had my Honey & Basil Ale, he knew I was comfortable brewing with basil. Crowded schedules—balancing the day job, brewing, and an ongoing hunt for a larger space for the brewery—as well as the search for the right hop delayed the inaugural brew for much longer than I should have allowed, but Lenn proved to be more than patient. Citra came to be the hop I was looking for, and a three-barrel batch was finally brewed in August. The Citra hops, while contributing a calculated bitterness within the range of today’s IPAs, lend more of a tropical fruit character than the palate-punishing bitterness often sought for in contemporary IPAs. Local and organic Thai basil and lemon basil grown by my wife Regina at Seedsower Farm and her farmer friend, Mary Callanan, owner of Three Castles Garden, were added to the boil, along with lemongrass. Ginger was added post-primary fermentation. With the basils, lemongrass, and ginger, ThaiPA in my mind lands somewhere in a territory on its own, rather than as strictly either an IPA or an American pale ale. The offbeat spicing lends itself to pairing with a wide variety of foods, not just Thai cuisine. Regina especially enjoyed it with pizza. Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers consumed by Niko Krommydas—with assistance from their creators. ThaiPA is the first collaboration between Blind Bat Brewery and Lenn Thompson, founder and editor of New York Cork Report. While a forthcoming series of beers was announced in 2012, born from a “mutual admiration for and dedication to local food, wine and beer,” explains Thompson, brewing for the project was delayed for two-plus years. This is partly due to an ongoing—and arduous—effort by Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat, to relocate the brewery from his residence in Centerport to a commercial building. ThaiPA is a pale ale brewed with four ingredients commonly used in Thai cuisine: Thai basil, lemon basil, lemongrass, and ginger. The basils were grown by Dlugokencky’s wife, Regina, at Seedsower Farm in Centerport (a trait of Blind Bat’s beerfolio, as Long Island Potato Stout, Hell Gate Golden Ale, and Honey & Basil Ale also feature Regina-planted schtuffs), and Mary Callanan, owner of Three Castles Garden in Westbury. Dlugokencky bottled the entire three-barrel batch, roughly 90 gallons, and is only selling them at the Northport Farmers’ Market and Babylon Village Farmers Market. ThaiPA debuted on Sept. 13. Blind Bat Brewery/ThaiPA ABV: 6.6% Format: Bottle (22oz) Super Neat Descriptors: Spicey, Lemony, Herbal, Fruity Paul Dlugokencky: Back in 2011, Lenn Thompson asked if I would be interested in brewing an IPA he had an idea for incorporating lemongrass and Thai basil called “ThaiPA.” Since Lenn had already had my Honey & Basil Ale, he knew I was comfortable brewing with basil. Crowded schedules—balancing the day job, brewing, and an ongoing hunt for a larger space for the brewery—as well as the search for the right hop delayed the inaugural brew for much longer than I should have allowed, but Lenn proved to be more than patient. Citra came to be the hop I was looking for, and a three-barrel batch was finally brewed in August. The Citra hops, while contributing a calculated bitterness within the range of today’s IPAs, lend more of a tropical fruit character than the palate-punishing bitterness often sought for in contemporary IPAs. Local and organic Thai basil and lemon basil grown by my wife Regina at Seedsower Farm and her farmer friend, Mary Callanan, owner of Three Castles Garden, were added to the boil, along with lemongrass. Ginger was added post-primary fermentation. With the basils, lemongrass, and ginger, ThaiPA in my mind lands somewhere in a territory on its own, rather than as strictly either an IPA or an American pale ale. The offbeat spicing lends itself to pairing with a wide variety of foods, not just Thai cuisine. Regina especially enjoyed it with pizza. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-09-22T13:35:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-island-sixpoint-furever http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-island-sixpoint-furever#When:15:30:00Z I already purchased my ticket to Beer for Beasts on Saturday, but I must reiterate: I can’t attend the annual two-session event organized by Sixpoint and Beer Advocate, which has awesomely raised nearly $100,000 for the Humane Society of New York since 2011. Though I proudly paid to donate to the not-for-profit veterinary hospital and no-kill shelter, an iCloud of sorrow continues to linger over my brainspace, as I will regrettably miss 35 exclusive and peculiar beers from Sixpoint—including two with a connection to Long Island. I conveyed this quandary to my cat, Miles Davis, who, following a three-hour meditative loaf, recommended a potential remedy: revisit the source of bummedness with positivity. I agreed to attempt his treatment, so I will shift focus to discuss the aforementioned pair. Julie Henken, co-president of the Long Island chapter of Girls’ Pint Out. Image: Melissa Meier The first is Boo’s Brew, a collaboration with the area’s chapter of Girls’ Pint Out, self-described as a “national craft beer organization for women.” There are 60 members in Long Island’s, founded by Lauri Spitz in 2011, including Julie Henken and Melissa Meier. Spitz, now co-owner of Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead, relinquished her presidency to the duo to focus on the two-barrel brewery in March. “We were brainstorming awesome things to do to promote the group and I remembered that Lauri and Matt [Spitz] brewed with Sixpoint for last year’s event,” says Meier, referring to I Can Haz Orange Chocolate Milk Stout?. “I emailed Heather [Reynolds, brewer at Sixpoint] to start the process. She immediately signed on.” Boo’s Brew isn’t the first collaboration involving Girls’ Pint Out on Long Island: HiHo Belgian Pale was made with BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant in April. The chapter desired “something feminine and related to kitties” for Beer for Beasts, says Meier, opting for a wheat beer with blueberries and lavender (the latter was sourced from Lavender by the Bay in East Marion). It’s named for Meier’s cat, Boo. “We wanted a basic wheat base so the lavender and blueberry could shine and take center stage,” Henkin says. “We steeped the lavender after boiling, while blueberries were added during secondary fermentation. It should have some nice floral notes up front with some tartness to follow.” (L-R) Adam Zuniga, brewer at Sixpoint, and Sean Redmond, brewer at Barrier Brewing Company. Image: Sean Redmond While Boo’s Brew was hatched from furballs and cuteness, the event’s other Long Island-connected beer, Raining Beets, was inspired by a thrashy and tenebrous source: Slayer. A riff on the seminal metal band’s 1986 album, Reign in Blood, Raining Beets is a beet-infused collaboration between Sixpoint and Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company, owned by Evan Klein and Craig Frymark. Both started their beer careers at the Brooklyn-based brewery before re-teaming at their 30-barreler, opened by Klein in 2009. It was Sean Redmond, a brewer at Barrier, however, who visited their former home in Red Hook to make the blood-colored beer with Sixpoint’s Adam Zuniga. They’re homeboys. “It’s a mix between a big blonde ale and a pale ale to let the beets shine both in flavor and color,” says Redmond. “We used beet juice in the whirlpool. It’s a good fermentable sugar probably with a sweet taste. Slayer was playing during the entire brewday. We’re both huge fans. It was a lotta fun.” Boo’s Brew and Raining Beets will both pour at Beer for Beasts to benefit the Humane Society of New York. Tickets are available now. I already purchased my ticket to Beer for Beasts on Saturday, but I must reiterate: I can’t attend the annual two-session event organized by Sixpoint and Beer Advocate, which has awesomely raised nearly $100,000 for the Humane Society of New York since 2011. Though I proudly paid to donate to the not-for-profit veterinary hospital and no-kill shelter, an iCloud of sorrow continues to linger over my brainspace, as I will regrettably miss 35 exclusive and peculiar beers from Sixpoint—including two with a connection to Long Island. I conveyed this quandary to my cat, Miles Davis, who, following a three-hour meditative loaf, recommended a potential remedy: revisit the source of bummedness with positivity. I agreed to attempt his treatment, so I will shift focus to discuss the aforementioned pair. Julie Henken, co-president of the Long Island chapter of Girls’ Pint Out. Image: Melissa Meier The first is Boo’s Brew, a collaboration with the area’s chapter of Girls’ Pint Out, self-described as a “national craft beer organization for women.” There are 60 members in Long Island’s, founded by Lauri Spitz in 2011, including Julie Henken and Melissa Meier. Spitz, now co-owner of Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead, relinquished her presidency to the duo to focus on the two-barrel brewery in March. “We were brainstorming awesome things to do to promote the group and I remembered that Lauri and Matt [Spitz] brewed with Sixpoint for last year’s event,” says Meier, referring to I Can Haz Orange Chocolate Milk Stout?. “I emailed Heather [Reynolds, brewer at Sixpoint] to start the process. She immediately signed on.” Boo’s Brew isn’t the first collaboration involving Girls’ Pint Out on Long Island: HiHo Belgian Pale was made with BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant in April. The chapter desired “something feminine and related to kitties” for Beer for Beasts, says Meier, opting for a wheat beer with blueberries and lavender (the latter was sourced from Lavender by the Bay in East Marion). It’s named for Meier’s cat, Boo. “We wanted a basic wheat base so the lavender and blueberry could shine and take center stage,” Henkin says. “We steeped the lavender after boiling, while blueberries were added during secondary fermentation. It should have some nice floral notes up front with some tartness to follow.” (L-R) Adam Zuniga, brewer at Sixpoint, and Sean Redmond, brewer at Barrier Brewing Company. Image: Sean Redmond While Boo’s Brew was hatched from furballs and cuteness, the event’s other Long Island-connected beer, Raining Beets, was inspired by a thrashy and tenebrous source: Slayer. A riff on the seminal metal band’s 1986 album, Reign in Blood, Raining Beets is a beet-infused collaboration between Sixpoint and Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company, owned by Evan Klein and Craig Frymark. Both started their beer careers at the Brooklyn-based brewery before re-teaming at their 30-barreler, opened by Klein in 2009. It was Sean Redmond, a brewer at Barrier, however, who visited their former home in Red Hook to make the blood-colored beer with Sixpoint’s Adam Zuniga. They’re homeboys. “It’s a mix between a big blonde ale and a pale ale to let the beets shine both in flavor and color,” says Redmond. “We used beet juice in the whirlpool. It’s a good fermentable sugar probably with a sweet taste. Slayer was playing during the entire brewday. We’re both huge fans. It was a lotta fun.” Boo’s Brew and Raining Beets will both pour at Beer for Beasts to benefit the Humane Society of New York. Tickets are available now. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-09-11T15:30:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/beer-sessions-radio-breweries-on-the-north-fork http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/beer-sessions-radio-breweries-on-the-north-fork#When:13:24:00Z Update Aug.22: Listen to this episode here. Good Morning, Aquebogue! I was asked to organize a Long Island-themed episode of Heritage Radio Network’s weekly program, Beer Sessions Radio, which we pre-recorded during the last week of July. It airs today at 5 pm. The host of Beer Sessions, Jimmy Carbone (also owner of Jimmy’s No. 43 in Manhattan), proposed gathering three breweries as guests for the show, so I chose to feature a thriving trio on the North Fork: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Long Ireland Beer Company, and Moustache Brewing Company. While Blue Point Brewing Company still defines beermaking on Long Island, Greenport Harbor and Long Ireland are both prompting drinkers, by portfolio dopeness and continued growth, to travel east of the vaunted progenitor in Patchogue—to Greenport and Riverhead, respectively. This has helped establish a noteworthy scene on the 30-mile-long peninsula, one that, in my opinion, now deservedly includes Moustache in Riverhead. Beer Sessions traditionally broadcasts live every Tuesday from Roberta’s in Brooklyn, but we recorded this episode at Greenport Harbor’s impressive and just-opened 13,000-square-foot facility in Peconic, which is highlighted by a 30-barrel brewhouse and 2,000-square-foot taproom (its original brewery and taproom, in Greenport, remains operational). We also drank—specifically Greenport Harbor’s #5, an anniversary-themed Belgian-style dubbel aged with tart cherries; Long Ireland’s newest release, Trinity IPA; and Moustache’s flagship, Everyman’s Porter. This is my ninth appearance on Beer Sessions. My last, on July 8, was to promote Niko Weisse, my Greek-themed (and universally acclaimed) collaboration with Great South Bay Brewery. Update Aug.22: Listen to this episode here. Good Morning, Aquebogue! I was asked to organize a Long Island-themed episode of Heritage Radio Network’s weekly program, Beer Sessions Radio, which we pre-recorded during the last week of July. It airs today at 5 pm. The host of Beer Sessions, Jimmy Carbone (also owner of Jimmy’s No. 43 in Manhattan), proposed gathering three breweries as guests for the show, so I chose to feature a thriving trio on the North Fork: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Long Ireland Beer Company, and Moustache Brewing Company. While Blue Point Brewing Company still defines beermaking on Long Island, Greenport Harbor and Long Ireland are both prompting drinkers, by portfolio dopeness and continued growth, to travel east of the vaunted progenitor in Patchogue—to Greenport and Riverhead, respectively. This has helped establish a noteworthy scene on the 30-mile-long peninsula, one that, in my opinion, now deservedly includes Moustache in Riverhead. Beer Sessions traditionally broadcasts live every Tuesday from Roberta’s in Brooklyn, but we recorded this episode at Greenport Harbor’s impressive and just-opened 13,000-square-foot facility in Peconic, which is highlighted by a 30-barrel brewhouse and 2,000-square-foot taproom (its original brewery and taproom, in Greenport, remains operational). We also drank—specifically Greenport Harbor’s #5, an anniversary-themed Belgian-style dubbel aged with tart cherries; Long Ireland’s newest release, Trinity IPA; and Moustache’s flagship, Everyman’s Porter. This is my ninth appearance on Beer Sessions. My last, on July 8, was to promote Niko Weisse, my Greek-themed (and universally acclaimed) collaboration with Great South Bay Brewery. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-08-19T13:24:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/super-neat-drinking-tweets-snootchie-bootchies-snickers-at-barrage-brewing http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/super-neat-drinking-tweets-snootchie-bootchies-snickers-at-barrage-brewing#When:23:46:00Z Super Neat Drinking Tweets will attempt to decipher the beer-fueled babblings of Niko Krommydas on Twitter. This activity has replaced his former pastime during solitary late-night (or sunrise) sessions of brewdulgence: indecipherable singing and moshing to Paul Simon’s 1986 album, “Graceland.” #Yikes. The first Drinking Tweet is traditionally an articulate statement devoid of guff. This is evident in the instance of Niko Krommydas’: The complexity of Niko Krommydas is unparalleled. He is possibly referring to Snickers, the popular log-shaped, milk chocolate-enrobed candy containing nougat, peanuts, and caramel. If we more-explore to uncover the veritable essence of the Drinking Tweet, however, we can postulate that his beer was not Snickers, an alcohol-less food, but actually Barrage Brewing Company‘s Yada Yada Yada, a Snickers-infused brown ale. Fascinating. Barrage, which opened in Farmingdale in January, created Yada Yada Yada for a Seinfeld-themed dinner at Morrison’s on May 19. The event featured five courses, each paired with a different beer from the one-barrel brewery. “We were throwing around ideas of doing one beer based on a food from [Seinfeld]. Food was always a big component,” says Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster. “We thought about Junior Mints or chocolate bobka, but we settled on Snickers. [’The Pledge Drive’] is one of my favorite episodes.” “The Pledge Drive” is an episode from the iconic sitcom’s sixth season, which, simultaneous with other absurdly genius storylines, follows a new haute-monde method of Snickers-based consumption. “The Yada Yada,” a classic from the eighth season, furthermore, reveals the inspiration for the beer’s name. Both episodes shape the identity of an ale that, according to Pominski, is a “liquid Snickers bar. Chocolate. Peanuts. Caramel. It’s all there—aromatically and in the taste. It’s literally like someone smashed Snickers bars and liquified them and put them into a glass.” That “someone” was Pominski. He chopped-smashed nearly five pounds of the candy, adding them to the beer during fermentation. The reception for the first batch was “insane,” he says, so a second batch was brewed and released in July. “People come in specifically for the ‘Snickers beer.’ It has its own life now,” he adds. Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster of Barrage Brewing Company. Image: Beer Loves Company Yada Yada Yada is currently one of eight draft beers available at Barrage, which opened a tasting room with growlers and flights on July 19 (only growlers were filled at the brewery previously). It’s positioned near the entrance and features an oak-topped bar and hair-on cowhide-upholstered stools. “You don’t have to stand around the brewery and wait for your growler to be filled,” Pominski says. “And a lot of people like to pet the stools. I don’t mind.” Barrage Brewing Company is open on Friday, 4:30 pm to 8 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.     Super Neat Drinking Tweets will attempt to decipher the beer-fueled babblings of Niko Krommydas on Twitter. This activity has replaced his former pastime during solitary late-night (or sunrise) sessions of brewdulgence: indecipherable singing and moshing to Paul Simon’s 1986 album, “Graceland.” #Yikes. The first Drinking Tweet is traditionally an articulate statement devoid of guff. This is evident in the instance of Niko Krommydas’: The complexity of Niko Krommydas is unparalleled. He is possibly referring to Snickers, the popular log-shaped, milk chocolate-enrobed candy containing nougat, peanuts, and caramel. If we more-explore to uncover the veritable essence of the Drinking Tweet, however, we can postulate that his beer was not Snickers, an alcohol-less food, but actually Barrage Brewing Company‘s Yada Yada Yada, a Snickers-infused brown ale. Fascinating. Barrage, which opened in Farmingdale in January, created Yada Yada Yada for a Seinfeld-themed dinner at Morrison’s on May 19. The event featured five courses, each paired with a different beer from the one-barrel brewery. “We were throwing around ideas of doing one beer based on a food from [Seinfeld]. Food was always a big component,” says Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster. “We thought about Junior Mints or chocolate bobka, but we settled on Snickers. [’The Pledge Drive’] is one of my favorite episodes.” “The Pledge Drive” is an episode from the iconic sitcom’s sixth season, which, simultaneous with other absurdly genius storylines, follows a new haute-monde method of Snickers-based consumption. “The Yada Yada,” a classic from the eighth season, furthermore, reveals the inspiration for the beer’s name. Both episodes shape the identity of an ale that, according to Pominski, is a “liquid Snickers bar. Chocolate. Peanuts. Caramel. It’s all there—aromatically and in the taste. It’s literally like someone smashed Snickers bars and liquified them and put them into a glass.” That “someone” was Pominski. He chopped-smashed nearly five pounds of the candy, adding them to the beer during fermentation. The reception for the first batch was “insane,” he says, so a second batch was brewed and released in July. “People come in specifically for the ‘Snickers beer.’ It has its own life now,” he adds. Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster of Barrage Brewing Company. Image: Beer Loves Company Yada Yada Yada is currently one of eight draft beers available at Barrage, which opened a tasting room with growlers and flights on July 19 (only growlers were filled at the brewery previously). It’s positioned near the entrance and features an oak-topped bar and hair-on cowhide-upholstered stools. “You don’t have to stand around the brewery and wait for your growler to be filled,” Pominski says. “And a lot of people like to pet the stools. I don’t mind.” Barrage Brewing Company is open on Friday, 4:30 pm to 8 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.     Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-08-05T23:46:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-revamps-beers-for-my-beard http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-revamps-beers-for-my-beard#When:20:00:00Z The success of Niko Weisse, my #beerselfie, has prompted Great South Bay Brewery to revamp the concepts of several beers—and the new focus is my beard. The first revamp is Great South Bay’s summer seasonal, Blonde Ambition. Its new incarnation, Beard Ambition, will debut at undisclosed and nonexistent locations on Saturday, July 19. The label is below. Great South Bay will host a parade prior to the release, starting in Brooklyn, where I currently reside, and ending at the brewery’s 13,000-square-foot home on Drexel Drive in Bay Shore. The route is roughly 65 miles. I will ride the length of the parade on a motorized cloud of existentialism. The motorcade will include miniature mechanical mermaids used in the 1953 film, Attack of the Coney Island Merbots, and Mom’s Plate. A performance by musical duo, Kid Break, will close the ceremony. Beard Ambition will have the same recipe as Blonde Ambition, a light-bodied, pale-colored, apricoty-flavored ale, “but with much lower levels of estrogen,” says brewmaster Rick Sobotka. “There is something about Niko’s facial hair that empowers our customers unlike anything I have ever seen. The ancient Greeks believed in mystical powers embedded in the braids of their hair that gave them Zeus-like strength. We want every one of our beers to simulate this same stimulating feeling found in Niko’s beard.” Niko Weisse was released on June 28. The brewery will follow Beard Ambition with other revamps released monthly, including: Straggly Haired Stout, formerly Snaggletooth Stout; Dirty Dude Greek Imperial Stout, formerly Dirty Deeds Russian Imperial Stout; and Massive Beard On A Fish IPA; formerly Massive IPA. The success of Niko Weisse, my #beerselfie, has prompted Great South Bay Brewery to revamp the concepts of several beers—and the new focus is my beard. The first revamp is Great South Bay’s summer seasonal, Blonde Ambition. Its new incarnation, Beard Ambition, will debut at undisclosed and nonexistent locations on Saturday, July 19. The label is below. Great South Bay will host a parade prior to the release, starting in Brooklyn, where I currently reside, and ending at the brewery’s 13,000-square-foot home on Drexel Drive in Bay Shore. The route is roughly 65 miles. I will ride the length of the parade on a motorized cloud of existentialism. The motorcade will include miniature mechanical mermaids used in the 1953 film, Attack of the Coney Island Merbots, and Mom’s Plate. A performance by musical duo, Kid Break, will close the ceremony. Beard Ambition will have the same recipe as Blonde Ambition, a light-bodied, pale-colored, apricoty-flavored ale, “but with much lower levels of estrogen,” says brewmaster Rick Sobotka. “There is something about Niko’s facial hair that empowers our customers unlike anything I have ever seen. The ancient Greeks believed in mystical powers embedded in the braids of their hair that gave them Zeus-like strength. We want every one of our beers to simulate this same stimulating feeling found in Niko’s beard.” Niko Weisse was released on June 28. The brewery will follow Beard Ambition with other revamps released monthly, including: Straggly Haired Stout, formerly Snaggletooth Stout; Dirty Dude Greek Imperial Stout, formerly Dirty Deeds Russian Imperial Stout; and Massive Beard On A Fish IPA; formerly Massive IPA. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-07-16T20:00:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-brewery-niko-weisse-is-a-beer.-seriously http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-brewery-niko-weisse-is-a-beer.-seriously#When:13:20:00Z Hear Ye, Beer Me! I’m stupidly geeked, and Greeked, to announce the release of my upcoming collaboration with Great South Bay: Niko Weisse, a Greek-inspired Berliner Weisse with cucumbers! Berliner Weisse, a regional specialty of Berlin, Germany, is a pale-colored, wheat-malty style alcoholed between 2.0% and 5.0% ABV. It’s traditionally defined by a lactic, yogurt-like sourness with descriptors of cloudy, dry, tart, sharp, and effervescent. Niko Weisse isn’t merely a facsimile of history, though. We added cucumbers, a primary ingredient in tzatziki, to uniquely celebrate my Greekness. Our collaboration wasn’t a spontaneous affair. An impromptu escapade between two strangers involving intimacy-devoid intercourse? Nope. This collaboration was intense cinematic moments of foreplay between two close-knit companions. Harry and Sally. Jack and Rose. Romy and Michelle. That was us. Before our foreplayage, though, Niko Weisse was anticipated for centuries in Greece, the homeland of my ancestors. ArchiKromedes was a renownedly dope prophet in Athens. He was also my great-great-great-great-great-blogfather. He presaged the creation of a marvelous liquid by his great-great-great-great-great-blogson, one capable of quenching universal thirst for eternity. The metropolis buzzed with curiosity. Who? When? Where? ArchiKromedes remained silent, then, at the lip of a promontory, combusted into a polychromatic mess of organs, evoking a scene from Street Trash. As an effervescent, straw-pale liquid oozed from every orafice, the metropolis gathered and imbibed gleefully amidst the splatterfest. Niko Weisse was born! Kidding. Its conception actually occurred during a visit to the Bay Shore-based brewery in March, where I chatted with Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster, to gather quotes on Lethal Cupcake for an installment of Drank That Local Sh*t. As we popped a bottle of the sweet, chocolate-heavy porter, a covey of cupcakes penetrated our mouthholes and secreted globules of [I dunno] into the skin-encased recesses of our esophagi. We started to drift into the depths of our unconsciousi, initially discussing the genius of Clone High, but eventually settling into a 63-day discussion on streetmeat. We genuflected daily to the enigmatic power of tzatziki, a sauce capable of transforming an inedible, often unidentifiable meat into a lavish delicacy. Our worship immaculately spawned the birth of Niko Weisse, which we started brewing on June 3. Great South Bay started the process by intentionally souring a 30-barrel mash—malted wheat comprising half of the grist—with Lactobacillus delbrueckii. This bacteria produces carbon dioxide and lactic acid as a by-product of fermentation, the latter responsible for the brightly acidic and sour characteristics of a Berliner Weisse. After two days, allowing the wort to ferment to a desirable pH, I returned to the 39,000-square-foot brewery and hand-sliced cucumbers—100 pounds of cucumbers. Then I combusted into a monochromatic mess of streetmeat. Great South Bay will host the release of Niko Weisse on June 28. Ελπίζουμε να έρθετε! Hear Ye, Beer Me! I’m stupidly geeked, and Greeked, to announce the release of my upcoming collaboration with Great South Bay: Niko Weisse, a Greek-inspired Berliner Weisse with cucumbers! Berliner Weisse, a regional specialty of Berlin, Germany, is a pale-colored, wheat-malty style alcoholed between 2.0% and 5.0% ABV. It’s traditionally defined by a lactic, yogurt-like sourness with descriptors of cloudy, dry, tart, sharp, and effervescent. Niko Weisse isn’t merely a facsimile of history, though. We added cucumbers, a primary ingredient in tzatziki, to uniquely celebrate my Greekness. Our collaboration wasn’t a spontaneous affair. An impromptu escapade between two strangers involving intimacy-devoid intercourse? Nope. This collaboration was intense cinematic moments of foreplay between two close-knit companions. Harry and Sally. Jack and Rose. Romy and Michelle. That was us. Before our foreplayage, though, Niko Weisse was anticipated for centuries in Greece, the homeland of my ancestors. ArchiKromedes was a renownedly dope prophet in Athens. He was also my great-great-great-great-great-blogfather. He presaged the creation of a marvelous liquid by his great-great-great-great-great-blogson, one capable of quenching universal thirst for eternity. The metropolis buzzed with curiosity. Who? When? Where? ArchiKromedes remained silent, then, at the lip of a promontory, combusted into a polychromatic mess of organs, evoking a scene from Street Trash. As an effervescent, straw-pale liquid oozed from every orafice, the metropolis gathered and imbibed gleefully amidst the splatterfest. Niko Weisse was born! Kidding. Its conception actually occurred during a visit to the Bay Shore-based brewery in March, where I chatted with Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster, to gather quotes on Lethal Cupcake for an installment of Drank That Local Sh*t. As we popped a bottle of the sweet, chocolate-heavy porter, a covey of cupcakes penetrated our mouthholes and secreted globules of [I dunno] into the skin-encased recesses of our esophagi. We started to drift into the depths of our unconsciousi, initially discussing the genius of Clone High, but eventually settling into a 63-day discussion on streetmeat. We genuflected daily to the enigmatic power of tzatziki, a sauce capable of transforming an inedible, often unidentifiable meat into a lavish delicacy. Our worship immaculately spawned the birth of Niko Weisse, which we started brewing on June 3. Great South Bay started the process by intentionally souring a 30-barrel mash—malted wheat comprising half of the grist—with Lactobacillus delbrueckii. This bacteria produces carbon dioxide and lactic acid as a by-product of fermentation, the latter responsible for the brightly acidic and sour characteristics of a Berliner Weisse. After two days, allowing the wort to ferment to a desirable pH, I returned to the 39,000-square-foot brewery and hand-sliced cucumbers—100 pounds of cucumbers. Then I combusted into a monochromatic mess of streetmeat. Great South Bay will host the release of Niko Weisse on June 28. Ελπίζουμε να έρθετε! Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-06-24T13:20:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-brickhouse-brewery-restaurant-the-maudness http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-brickhouse-brewery-restaurant-the-maudness#When:11:19:00Z Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers consumed by Niko Krommydas—with assistance from their creators. BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant/The Maudness Style: Session Red IPA ABV: 4.4% Date of Birth: 06/05/14 Availability: Draft Super Neat Beer Description Thoughts N’ Stuff Piney. Caramel. Dry. A rough, snappy finish. Resiny. It’s bitter—perhaps too bitter—but still flavorful and different, as most in the hugely popular “session” sub-genre gush with fruitiness. The Maudness, however, is extremely piney. I enjoyed. I alluded to the transformation of BrickHouse in my latest column for Pulse, but I must reiterate: Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman have resuscitated the brewpub, longtimingly offering a static menu of dated recipes, with relevancy and adventure. The Maudness is a beer with both. Creator Story Time! The Maudness has two distinct meanings. As an adjective, The Maudness is used to describe the organized chaos that becomes a unified vision under our general manager Maud Franklin. As a noun, The Maudness is our 18th anniversary beer, a sessionable but extremely hoppy red IPA. When I first drove through Patchogue four years ago, BrickHouse caught my eye right away. I was always a fan of brewpubs and had just moved to Blue Point. I quickly became a regular, bringing my growlers back and forth, going to art shows and watching live music. There was an awesome scene happening in Patchogue—you could just feel the buzz. I was just getting into homebrewing at the time and hated my job, so I decided to fill out an application at BrickHouse. I figured I could maybe get my foot in the door on the kitchen side of things and learn about beer. Well, I just hit my four-year mark here and looking back at Patchogue, what it was then, what it is now, is pretty amazing. Main Street is full of attractive businesses, more people want to come to town than can actually park, and it is forcing everyone to be at their best. But with just as much change in town, I feel like I have seen twice as much change at BrickHouse and Maud is a huge reason for that. She is actually hitting her eighth year here on our 18th birthday. One by one she has brought BrickHouse up to speed on so many different levels—especially beer. In the last year, Arthur Zimmerman has came aboard as brewmaster and I got promoted to brewer, and together we have been able to really work on changing the perception of our beers. Trust me, I’ve heard it all and I don’t dispute the past. But Maud has put a lot of faith in us and let us just create and prove ourselves and it has worked out great so far. We used to have a set lineup of staples for years, but now we have been putting out a new beer almost every two weeks. We even started to distribute to places like Bubba’s Burritos Bar in Islip, Morrison’s in Plainview, and Relish in Kings Park. This is the first time our beer is being served across Long Island. Brickhouse wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for Maud, that’s why we wanted to brew this beer, actually the 18th new recipe from Arthur and I, for her. When we were brainstorming, we knew we wanted to do an easy-drinking session IPA but we wanted to put a twist on it for Maud. We decided to go with a red-colored ale to pay tribute to her being Irish. We also wanted to make this beer very hoppy and resiny to pay tribute to her “hippy days,” so we decided on using Chinook, Columbus, and Centennial hops for bright, piney aromas. What we ended up with was a sessionable red IPA with just enough body to know you’re still drinking a real beer, but also more then enough hops to satisfy any hop-head on the longest of lawn mower days. [Paul Komsic, brewer at BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant] Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers consumed by Niko Krommydas—with assistance from their creators. BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant/The Maudness Style: Session Red IPA ABV: 4.4% Date of Birth: 06/05/14 Availability: Draft Super Neat Beer Description Thoughts N’ Stuff Piney. Caramel. Dry. A rough, snappy finish. Resiny. It’s bitter—perhaps too bitter—but still flavorful and different, as most in the hugely popular “session” sub-genre gush with fruitiness. The Maudness, however, is extremely piney. I enjoyed. I alluded to the transformation of BrickHouse in my latest column for Pulse, but I must reiterate: Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman have resuscitated the brewpub, longtimingly offering a static menu of dated recipes, with relevancy and adventure. The Maudness is a beer with both. Creator Story Time! The Maudness has two distinct meanings. As an adjective, The Maudness is used to describe the organized chaos that becomes a unified vision under our general manager Maud Franklin. As a noun, The Maudness is our 18th anniversary beer, a sessionable but extremely hoppy red IPA. When I first drove through Patchogue four years ago, BrickHouse caught my eye right away. I was always a fan of brewpubs and had just moved to Blue Point. I quickly became a regular, bringing my growlers back and forth, going to art shows and watching live music. There was an awesome scene happening in Patchogue—you could just feel the buzz. I was just getting into homebrewing at the time and hated my job, so I decided to fill out an application at BrickHouse. I figured I could maybe get my foot in the door on the kitchen side of things and learn about beer. Well, I just hit my four-year mark here and looking back at Patchogue, what it was then, what it is now, is pretty amazing. Main Street is full of attractive businesses, more people want to come to town than can actually park, and it is forcing everyone to be at their best. But with just as much change in town, I feel like I have seen twice as much change at BrickHouse and Maud is a huge reason for that. She is actually hitting her eighth year here on our 18th birthday. One by one she has brought BrickHouse up to speed on so many different levels—especially beer. In the last year, Arthur Zimmerman has came aboard as brewmaster and I got promoted to brewer, and together we have been able to really work on changing the perception of our beers. Trust me, I’ve heard it all and I don’t dispute the past. But Maud has put a lot of faith in us and let us just create and prove ourselves and it has worked out great so far. We used to have a set lineup of staples for years, but now we have been putting out a new beer almost every two weeks. We even started to distribute to places like Bubba’s Burritos Bar in Islip, Morrison’s in Plainview, and Relish in Kings Park. This is the first time our beer is being served across Long Island. Brickhouse wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for Maud, that’s why we wanted to brew this beer, actually the 18th new recipe from Arthur and I, for her. When we were brainstorming, we knew we wanted to do an easy-drinking session IPA but we wanted to put a twist on it for Maud. We decided to go with a red-colored ale to pay tribute to her being Irish. We also wanted to make this beer very hoppy and resiny to pay tribute to her “hippy days,” so we decided on using Chinook, Columbus, and Centennial hops for bright, piney aromas. What we ended up with was a sessionable red IPA with just enough body to know you’re still drinking a real beer, but also more then enough hops to satisfy any hop-head on the longest of lawn mower days. [Paul Komsic, brewer at BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant] Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-06-07T11:19:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/red-zone-xtra-bbds-beers-burgers-desserts http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/red-zone-xtra-bbds-beers-burgers-desserts#When:15:01:00Z Red Zone, my monthly column, plunges palate-first into the beer-filled pool of Long Island, without the assistance of arm floatie-thingies. A magazine is structured with specific counts on words and pages, though, so occasionally, my swim is briefer than desired. This was the inspiration for Red Zone Xtra, a series revisiting establishments previously spotlighted in Red Zone, but without any limit on words. It’s a free-ballin’ cannonball into the beer-filled pool—while consuming a beer, of course. BBD’s (Beers, Burgers, Desserts) Location: Rocky Point Opened: 2013 Beers: 85 Photo: Jaclyn Morena Atmosphere: Its strip-malled location, also home to 7-11 and Carvel, oozes generic and belies the interior, a mysterious, goth-industrial layout soundtracked by Slayer, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. My entrance is Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” which prompts a singalong and gesticulation, but the Ric Flair-esque strut is short-lived: BBD’s is jam-stuffed with humans (and reservationless). I wait and eyeball the room, noticing a chandelier erected with cookware—the grandmother’s of Ralph Perrazzo, owner and chef, specifically. I’m eventually seated at a repurposed church pew, near the chandelier. It’s fastened above a monstrous, brick-encased grill devouring charcoal and wood. The scent of burger. Photo: Barton Silverman What To Know: A native of Lake Grove, Perrazzo has cooked at New York’s Jean-Gorges, Boston’s Clio, and Las Vegas’ Bradley Ogden. He butchers and grounds beef for the open-kitchened restaurant daily (“Our meat arrives whole and never sees a Cryovac bag,” he says), and prepares burgers using three methods. The popularist, according to Perrazzo, is “steakhouse,” a 12-ouncer grilled over wood and charcoal, then stuffed in a brioche bun branded with BBD’s logo. The available add-ons include scrapple and bacon jam. My favorite was the thinner, griddle-cooked patty on a potato bun—double-stacked, of course. Lisa Krommydas, my mother and partner for any burger-themed adventures, preferred the third option: steamed-over-onions, which evoked 1970s-era evenings at White Castle in Rego Park. Photo: Jaclyn Morena What To Drink: BBD’s rotating, 25-draft lineup is one of the best on Long Island, featuring selections from The Bruery, Bear Republic, Cigar City, Founders, and Troegs. La Trappe Quadrupel and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier are both mainstays, while the latter is also available with a dose of banana purèe. “I’ve seen this a lot in Germany and Germans know drinking,” Perrazzo says. “Fresh banana in a hefeweizen tastes awesome, but you can also drink a bunch, get lit, and not have a hangover. The calcium comes in handy for that.” BBD’s collection of bottles, approximately 60, is also dope, highlighted by Maine Mean Old Tom, The Bruery Rueze, and a squad of not-so-ubiquitous imports from Japan. I attacked the squad during my visit, starting with Ozeno Yukidoke IPA. This hazy, orange-yellow ale showcased aromas of grapefruit, mango, and yeast and tasted citrusy, floral, and doughy, but with restrained bitterness, lacked the hoppiness synonymous with the American-style IPA. Yukidoke was refreshing and enjoyable to pronounce, nonetheless. I followed with a draft, opting for Bear Republic’s Tartare, a delicious bomb of lemony, Warhead-esque sourness. Both were expensive, but especially the 11-ounce bottle of Yukidoke at $15. This was the only establishment serving both on Long Island, however, so personally, the pricetags are justifiable. I prefer beer rare—like my burger! [Note: This noise confirms my joke was awful.] Also Know: If you imbibe regularly at BBD’s, Perrazzo has instructed staff to offer patrons complimentary beers from his “personal, super-private stash” (the leftest-positioned cooler behind the bar). This includes gems unavailable in New York, such as The Alchemist Heady Topper, Russian River Consecration, and Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. “We travel to get great liquid for ourselves and sit around trying to figure out ways to downsize our hoarding issue. My bartender Tom [Beiner] travels to Vermont like every three weeks to grab a case of Heady Topper, which is an unbelievable IPA,” Perrazzo says. “It’s just another way to thank customers for the support.” Red Zone, my monthly column, plunges palate-first into the beer-filled pool of Long Island, without the assistance of arm floatie-thingies. A magazine is structured with specific counts on words and pages, though, so occasionally, my swim is briefer than desired. This was the inspiration for Red Zone Xtra, a series revisiting establishments previously spotlighted in Red Zone, but without any limit on words. It’s a free-ballin’ cannonball into the beer-filled pool—while consuming a beer, of course. BBD’s (Beers, Burgers, Desserts) Location: Rocky Point Opened: 2013 Beers: 85 Photo: Jaclyn Morena Atmosphere: Its strip-malled location, also home to 7-11 and Carvel, oozes generic and belies the interior, a mysterious, goth-industrial layout soundtracked by Slayer, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. My entrance is Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” which prompts a singalong and gesticulation, but the Ric Flair-esque strut is short-lived: BBD’s is jam-stuffed with humans (and reservationless). I wait and eyeball the room, noticing a chandelier erected with cookware—the grandmother’s of Ralph Perrazzo, owner and chef, specifically. I’m eventually seated at a repurposed church pew, near the chandelier. It’s fastened above a monstrous, brick-encased grill devouring charcoal and wood. The scent of burger. Photo: Barton Silverman What To Know: A native of Lake Grove, Perrazzo has cooked at New York’s Jean-Gorges, Boston’s Clio, and Las Vegas’ Bradley Ogden. He butchers and grounds beef for the open-kitchened restaurant daily (“Our meat arrives whole and never sees a Cryovac bag,” he says), and prepares burgers using three methods. The popularist, according to Perrazzo, is “steakhouse,” a 12-ouncer grilled over wood and charcoal, then stuffed in a brioche bun branded with BBD’s logo. The available add-ons include scrapple and bacon jam. My favorite was the thinner, griddle-cooked patty on a potato bun—double-stacked, of course. Lisa Krommydas, my mother and partner for any burger-themed adventures, preferred the third option: steamed-over-onions, which evoked 1970s-era evenings at White Castle in Rego Park. Photo: Jaclyn Morena What To Drink: BBD’s rotating, 25-draft lineup is one of the best on Long Island, featuring selections from The Bruery, Bear Republic, Cigar City, Founders, and Troegs. La Trappe Quadrupel and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier are both mainstays, while the latter is also available with a dose of banana purèe. “I’ve seen this a lot in Germany and Germans know drinking,” Perrazzo says. “Fresh banana in a hefeweizen tastes awesome, but you can also drink a bunch, get lit, and not have a hangover. The calcium comes in handy for that.” BBD’s collection of bottles, approximately 60, is also dope, highlighted by Maine Mean Old Tom, The Bruery Rueze, and a squad of not-so-ubiquitous imports from Japan. I attacked the squad during my visit, starting with Ozeno Yukidoke IPA. This hazy, orange-yellow ale showcased aromas of grapefruit, mango, and yeast and tasted citrusy, floral, and doughy, but with restrained bitterness, lacked the hoppiness synonymous with the American-style IPA. Yukidoke was refreshing and enjoyable to pronounce, nonetheless. I followed with a draft, opting for Bear Republic’s Tartare, a delicious bomb of lemony, Warhead-esque sourness. Both were expensive, but especially the 11-ounce bottle of Yukidoke at $15. This was the only establishment serving both on Long Island, however, so personally, the pricetags are justifiable. I prefer beer rare—like my burger! [Note: This noise confirms my joke was awful.] Also Know: If you imbibe regularly at BBD’s, Perrazzo has instructed staff to offer patrons complimentary beers from his “personal, super-private stash” (the leftest-positioned cooler behind the bar). This includes gems unavailable in New York, such as The Alchemist Heady Topper, Russian River Consecration, and Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. “We travel to get great liquid for ourselves and sit around trying to figure out ways to downsize our hoarding issue. My bartender Tom [Beiner] travels to Vermont like every three weeks to grab a case of Heady Topper, which is an unbelievable IPA,” Perrazzo says. “It’s just another way to thank customers for the support.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-05-09T15:01:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-return-of-greenport-harbors-hopnami http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-return-of-greenport-harbors-hopnami#When:17:40:00Z I sampled countless cask-conditioned beers at Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival and, despite an incessant effort from Ale-Qaeda, I was not poisoned by poison. Horray! During my samplage, I sampled several samples of Hopnami, an IPA from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. This sunshine-colored ale was insanely aromatic and each fluffy, juicy, fruity swallow didn’t piledrive my palate with bitterness. It was actually my favorite cask at Blue Point. I have same-day evidence affirming my statement, too, for any nonbelievers: Told you. Hopnami debuted in 2010. It was overwhelmingly successful for John Liegey and Rich Vandenburgh’s 15-barrel brewery, securing endorsements with Nike, Apple, and Caldor. The beer disappeared without explanation, however, in 2011. According to brewmaster DJ Swanson, Hopnami secretly relocated to Japan to film Hopnami vs. Godzilla, a remake of the 1964 classic, Mothra vs. Godzilla. This iPhone 3G-recorded kaiju was critically skullbashed, though, and only received a direct-to-VHS release in Indonesia. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of Indonesia, then instituted a countrywide ban of Hopnami vs. Godzilla in 2013, citing “incomprehensible suckiness.” Hopnami, dejected and deflated, returned to the tranquility of Greenport in March—shortly before Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival. Hopnami vs. Godzilla! Okay. The film isn’t real. Hopnami did disappear in 2011, but its hiatus was unintentional. “We got caught up with Project Hoppiness and then Other Side IPA was really successful for us,” explains Swanson. “We discussed it a lot over the last few years, but it was finally the right time.” The revival will occur at Hoptron Brewtique on April 17, as Hopnami pours alongside Black Duck Porter, Other Side, and Spring Turning Rye Saison. This isn’t Grandpa Grandmaster Flash’s version, though. Swanson has developed a new recipe with four different hop varieties: Amarillo, Citra, Cascade, and Experimental Hops #05256. “The IPA world has changed over the last few years, and everyone seems to use the same mix of hop varieties in their beers,” says Swanson. “I wanted to differentiate this from everything else—especially from Other Side.” While Swanson digs Other Side’s prominent maltiness, characteristic of his recipes, Hopnami now has “less malt flavor and a lot more hop aroma from whirlpool additions and dry-hopping.” The result is an IPA with “the danky style that’s really popular right now. It’s big with sweet fruit juice aromas—more tangerine, less mainstream grapefruit. But not overly bitter. Real easy to drink.” Greenport Harbor Brewing Company relaunches Hopnami at Hoptron Brewtique on April 17. I sampled countless cask-conditioned beers at Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival and, despite an incessant effort from Ale-Qaeda, I was not poisoned by poison. Horray! During my samplage, I sampled several samples of Hopnami, an IPA from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. This sunshine-colored ale was insanely aromatic and each fluffy, juicy, fruity swallow didn’t piledrive my palate with bitterness. It was actually my favorite cask at Blue Point. I have same-day evidence affirming my statement, too, for any nonbelievers: Told you. Hopnami debuted in 2010. It was overwhelmingly successful for John Liegey and Rich Vandenburgh’s 15-barrel brewery, securing endorsements with Nike, Apple, and Caldor. The beer disappeared without explanation, however, in 2011. According to brewmaster DJ Swanson, Hopnami secretly relocated to Japan to film Hopnami vs. Godzilla, a remake of the 1964 classic, Mothra vs. Godzilla. This iPhone 3G-recorded kaiju was critically skullbashed, though, and only received a direct-to-VHS release in Indonesia. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of Indonesia, then instituted a countrywide ban of Hopnami vs. Godzilla in 2013, citing “incomprehensible suckiness.” Hopnami, dejected and deflated, returned to the tranquility of Greenport in March—shortly before Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival. Hopnami vs. Godzilla! Okay. The film isn’t real. Hopnami did disappear in 2011, but its hiatus was unintentional. “We got caught up with Project Hoppiness and then Other Side IPA was really successful for us,” explains Swanson. “We discussed it a lot over the last few years, but it was finally the right time.” The revival will occur at Hoptron Brewtique on April 17, as Hopnami pours alongside Black Duck Porter, Other Side, and Spring Turning Rye Saison. This isn’t Grandpa Grandmaster Flash’s version, though. Swanson has developed a new recipe with four different hop varieties: Amarillo, Citra, Cascade, and Experimental Hops #05256. “The IPA world has changed over the last few years, and everyone seems to use the same mix of hop varieties in their beers,” says Swanson. “I wanted to differentiate this from everything else—especially from Other Side.” While Swanson digs Other Side’s prominent maltiness, characteristic of his recipes, Hopnami now has “less malt flavor and a lot more hop aroma from whirlpool additions and dry-hopping.” The result is an IPA with “the danky style that’s really popular right now. It’s big with sweet fruit juice aromas—more tangerine, less mainstream grapefruit. But not overly bitter. Real easy to drink.” Greenport Harbor Brewing Company relaunches Hopnami at Hoptron Brewtique on April 17. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-04-16T17:40:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inside-ale-qaeda-trying-to-drink-long-islands-deadliest-terror-brewing-orga http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inside-ale-qaeda-trying-to-drink-long-islands-deadliest-terror-brewing-orga#When:14:04:00Z I love cask-conditioned beer, which is unfiltered and naturally conditioned, or matured, in a cask. This process, an alternative to filtering and kegging following the primary stage of fermentation, prolongs the life of yeast and, subsequently, enables beer to develop uninhibited without the suppression of brewers, parents, or Putins. It creates full-fledged versions of self. When I consume a cask-conditioned beer, each swallow is a flavorful burst of individuality. It’s a burst of America, Super Neaters! Wait. I shall explain. A cask-conditioned beer is created naturally, and natural is freedom. This freedom embodies the spirit of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the perseverance of General Motors, and the something of Something Else! Since cask-conditioned beer is natural, Super Neaters, cask-conditioned beer is undeniably American—as American as American Pie 2, the cure for polio, and unicorns! The United Casks of America. Frank Filacchione and Mike Napolitano, however, hate cask-conditioned beer and, thus, hate America. They enjoy murdering any mythical creatures sprouting skull-spiraled horns, and advocate for the revival of polio. Filacchione and Napolitano are caskorists in Ale-Qaeda, the largest terror-brewing organization on Long Island. Ale-Qaeda poisons cask-conditioned beers with poison, seeking to destroy palates and, ultimately, America. Ale-Qaeda, from Patchoguestan, is a deadly organization poisoning cask-conditioned beers with poison. Kidding! Filacchione and Napolitano are swell dudes and unaffiliated with any Qaedas. Both are actually members of Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME), a nonviolent organization for homebrewing. It was established in 2007. LIBME at Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival in 2013. LIBME has “more than 700 members and of those, around 100 are considered charter members,” says president Todd Long. “They consistently attend our monthly meetings and support the club at all the events and activities, including classes, tastings, and festivals.” Filacchione and Napolitano, who combine for 26 years of homebrewing, are both charters. They are “the lead men in setting up and breaking down at events where we share our beers with people,” says Filacchione. This “share our beers with people” is a constant showcase of LIBME’s originality, especially from Filacchione and Napolitano. They created Reaper Madness, a bourbon barrel-aged stout infused with Carolina Reaper peppers, for example, for the Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival in January. It was balls-awesome. Their latest collaboration, Bacon Maple Praline Porter, is for Blue Point Brewing Company’s Cask Ales Festival on April 05. (R-L) Filacchione and Napolitano with Bacon Maple Praline Porter. After brewing a porter, which “tasted nice and chocolatey,” says Filacchione, the base was transferred into a cask, then primed with Mama’s Choice Maple Praline Flavored Syrup and Cascade Beer Candi Company Maple and Smoked Bacon Syrup. These syrups, which contain sugar, will continue fermentation in the cask. “We’re expecting the beer to taste syrupy, like French Toast,” says Napolitano. “Like breakfast, basically.” Mama love cask. Frank love Mama. Everybody love Raymond. Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival will feature cask-conditioned beers from 30+ breweries. LIBME is not a brewery, but will also pour cask-conditioned beers, including Filacchione and Napolitano’s Bacon Maple Praline Porter. How? ‘Cuz This Is America, Super Neaters. Goodnight. I love cask-conditioned beer, which is unfiltered and naturally conditioned, or matured, in a cask. This process, an alternative to filtering and kegging following the primary stage of fermentation, prolongs the life of yeast and, subsequently, enables beer to develop uninhibited without the suppression of brewers, parents, or Putins. It creates full-fledged versions of self. When I consume a cask-conditioned beer, each swallow is a flavorful burst of individuality. It’s a burst of America, Super Neaters! Wait. I shall explain. A cask-conditioned beer is created naturally, and natural is freedom. This freedom embodies the spirit of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the perseverance of General Motors, and the something of Something Else! Since cask-conditioned beer is natural, Super Neaters, cask-conditioned beer is undeniably American—as American as American Pie 2, the cure for polio, and unicorns! The United Casks of America. Frank Filacchione and Mike Napolitano, however, hate cask-conditioned beer and, thus, hate America. They enjoy murdering any mythical creatures sprouting skull-spiraled horns, and advocate for the revival of polio. Filacchione and Napolitano are caskorists in Ale-Qaeda, the largest terror-brewing organization on Long Island. Ale-Qaeda poisons cask-conditioned beers with poison, seeking to destroy palates and, ultimately, America. Ale-Qaeda, from Patchoguestan, is a deadly organization poisoning cask-conditioned beers with poison. Kidding! Filacchione and Napolitano are swell dudes and unaffiliated with any Qaedas. Both are actually members of Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME), a nonviolent organization for homebrewing. It was established in 2007. LIBME at Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival in 2013. LIBME has “more than 700 members and of those, around 100 are considered charter members,” says president Todd Long. “They consistently attend our monthly meetings and support the club at all the events and activities, including classes, tastings, and festivals.” Filacchione and Napolitano, who combine for 26 years of homebrewing, are both charters. They are “the lead men in setting up and breaking down at events where we share our beers with people,” says Filacchione. This “share our beers with people” is a constant showcase of LIBME’s originality, especially from Filacchione and Napolitano. They created Reaper Madness, a bourbon barrel-aged stout infused with Carolina Reaper peppers, for example, for the Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival in January. It was balls-awesome. Their latest collaboration, Bacon Maple Praline Porter, is for Blue Point Brewing Company’s Cask Ales Festival on April 05. (R-L) Filacchione and Napolitano with Bacon Maple Praline Porter. After brewing a porter, which “tasted nice and chocolatey,” says Filacchione, the base was transferred into a cask, then primed with Mama’s Choice Maple Praline Flavored Syrup and Cascade Beer Candi Company Maple and Smoked Bacon Syrup. These syrups, which contain sugar, will continue fermentation in the cask. “We’re expecting the beer to taste syrupy, like French Toast,” says Napolitano. “Like breakfast, basically.” Mama love cask. Frank love Mama. Everybody love Raymond. Blue Point’s Cask Ales Festival will feature cask-conditioned beers from 30+ breweries. LIBME is not a brewery, but will also pour cask-conditioned beers, including Filacchione and Napolitano’s Bacon Maple Praline Porter. How? ‘Cuz This Is America, Super Neaters. Goodnight. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-04-01T14:04:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-explores-the-nitty-gritty-of-long-island-born-beers-wi http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-explores-the-nitty-gritty-of-long-island-born-beers-wi#When:21:46:00Z Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers, with assistance from their creators. Great South Bay Brewery//Lethal Cupcake Style: Imperial Chocolate Porter ABV: 9.0% Date of Birth: 03/16/14 Availability: Draft, Bottle (22 oz) Super Neat Find the Beer Description in the Bold Story Time! Narrator: A covey of cupcakes penetrate Niko Krommydas’ mouthhole, secreting chocolate-heavy globules into the skin-encased recesses of his Esophagus… “Lethal Cupcake is semi-sweet and chocolatey with, perhaps, accompaniments of cola and black licorice,” I say, reciting with the thespianic proficiency of Samuel “Screech” Powers. The script is crayon-scribbled on a napkin from Sizzler. “Your bicep seems flaccid,” says The Director. “Your character must secrete machismo from every orifice. He is the personification of α. If, for example, we are threatened with an attack from Lisa Kudrowne Warfare, your character is our only… [inaudible] I don’t know which bicep, but I need more bicep.” ...somewhere/anywhere/everywhere, a text reads: “I’m here.” Final Scene: Niko Krommydas, now The Director, films a covey of cupcakes performing various calisthenics, at submaximal intensity, for several hours—maybe months. This eventually fades into an ink-black screen, cuing Lisa Kudrow’s subpar remake of Phoebe Buffay’s “Smelly Cat.” Credits. Narrator: The reader of Niko Krommydas’ blog, Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, will now rise to piss and, upon his/her return, opt to select Open New Tab… [New Tab: Mother Asks Child To Do Homework, You Won’t Believe The 136 Epic Responses From Child!] Bonus DVD Commentary: “I exist between the interzones of bloggery and unbloggery,” I say, “where the roastiness lingers beneath a sepulcher of pulsating dustfarts.” Real Story From Creator of Beer Story Time! “Lethal Cupcake is the nickname of a special someone in my life who is both warm and fuzzy, yet packs a walloping punch: my 10-year-old daughter, Marris. It was just her birthday last week, so I consider this beer to be a special gift to her. Marris is now a blue belt in Japanese karate at Heijoshin Dojo in Bay Shore, and as angelic and delicate as she might appear, she’s a fierce competitor who finishes her opponents off with ease—all while smiling with a gleam in her eye, of course. Yes, she’s a lethal cupcake. For fun, we decided to create a science fiction-inspired story on the side of the 22-ounce bottles about mutant, man-eating cupcakes. I’ll save the rest of the story for when you get your bottle. As for the beer, a blend of chocolate and English dark crystal malts give this brew its chocolate cupcake characteristics: a deep brown color, and aromas and flavors of toasty, rich cocoa and malty caramel. As an homage to our forefathers, we also threw in some brown malt, a variety now nearly extinct yet obligatory in classic porters of the early 20th century. While the brown malt lends another unique roasty taste and complexity to this beer, chocolate is the main flavor here—a clean and rich chocolate, which is balanced and bittered by East Kent Golding and Bravo hops.” [Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery] Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers, with assistance from their creators. Great South Bay Brewery//Lethal Cupcake Style: Imperial Chocolate Porter ABV: 9.0% Date of Birth: 03/16/14 Availability: Draft, Bottle (22 oz) Super Neat Find the Beer Description in the Bold Story Time! Narrator: A covey of cupcakes penetrate Niko Krommydas’ mouthhole, secreting chocolate-heavy globules into the skin-encased recesses of his Esophagus… “Lethal Cupcake is semi-sweet and chocolatey with, perhaps, accompaniments of cola and black licorice,” I say, reciting with the thespianic proficiency of Samuel “Screech” Powers. The script is crayon-scribbled on a napkin from Sizzler. “Your bicep seems flaccid,” says The Director. “Your character must secrete machismo from every orifice. He is the personification of α. If, for example, we are threatened with an attack from Lisa Kudrowne Warfare, your character is our only… [inaudible] I don’t know which bicep, but I need more bicep.” ...somewhere/anywhere/everywhere, a text reads: “I’m here.” Final Scene: Niko Krommydas, now The Director, films a covey of cupcakes performing various calisthenics, at submaximal intensity, for several hours—maybe months. This eventually fades into an ink-black screen, cuing Lisa Kudrow’s subpar remake of Phoebe Buffay’s “Smelly Cat.” Credits. Narrator: The reader of Niko Krommydas’ blog, Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, will now rise to piss and, upon his/her return, opt to select Open New Tab… [New Tab: Mother Asks Child To Do Homework, You Won’t Believe The 136 Epic Responses From Child!] Bonus DVD Commentary: “I exist between the interzones of bloggery and unbloggery,” I say, “where the roastiness lingers beneath a sepulcher of pulsating dustfarts.” Real Story From Creator of Beer Story Time! “Lethal Cupcake is the nickname of a special someone in my life who is both warm and fuzzy, yet packs a walloping punch: my 10-year-old daughter, Marris. It was just her birthday last week, so I consider this beer to be a special gift to her. Marris is now a blue belt in Japanese karate at Heijoshin Dojo in Bay Shore, and as angelic and delicate as she might appear, she’s a fierce competitor who finishes her opponents off with ease—all while smiling with a gleam in her eye, of course. Yes, she’s a lethal cupcake. For fun, we decided to create a science fiction-inspired story on the side of the 22-ounce bottles about mutant, man-eating cupcakes. I’ll save the rest of the story for when you get your bottle. As for the beer, a blend of chocolate and English dark crystal malts give this brew its chocolate cupcake characteristics: a deep brown color, and aromas and flavors of toasty, rich cocoa and malty caramel. As an homage to our forefathers, we also threw in some brown malt, a variety now nearly extinct yet obligatory in classic porters of the early 20th century. While the brown malt lends another unique roasty taste and complexity to this beer, chocolate is the main flavor here—a clean and rich chocolate, which is balanced and bittered by East Kent Golding and Bravo hops.” [Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery] Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-03-14T21:46:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/like-father-not-like-son-a-peek-inside-the-first-beers-of-barrage-brewing-c http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/like-father-not-like-son-a-peek-inside-the-first-beers-of-barrage-brewing-c#When:16:27:00Z (L-R) Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster of Barrage Brewing Company, and his son, Adam. (Credit: Beer Loves Company) Adam Pominski hates beer. He’s consumed “exactly seven, and every single one tastes the same.” Steve Pominski, his father, is owner and brewmaster of Farmingdale’s Barrage Brewing Company, the newest brewery on Long Island. Steve likes beer. A lot. After several roadblocks, which were eventually smackdowned by a $18,800-raised Kickstarter in 2013, Barrage Brewing opened on January 26. Adam has never swallowed a driblet of liquid from his father’s one-barrel brewery, but “helps a lot with the brewing, and also does all the logos and design work,” says Steve. “I couldn’t do this alone.” Adam downplays his role at Barrage Brewing, however: “I’m a glorified janitor. I really just help out my dad with what he needs.” Barrage Brewing Company (Credit: Beer Loves Company) Adam and Steve are both descendants of King Pominskian III, Duke of Barley, the first member of the Parliamentary House of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons of Hops. King Pominskian, who created the House of Commons of Hops in 1743, was a gifted-ass brewer, and wanted an aristocratic platform to showcase his aptitude. He was eventually banished from Lord-dom in 1757, however, and executed in Wortsville Square. Why? He was allergic to beer. King Pominskian III beering near a popular pastime during the 18th century, The Arcade Game Console. Despite their differences on imbibery, Adam and Steve share the blood of King Pominskian and, thus, will always pulsate with the memory of his wrongful persecution. They have vowed to honor him with Barrage Brewing. They will never forget. To display their solidarity, Adam and Steve agreed to discuss Barrage Brewing’s first five beers for Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! Fairytale Red Ale//5.6% ABV Steve Pominski: “If anything, I would consider this our flagship. This is basically a traditional Irish red ale, but we made it a little hoppier. Traditionally an Irish red is usually very malty, and even has a little sourness to it from the grains being used. We decided to add some complexity with Amarillo, Citra, and Simcoe hops. It adds some floral notes to the beer, but it’s not a hop-bomb, or overly bitter.” Adam Pominski: “Candy, or something light and sweet. I don’t know. The name doesn’t really evoke a strong taste, or anything manly. But from what I heard, it’s a very hoppy red ale.” McLaughlin’s Folly//5.7% ABV SP: “A buddy of mine, Scott McLaughlin, loves oatmeal raisin vanilla cookies. He also loves stouts, and asked me in 2011 if I could brew something that combined both. This is it. People can’t quite put their finger on the end flavor to it. They think it’s vanilla, but it’s actually the raisins. The raisins are pretty prominent. They have this odd flavor in beer, especially when they’re boiled in the wort. This was the first stout recipe we brewed for Barrage. I’d consider it a stout with light chocolate notes. The raisins and vanilla are the main flavors.” AP: “It’s named for one of my dad’s friends. He’s a big and scary dude, so I would think this has to be really strong—like 190% ABV. But the irony is, a lot of people say it tastes like an oatmeal vanilla raisin cookie.” Citralization//6.0% ABV SP: “I wanted to do a beer with only one hop variety, but I didn’t want this to be an IPA. This is basically a light-bodied American pale ale that’s easy to drink, in the vein of [Three Floyds Brewing Company] Gumbballhead and Zombie Dust. We didn’t use any hops in the boil, so it’s not overly bitter. It’s all in the aroma. It’s more of a grapefruit note than, say, lemon. Citra doesn’t automatically mean citrus.” AP: “I’m guessing oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, or anything full of citrus. That’s somewhat wrong, apparently. Citra hops don’t necessarily impart citrusy notes. Didn’t know that.” Famous Last Words//11.0% ABV SP: “This is our Russian imperial stout, which was originally named Alexander’s Prohibition Stout for my grandfather, who used to brew beer in his bathtub during Prohibition. He lived in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn. It’s a huge beer, meaning thick and chocolatey, with a lot of coffee flavor. We actually use a small amount of coffee in the boil. The grain bill for this beer is tremendous—probably 130 pounds per barrel. We’re right at the top of the mash tun. We also age this beer with oak staves. I feel like the bourbon barrels were getting too gimmicky. I guess because it’s so thick and chocolatey, you don’t get any hint of alcohol to it. There isn’t any burn. It costs a ton to brew, but it came out just the way I was hoping. It’s perfect.” AP: “I only know what my dad told me about him: He used to cook up beer or moonshine in the bathtub. This is a Russian imperial stout, so I assume its just very strong chocolate milk. Almost as if Johnny Walker, Yoo-Hoo, and Nyquil had a threesome. That’ll knock your ass out.” Necromancer Double IPA//7.0% ABV SP: “A necromancer controls lost souls, so I wanted the name to represent how we’re controlling the hop souls in this beer. It’s our only double IPA, but it’s hoppiness is mild—only a light hop aroma. It’s brewed with honey, too, which cuts through the bitterness. This is our newest beer to come out. It just debuted [on February 09].” AP: “I just imagine that when you drink it, you need to be sitting in a chalk-drawn ritual circle, reading from some book of the dead. Other then that, I assume it tastes like bones and dirt, with a touch of honey.” (L-R) Steve Pominski, owner and brewmaster of Barrage Brewing Company, and his son, Adam. (Credit: Beer Loves Company) Adam Pominski hates beer. He’s consumed “exactly seven, and every single one tastes the same.” Steve Pominski, his father, is owner and brewmaster of Farmingdale’s Barrage Brewing Company, the newest brewery on Long Island. Steve likes beer. A lot. After several roadblocks, which were eventually smackdowned by a $18,800-raised Kickstarter in 2013, Barrage Brewing opened on January 26. Adam has never swallowed a driblet of liquid from his father’s one-barrel brewery, but “helps a lot with the brewing, and also does all the logos and design work,” says Steve. “I couldn’t do this alone.” Adam downplays his role at Barrage Brewing, however: “I’m a glorified janitor. I really just help out my dad with what he needs.” Barrage Brewing Company (Credit: Beer Loves Company) Adam and Steve are both descendants of King Pominskian III, Duke of Barley, the first member of the Parliamentary House of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons of Hops. King Pominskian, who created the House of Commons of Hops in 1743, was a gifted-ass brewer, and wanted an aristocratic platform to showcase his aptitude. He was eventually banished from Lord-dom in 1757, however, and executed in Wortsville Square. Why? He was allergic to beer. King Pominskian III beering near a popular pastime during the 18th century, The Arcade Game Console. Despite their differences on imbibery, Adam and Steve share the blood of King Pominskian and, thus, will always pulsate with the memory of his wrongful persecution. They have vowed to honor him with Barrage Brewing. They will never forget. To display their solidarity, Adam and Steve agreed to discuss Barrage Brewing’s first five beers for Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! Fairytale Red Ale//5.6% ABV Steve Pominski: “If anything, I would consider this our flagship. This is basically a traditional Irish red ale, but we made it a little hoppier. Traditionally an Irish red is usually very malty, and even has a little sourness to it from the grains being used. We decided to add some complexity with Amarillo, Citra, and Simcoe hops. It adds some floral notes to the beer, but it’s not a hop-bomb, or overly bitter.” Adam Pominski: “Candy, or something light and sweet. I don’t know. The name doesn’t really evoke a strong taste, or anything manly. But from what I heard, it’s a very hoppy red ale.” McLaughlin’s Folly//5.7% ABV SP: “A buddy of mine, Scott McLaughlin, loves oatmeal raisin vanilla cookies. He also loves stouts, and asked me in 2011 if I could brew something that combined both. This is it. People can’t quite put their finger on the end flavor to it. They think it’s vanilla, but it’s actually the raisins. The raisins are pretty prominent. They have this odd flavor in beer, especially when they’re boiled in the wort. This was the first stout recipe we brewed for Barrage. I’d consider it a stout with light chocolate notes. The raisins and vanilla are the main flavors.” AP: “It’s named for one of my dad’s friends. He’s a big and scary dude, so I would think this has to be really strong—like 190% ABV. But the irony is, a lot of people say it tastes like an oatmeal vanilla raisin cookie.” Citralization//6.0% ABV SP: “I wanted to do a beer with only one hop variety, but I didn’t want this to be an IPA. This is basically a light-bodied American pale ale that’s easy to drink, in the vein of [Three Floyds Brewing Company] Gumbballhead and Zombie Dust. We didn’t use any hops in the boil, so it’s not overly bitter. It’s all in the aroma. It’s more of a grapefruit note than, say, lemon. Citra doesn’t automatically mean citrus.” AP: “I’m guessing oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, or anything full of citrus. That’s somewhat wrong, apparently. Citra hops don’t necessarily impart citrusy notes. Didn’t know that.” Famous Last Words//11.0% ABV SP: “This is our Russian imperial stout, which was originally named Alexander’s Prohibition Stout for my grandfather, who used to brew beer in his bathtub during Prohibition. He lived in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn. It’s a huge beer, meaning thick and chocolatey, with a lot of coffee flavor. We actually use a small amount of coffee in the boil. The grain bill for this beer is tremendous—probably 130 pounds per barrel. We’re right at the top of the mash tun. We also age this beer with oak staves. I feel like the bourbon barrels were getting too gimmicky. I guess because it’s so thick and chocolatey, you don’t get any hint of alcohol to it. There isn’t any burn. It costs a ton to brew, but it came out just the way I was hoping. It’s perfect.” AP: “I only know what my dad told me about him: He used to cook up beer or moonshine in the bathtub. This is a Russian imperial stout, so I assume its just very strong chocolate milk. Almost as if Johnny Walker, Yoo-Hoo, and Nyquil had a threesome. That’ll knock your ass out.” Necromancer Double IPA//7.0% ABV SP: “A necromancer controls lost souls, so I wanted the name to represent how we’re controlling the hop souls in this beer. It’s our only double IPA, but it’s hoppiness is mild—only a light hop aroma. It’s brewed with honey, too, which cuts through the bitterness. This is our newest beer to come out. It just debuted [on February 09].” AP: “I just imagine that when you drink it, you need to be sitting in a chalk-drawn ritual circle, reading from some book of the dead. Other then that, I assume it tastes like bones and dirt, with a touch of honey.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-02-14T16:27:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-dissection-of-anheuser-busch-inbev-blue-point-brewing-company-part-i http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-dissection-of-anheuser-busch-inbev-blue-point-brewing-company-part-i#When:14:30:00Z Mark Burford and Pete Cotter (L-R), owners of Blue Point Brewing Company (Credit: Blue Point Brewing Co.) I witnessed a slew of sludge-filled hateballs catapulted toward Patchogue, following the announcement of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of Blue Point Brewing Company. SPLAT. KERPLUNCHT. SPLAT. I wanted to wait until additional details unfolded, initially, but the buildup of sludge—particularly on Facebook—was grotesque, and too stenchy to ignore. It smelled terrible. I’ll provide some examples: “This is awful news.” “One of my favorite beer companies sold out to the big man.” “I suspect they’ll close the Patchogue location and consolidate.” “Toasted Lager Lite?” “Ready for cheap concentrated blueberry juice added to a cheap lager to replace the blueberry ale?” The sludgery continued… “Remember when Blue Point -joked- about getting bought by MillerCoors?” “i’m never supporting them again.” “Time to buy BP brews while the recipe is still unadulterated. Best wishes.” “Blue Point…say it ain’t so…” Then… Seriously? You’re selling glassware? Stop. Everyone. Please. Stop. The New York Times wrote “Terms of the deal between Blue Point and the United States arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev were not disclosed,” so presently, we can only speculate. MUST WE ALSO SPECU-HATE, THOUGH? We could explore a probably-similar transaction, such as Anheuser-Busch’s purchase of Goose Island Beer Company in 2011, or Duvel Moortgat’s gimme-takey of Boulevard Brewing Company in 2013. We could also criticize Blue Point’s now-ironic prank on April’s Fool Day in 2011—a jab at Anheuser-Busch and Goose Island—announcing its alliance with MillerCoors, another conglomo-brewery. ...or we could just Wait N’ Stop Da Hate. Blue Point, which opened in 1998, is an iconic institution on Long Island. This is undeniable. And I expected post-announcement disappointment from Long Islanders, because on Long Island, Blue Point is not a brewery, but a deity—a holy and cherished emblem of local. Anheuser-Busch, conversely, is not an emblem of local. It is faceless, and the producer of Budweiser, once an enemy of Blue Point’s flagship, Toasted Lager. ...but now the enemies are allies. Long Island feels betrayed. Confused. Abandoned. It’s unfair to assume the death of Blue Point, however, or expect the creation of Toasted Lager Lite. A commercial with Mark Burford and Pete Cotter, riding a pair of Versace-hoofed Budweiser Clydesdales? C’mon. The initial opinions—no, judgments—were harsh and premature. As I witnessed a slew of sludge-filled hateballs catapulted toward Patchogue, I wanted to disintegrate-by-deathray them, because Blue Point deserves better. After 16 years of brewing on Long lsland, which will continue under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch, Blue Point deserves our support. They’ve earned it. I’ll depart with a quote from Jim Richards, brewer at Blue Point, via Facebook: “Ok so everyone has seen the news Bp has been bought. I am very sad to see such venom and hate being thrown around. Mark and Pete built Bp from nothing and has earned everything they have gotten. This is only going to make us stronger. It will still be Armchair, Eric and me rocking out the brewhouse. We just now have more support and resources at our disposal. This will allow us to do more for our patrons…I will have the ability to make more high quality beer and have some amazing people teaching me more and helping me and the rest our staff evolve into better brewers. It has always been about the beer and always will be. As I said I am just kind of hurt by all negative response. I truly love Blue Point and love the beers we make and all the people I have met by having the honor of brewing our beer.” STAY TUNED FOR PART II Mark Burford and Pete Cotter (L-R), owners of Blue Point Brewing Company (Credit: Blue Point Brewing Co.) I witnessed a slew of sludge-filled hateballs catapulted toward Patchogue, following the announcement of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of Blue Point Brewing Company. SPLAT. KERPLUNCHT. SPLAT. I wanted to wait until additional details unfolded, initially, but the buildup of sludge—particularly on Facebook—was grotesque, and too stenchy to ignore. It smelled terrible. I’ll provide some examples: “This is awful news.” “One of my favorite beer companies sold out to the big man.” “I suspect they’ll close the Patchogue location and consolidate.” “Toasted Lager Lite?” “Ready for cheap concentrated blueberry juice added to a cheap lager to replace the blueberry ale?” The sludgery continued… “Remember when Blue Point -joked- about getting bought by MillerCoors?” “i’m never supporting them again.” “Time to buy BP brews while the recipe is still unadulterated. Best wishes.” “Blue Point…say it ain’t so…” Then… Seriously? You’re selling glassware? Stop. Everyone. Please. Stop. The New York Times wrote “Terms of the deal between Blue Point and the United States arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev were not disclosed,” so presently, we can only speculate. MUST WE ALSO SPECU-HATE, THOUGH? We could explore a probably-similar transaction, such as Anheuser-Busch’s purchase of Goose Island Beer Company in 2011, or Duvel Moortgat’s gimme-takey of Boulevard Brewing Company in 2013. We could also criticize Blue Point’s now-ironic prank on April’s Fool Day in 2011—a jab at Anheuser-Busch and Goose Island—announcing its alliance with MillerCoors, another conglomo-brewery. ...or we could just Wait N’ Stop Da Hate. Blue Point, which opened in 1998, is an iconic institution on Long Island. This is undeniable. And I expected post-announcement disappointment from Long Islanders, because on Long Island, Blue Point is not a brewery, but a deity—a holy and cherished emblem of local. Anheuser-Busch, conversely, is not an emblem of local. It is faceless, and the producer of Budweiser, once an enemy of Blue Point’s flagship, Toasted Lager. ...but now the enemies are allies. Long Island feels betrayed. Confused. Abandoned. It’s unfair to assume the death of Blue Point, however, or expect the creation of Toasted Lager Lite. A commercial with Mark Burford and Pete Cotter, riding a pair of Versace-hoofed Budweiser Clydesdales? C’mon. The initial opinions—no, judgments—were harsh and premature. As I witnessed a slew of sludge-filled hateballs catapulted toward Patchogue, I wanted to disintegrate-by-deathray them, because Blue Point deserves better. After 16 years of brewing on Long lsland, which will continue under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch, Blue Point deserves our support. They’ve earned it. I’ll depart with a quote from Jim Richards, brewer at Blue Point, via Facebook: “Ok so everyone has seen the news Bp has been bought. I am very sad to see such venom and hate being thrown around. Mark and Pete built Bp from nothing and has earned everything they have gotten. This is only going to make us stronger. It will still be Armchair, Eric and me rocking out the brewhouse. We just now have more support and resources at our disposal. This will allow us to do more for our patrons…I will have the ability to make more high quality beer and have some amazing people teaching me more and helping me and the rest our staff evolve into better brewers. It has always been about the beer and always will be. As I said I am just kind of hurt by all negative response. I truly love Blue Point and love the beers we make and all the people I have met by having the honor of brewing our beer.” STAY TUNED FOR PART II Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-02-06T14:30:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-barrier-brewing-company-tenderfoot http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/drank-that-local-sht-barrier-brewing-company-tenderfoot#When:20:26:00Z Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers, with assistance from their creators. Barrier Brewing Company//Tenderfoot Tenderfoot (Credit: Barrier Brewing Company) Style: IPA ABV: 9.1% Date of Birth: 12/31/13 Super Neat Beer Descriptors: Tropical, Juice, Plant-Viney, Not-That-Bitter “This is a historic beer for us, and for me, personally. This was one of the first homebrewed beers I brought to Shane [C. Welch] when I worked at Sixpoint [Craft Ales], because I felt like I nailed it. And he agreed. It felt great. Tenderfoot harkens back to the traditional IPA, but not traditional in a balanced sense. It’s traditional as in more of a classic flavor profile sense. It features Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops because those were the popular IPA hops at the time—before the Citras and Simcoes became popular—and therefore contribute a more classic 90’s era flavor profile. It was a time when a balance of hop and malt flavors was also preferred over the over-the-top hop bombs that are so commonplace today. That’s why we jokingly call it a ‘historical’ IPA, too. It’s amazing how much the IPA palette has shifted in such a short amount of time. It’s nice to drink a beer from a somewhat bygone era. Tenderfoot is a well-brewed beer that’s just easy to drink. It’s hoppy, but not too hoppy. Since it was one of my earlier homebrews, I named it after the first rank in the Boy Scouts [of America]. It’s where everyone get started on their path to Eagle Scout, but few make it all the way. I’m actually an Eagle Scout, so being able to brew this early homebrew recipe now in my own brewery feels like a similar accomplishment of making it all the way through the brewing ranks.” [Craig Frymark, co-owner of Barrier Brewing Company] Drank That Local Sh*t explores the nitty-gritty of Long Island-born beers, with assistance from their creators. Barrier Brewing Company//Tenderfoot Tenderfoot (Credit: Barrier Brewing Company) Style: IPA ABV: 9.1% Date of Birth: 12/31/13 Super Neat Beer Descriptors: Tropical, Juice, Plant-Viney, Not-That-Bitter “This is a historic beer for us, and for me, personally. This was one of the first homebrewed beers I brought to Shane [C. Welch] when I worked at Sixpoint [Craft Ales], because I felt like I nailed it. And he agreed. It felt great. Tenderfoot harkens back to the traditional IPA, but not traditional in a balanced sense. It’s traditional as in more of a classic flavor profile sense. It features Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops because those were the popular IPA hops at the time—before the Citras and Simcoes became popular—and therefore contribute a more classic 90’s era flavor profile. It was a time when a balance of hop and malt flavors was also preferred over the over-the-top hop bombs that are so commonplace today. That’s why we jokingly call it a ‘historical’ IPA, too. It’s amazing how much the IPA palette has shifted in such a short amount of time. It’s nice to drink a beer from a somewhat bygone era. Tenderfoot is a well-brewed beer that’s just easy to drink. It’s hoppy, but not too hoppy. Since it was one of my earlier homebrews, I named it after the first rank in the Boy Scouts [of America]. It’s where everyone get started on their path to Eagle Scout, but few make it all the way. I’m actually an Eagle Scout, so being able to brew this early homebrew recipe now in my own brewery feels like a similar accomplishment of making it all the way through the brewing ranks.” [Craig Frymark, co-owner of Barrier Brewing Company] Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2014-01-18T20:26:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blind-bat-brewery...and-his-village-people http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blind-bat-brewery...and-his-village-people#When:22:16:00Z Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat Brewery (Credit: Matt Furman) This is a line from Paul Dlugokencky’s new song, “In the Recipe”: I want you, I want you, I want you for a recipe review. Dlugokencky, who released “In the Recipe” on April 09, is owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat Brewery, the first recipient of Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!‘s Most Loyal To Local Award! Congratulations, Blind Bat! Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! Most Loyal To Local Award Blind Bat operates from Dlugokencky’s residence—his shed, specifically—in Centerport, creating unconventional beers with seasonal, Long Island-sourced ingredients. Sweet Potato Saison, for example, is brewed with sweet potatoes from Riverhead’s Ty Llwyd Farm or Peconic’s Sang Lee Farms, depending on availability, while Brown Joe, a coffee-infused brown ale, is a collaboration with Gentle Brew Coffee Roasters in Long Beach. Dlugokencky also sources ingredients from his wife, Regina, who soil-creates basil for Honey & Basil Ale and coriander for Hell Gate Golde— BUT DID YOU KNOW BEFORE BREWMASTERING, DLUGOKENCKY WAS KNOWN AS DISCO DLUGOKENCKY, THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE PEOPLE? YES HE WAS THE GROUP’S BREAKDANCER AT ONLY SIX YEARS OLD. THIS JUST BLOWED YOUR MIND LIKE ALL THE LINKS PEOPLE POST ON FACEBOOK ABOUT 47 EPIC FACTS ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL COMPLETELY ALTER YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD AND KANYE WEST. Disco Dlugokencky, the Village People’s six-year-old breakdancer, in 1978 (Credit: Paul Dlugokencky) Okay. Dlugokencky was never a member of the Village People, but the influence is obvious. His aforementioned song, “In the Recipe,” was actually inspired by the Village People’s “In the Navy.” In the Recipe, You can tell me what you liked, In the Recipe, I hope you think I brewed this right. Okay. The connection between Dlugokencky and the Village People is actually nonexistent, and “In the Recipe” is not a real song. A connection does exist, however, between Dlugokencky and HIS Village People, or customers. This is evidenced by a section on Blind Bat’s website, Judge, which enables drinkers to give direct-to-Dlugokencky feedback on his beers. “Feedback can be helpful, and also helps me to learn if what I was aiming for is what folks are getting,” said Dlugokencky. “Tweaks may or may not be made based on feedback, but it is a bit of audience participation.” This “audience participation” actually inspired Dlugokencky’s newest-newest song, “Macho Fan.” It was released…now. Macho, Macho Fan, When they review my beer, They are a Macho Fan. Okay. “Macho Fan” is bogus. Redo! Dlugokencky’s latest request for “audience participation” accompanied the debut of Blind Bat’s Long Island Oyster Stout, brewed with oysters from Northport Fish & Lobster Co. (their befriendment started at Northport Farmers’ Market, where both are vendors). The 10-gallon batch was divided into two versions, and Dlugokencky pumped one with Sorachi Ace hops. “I haven’t heard of any stout dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace, be it Oyster or otherwise,” said Dlugokencky. “Sorachi Ace can lend a lemony, citrusy quality, so the idea here was inspired by the practice by some people squeezing lemon on their oysters.” Blind Bat Brewery released two versions of Long Island Oyster Stout on November 23 After releasing both versions of Long Island Oyster Stout at Babylon Village Farmers Market on November 23, Dlugokencky asked purchasers for their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, and Untappd. “I likes both, but prefer the non-dry hopped one,” said Keith Palazzolo. “Young man, there’s no need to feel down,” said Victor Willis. Dlugokencky will use the feedback, “which was about split on the responses,” to brew the next batch of Long Island Oyster Stout in “either late December or sometime in January.” The batch will, again, be divided and Sorachi-Aced. YMCA? NO. TTYL. More Blog, Please Dlugokencky also requested “audience participation” in March, with the launch of The Blind Bat Brewery Club. Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat Brewery (Credit: Matt Furman) This is a line from Paul Dlugokencky’s new song, “In the Recipe”: I want you, I want you, I want you for a recipe review. Dlugokencky, who released “In the Recipe” on April 09, is owner and brewmaster of Blind Bat Brewery, the first recipient of Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!‘s Most Loyal To Local Award! Congratulations, Blind Bat! Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! Most Loyal To Local Award Blind Bat operates from Dlugokencky’s residence—his shed, specifically—in Centerport, creating unconventional beers with seasonal, Long Island-sourced ingredients. Sweet Potato Saison, for example, is brewed with sweet potatoes from Riverhead’s Ty Llwyd Farm or Peconic’s Sang Lee Farms, depending on availability, while Brown Joe, a coffee-infused brown ale, is a collaboration with Gentle Brew Coffee Roasters in Long Beach. Dlugokencky also sources ingredients from his wife, Regina, who soil-creates basil for Honey & Basil Ale and coriander for Hell Gate Golde— BUT DID YOU KNOW BEFORE BREWMASTERING, DLUGOKENCKY WAS KNOWN AS DISCO DLUGOKENCKY, THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE PEOPLE? YES HE WAS THE GROUP’S BREAKDANCER AT ONLY SIX YEARS OLD. THIS JUST BLOWED YOUR MIND LIKE ALL THE LINKS PEOPLE POST ON FACEBOOK ABOUT 47 EPIC FACTS ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL COMPLETELY ALTER YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD AND KANYE WEST. Disco Dlugokencky, the Village People’s six-year-old breakdancer, in 1978 (Credit: Paul Dlugokencky) Okay. Dlugokencky was never a member of the Village People, but the influence is obvious. His aforementioned song, “In the Recipe,” was actually inspired by the Village People’s “In the Navy.” In the Recipe, You can tell me what you liked, In the Recipe, I hope you think I brewed this right. Okay. The connection between Dlugokencky and the Village People is actually nonexistent, and “In the Recipe” is not a real song. A connection does exist, however, between Dlugokencky and HIS Village People, or customers. This is evidenced by a section on Blind Bat’s website, Judge, which enables drinkers to give direct-to-Dlugokencky feedback on his beers. “Feedback can be helpful, and also helps me to learn if what I was aiming for is what folks are getting,” said Dlugokencky. “Tweaks may or may not be made based on feedback, but it is a bit of audience participation.” This “audience participation” actually inspired Dlugokencky’s newest-newest song, “Macho Fan.” It was released…now. Macho, Macho Fan, When they review my beer, They are a Macho Fan. Okay. “Macho Fan” is bogus. Redo! Dlugokencky’s latest request for “audience participation” accompanied the debut of Blind Bat’s Long Island Oyster Stout, brewed with oysters from Northport Fish & Lobster Co. (their befriendment started at Northport Farmers’ Market, where both are vendors). The 10-gallon batch was divided into two versions, and Dlugokencky pumped one with Sorachi Ace hops. “I haven’t heard of any stout dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace, be it Oyster or otherwise,” said Dlugokencky. “Sorachi Ace can lend a lemony, citrusy quality, so the idea here was inspired by the practice by some people squeezing lemon on their oysters.” Blind Bat Brewery released two versions of Long Island Oyster Stout on November 23 After releasing both versions of Long Island Oyster Stout at Babylon Village Farmers Market on November 23, Dlugokencky asked purchasers for their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, and Untappd. “I likes both, but prefer the non-dry hopped one,” said Keith Palazzolo. “Young man, there’s no need to feel down,” said Victor Willis. Dlugokencky will use the feedback, “which was about split on the responses,” to brew the next batch of Long Island Oyster Stout in “either late December or sometime in January.” The batch will, again, be divided and Sorachi-Aced. YMCA? NO. TTYL. More Blog, Please Dlugokencky also requested “audience participation” in March, with the launch of The Blind Bat Brewery Club. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-12-26T22:16:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/brewers-discussing-beer-the-ups-and-downs-of-contract-brewing-by-rick-sobot http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/brewers-discussing-beer-the-ups-and-downs-of-contract-brewing-by-rick-sobot#When:16:46:00Z “It’s a controversial topic, capable of eliciting confusion, discomfort, and, during one unfortunate encounter in Bay Shore, murder. CONTRACT KILLING? NO. CONTRACT BREWING…ON THE NEXT MAURY.” [:: Changes Channel ::] “CONTRACT BREWING! It’s controversial, but so hot right now. CONTRACT BREWING.” [:: Changes Channel ::] “It’s a controversial topic, capable of instantaneously injecting discomfort into a conversation among, or regarding, brewers.” (DUN DUN DUN) “Yes. We are referring to contract brewing…” [Bingo.] The Brewers Association defines a contract brewing company as a “business that hires another brewery to produce its beer. It can also be a brewery that hires another brewery to produce additional beer.” This process, in either scenario, is essentially outsourcing, openly practiced in an industry erected by handcrafted. Should outsourcing, or contract brewing, be allowed? Greg Doroski, brewer at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, e-penned a controversial op-ed on contract brewing for New York Cork Report in 2012, stating “there are far too many ‘breweries’ that brew little, if any, of their own beer,” and “hiring other breweries to produce some or all of their beer is particularly troubling.” Though contract-brewed beer only accounted for 1.7% of sales in 2012, the process is definitely employed—even on Long Island, home of Greenport Harbor. Fire Island Beer Company currently contracts with Two Roads Brewing Company, for example, while Spider Bite Beer Company and Montauk Brewing Company are produced at Cooperstown Brewing Company. Blue Point Brewing Company, the unofficial spokesbrewery for Long Island, even outsources cans and 12-ounce bottles to Genesee Brewing Company. Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery, is also connected to contract brewing. Before opening a 30-barrel brewery in Bay Shore in May, Great South Bay Brewery contracted with Greenpoint Beer Works for nearly three years. Sobotka, a homebrewer for 22 years, never aspired to contract, but— WAIT LET’S ASK SOBOTKA…BUT NOW, NOT ON THE NEXT MAURY. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! asked Sobotka to discuss his experience with, and opinion of, contract brewing. This is our second Brewers Discussing Beer. Enjoy. Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery (Credit: Matt Furman) The Ups and Downs of Contract Brewing Great South Bay Brewery took its first steps in 2009, when I decided to rent a small industrial building at 2309 Union Avenue in Bay Shore. While building this one-barrel brewhouse, I was already in the purchasing stages of a 30-barrel brewhouse and began negotiations to occupy a 4,000-square-foot building on an adjacent piece of property. Perfect, right? What seemed like a straightforward deal turned into a complex mess, and a tiresome losing battle. There were county requirements, which presented hard financial strain to expand the brewery to this property, and it just didn’t pan out. Although the one-barrel brewhouse would eventually produce some of our beer, the economics of this small-volume setup did not work out for our company to make a profit. As our licenses and permits were approved, it appeared obvious that my dream of opening Great South Bay Brewery as, well, a brewery, would be delayed. But I had already employed two full-time people—Greg Maisch, as my head brewer, and Phil Ebel, as my salesman. I was left with a difficult decision to make: either delay the opening, or try something else… Sixpoint Craft Ales had just ended its contract with Greenpoint Beer Works in Brooklyn, New York, and the space was available. In all my 22 years of homebrewing, I had never desired to have anyone else brew my beer. I basically equated contract brewing with store-bought cookies: good, but not nearly the same as homemade. But as a novice in the industry, I was left with no choice. We decided to sign and the first batch of our beer was produced in October 2010. My goal was to contract brew for three months and within that time, our own 30-barrel brewery would be built. We’d use this just to get off our feet… Greenpoint makes great beer. There is no doubt about it. Having brewed for over 20 different companies, its track record for helping fellow brewers get on the right path was quite admirable. The first discussion between our companies was to choose the styles of beer that it would brew for us, and I decided on two of my favorites as a homebrewer: Blonde Ambition Ale and Massive IPA. The ingredients and brewing notes were given to Greenpoint, and the pricing negotiation ensued. What I didn’t take into account was that Greenpoint brewed on a 30-barrel brewhouse. The math that I had done for our own setup showed a modest but sizable profit for its size, but now, that same profit had to be split between two companies. I was given a fair price for contracting, but it left us with virtually no profit from the reselling of our beer to our distributor. I had not intended to personally profit from brewing at this time, but the sales from contract brewing left us with a big loss for the first two years. Although we appeared successful to our customers and the general public, we actually struggled to make ends meet. We began our first few months with Greenpoint very hands-on, instructing its team how to brew our beer, and the result was really good. Blonde Ambition Ale was very similar to its original taste and took off as the big seller. Massive IPA had to change, however, from when it won a bronze medal at Tap New York in 2010. It was much more expensive to brew now, and to give it a reasonable market price, I had to cut down on the amounts and varieties of hops used to brew it—thus the change in taste. I was initially disappointed but I knew that this version was temporary, so I continued to focus on the future of brewing the original on our smaller brewhouse. But what was supposed to be three months of contract brewing turned into almost an almost three-year relationship. There is a long drawn story behind this delay, but I’ll stick to the topic… My team grew from three employees to five by 2011, and we worked endlessly to build our brand. Every couple of months, we invested in purchasing new kegs to meet our new demand. Unfortunately, because we had no experience to measure against, we never anticipated our next crisis. In the summer of 2011, Blonde Ambition Ale sold at an amazingly aggressive pace. We had already doubled our production of this beer, but we couldn’t keep up. A contract brewer basically produces beer with a long term, well-orchestrated production schedule, and to change this schedule is very difficult. It’s difficult because, by brewing more of my beer, the contract brewer faces a few dilemmas, like sacrificing another company’s planned batch, or possibly needing to hire new employees or purchase more equipment. Although we analyzed the brewing schedule with Greenpoint, we couldn’t get supplied with enough Blonde Ambition Ale. What may seem like a good problem to have still haunts me to this very day. By having a limited supply of beer, it wears on the trust of our loyal customers and our distributor, who we promised both there would be more. I figured this was merely a growing pain and within a few months, we would remedy the supply issue, or our new brewery would be built and we would leave contract brewing. Well, to forecast the future a little bit, the problem grew even worse in the summer of 2012, and then spiraled out of control in 2013… In the summer of 2012 we introduced a new beer: Blood Orange Pale Ale. This had been brewed on our own one-barrel brewhouse, and we experimented with it for quite some time. That’s what we used the smaller brewhouse for, basically. Anyway, our final product is what I believe to be one of the most dynamic beers on the market today, appealing to all types of drinkers. Its fruitiness appeals to novice and fruit-loving palates, while the smooth balance of bitterness greatly satisfies the aficionado. With a beer that had plenty of potential, we were curious to see how it would stack up against Blonde Ambition Ale. The result? Blood Orange Pale Ale outsold it, creating yet another shortage. This was a crisis. Because of it, we lost several customers who, to this day, will not buy our beer. It may seem trivial, but I fully understand the problems the shortage created and it is very difficult to place any blame on my lost customers. Anyway, we got through that summer and pressed on, introducing many more styles, including Snaggletooth Stout, Kismet Saison, and Splashing Pumpkin Ale. Greenpoint was now producing approximately quadruple the amount of beer it had originally planned for us, but as a result, the relationship grew a bit strained. The plan was always to produce beer on our own, and in the beginning of 2013, we were well underway with the construction of our new 30-barrel brewhouse at 25 Drexel Drive in Bay Shore. But the completion date, which was targeted as January 15, got delayed until March, and Greenpoint again struggled with meeting the change. At the end of March, we were cranking out so much beer that something had to give. Kelly Taylor, co-owner of Greenpoint, gave us one more month. At the end of that month, though, I begged him to brew me one more batch of Blood Orange Pale Ale. It was the longest and most silent conversation he and I had ever had. At the end of it, he agreed to bump another beer and help. He’s really a stand-up guy. Although we had no beer to sell from May 11-May 21, our brewery was finally ready. We lead a customer-focused campaign to reassure them that we were coming back soon in bigger forces than before—and I feel like we did. We’ve brewed and packaged every single drop of beer since May, and the new brewery has been one of the happiest and greatest successes of my life. But we’re still proud of our history. I truly believe Greenpoint did all they could for us. Out of all the batches it brewed for us, only a few were quite different from what we expected. A new brewer there had accidently emptied a stout into our batch of Kismet Saison, for example. Thankfully we were not held responsible to purchase it. Our Blood Orange also had some growing pains. At times it was too orangey, then not so orangey, but ultimately it was remedied. There are many issues you have to accept when contract brewing, but its a risk I needed and wanted to take. These challenges enabled my company, and myself, to grow, and now, my future looks bright…and beery. —Rick Sobotka “It’s a controversial topic, capable of eliciting confusion, discomfort, and, during one unfortunate encounter in Bay Shore, murder. CONTRACT KILLING? NO. CONTRACT BREWING…ON THE NEXT MAURY.” [:: Changes Channel ::] “CONTRACT BREWING! It’s controversial, but so hot right now. CONTRACT BREWING.” [:: Changes Channel ::] “It’s a controversial topic, capable of instantaneously injecting discomfort into a conversation among, or regarding, brewers.” (DUN DUN DUN) “Yes. We are referring to contract brewing…” [Bingo.] The Brewers Association defines a contract brewing company as a “business that hires another brewery to produce its beer. It can also be a brewery that hires another brewery to produce additional beer.” This process, in either scenario, is essentially outsourcing, openly practiced in an industry erected by handcrafted. Should outsourcing, or contract brewing, be allowed? Greg Doroski, brewer at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, e-penned a controversial op-ed on contract brewing for New York Cork Report in 2012, stating “there are far too many ‘breweries’ that brew little, if any, of their own beer,” and “hiring other breweries to produce some or all of their beer is particularly troubling.” Though contract-brewed beer only accounted for 1.7% of sales in 2012, the process is definitely employed—even on Long Island, home of Greenport Harbor. Fire Island Beer Company currently contracts with Two Roads Brewing Company, for example, while Spider Bite Beer Company and Montauk Brewing Company are produced at Cooperstown Brewing Company. Blue Point Brewing Company, the unofficial spokesbrewery for Long Island, even outsources cans and 12-ounce bottles to Genesee Brewing Company. Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery, is also connected to contract brewing. Before opening a 30-barrel brewery in Bay Shore in May, Great South Bay Brewery contracted with Greenpoint Beer Works for nearly three years. Sobotka, a homebrewer for 22 years, never aspired to contract, but— WAIT LET’S ASK SOBOTKA…BUT NOW, NOT ON THE NEXT MAURY. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! asked Sobotka to discuss his experience with, and opinion of, contract brewing. This is our second Brewers Discussing Beer. Enjoy. Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery (Credit: Matt Furman) The Ups and Downs of Contract Brewing Great South Bay Brewery took its first steps in 2009, when I decided to rent a small industrial building at 2309 Union Avenue in Bay Shore. While building this one-barrel brewhouse, I was already in the purchasing stages of a 30-barrel brewhouse and began negotiations to occupy a 4,000-square-foot building on an adjacent piece of property. Perfect, right? What seemed like a straightforward deal turned into a complex mess, and a tiresome losing battle. There were county requirements, which presented hard financial strain to expand the brewery to this property, and it just didn’t pan out. Although the one-barrel brewhouse would eventually produce some of our beer, the economics of this small-volume setup did not work out for our company to make a profit. As our licenses and permits were approved, it appeared obvious that my dream of opening Great South Bay Brewery as, well, a brewery, would be delayed. But I had already employed two full-time people—Greg Maisch, as my head brewer, and Phil Ebel, as my salesman. I was left with a difficult decision to make: either delay the opening, or try something else… Sixpoint Craft Ales had just ended its contract with Greenpoint Beer Works in Brooklyn, New York, and the space was available. In all my 22 years of homebrewing, I had never desired to have anyone else brew my beer. I basically equated contract brewing with store-bought cookies: good, but not nearly the same as homemade. But as a novice in the industry, I was left with no choice. We decided to sign and the first batch of our beer was produced in October 2010. My goal was to contract brew for three months and within that time, our own 30-barrel brewery would be built. We’d use this just to get off our feet… Greenpoint makes great beer. There is no doubt about it. Having brewed for over 20 different companies, its track record for helping fellow brewers get on the right path was quite admirable. The first discussion between our companies was to choose the styles of beer that it would brew for us, and I decided on two of my favorites as a homebrewer: Blonde Ambition Ale and Massive IPA. The ingredients and brewing notes were given to Greenpoint, and the pricing negotiation ensued. What I didn’t take into account was that Greenpoint brewed on a 30-barrel brewhouse. The math that I had done for our own setup showed a modest but sizable profit for its size, but now, that same profit had to be split between two companies. I was given a fair price for contracting, but it left us with virtually no profit from the reselling of our beer to our distributor. I had not intended to personally profit from brewing at this time, but the sales from contract brewing left us with a big loss for the first two years. Although we appeared successful to our customers and the general public, we actually struggled to make ends meet. We began our first few months with Greenpoint very hands-on, instructing its team how to brew our beer, and the result was really good. Blonde Ambition Ale was very similar to its original taste and took off as the big seller. Massive IPA had to change, however, from when it won a bronze medal at Tap New York in 2010. It was much more expensive to brew now, and to give it a reasonable market price, I had to cut down on the amounts and varieties of hops used to brew it—thus the change in taste. I was initially disappointed but I knew that this version was temporary, so I continued to focus on the future of brewing the original on our smaller brewhouse. But what was supposed to be three months of contract brewing turned into almost an almost three-year relationship. There is a long drawn story behind this delay, but I’ll stick to the topic… My team grew from three employees to five by 2011, and we worked endlessly to build our brand. Every couple of months, we invested in purchasing new kegs to meet our new demand. Unfortunately, because we had no experience to measure against, we never anticipated our next crisis. In the summer of 2011, Blonde Ambition Ale sold at an amazingly aggressive pace. We had already doubled our production of this beer, but we couldn’t keep up. A contract brewer basically produces beer with a long term, well-orchestrated production schedule, and to change this schedule is very difficult. It’s difficult because, by brewing more of my beer, the contract brewer faces a few dilemmas, like sacrificing another company’s planned batch, or possibly needing to hire new employees or purchase more equipment. Although we analyzed the brewing schedule with Greenpoint, we couldn’t get supplied with enough Blonde Ambition Ale. What may seem like a good problem to have still haunts me to this very day. By having a limited supply of beer, it wears on the trust of our loyal customers and our distributor, who we promised both there would be more. I figured this was merely a growing pain and within a few months, we would remedy the supply issue, or our new brewery would be built and we would leave contract brewing. Well, to forecast the future a little bit, the problem grew even worse in the summer of 2012, and then spiraled out of control in 2013… In the summer of 2012 we introduced a new beer: Blood Orange Pale Ale. This had been brewed on our own one-barrel brewhouse, and we experimented with it for quite some time. That’s what we used the smaller brewhouse for, basically. Anyway, our final product is what I believe to be one of the most dynamic beers on the market today, appealing to all types of drinkers. Its fruitiness appeals to novice and fruit-loving palates, while the smooth balance of bitterness greatly satisfies the aficionado. With a beer that had plenty of potential, we were curious to see how it would stack up against Blonde Ambition Ale. The result? Blood Orange Pale Ale outsold it, creating yet another shortage. This was a crisis. Because of it, we lost several customers who, to this day, will not buy our beer. It may seem trivial, but I fully understand the problems the shortage created and it is very difficult to place any blame on my lost customers. Anyway, we got through that summer and pressed on, introducing many more styles, including Snaggletooth Stout, Kismet Saison, and Splashing Pumpkin Ale. Greenpoint was now producing approximately quadruple the amount of beer it had originally planned for us, but as a result, the relationship grew a bit strained. The plan was always to produce beer on our own, and in the beginning of 2013, we were well underway with the construction of our new 30-barrel brewhouse at 25 Drexel Drive in Bay Shore. But the completion date, which was targeted as January 15, got delayed until March, and Greenpoint again struggled with meeting the change. At the end of March, we were cranking out so much beer that something had to give. Kelly Taylor, co-owner of Greenpoint, gave us one more month. At the end of that month, though, I begged him to brew me one more batch of Blood Orange Pale Ale. It was the longest and most silent conversation he and I had ever had. At the end of it, he agreed to bump another beer and help. He’s really a stand-up guy. Although we had no beer to sell from May 11-May 21, our brewery was finally ready. We lead a customer-focused campaign to reassure them that we were coming back soon in bigger forces than before—and I feel like we did. We’ve brewed and packaged every single drop of beer since May, and the new brewery has been one of the happiest and greatest successes of my life. But we’re still proud of our history. I truly believe Greenpoint did all they could for us. Out of all the batches it brewed for us, only a few were quite different from what we expected. A new brewer there had accidently emptied a stout into our batch of Kismet Saison, for example. Thankfully we were not held responsible to purchase it. Our Blood Orange also had some growing pains. At times it was too orangey, then not so orangey, but ultimately it was remedied. There are many issues you have to accept when contract brewing, but its a risk I needed and wanted to take. These challenges enabled my company, and myself, to grow, and now, my future looks bright…and beery. —Rick Sobotka Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-12-06T16:46:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/charles-noll-departs-brickhouse-brewery-restaurant http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/charles-noll-departs-brickhouse-brewery-restaurant#When:16:55:00Z Charles Noll, former brewmaster of BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant in Patchogue (Photo: BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant) BROWNSTONE BREWING COMPANY WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH BROWN STONES AND BRICKHOUSE BREWERY & RESTAURANT WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH BRICKS FROM A HOUSE THAT WAS FORMERLY A BRICK HOUSE AND. YET DID U KNOW THE TWO ARE SOMEHOW INTERTWINED? Yes, actually. I did. The individual responsible for SOMEHOW INTERTWINED is Charles Noll, former brewmaster of Patchogue’s BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant. Noll, who previously brewered at Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont, joined BrickHouse in 2011. He was approached by Ronkonkoma’s Brownstone Brewing Company, which opened in 2012, to “do some contracting for them.” AND HE DID WHICH IS FINE. Brownstone’s presentation of “some contracting” is bulldoody, however. Its website states “Our beer recipe has been refined over the centuries…by our ancestors,” and “The beer that you are drinking is in its purest form, being hand-crafted in our breweries,” but the bar-staurant’s three house-branded beers—Brownstone Blonde, Brownstone IPA, and a rotating seasonal, which is currently Brownstone Imperial Pumpkin—were actually brewed by Noll at BrickHouse. The relationship will continue, too, despite Noll’s peace-out on November 08. A customer deserves honesty, right? Correct. DISAPPOINTED BY BROWNSTONE BUT ANYWAY MOVING ON, TRANSITIONING TO SECOND PART OF TITLE. Noll has departed BrickHouse to brewmaster at 4 Noses Brewing Company, a brewery-in-development in Broomfield, Colorado. “We’ll have a 20-barrel system and hopefully do about 1,000 barrels in the first year,” said Noll. “The goal is to be bottling by the second or third year.” Noll’s replacements at BrickHouse are Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman. Komsic was his assistant, so “he knows how to filter and carbonate and understands all the kinks of the system,” said Noll. Zimmerman “is right out of brewing school.” Noll will start brewing for 4 Noses in December BUT WAIT He isn’t entirely finished beer-making on Long Island. “I left them with about a month of beer, but I’m gonna fly back in Thanksgiving for a couple of days to reset the kegs and get them up to speed,” said Noll. “We’ll be doing two brews per day, back-to-back-to-back, so we have a lot of work ahead.” Charles Noll, former brewmaster of BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant in Patchogue (Photo: BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant) BROWNSTONE BREWING COMPANY WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH BROWN STONES AND BRICKHOUSE BREWERY & RESTAURANT WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH BRICKS FROM A HOUSE THAT WAS FORMERLY A BRICK HOUSE AND. YET DID U KNOW THE TWO ARE SOMEHOW INTERTWINED? Yes, actually. I did. The individual responsible for SOMEHOW INTERTWINED is Charles Noll, former brewmaster of Patchogue’s BrickHouse Brewery & Restaurant. Noll, who previously brewered at Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont, joined BrickHouse in 2011. He was approached by Ronkonkoma’s Brownstone Brewing Company, which opened in 2012, to “do some contracting for them.” AND HE DID WHICH IS FINE. Brownstone’s presentation of “some contracting” is bulldoody, however. Its website states “Our beer recipe has been refined over the centuries…by our ancestors,” and “The beer that you are drinking is in its purest form, being hand-crafted in our breweries,” but the bar-staurant’s three house-branded beers—Brownstone Blonde, Brownstone IPA, and a rotating seasonal, which is currently Brownstone Imperial Pumpkin—were actually brewed by Noll at BrickHouse. The relationship will continue, too, despite Noll’s peace-out on November 08. A customer deserves honesty, right? Correct. DISAPPOINTED BY BROWNSTONE BUT ANYWAY MOVING ON, TRANSITIONING TO SECOND PART OF TITLE. Noll has departed BrickHouse to brewmaster at 4 Noses Brewing Company, a brewery-in-development in Broomfield, Colorado. “We’ll have a 20-barrel system and hopefully do about 1,000 barrels in the first year,” said Noll. “The goal is to be bottling by the second or third year.” Noll’s replacements at BrickHouse are Paul Komsic and Arthur Zimmerman. Komsic was his assistant, so “he knows how to filter and carbonate and understands all the kinks of the system,” said Noll. Zimmerman “is right out of brewing school.” Noll will start brewing for 4 Noses in December BUT WAIT He isn’t entirely finished beer-making on Long Island. “I left them with about a month of beer, but I’m gonna fly back in Thanksgiving for a couple of days to reset the kegs and get them up to speed,” said Noll. “We’ll be doing two brews per day, back-to-back-to-back, so we have a lot of work ahead.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-11-13T16:55:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-is-post-sandy-strong http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-is-post-sandy-strong#When:11:57:00Z The destruction of Hurricane Sandy (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) “It depends on the day,” said Evan Klein. “Sometimes it feels really long ago, but when I go home, I know my neighbor demolished his house last month, so it brings you back. It can still feel fresh.” Klein, who owns Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company with Craig Frymark, is pouring a sample of Oyster Stout, a proprietary beer created for Brooklyn, New York’s Maison Premiere. He follows with its description, “a minerally stout with some calcium and chalkiness, but not really fishy,” before returning to the previous topic: Hurricane Sandy. “We had a lot of support from everyone, though. It was overwhelming.” This interaction occurred in Barrier Brewing’s new ROOM4TASTES, which features 15 growler-available drafts (a five-pour flight is complimentary for each patron) and a That ‘70s Show-ish couch. Its launch, in September, is a tangible achievement for Barrier Brewing, as “a tasting room was the missing ingredient when visiting,” said Frymark. ROOM4TASTES is also a metaphorical trophy, however, representing a victory over adversity. “It’s the cherry on top after all the rebuilding,” said Frymark. “This gives us an opportunity to connect with our customers more. A lot of them were also hurt by the disaster.” Barrier Brewing Company’s new ROOM4TASTES (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) The opportunity to “connect with our customers more,” or simply exist, was jeopardized on October 29, 2012, as Sandy flooded and shutdowned Barrier Brewing. It destroyed equipment and ingredients, and deflated morale. It also damaged Klein’s residence in Long Beach. Since reopening in January, however, the brewery is “stronger than ever,” said Frymark. This statement is primarily evidenced by the launch of ROOM4TASTES, but also supported by a continued rejection of regular. Klein and Frymark remain abstainers of flagships, preferring to swell their portfolio, which includes Bumble Double Wheat IPA and Morticia Imperial Stout, and brew whatever-whenever. Protagonist, which debuted on October 22, is Barrier Brewing’s newest whatever-whenever, and “we have five or six more beers waiting,” said Klein. This includes a Brettanoymeces-fermented ale brewed with lemon peel and peppercorn. “We also want to do a new bottle every month,” said Klein. “We want to fill the cooler in the tasting room, eventually.” The return of Submersion Double IPA (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) The brewery’s next “new bottle” is actually a reappearance. Submersion Double IPA, the first bottle-release from Barrier Brewing, was originally “brewed and sent to the tanks two days before Sandy reared her ugly head,” said Frymark. Its return, on October 30, is not a coincidence; it’s a commemoration. “The rerelease is a way to reflect on a year passed, and how we’ve been able to rebound with everyone in our community,” said Frymark. “It’s also a reminder that our business doesn’t exist without our customers. The support from everyone has touched us so much.” [Niko’s Note] The creation of ROOM4TASTES demonstrates my inability to control and use ‘tasting room’ in a sentence, because the phrase is visually unpleasant. I am aware of ‘this’ irrationality (I am also unable to use ‘this,’ unless placed at the start of a sentence), but cannot offer a rational explanation. The use of ‘tasting room’ elicits insecurity. It elicits anxiety. It causes a crippling analyzation of self. Acceptance, whether of word, weather, or anything, is liberation. Barrier Brewing was unable to control Hurricane Sandy, but accepted ‘this’ and progressed. William S. Burroughs once said, “You see control can never be a means to any practical end. … Control can never be a means to anything but more control … like Junk.” This passage may appear incoherent. I (dis)agree. [/Niko’s Note] The destruction of Hurricane Sandy (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) “It depends on the day,” said Evan Klein. “Sometimes it feels really long ago, but when I go home, I know my neighbor demolished his house last month, so it brings you back. It can still feel fresh.” Klein, who owns Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company with Craig Frymark, is pouring a sample of Oyster Stout, a proprietary beer created for Brooklyn, New York’s Maison Premiere. He follows with its description, “a minerally stout with some calcium and chalkiness, but not really fishy,” before returning to the previous topic: Hurricane Sandy. “We had a lot of support from everyone, though. It was overwhelming.” This interaction occurred in Barrier Brewing’s new ROOM4TASTES, which features 15 growler-available drafts (a five-pour flight is complimentary for each patron) and a That ‘70s Show-ish couch. Its launch, in September, is a tangible achievement for Barrier Brewing, as “a tasting room was the missing ingredient when visiting,” said Frymark. ROOM4TASTES is also a metaphorical trophy, however, representing a victory over adversity. “It’s the cherry on top after all the rebuilding,” said Frymark. “This gives us an opportunity to connect with our customers more. A lot of them were also hurt by the disaster.” Barrier Brewing Company’s new ROOM4TASTES (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) The opportunity to “connect with our customers more,” or simply exist, was jeopardized on October 29, 2012, as Sandy flooded and shutdowned Barrier Brewing. It destroyed equipment and ingredients, and deflated morale. It also damaged Klein’s residence in Long Beach. Since reopening in January, however, the brewery is “stronger than ever,” said Frymark. This statement is primarily evidenced by the launch of ROOM4TASTES, but also supported by a continued rejection of regular. Klein and Frymark remain abstainers of flagships, preferring to swell their portfolio, which includes Bumble Double Wheat IPA and Morticia Imperial Stout, and brew whatever-whenever. Protagonist, which debuted on October 22, is Barrier Brewing’s newest whatever-whenever, and “we have five or six more beers waiting,” said Klein. This includes a Brettanoymeces-fermented ale brewed with lemon peel and peppercorn. “We also want to do a new bottle every month,” said Klein. “We want to fill the cooler in the tasting room, eventually.” The return of Submersion Double IPA (Photo: Barrier Brewing Company) The brewery’s next “new bottle” is actually a reappearance. Submersion Double IPA, the first bottle-release from Barrier Brewing, was originally “brewed and sent to the tanks two days before Sandy reared her ugly head,” said Frymark. Its return, on October 30, is not a coincidence; it’s a commemoration. “The rerelease is a way to reflect on a year passed, and how we’ve been able to rebound with everyone in our community,” said Frymark. “It’s also a reminder that our business doesn’t exist without our customers. The support from everyone has touched us so much.” [Niko’s Note] The creation of ROOM4TASTES demonstrates my inability to control and use ‘tasting room’ in a sentence, because the phrase is visually unpleasant. I am aware of ‘this’ irrationality (I am also unable to use ‘this,’ unless placed at the start of a sentence), but cannot offer a rational explanation. The use of ‘tasting room’ elicits insecurity. It elicits anxiety. It causes a crippling analyzation of self. Acceptance, whether of word, weather, or anything, is liberation. Barrier Brewing was unable to control Hurricane Sandy, but accepted ‘this’ and progressed. William S. Burroughs once said, “You see control can never be a means to any practical end. … Control can never be a means to anything but more control … like Junk.” This passage may appear incoherent. I (dis)agree. [/Niko’s Note] Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-10-29T11:57:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/government-shut-em-down-2013-hurts-long-island-brewers http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/government-shut-em-down-2013-hurts-long-island-brewers#When:20:31:00Z Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Blind Bat Brewery (Photo: Matt Furman) APPROPRIATIONS LAPSE NOTICE: CESSATION OF TTB OPERATIONS The above, posted on the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau’s (TTB) website on October 01, is a virtual barricade implemented by GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013, preventing e-access to Brewer’s Notice, Certification of Label Approval (COLAs), and other government applications. The consequences for brewers, however, are palpable. As GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013 continues, the TTB, which “collect[s] Federal excise taxes on alcohol…and…assure[s] compliance with Federal….alcohol permitting, labeling, and marketing…,” is partially closed. This semi-discontinuation enables the agency to process excise taxes from existing permits, but stalls approval on any beer-based newness, including breweries, recipes, and labels. A cease of progress, essentially. Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Centerport’s Blind Bat Brewery, was referenced in Newsday‘s article, LI breweries, distillers could be affected by shutdown, on October 5. According to Lisa Du, the author, Dlugokencky is “...concerned the delay may affect a series of seasonal brown ales he wants to sell this winter.” Though Du’s statement is “accurate,” says Dlugokencky, “she missed the bigger problem for Blind Bat during the shutdown.” This “bigger problem” is an indefinite delay on its forthcoming expansion to full-time, which will include a new location. “The plans are in place, but transferring licenses will need to be made to the new place, and this can’t proceed if the federal government is shut down,” says Dlugokencky. Dlugokencky, who currently brews in a shed behind his residence, also “began work on getting a loan to purchase new equipment,” but the GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013 has testes-kicked the Small Business Administration (SBA), too. “I won’t be able to make a full-time brewery run on my current equipment,” says Dlugokencky. “It’s too small.” Larry Goldstein, co-owner of Holbrook’s Spider Bite Beer Company, is also handcuffed by GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013. Spider Bite recently purchased a 1.5-barrel brewhouse to supplement contracting with Cooperstown, New York’s Cooperstown Brewing Company, but “we’re still waiting for permits from the TTB before the state can approve,” says Goldstein. This wait—for Goldstein, Dlugokencky, or any brewer—is crippling. “As the days go by, the backlog keeps building,” says Goldstein.“What would have been a month can easily turn into two or more, and that hurts us tremendously. Who knows now.” Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Blind Bat Brewery (Photo: Matt Furman) APPROPRIATIONS LAPSE NOTICE: CESSATION OF TTB OPERATIONS The above, posted on the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau’s (TTB) website on October 01, is a virtual barricade implemented by GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013, preventing e-access to Brewer’s Notice, Certification of Label Approval (COLAs), and other government applications. The consequences for brewers, however, are palpable. As GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013 continues, the TTB, which “collect[s] Federal excise taxes on alcohol…and…assure[s] compliance with Federal….alcohol permitting, labeling, and marketing…,” is partially closed. This semi-discontinuation enables the agency to process excise taxes from existing permits, but stalls approval on any beer-based newness, including breweries, recipes, and labels. A cease of progress, essentially. Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Centerport’s Blind Bat Brewery, was referenced in Newsday‘s article, LI breweries, distillers could be affected by shutdown, on October 5. According to Lisa Du, the author, Dlugokencky is “...concerned the delay may affect a series of seasonal brown ales he wants to sell this winter.” Though Du’s statement is “accurate,” says Dlugokencky, “she missed the bigger problem for Blind Bat during the shutdown.” This “bigger problem” is an indefinite delay on its forthcoming expansion to full-time, which will include a new location. “The plans are in place, but transferring licenses will need to be made to the new place, and this can’t proceed if the federal government is shut down,” says Dlugokencky. Dlugokencky, who currently brews in a shed behind his residence, also “began work on getting a loan to purchase new equipment,” but the GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013 has testes-kicked the Small Business Administration (SBA), too. “I won’t be able to make a full-time brewery run on my current equipment,” says Dlugokencky. “It’s too small.” Larry Goldstein, co-owner of Holbrook’s Spider Bite Beer Company, is also handcuffed by GOVERNMENT SHUT-EM-DOWN 2013. Spider Bite recently purchased a 1.5-barrel brewhouse to supplement contracting with Cooperstown, New York’s Cooperstown Brewing Company, but “we’re still waiting for permits from the TTB before the state can approve,” says Goldstein. This wait—for Goldstein, Dlugokencky, or any brewer—is crippling. “As the days go by, the backlog keeps building,” says Goldstein.“What would have been a month can easily turn into two or more, and that hurts us tremendously. Who knows now.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-10-09T20:31:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/how-to-celebrate-happy-friday-day-in-five-easy-steps...and-the-beers-to-dri http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/how-to-celebrate-happy-friday-day-in-five-easy-steps...and-the-beers-to-dri#When:20:43:00Z I am e-releasing my first non-fiction novel,How To Celebrate Happy Friday Day in Five EASY Steps…and the Beers to Drink When You Do It!, on September 20, the first-ever Happy Friday Day! An excerpt ofHow To Celebrate Happy Friday Day in Five EASY Steps…and the Beers to Drink When You Do It! is available below. This particular excerpt contains the entire novel: Chapter ___: Celebrating Happy Friday Day Happy Friday Day is not an everyday day. Happy Friday Day is not an anyday day. Happy Friday Day only occurs on Happy Friday Day. Happy Friday Day is September 20. HEY! Do you want to celebrate Happy Friday Day in five EASY steps? Okay. Step 1: Read This Thing Below Riverhead’s Long Ireland Beer Company will release Wet Hopped Pale Ale on September 20. The beer is Long Ireland’s Pale Ale with the addition of wet, or just-harvested, hops from Wading River’s Condzella Hops and Peconic’s Wesnofske Farms. Long Ireland only added Condzella Hops’ Cascade in the debut of Wet Hopped Pale Ale in 2012. It added-to-the-added with Wesnofske Farms’ Nugget in 2013. “The beer’s a lot hoppier than last year’s version,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of Long Ireland. “We’re definitely really happy with it.” Step 2: Read This Thing Below Long Ireland will donate all first-day, brewery-based pint and growler sales of Wet Hopped Pale Ale to both hop-cultivating sources. The philanthropic suggestion was introduced by Justin Wesnofske, a third-generation tiller who harvested 60 pounds of Centennial, Nugget, and Santiam hops on his family’s 50-acre farm in August. “[Wesnofske] came up with the idea to have both farms donate a portion of the hops, and then the first night will go back to the farms,” says Martin. “We agreed right away. The money can help for their research and further development.” Step 3: Read This Thing Below Wesnofske is also an employee at Greenport’s Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, which released a wet-hopped version of Harbor Ale, its moderately bitter flagship, with Centennial and Santiam from Wesnofske Farms, Cascade from Condzella Hops, and a small amount of residentially grown Cascade from Cutchogue’s Bob Glover, on September 10. Long Ireland invited Greenport Harbor to join Happy Friday Day and pour Wet Hop Harbor Ale. It accepted. “It was a no-brainer for us to participate,” says Greg Doroski, brewer at Greenport Harbor. Step 4: Read This Thing Below PLEASE REFER TO STEP 5 Step 5: Read This Thing Below Happy Friday Day is fictional. The above information regarding September 20, and the flourishing matrimony of brewer and farmer on Long Island, however, is not. This charitable collaboration exhibits the solid-ass connection between both local industries and their commitment to develop concurrently. HAPPY FRIDAY DAY BYE. More Information On Wet Hopped Pale Ale Release I am e-releasing my first non-fiction novel,How To Celebrate Happy Friday Day in Five EASY Steps…and the Beers to Drink When You Do It!, on September 20, the first-ever Happy Friday Day! An excerpt ofHow To Celebrate Happy Friday Day in Five EASY Steps…and the Beers to Drink When You Do It! is available below. This particular excerpt contains the entire novel: Chapter ___: Celebrating Happy Friday Day Happy Friday Day is not an everyday day. Happy Friday Day is not an anyday day. Happy Friday Day only occurs on Happy Friday Day. Happy Friday Day is September 20. HEY! Do you want to celebrate Happy Friday Day in five EASY steps? Okay. Step 1: Read This Thing Below Riverhead’s Long Ireland Beer Company will release Wet Hopped Pale Ale on September 20. The beer is Long Ireland’s Pale Ale with the addition of wet, or just-harvested, hops from Wading River’s Condzella Hops and Peconic’s Wesnofske Farms. Long Ireland only added Condzella Hops’ Cascade in the debut of Wet Hopped Pale Ale in 2012. It added-to-the-added with Wesnofske Farms’ Nugget in 2013. “The beer’s a lot hoppier than last year’s version,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of Long Ireland. “We’re definitely really happy with it.” Step 2: Read This Thing Below Long Ireland will donate all first-day, brewery-based pint and growler sales of Wet Hopped Pale Ale to both hop-cultivating sources. The philanthropic suggestion was introduced by Justin Wesnofske, a third-generation tiller who harvested 60 pounds of Centennial, Nugget, and Santiam hops on his family’s 50-acre farm in August. “[Wesnofske] came up with the idea to have both farms donate a portion of the hops, and then the first night will go back to the farms,” says Martin. “We agreed right away. The money can help for their research and further development.” Step 3: Read This Thing Below Wesnofske is also an employee at Greenport’s Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, which released a wet-hopped version of Harbor Ale, its moderately bitter flagship, with Centennial and Santiam from Wesnofske Farms, Cascade from Condzella Hops, and a small amount of residentially grown Cascade from Cutchogue’s Bob Glover, on September 10. Long Ireland invited Greenport Harbor to join Happy Friday Day and pour Wet Hop Harbor Ale. It accepted. “It was a no-brainer for us to participate,” says Greg Doroski, brewer at Greenport Harbor. Step 4: Read This Thing Below PLEASE REFER TO STEP 5 Step 5: Read This Thing Below Happy Friday Day is fictional. The above information regarding September 20, and the flourishing matrimony of brewer and farmer on Long Island, however, is not. This charitable collaboration exhibits the solid-ass connection between both local industries and their commitment to develop concurrently. HAPPY FRIDAY DAY BYE. More Information On Wet Hopped Pale Ale Release Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-09-19T20:43:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/port-jeff-brewing-company-and-homebrewer-collaborate-for-imperial-force http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/port-jeff-brewing-company-and-homebrewer-collaborate-for-imperial-force#When:15:33:00Z Photo: Beer Loves Company A long time ago in a brewery far, far away… Episode 7-BBL WOOKIEES WITHIN WOOD It is a period of civil smackdown. A coterie of Wookiees were barbarically shaved, sillyslapped, strangled, suffocated, and shoved into whiskey barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries. There were no survivors. The culprit(s) is unknown, but Michael Philbrick, commander of The Starboard Oatmeal Stoutship, has hired a homebrewing mercenary to avenge the deplorable megadeath. This individual is an adept artisan, and Master of ‘Imperial Force’... Michael Philbrick, owner and brewmaster of Port Jeff Brewing Company, will “always make time to fit a special beer into the schedule.” After creating Carolina Common with Foothills Brewing‘s M. David Gonzalez in July, Port Jeff brewed a house-exclusive brown ale, Studio 56, for Smithtown’s Tap and Barrel in August. The latest “special beer,” however, is bolder than both. Imperial Force is a whiskey barrel-aged collaboration with Bob Rodriguez, a homebrewer from Lake Ronkonkoma. The beer, described by Rodriguez as a “robust porter on steroids with well-balanced malt and hops, plus subtle notes of coffee and chocolate,” was birthed for Brewer’s East End Revival‘s 17th Annual Brew-Off on May 18. The amateur competition was judged by Philbrick, with Port Jeff commissioned to commercially brew the winning recipe. He selected Rodriguez’s creation, which matured within a whiskey barrel for one month, then bottles for two years, from a 258-entry pool. The beer was 14.5% ABV. “It was incredibly smooth, with a perfect blend of beer and oak,” says Philbrick. “You could tell it was aged for a prolonged time, because it wasn’t boozy. The beer definitely mellowed.” Photo: Beer Loves Company Rodriguez visited Port Jeff to beer-make on August 11. A homebrewer of five years, Rodriguez has garnered 27 awards for his recipes, including 7 at the Brew-Off. Imperial Force was his first barrel-aged attempt. “I brainstormed about 10 months before I created the recipe,” says Rodriguez. “I tasted the beer along the way and some of my closest beer buddies thought I was crazy for holding on to it for two years. My soul, and ultimately my tongue, told me it wasn’t ready until the competition.” Rodriguez obtained the whiskey barrel during a visit to Gardiner, New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits in 2010. Port Jeff is currently aging the commercial version, a seven-barrel batch, within a Heaven Hills Distilleries barrel, which is also used for the brewery’s transformation of Port Jeff Porter to Barrel-Aged Porter. Its release “may be a year or so from now, but the challenge is going to be waiting on it until it’s ready,” says Philbrick. Imperial Force is not the first homebrewer-partnered release by Port Jeff. The brewery collaborated with Ghost Cat Brewing, an East Islip-based duo comprising Paul Mazziotti and Scott Pereira, in 2012. Photo: Beer Loves Company A long time ago in a brewery far, far away… Episode 7-BBL WOOKIEES WITHIN WOOD It is a period of civil smackdown. A coterie of Wookiees were barbarically shaved, sillyslapped, strangled, suffocated, and shoved into whiskey barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries. There were no survivors. The culprit(s) is unknown, but Michael Philbrick, commander of The Starboard Oatmeal Stoutship, has hired a homebrewing mercenary to avenge the deplorable megadeath. This individual is an adept artisan, and Master of ‘Imperial Force’... Michael Philbrick, owner and brewmaster of Port Jeff Brewing Company, will “always make time to fit a special beer into the schedule.” After creating Carolina Common with Foothills Brewing‘s M. David Gonzalez in July, Port Jeff brewed a house-exclusive brown ale, Studio 56, for Smithtown’s Tap and Barrel in August. The latest “special beer,” however, is bolder than both. Imperial Force is a whiskey barrel-aged collaboration with Bob Rodriguez, a homebrewer from Lake Ronkonkoma. The beer, described by Rodriguez as a “robust porter on steroids with well-balanced malt and hops, plus subtle notes of coffee and chocolate,” was birthed for Brewer’s East End Revival‘s 17th Annual Brew-Off on May 18. The amateur competition was judged by Philbrick, with Port Jeff commissioned to commercially brew the winning recipe. He selected Rodriguez’s creation, which matured within a whiskey barrel for one month, then bottles for two years, from a 258-entry pool. The beer was 14.5% ABV. “It was incredibly smooth, with a perfect blend of beer and oak,” says Philbrick. “You could tell it was aged for a prolonged time, because it wasn’t boozy. The beer definitely mellowed.” Photo: Beer Loves Company Rodriguez visited Port Jeff to beer-make on August 11. A homebrewer of five years, Rodriguez has garnered 27 awards for his recipes, including 7 at the Brew-Off. Imperial Force was his first barrel-aged attempt. “I brainstormed about 10 months before I created the recipe,” says Rodriguez. “I tasted the beer along the way and some of my closest beer buddies thought I was crazy for holding on to it for two years. My soul, and ultimately my tongue, told me it wasn’t ready until the competition.” Rodriguez obtained the whiskey barrel during a visit to Gardiner, New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits in 2010. Port Jeff is currently aging the commercial version, a seven-barrel batch, within a Heaven Hills Distilleries barrel, which is also used for the brewery’s transformation of Port Jeff Porter to Barrel-Aged Porter. Its release “may be a year or so from now, but the challenge is going to be waiting on it until it’s ready,” says Philbrick. Imperial Force is not the first homebrewer-partnered release by Port Jeff. The brewery collaborated with Ghost Cat Brewing, an East Islip-based duo comprising Paul Mazziotti and Scott Pereira, in 2012. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-09-03T15:33:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/brewers-discussing-beer-the-seasonal-creep-by-dj-swanson-greenport-harbor-b http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/brewers-discussing-beer-the-seasonal-creep-by-dj-swanson-greenport-harbor-b#When:11:54:00Z Photo: Matt Furman The allure of different has influenced, controlled, and, unfortunately, crippled several aspects of my life. I am rarely content with my curren— [TRANSITION TO BEER, PLEASE.] Beer has benefited and suffered from different. The industry continues to gain popularity, swelling with a perpetual flux of new breweries and, subsequently, more options. Any loyalty to specific brands or beers, however, appears nonexistent, and the task of constant relevancy seems to precede quality. A topic discussed extensively by Chris O’Leary of Brew York, seasonal creep, describes the acceleration of seasonal releases and disregard for producing certain styles during calendar-specific periods. A summer ale released, and only available, during summer, for example. A new season is, essentially, a different season, and the allure to consume different beer is powerful. O’Leary argues, however, that “an advancing calendar discourages the use of fresh ingredients in beer, especially when it comes to fall seasonals.” He also states “those that want to use fresh ingredients in a seasonal beer…get less shelf space at retail in September, when those fresh ingredients are available.” Brew York has discussed seasonal creep several times, including, most recently, a post dissecting the discovery of Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumpking in July. [TRANSITION TO DJ, PLEASE.] DJ Swanson is brewmaster of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, a Greenport-based brewery responsible for Leaf Pile Ale, a “pumpkiny orange ale with our own blend of fresh and whole cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla bean.” Swanson previously brewed at John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House in Lake Grove before joining Greenport Harbor in 2009, and has encountered seasonal creep during his entire career. Should we be able to purchase Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumpking in July? Who is responsible for the acceleration? Breweries? Distributors? Consumers? Are we ever truly satisfied with…anything? Swanson discusses Leaf Pile Ale, and the controversial subject of seasonal creep, for Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!‘s first edition of Brewers Discussing Beer. The Seasonal Creep Leaf Pile Ale is the beer I seem to hear about more than any other. I affectionately refer to it as my ‘tombstone beer,’ as I’m pretty sure it will follow me to my grave. The first batch for 2013 was racked into kegs on August 06 and we’re shipping the first of it to our distributor on August 14. Leaf Pile Ale, right now, has a release date of September 01 but we had a sneak preview keg at the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Fest on August 10. If we didn’t bring it, I would have heard aboout it all day.  The basic description is simply pumpkin pie in a glass, but it’s a pumpkiny orange ale with our own blend of fresh and whole cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla bean. When pressed I will admit that this is my least favorite of our seasonals. That said, as much effort has gone into nailing the spice flavor as has gone into any other beer I’ve made. It’s like a great pumpkin pie, not too spicy with hints of graham cracker. I don’t think any other season is defined by a flavor like autumn is. That cinnamon-pumpkin pie thing just screams fall, and that flavor has permeated everything: coffee, ice cream, baked goods, cleaning products, and more. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts have embraced it as strongly as any brewery I can think of.  It seems like everything is pumpkin-flavored in the supermarket. Seasonal creep is part of our life everywhere, not just the beer store. All seasonal beers have continually shown up earlier and earlier to the point that some larger and a few smaller breweries are basically a whole season ahead. Spring ales in January is not perceived as negatively, I believe, because people are looking forward to ending their hibernation. The change from summer to fall is completely opposite. Summer is freedom, and fall is back to the grind. I was in a beer store the first weekend of August, looking for something to enjoy by the pool, and was confronted by a huge wall of pumpkin ales at the front of the store. Floating around on a raft, sipping an imperial pumpkin ale was not appealing in the least. There is plenty of blame to spread around as to why this creep has happened. As a brewery, we are pressured by our distributor to get seasonals in as early as possible. We have to start brewing earlier than I’d like in order to be ready to meet the demand. The distributors are racing each other to get good placements, and the accounts don’t want to miss out on popular beers. In the end though, isn’t it the customer who has the power? Someone is buying these beers when they come out. I guess if more consumers refused to buy seasonally inappropriate beers, eventually the wholesalers and producers would be forced to react. We try to stand firm, but also have to be aware of the realities of the marketplace. I hear about Leaf Pile Ale all year. When’s it coming? Why isn’t it year-round? It grates a bit, but it’s certainly better than people telling me the beer sucks and I should find a job I’m better suited for. I’m not too crazy about the brewery smelling like potpourri in July, but there are worse problems to have than making something people really want. We started brewing Spring Turning Saison before Christmas, Summer Ale in March, Leaf Pile Ale in July, and Anti-Freeze will be in October. We’ll try our best to release them at what we feel is an appropriate time, but the real season may differ somewhat from what the calendar says. Is Oktoberfest in October? A little background on me now. I started brewing at Union Station Brewery in Providence, Rhode Island in 2000, and we did a couple of batches of Harvest Spice Ale around Halloween. This was a beer for the ladies who didn’t otherwise drink beer (after that, and the experience my first fruit beer on Long Island, I will never use the term chick beer again) and was popular, but nowhere near as popular as our Octoberfest. On December 31, 2001, I was offered the head brewer job at John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House in Lake Grove. I immediately heard how popular pumpkin beer was at that meeting. I started in February of 2002 and heard about pumpkin beer every day until the fall. Phone calls even started in July. The previous head brewer had done two batches a year around Halloween, but I started a bit earlier and sold a lot of beer. Over the next couple of years we released it earlier, generally around the first day of fall. When I left in 2006, we were doing about 10 times as much and that volume has continued to grow. I guess I have done my part to feed the pumpkin craze, but it’s what people want.  The seasonal trend has really been the driving force of the beer world, which has in turn led to increased one-offs and limited stuff. It is not necessarily my favorite part of the beer culture. There are some negatives associated with the obsession of chasing the mythical beer. It’s hard to tell sometimes if people are looking for an enjoyable, flavorful beer to pair up with their good times, or if the chase of a beer that no one else can enjoy has become the good time. That may be another rant all together. DJ Swanson Photo: Matt Furman The allure of different has influenced, controlled, and, unfortunately, crippled several aspects of my life. I am rarely content with my curren— [TRANSITION TO BEER, PLEASE.] Beer has benefited and suffered from different. The industry continues to gain popularity, swelling with a perpetual flux of new breweries and, subsequently, more options. Any loyalty to specific brands or beers, however, appears nonexistent, and the task of constant relevancy seems to precede quality. A topic discussed extensively by Chris O’Leary of Brew York, seasonal creep, describes the acceleration of seasonal releases and disregard for producing certain styles during calendar-specific periods. A summer ale released, and only available, during summer, for example. A new season is, essentially, a different season, and the allure to consume different beer is powerful. O’Leary argues, however, that “an advancing calendar discourages the use of fresh ingredients in beer, especially when it comes to fall seasonals.” He also states “those that want to use fresh ingredients in a seasonal beer…get less shelf space at retail in September, when those fresh ingredients are available.” Brew York has discussed seasonal creep several times, including, most recently, a post dissecting the discovery of Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumpking in July. [TRANSITION TO DJ, PLEASE.] DJ Swanson is brewmaster of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, a Greenport-based brewery responsible for Leaf Pile Ale, a “pumpkiny orange ale with our own blend of fresh and whole cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla bean.” Swanson previously brewed at John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House in Lake Grove before joining Greenport Harbor in 2009, and has encountered seasonal creep during his entire career. Should we be able to purchase Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumpking in July? Who is responsible for the acceleration? Breweries? Distributors? Consumers? Are we ever truly satisfied with…anything? Swanson discusses Leaf Pile Ale, and the controversial subject of seasonal creep, for Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!‘s first edition of Brewers Discussing Beer. The Seasonal Creep Leaf Pile Ale is the beer I seem to hear about more than any other. I affectionately refer to it as my ‘tombstone beer,’ as I’m pretty sure it will follow me to my grave. The first batch for 2013 was racked into kegs on August 06 and we’re shipping the first of it to our distributor on August 14. Leaf Pile Ale, right now, has a release date of September 01 but we had a sneak preview keg at the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Fest on August 10. If we didn’t bring it, I would have heard aboout it all day.  The basic description is simply pumpkin pie in a glass, but it’s a pumpkiny orange ale with our own blend of fresh and whole cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla bean. When pressed I will admit that this is my least favorite of our seasonals. That said, as much effort has gone into nailing the spice flavor as has gone into any other beer I’ve made. It’s like a great pumpkin pie, not too spicy with hints of graham cracker. I don’t think any other season is defined by a flavor like autumn is. That cinnamon-pumpkin pie thing just screams fall, and that flavor has permeated everything: coffee, ice cream, baked goods, cleaning products, and more. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts have embraced it as strongly as any brewery I can think of.  It seems like everything is pumpkin-flavored in the supermarket. Seasonal creep is part of our life everywhere, not just the beer store. All seasonal beers have continually shown up earlier and earlier to the point that some larger and a few smaller breweries are basically a whole season ahead. Spring ales in January is not perceived as negatively, I believe, because people are looking forward to ending their hibernation. The change from summer to fall is completely opposite. Summer is freedom, and fall is back to the grind. I was in a beer store the first weekend of August, looking for something to enjoy by the pool, and was confronted by a huge wall of pumpkin ales at the front of the store. Floating around on a raft, sipping an imperial pumpkin ale was not appealing in the least. There is plenty of blame to spread around as to why this creep has happened. As a brewery, we are pressured by our distributor to get seasonals in as early as possible. We have to start brewing earlier than I’d like in order to be ready to meet the demand. The distributors are racing each other to get good placements, and the accounts don’t want to miss out on popular beers. In the end though, isn’t it the customer who has the power? Someone is buying these beers when they come out. I guess if more consumers refused to buy seasonally inappropriate beers, eventually the wholesalers and producers would be forced to react. We try to stand firm, but also have to be aware of the realities of the marketplace. I hear about Leaf Pile Ale all year. When’s it coming? Why isn’t it year-round? It grates a bit, but it’s certainly better than people telling me the beer sucks and I should find a job I’m better suited for. I’m not too crazy about the brewery smelling like potpourri in July, but there are worse problems to have than making something people really want. We started brewing Spring Turning Saison before Christmas, Summer Ale in March, Leaf Pile Ale in July, and Anti-Freeze will be in October. We’ll try our best to release them at what we feel is an appropriate time, but the real season may differ somewhat from what the calendar says. Is Oktoberfest in October? A little background on me now. I started brewing at Union Station Brewery in Providence, Rhode Island in 2000, and we did a couple of batches of Harvest Spice Ale around Halloween. This was a beer for the ladies who didn’t otherwise drink beer (after that, and the experience my first fruit beer on Long Island, I will never use the term chick beer again) and was popular, but nowhere near as popular as our Octoberfest. On December 31, 2001, I was offered the head brewer job at John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House in Lake Grove. I immediately heard how popular pumpkin beer was at that meeting. I started in February of 2002 and heard about pumpkin beer every day until the fall. Phone calls even started in July. The previous head brewer had done two batches a year around Halloween, but I started a bit earlier and sold a lot of beer. Over the next couple of years we released it earlier, generally around the first day of fall. When I left in 2006, we were doing about 10 times as much and that volume has continued to grow. I guess I have done my part to feed the pumpkin craze, but it’s what people want.  The seasonal trend has really been the driving force of the beer world, which has in turn led to increased one-offs and limited stuff. It is not necessarily my favorite part of the beer culture. There are some negatives associated with the obsession of chasing the mythical beer. It’s hard to tell sometimes if people are looking for an enjoyable, flavorful beer to pair up with their good times, or if the chase of a beer that no one else can enjoy has become the good time. That may be another rant all together. DJ Swanson Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-08-16T11:54:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inaugural-draft-list-tullulahs-bay-shore http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inaugural-draft-list-tullulahs-bay-shore#When:21:53:52Z Photo: Tullulah’s Tullulah’s 10 Avenue Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 969-9800 tullulahs.com Tullulah’s is back. The tapas restaurant in Bay Shore, originally 600-square-feet with 18 seats, has expanded to 3,600-square-feet. Steven Scalesse, Dave Prunier, and Ryan Sipp acquired and renovated two adjacent buildings during the nine-month closure, increasing capacity to 120 seats. The trio also added a bar, discarding the business’ original BYOB format. Scalesse remains executive chef. Sean Nolan, general manager, describes the new 15-draft bar as “hand-built with a left of center program of draft wines, cider, and a lot of good beer.” It was constructed with fire-damaged wood from the New York City Police Department’s 90th Precinct in Brooklyn. “It’s going to start as a few of our favorite things, but we’ll change it over time, depending on what sells,” says Nolan, who previously worked as brewery ambassador for Great South Bay Brewery. “There will always be a line for funky sours and we’ll always pour a kölsch.” Tullulah’s reopens on August 07. Inaugural Draft List 21st Amendment Brewery Brew Free! Or Die IPA 21st Amendment Brewery Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer Anderson Valley Brewing Company Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion Blue Point Brewing Company Toasted Lager Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Captain’s Kölsch Crispin Cider Original Elki Sauvignon Blanc Fire Island Beer Company Sea Salt Ale Goose Island Beer Company Sofie Harpoon Brewery UFO White Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon Long Ireland Beer Company Breakfast Stout Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale Victory Beer Company Hop Wallop Photo: Tullulah’s Tullulah’s 10 Avenue Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 969-9800 tullulahs.com Tullulah’s is back. The tapas restaurant in Bay Shore, originally 600-square-feet with 18 seats, has expanded to 3,600-square-feet. Steven Scalesse, Dave Prunier, and Ryan Sipp acquired and renovated two adjacent buildings during the nine-month closure, increasing capacity to 120 seats. The trio also added a bar, discarding the business’ original BYOB format. Scalesse remains executive chef. Sean Nolan, general manager, describes the new 15-draft bar as “hand-built with a left of center program of draft wines, cider, and a lot of good beer.” It was constructed with fire-damaged wood from the New York City Police Department’s 90th Precinct in Brooklyn. “It’s going to start as a few of our favorite things, but we’ll change it over time, depending on what sells,” says Nolan, who previously worked as brewery ambassador for Great South Bay Brewery. “There will always be a line for funky sours and we’ll always pour a kölsch.” Tullulah’s reopens on August 07. Inaugural Draft List 21st Amendment Brewery Brew Free! Or Die IPA 21st Amendment Brewery Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer Anderson Valley Brewing Company Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion Blue Point Brewing Company Toasted Lager Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Captain’s Kölsch Crispin Cider Original Elki Sauvignon Blanc Fire Island Beer Company Sea Salt Ale Goose Island Beer Company Sofie Harpoon Brewery UFO White Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon Long Ireland Beer Company Breakfast Stout Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale Victory Beer Company Hop Wallop Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-08-07T21:53:52+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrage-brewing-company-launches-kickstarter-project-to-fund-opening http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrage-brewing-company-launches-kickstarter-project-to-fund-opening#When:15:31:20Z Steve Pominski has launched a project on Kickstarter to fund the opening of Barrage Brewing Company, his forthcoming brewery in East Farmingdale. A recent visit from Suffolk County Sewer Districts has postponed the launch indefinitely, as Pominski is now required to install two monitoring wells for waste materials. The campaign will fund sewer upgrades and repaving. “I had to put my pride aside, because I don’t like asking people for money,” says Pominski. “We’ve used loans and our savings to pay for the brewery until now, but I really had no choice.” This is not the first complication for Pominski, a homebrewer of 20 years and graduate of Chicago, Illinois’ Siebel Institute of Technology. After scrapping his initial plan to open Barrage Brewing Company in Freeport in 2011, Pominski searched “for almost a year to find the right place” before leasing a 1,350-square-foot building in East Farmingdale. He purchased a one-barrel brewhouse and obtained all necessary licenses in 2012, but Hurricane Sandy delayed the gas line installation for six months. “It’s been one hurdle after another, but I’m not giving up anytime soon,” says Pominski. Kickstarter has recently helped other beer-related projects on Long Island. Moustache Brewing Company used the crowd-funding platform to secure a building in Riverhead, and Condzella Hops raised money for a German-manufactured hop harvester. Pominski’s project ends on August 21. Steve Pominski has launched a project on Kickstarter to fund the opening of Barrage Brewing Company, his forthcoming brewery in East Farmingdale. A recent visit from Suffolk County Sewer Districts has postponed the launch indefinitely, as Pominski is now required to install two monitoring wells for waste materials. The campaign will fund sewer upgrades and repaving. “I had to put my pride aside, because I don’t like asking people for money,” says Pominski. “We’ve used loans and our savings to pay for the brewery until now, but I really had no choice.” This is not the first complication for Pominski, a homebrewer of 20 years and graduate of Chicago, Illinois’ Siebel Institute of Technology. After scrapping his initial plan to open Barrage Brewing Company in Freeport in 2011, Pominski searched “for almost a year to find the right place” before leasing a 1,350-square-foot building in East Farmingdale. He purchased a one-barrel brewhouse and obtained all necessary licenses in 2012, but Hurricane Sandy delayed the gas line installation for six months. “It’s been one hurdle after another, but I’m not giving up anytime soon,” says Pominski. Kickstarter has recently helped other beer-related projects on Long Island. Moustache Brewing Company used the crowd-funding platform to secure a building in Riverhead, and Condzella Hops raised money for a German-manufactured hop harvester. Pominski’s project ends on August 21. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-08-02T15:31:20+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/greenport-harbor-ready-for-expansion-celebrates-fourth-anniversary-with-4 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/greenport-harbor-ready-for-expansion-celebrates-fourth-anniversary-with-4#When:15:38:30Z Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company The decripit, ash-colored mansard of 42155 Main Road in Peconic, once enveloping a collection of Ford Motor Company-manufactured automobiles, is gone. A new roof was constructed by the building’s new proprietors, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, and gradually, additional renovations have transfo— INTERRUPTION OF DELICATE NARRATIVE WALTZ, PLZ NIKO PROCEED TO CORE OF ARTICLE After announcing an expansion plan in 2011, which included the eventual purchase and renovation of the aforementioned 13,000-square-foot edifice in Peconic, Greenport Harbor’s new brewery is nearly complete. “We’ve accomplished the installation of the electrical and plumbing systems, built a new roof, and the concrete floors are poured,” says Rich Vandenburgh, co-owner. “We’re getting the new brewhouse in about 60 days.” Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Vandenburgh and John Liegey opened their Greenport-based brewery at 234 Carpenter Street in 2009. They acquired the additional building in Peconic, a former car dealership, to supply their swelling clientele, which now extends to Hudson Valley. The forthcoming expansion will feature a new 30-barrel brewhouse, doubling initial annual production to 6,000 barrels (the equipment’s maximum output, however, is 54,000 barrels), and eventually, a bottling line. Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Since the renovation “won’t be completed until sometime at the end of the fall,” says Vandenburgh, the brewery hosted its fourth anniversary party on July 20 in Greenport. The 12-beer event included the debut of #4, a straw-colored ale with Spalt Select and Saaz hops, and Devil’s Plaything IPA, a chile-infused IPA created for New York’s Salvation Taco in June. While Greenport Harbor will continue to beer-make within its original 2,400-square-foot location, an autumn-ish opening in Peconic is critical. “We’re running out of beer with only our current space,” says Liegey. “We saw this coming about two years ago and started the process, but unfortunately, banks take a little longer with smaller businesses than we had anticipated. Hopefully we can get through the next few months.” Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company The decripit, ash-colored mansard of 42155 Main Road in Peconic, once enveloping a collection of Ford Motor Company-manufactured automobiles, is gone. A new roof was constructed by the building’s new proprietors, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, and gradually, additional renovations have transfo— INTERRUPTION OF DELICATE NARRATIVE WALTZ, PLZ NIKO PROCEED TO CORE OF ARTICLE After announcing an expansion plan in 2011, which included the eventual purchase and renovation of the aforementioned 13,000-square-foot edifice in Peconic, Greenport Harbor’s new brewery is nearly complete. “We’ve accomplished the installation of the electrical and plumbing systems, built a new roof, and the concrete floors are poured,” says Rich Vandenburgh, co-owner. “We’re getting the new brewhouse in about 60 days.” Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Vandenburgh and John Liegey opened their Greenport-based brewery at 234 Carpenter Street in 2009. They acquired the additional building in Peconic, a former car dealership, to supply their swelling clientele, which now extends to Hudson Valley. The forthcoming expansion will feature a new 30-barrel brewhouse, doubling initial annual production to 6,000 barrels (the equipment’s maximum output, however, is 54,000 barrels), and eventually, a bottling line. Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Since the renovation “won’t be completed until sometime at the end of the fall,” says Vandenburgh, the brewery hosted its fourth anniversary party on July 20 in Greenport. The 12-beer event included the debut of #4, a straw-colored ale with Spalt Select and Saaz hops, and Devil’s Plaything IPA, a chile-infused IPA created for New York’s Salvation Taco in June. While Greenport Harbor will continue to beer-make within its original 2,400-square-foot location, an autumn-ish opening in Peconic is critical. “We’re running out of beer with only our current space,” says Liegey. “We saw this coming about two years ago and started the process, but unfortunately, banks take a little longer with smaller businesses than we had anticipated. Hopefully we can get through the next few months.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-07-24T15:38:30+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-ireland-brews-anniversary-beer-for-the-nutty-irishman http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-ireland-brews-anniversary-beer-for-the-nutty-irishman#When:15:51:59Z Photo: Barbara Ellen Koch Long Ireland Beer Company, or Long Ireland House Beer Company? After creating Plattduetsche Kölsch for Franklin Square’s Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in April, Long Ireland Beer Company has brewed another house beer for a local business. 10 NUTTY YEARS, a 5.00% ABV ale brewed with pilsner and wheat malts, Cascade hops, and bitter orange peel, celebrates the 10th anniversary of The Nutty Irishman, a bar-restaurant with locations in Bay Shore and Farmingdale. The former opened in 2003. “It’s a refreshing wheat ale,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of the Riverhead-based brewery. “We dry-hopped the beer with Cascade, and it’s lively, crisp, and mildly hoppy.” The Nutty Irishman is owned by John Court, Drew Dvorkin, and Mike McElwee. The trio originally met Martin and Dan Burke, his partner, at a Flogging Molly concert in 2007. “They discovered we were bar owners on Long Island and we discovered they were brewers on Long Island,” says Court. “The names of both businesses fit together, so when we were coming up on our anniversary, we began speaking about a special beer.” 10 NUTTY YEARS debuted on June 25. The beer will be available for “at least two months,” says Court. Photo: Barbara Ellen Koch Long Ireland Beer Company, or Long Ireland House Beer Company? After creating Plattduetsche Kölsch for Franklin Square’s Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in April, Long Ireland Beer Company has brewed another house beer for a local business. 10 NUTTY YEARS, a 5.00% ABV ale brewed with pilsner and wheat malts, Cascade hops, and bitter orange peel, celebrates the 10th anniversary of The Nutty Irishman, a bar-restaurant with locations in Bay Shore and Farmingdale. The former opened in 2003. “It’s a refreshing wheat ale,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of the Riverhead-based brewery. “We dry-hopped the beer with Cascade, and it’s lively, crisp, and mildly hoppy.” The Nutty Irishman is owned by John Court, Drew Dvorkin, and Mike McElwee. The trio originally met Martin and Dan Burke, his partner, at a Flogging Molly concert in 2007. “They discovered we were bar owners on Long Island and we discovered they were brewers on Long Island,” says Court. “The names of both businesses fit together, so when we were coming up on our anniversary, we began speaking about a special beer.” 10 NUTTY YEARS debuted on June 25. The beer will be available for “at least two months,” says Court. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-07-15T15:51:59+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-celebrates-third-anniversary-with-new-version-of-bumble http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-celebrates-third-anniversary-with-new-version-of-bumble#When:17:50:00Z Photo: Diagonal View BLEAK ITALICIZED NARRATIVE ABOUT JULY 04 I was celebrating my country’s independence within a cesspool of homogeneity, accompanied by Chinese-manufactured plastic flags and the piss-odor of light-bodied aluminum lagers. “A man’s torment is inevitable, like Tuesday,” I said. A close-up revealed my lugubrious essence. A closer-up revealed my unmanicured brow. SUBTITLES: “Through a telescope, or manhole, the universe flickers like a defective Lite-Brite,” I said. —FIN— I actually celebrated Independence Day with Barrier Brewing Company‘s newest incarnation of Bumble, an 8.00% ABV IPA brewed with wheat malt and four hop varieties, including Mosaic. After debuting a lower-strength version (5.10% ABV) in 2012, Barrier recently amplified the recipe to establish a hoppier identity. Bumble was rereleased on July 03, for the Oceanside-based brewery’s third birthday. “We were trying to strike a balance between wheat beers and pale ales but it was too hop forward for the former but not bold enough for the latter,” says Craig Frymark, co-owner. “We said to hell with balance and compromise and decided to totally amplify all the flavors and characteristics and brew up one wild and crazy wheat beer.” Barrier will brew “five or six more batches” of Bumble, says Frymark, “but hope to ultimately add it to the regular rotation.” Description of Bumble: Brewed with 40% wheat malt and 4 different Pacific NW hop varieties, including a new and limited hop called Mosiac. It’s also double dry hopped post-fermentation to create a hugely aromatic and flavorful beer. Pours a hazy honey gold with big hop aromas of pungent citrus, passion fruit, and overripe cantaloupe. Flavors are tart, fruity, tropical, bitter, biting, hoppy, and crisp. If you like Money IPA, your gonna love this one. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Barrier Brewing Company Bumble Citrus Melon Dank Bitter Lingers Photo: Diagonal View BLEAK ITALICIZED NARRATIVE ABOUT JULY 04 I was celebrating my country’s independence within a cesspool of homogeneity, accompanied by Chinese-manufactured plastic flags and the piss-odor of light-bodied aluminum lagers. “A man’s torment is inevitable, like Tuesday,” I said. A close-up revealed my lugubrious essence. A closer-up revealed my unmanicured brow. SUBTITLES: “Through a telescope, or manhole, the universe flickers like a defective Lite-Brite,” I said. —FIN— I actually celebrated Independence Day with Barrier Brewing Company‘s newest incarnation of Bumble, an 8.00% ABV IPA brewed with wheat malt and four hop varieties, including Mosaic. After debuting a lower-strength version (5.10% ABV) in 2012, Barrier recently amplified the recipe to establish a hoppier identity. Bumble was rereleased on July 03, for the Oceanside-based brewery’s third birthday. “We were trying to strike a balance between wheat beers and pale ales but it was too hop forward for the former but not bold enough for the latter,” says Craig Frymark, co-owner. “We said to hell with balance and compromise and decided to totally amplify all the flavors and characteristics and brew up one wild and crazy wheat beer.” Barrier will brew “five or six more batches” of Bumble, says Frymark, “but hope to ultimately add it to the regular rotation.” Description of Bumble: Brewed with 40% wheat malt and 4 different Pacific NW hop varieties, including a new and limited hop called Mosiac. It’s also double dry hopped post-fermentation to create a hugely aromatic and flavorful beer. Pours a hazy honey gold with big hop aromas of pungent citrus, passion fruit, and overripe cantaloupe. Flavors are tart, fruity, tropical, bitter, biting, hoppy, and crisp. If you like Money IPA, your gonna love this one. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Barrier Brewing Company Bumble Citrus Melon Dank Bitter Lingers Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-07-09T17:50:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/oyster-bay-brewing-company-fights-vampires-with-beer http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/oyster-bay-brewing-company-fights-vampires-with-beer#When:05:01:33Z BLOG INCORRECTNESS Dear Readers, I am fundraising for my latest film project, Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz. It’s a maritime-themed vampire saga featuring Oyster Bay Brewing Company, a new brewery in Oyster Bay owned by Gabriel Haim and Ryan Schlotter. BEGIN SYNOPSIS Gabriel Haim’s wife’s cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years, so beer obviously flows in the family’s veins. Obviously. A clan of aquatic vampires, or BLOODSUCKAHZ, desire Haim’s precious beer-laced plasmajuice, so Oyster Bay Brewing Company will use nuclear brewfare to destroy evil and save humanity. Obviously. END SYNOPSIS While I am confident with the synopsis of Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz, I have no script, filmmaking experience, or, again, money; There is only a tagline for the VHS box: Vampires love blood…and beer! Morgan Freeman is also confirmed for the role of Vorloft, main antagonist and warlord of the BLOODSUCKAHZ. PLZ SEND MONEY QUICK. Thank you. Sincerely, [Electronic Signature] Niko Krommydas BLOG CORRECTNESS Oyster Bay Brewing Company 76 South Street Oyster Bay, NY 11771 (516) 802-5546 oysterbaybrewing.com Gabriel Haim has beer in his blood. Sorta. Haim’s wife’s cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years and often poured his beers at holidays and other family functions. Inspired by the “growlers of flavorful and complex brews,” Haim purchased a homebrewing kit with Ryan Schlotter, a friend and co-worker at Westbury’s Rallye BMW, and “started experimenting in their kitchens” in 2011. They also brewed regularly at Broad Ripple Brew Pub with Matalucci. His professional guidance triggered the start of Oyster Bay Brewing Company. “There aren’t any big kettles or hoses in a homebrew kit, so working on a real brewhouse was a great experience and pushed us to take it seriously,” says Haim. “[Matalucci] gave us direction and we would do everything, from mashing to measuring hops. We’ve been trying to apply everything we learned on our own equipment now.” Oyster Bay Brewing Company’s equipment is a three-barrel brewhouse with two fermenters and four brite tanks. After test-batching two days per week since December 2012, the brewery opened on June 09 with Amber Ale and IPA. The latter is 8.70% ABV and has a “nice floral aroma and hop bite,” says Schlotter, who created the recipe. While Haim and Schlotter are still employed at Rallye BMW, the duo are serious about correcting the severe brewery-neglect in Nassau County; prior to Oyster Bay Brewing Company, Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company was the county’s sole beer-maker. “There’s no beer on the north shore of Nassau County, and Oyster Bay has such a rich history and a great community vibe,” says Schlotter. “We’re trying to give them a craft brewery with bold flavors, but something for the masses, as well.” Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Oyster Bay Brewing Company IPA Bite Citrushoppy Caramel Solid BLOG INCORRECTNESS Dear Readers, I am fundraising for my latest film project, Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz. It’s a maritime-themed vampire saga featuring Oyster Bay Brewing Company, a new brewery in Oyster Bay owned by Gabriel Haim and Ryan Schlotter. BEGIN SYNOPSIS Gabriel Haim’s wife’s cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years, so beer obviously flows in the family’s veins. Obviously. A clan of aquatic vampires, or BLOODSUCKAHZ, desire Haim’s precious beer-laced plasmajuice, so Oyster Bay Brewing Company will use nuclear brewfare to destroy evil and save humanity. Obviously. END SYNOPSIS While I am confident with the synopsis of Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz, I have no script, filmmaking experience, or, again, money; There is only a tagline for the VHS box: Vampires love blood…and beer! Morgan Freeman is also confirmed for the role of Vorloft, main antagonist and warlord of the BLOODSUCKAHZ. PLZ SEND MONEY QUICK. Thank you. Sincerely, [Electronic Signature] Niko Krommydas BLOG CORRECTNESS Oyster Bay Brewing Company 76 South Street Oyster Bay, NY 11771 (516) 802-5546 oysterbaybrewing.com Gabriel Haim has beer in his blood. Sorta. Haim’s wife’s cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years and often poured his beers at holidays and other family functions. Inspired by the “growlers of flavorful and complex brews,” Haim purchased a homebrewing kit with Ryan Schlotter, a friend and co-worker at Westbury’s Rallye BMW, and “started experimenting in their kitchens” in 2011. They also brewed regularly at Broad Ripple Brew Pub with Matalucci. His professional guidance triggered the start of Oyster Bay Brewing Company. “There aren’t any big kettles or hoses in a homebrew kit, so working on a real brewhouse was a great experience and pushed us to take it seriously,” says Haim. “[Matalucci] gave us direction and we would do everything, from mashing to measuring hops. We’ve been trying to apply everything we learned on our own equipment now.” Oyster Bay Brewing Company’s equipment is a three-barrel brewhouse with two fermenters and four brite tanks. After test-batching two days per week since December 2012, the brewery opened on June 09 with Amber Ale and IPA. The latter is 8.70% ABV and has a “nice floral aroma and hop bite,” says Schlotter, who created the recipe. While Haim and Schlotter are still employed at Rallye BMW, the duo are serious about correcting the severe brewery-neglect in Nassau County; prior to Oyster Bay Brewing Company, Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Company was the county’s sole beer-maker. “There’s no beer on the north shore of Nassau County, and Oyster Bay has such a rich history and a great community vibe,” says Schlotter. “We’re trying to give them a craft brewery with bold flavors, but something for the masses, as well.” Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Oyster Bay Brewing Company IPA Bite Citrushoppy Caramel Solid Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-06-28T05:01:33+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inaugural-draft-list-morrisons-plainview http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/inaugural-draft-list-morrisons-plainview#When:22:07:16Z Photo: Morrison’s Morrison’s 430 Woodbury Road Plainview, NY 11803 (516) 932-3460 morrisonsny.com Red Fish is dead. The seafood-specializing restaurant in Plainview will reopen as Morrison’s, “committed to current food trends and a killer bar program,” says Shelby Poole, who co-owns with parents, Artie and Lori Bloom, and husband, Harry Poole (executive chef). The quartet also owns Jackson’s in Commack. “We focused on fresh, high-quality food at Red Fish, and Morrison’s will carry on that spirit,” says Poole. “If there’s an opportunity to educate our customers on bringing their standards to another level, were going to take it.” Morrison’s will offer six drafts. The inaugural list includes Low Life, a pilsner from Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø‘s gypsy brewery, Evil Twin Brewing, and Great South Bay Brewery’s first batch of Blood Orange Pale Ale using its new 30-barrel brewhouse. “I tried to create a list that’s totally accessible to the casual beer drinker, while still providing the geek with something to dance about,” says Poole. Morrison’s opens on June 13. Inaugural Draft List Evil Twin Brewing Low Life Goose Island Beer Company Sofie Great South Bay Brewery Blood Orange Pale Ale Port Jeff Brewing Company Port Jeff Porter Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Hefeweizen Westbrook Brewing Company IPA Photo: Morrison’s Morrison’s 430 Woodbury Road Plainview, NY 11803 (516) 932-3460 morrisonsny.com Red Fish is dead. The seafood-specializing restaurant in Plainview will reopen as Morrison’s, “committed to current food trends and a killer bar program,” says Shelby Poole, who co-owns with parents, Artie and Lori Bloom, and husband, Harry Poole (executive chef). The quartet also owns Jackson’s in Commack. “We focused on fresh, high-quality food at Red Fish, and Morrison’s will carry on that spirit,” says Poole. “If there’s an opportunity to educate our customers on bringing their standards to another level, were going to take it.” Morrison’s will offer six drafts. The inaugural list includes Low Life, a pilsner from Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø‘s gypsy brewery, Evil Twin Brewing, and Great South Bay Brewery’s first batch of Blood Orange Pale Ale using its new 30-barrel brewhouse. “I tried to create a list that’s totally accessible to the casual beer drinker, while still providing the geek with something to dance about,” says Poole. Morrison’s opens on June 13. Inaugural Draft List Evil Twin Brewing Low Life Goose Island Beer Company Sofie Great South Bay Brewery Blood Orange Pale Ale Port Jeff Brewing Company Port Jeff Porter Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Hefeweizen Westbrook Brewing Company IPA Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-06-12T22:07:16+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/greenport-harbor-creates-devils-plaything-ipa-for-salvation-taco http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/greenport-harbor-creates-devils-plaything-ipa-for-salvation-taco#When:20:05:59Z Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has created a DEMONIC house beer for Salvation Taco, one of four New York restaurants owned by Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. Beelzebub’s narration-invasion is challenged by Niko Krommydas, who threatens threats with his despondent raygun and monotonic chanting. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. After several hours of copy-pastes, Beelzebub’s plan is thwarted and the evil deity returns to his fiery lair. Niko Krommydas can now continue to provide his sparse readership with monotonic blogging. Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has created a house beer for Salvation Taco, one of four New York restaurants owned by Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. The proprietary liquid, Devil’s Plaything, is a 5.20% ABV IPA brewed with oranges, limes, dried bitter orange peel, and guajillo and Thai bird chiles. The collaboration originated during a conversation between Sam Anderson, bar manager of the neon-drenched taqueria, and Bill Brooks, beer manager of The Breslin Bar & Dining Room. “We were discussing cocktails and [Anderson] was working on an IPA syrup with serrano peppers,” says Brooks. “I thought it would actually make a great beer, if we could control the amount of heat and bring out some of the berry and fruitier notes of spicy peppers. We wanted something to compliment the food without overpowering guests.” Brooks contacted Greenport Harbor Brewing Company during New York City Beer Week in February. The Greenport-based brewery, owned by John Liegey and Richard Vanderburgh, is one of Brooks’ favorite purchases for inventory, “especially anything from Project Hoppiness.” The parties joined to discuss the custom beer’s components. “We blended and tasted spice teas to focus our palates on the different elements we wanted to bring together in the beer,” says Greg Doroski, assistant brewer at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. “We loved the bright acidity, berry notes, and subtle heat from the blend of chiles and added oranges and dried bitter orange peel to bolster the citrus character.” Friedman and Bloomfield are also proprietors of The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, The Spotted Pig, and The John Dory Oyster Bar. And each establishment pours a house beer. While Salvation Taco’s pepper-infused exclusive may deter some, Doroski assures Devil’s Plaything IPA won’t destroy palates. “You won’t need a glass of milk after your first sip to calm the heat,” says Doroski. “I would say it’s an IPA first, with support from the chiles and citrus. As with everything we brew, we sought balance with this beer.” Devil’s Plaything IPA was released on May 22. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Devil’s Plaything IPA Citrus Spicy Throat-tingly Bitter OJ Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has created a DEMONIC house beer for Salvation Taco, one of four New York restaurants owned by Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. Beelzebub’s narration-invasion is challenged by Niko Krommydas, who threatens threats with his despondent raygun and monotonic chanting. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. The power of beer compels you. After several hours of copy-pastes, Beelzebub’s plan is thwarted and the evil deity returns to his fiery lair. Niko Krommydas can now continue to provide his sparse readership with monotonic blogging. Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has created a house beer for Salvation Taco, one of four New York restaurants owned by Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. The proprietary liquid, Devil’s Plaything, is a 5.20% ABV IPA brewed with oranges, limes, dried bitter orange peel, and guajillo and Thai bird chiles. The collaboration originated during a conversation between Sam Anderson, bar manager of the neon-drenched taqueria, and Bill Brooks, beer manager of The Breslin Bar & Dining Room. “We were discussing cocktails and [Anderson] was working on an IPA syrup with serrano peppers,” says Brooks. “I thought it would actually make a great beer, if we could control the amount of heat and bring out some of the berry and fruitier notes of spicy peppers. We wanted something to compliment the food without overpowering guests.” Brooks contacted Greenport Harbor Brewing Company during New York City Beer Week in February. The Greenport-based brewery, owned by John Liegey and Richard Vanderburgh, is one of Brooks’ favorite purchases for inventory, “especially anything from Project Hoppiness.” The parties joined to discuss the custom beer’s components. “We blended and tasted spice teas to focus our palates on the different elements we wanted to bring together in the beer,” says Greg Doroski, assistant brewer at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. “We loved the bright acidity, berry notes, and subtle heat from the blend of chiles and added oranges and dried bitter orange peel to bolster the citrus character.” Friedman and Bloomfield are also proprietors of The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, The Spotted Pig, and The John Dory Oyster Bar. And each establishment pours a house beer. While Salvation Taco’s pepper-infused exclusive may deter some, Doroski assures Devil’s Plaything IPA won’t destroy palates. “You won’t need a glass of milk after your first sip to calm the heat,” says Doroski. “I would say it’s an IPA first, with support from the chiles and citrus. As with everything we brew, we sought balance with this beer.” Devil’s Plaything IPA was released on May 22. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Devil’s Plaything IPA Citrus Spicy Throat-tingly Bitter OJ Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-06-12T20:05:59+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/fire-island-beer-company-releases-sea-salt-ale-first-new-beer-since-2010 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/fire-island-beer-company-releases-sea-salt-ale-first-new-beer-since-2010#When:16:05:33Z Since Fire Island is synonymous with summer, creating a beer dedicated to the 32-mile stretch’s most human-inhabited season seemed inevitable for Fire Island Beer Company. After four years of existence, the inevitable is now pouring. Fire Island Beer Company has released Sea Salt Ale, a 5.20% ABV blonde ale brewed with Atlantic sea salt. “It’s a light beer with some salinity, citrus, and a nice fluffy head,” says Bert Fernandez, co-owner. “It’s perfect for the summer.” Fernandez opened Fire Island Beer Company with his brother, Tom, and cousin, Jeff Glassman, in 2009. The trio started homebrewing in Atlantique, a Fire Island-located community, in 1999 and introduced samples to customers while working at The Shack, a local snack bar. Sea Salt Ale is only its fifth beer, and the first since releasing Frozen Tail Ale in 2010 (the deer-branded company started with an amber flagship, Lighthouse Ale, and followed with Red Wagon IPA and Pumpkin Barrel Ale). Fernandez has wanted to create a summer beer for two years. They started test-batching Sea Salt Ale in January. “It was time to start expanding the portfolio, and a summer beer was the next logical season for us,” says Fernandez. “We tried some styles with salt, but we didn’t want to make a gose. A blonde worked real nicely.” Sea Salt Ale is also the first Fire Island Beer Company liquid contracted by Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. The 100-barrel brewery, co-owned by Phil Markowski, former brewmaster of Southampton Publick House, is beer-making for others desiring increased production and businesses without a physical space. Fire Island Beer Company, the latter, was previously contracted by Olde Saratoga Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Cortland hosts a kickoff for Fire Island Beer Company Sea Salt Ale at the YMCA Boulton Center on June 05. The event also features a screening of the 1985 film, The Goonies. NEVER SAY DIE. Tickets Since Fire Island is synonymous with summer, creating a beer dedicated to the 32-mile stretch’s most human-inhabited season seemed inevitable for Fire Island Beer Company. After four years of existence, the inevitable is now pouring. Fire Island Beer Company has released Sea Salt Ale, a 5.20% ABV blonde ale brewed with Atlantic sea salt. “It’s a light beer with some salinity, citrus, and a nice fluffy head,” says Bert Fernandez, co-owner. “It’s perfect for the summer.” Fernandez opened Fire Island Beer Company with his brother, Tom, and cousin, Jeff Glassman, in 2009. The trio started homebrewing in Atlantique, a Fire Island-located community, in 1999 and introduced samples to customers while working at The Shack, a local snack bar. Sea Salt Ale is only its fifth beer, and the first since releasing Frozen Tail Ale in 2010 (the deer-branded company started with an amber flagship, Lighthouse Ale, and followed with Red Wagon IPA and Pumpkin Barrel Ale). Fernandez has wanted to create a summer beer for two years. They started test-batching Sea Salt Ale in January. “It was time to start expanding the portfolio, and a summer beer was the next logical season for us,” says Fernandez. “We tried some styles with salt, but we didn’t want to make a gose. A blonde worked real nicely.” Sea Salt Ale is also the first Fire Island Beer Company liquid contracted by Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. The 100-barrel brewery, co-owned by Phil Markowski, former brewmaster of Southampton Publick House, is beer-making for others desiring increased production and businesses without a physical space. Fire Island Beer Company, the latter, was previously contracted by Olde Saratoga Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Cortland hosts a kickoff for Fire Island Beer Company Sea Salt Ale at the YMCA Boulton Center on June 05. The event also features a screening of the 1985 film, The Goonies. NEVER SAY DIE. Tickets Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-06-04T16:05:33+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/top-5-missed-beers-during-long-island-craft-beer-week http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/top-5-missed-beers-during-long-island-craft-beer-week#When:15:59:40Z I dislike lists. I also dislike American Pickers, a reality television series on A&E documenting the backroad barn-antiquing of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. [Contemplation.] I actually like American Pickers and enjoy Mike Wolfe’s intensely frightening narratives. The list-hating, however, is legitimate. [Contemplation.] I actually like lists. The list below provides five of my beer misses during Long Island Craft Beer Week, accompanied by corresponding cause. I dislike missing beer. 1) Black Forest Brew Haus//Fritz :: 6.70% ABV An homage to Frederick Louis “Fritz” Maytag III, former owner of Anchor Brewing Company, and the brewery’s flagship, Anchor Steam Beer, Fritz is a California common brewed with rye malt. The rye “occupies 10% of the grain bill and lends a slight spiciness,” says Joseph Hayes, brewmaster of Black Forest Brew Haus. Fritz debuted at Great South Bay Brewery’s Bay Fest on May 11 and was released at the German-style brewpub on May 18. Reason For Miss An unsuccessful attempt at avoiding people, and subsequently, conversations, at Bay Fest. 2) Blind Bat Brewery//Spring Folly :: 8.50% ABV The Belgian-inspired sister of Hell Gate Golden Ale, Blind Bat Brewery‘s Spring Folly also debuted at Bay Fest on May 11. Though “not defined to any style,” says Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster, Spring Folly is brewed with coriander and possesses “strawberry, pomegranate, and citrus flavors, due to the yeast and fermentation.” Dlugokencky will brew another batch, once its recipe and label are government-approved. Reason For Miss People. Conversations. Again. 3) Maine Beer Company//Pilot 1 :: 5.20% ABV The Black Sheep Ale House hosted an event with Maine Beer Company on May 16, featuring six beers and cheese from Westbrook, Maine’s Silvery Moon Creamery. The former included two unreleased, small-batch experiments: Pilot 1 and Pilot 2. “The pilot beers are an avenue for the brewers to experiment with style and technique, and may result in a new addition to the lineup,” says Vincent Minutella, owner of The Black Sheep Ale House. “They don’t normally leave the tasting room.” Pilot 1 is a pale ale brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops, providing a “hoppy, pungent nose of citrus and tropical fruits.” Reason For Miss I was studying for my pilot’s license, which included the creation of several lists. Because I like lists. 4) Port Jeff Brewing Company//Party Boat IPA (Dry-Hopped w/Nugget) :: 7.70% ABV Released on May 11, Party Boat IPA “packs intense citrus flavors, which really balances the bitterness,” says Michael Philbrick, owner and brewmaster. Since Party Boat IPA’s initial batch was Nugget-lacking, Port Jeff Brewing Company dry-hopped with the variety for its first cask appearance at Hoptron Brewtique on May 14. “Nugget is used primarily for bittering, but as an aromatic, it throws some nice herbal tones into the mix,” says Philbrick. “It’s hard to have anything shine over Party Boat IPA’s sinister citrus backbone, but it did add a nice element.” Reason For Miss Two hundred and ten minutes of traffic during my drive from Brooklyn to Patchogue. You are unbearable, Belt Parkway. 5) Long Ireland Beer Company//Whiskey Barrel-Aged ESB :: 6.00% ABV The Riverhead-based brewery acquired 12 whiskey barrels from Baiting Hollow distillery, Long Island Spirits, and filled them with Celtic Ale, Breakfast Stout, and ESB. The latter, which “tasted delicious and had some nice vanilla notes from the barrel,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of Long Ireland Beer Company, poured at T.J. Finley‘s Cask Fest on May 18. Reason For Miss Attended the LICBW Golf Invitational at Blackwell’s at Great Rock Golf Club and golf-carted the course with Long Ireland Beer Company. The vehicle possessed more kegs than seatbelts. I dislike lists. I also dislike American Pickers, a reality television series on A&E documenting the backroad barn-antiquing of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. [Contemplation.] I actually like American Pickers and enjoy Mike Wolfe’s intensely frightening narratives. The list-hating, however, is legitimate. [Contemplation.] I actually like lists. The list below provides five of my beer misses during Long Island Craft Beer Week, accompanied by corresponding cause. I dislike missing beer. 1) Black Forest Brew Haus//Fritz :: 6.70% ABV An homage to Frederick Louis “Fritz” Maytag III, former owner of Anchor Brewing Company, and the brewery’s flagship, Anchor Steam Beer, Fritz is a California common brewed with rye malt. The rye “occupies 10% of the grain bill and lends a slight spiciness,” says Joseph Hayes, brewmaster of Black Forest Brew Haus. Fritz debuted at Great South Bay Brewery’s Bay Fest on May 11 and was released at the German-style brewpub on May 18. Reason For Miss An unsuccessful attempt at avoiding people, and subsequently, conversations, at Bay Fest. 2) Blind Bat Brewery//Spring Folly :: 8.50% ABV The Belgian-inspired sister of Hell Gate Golden Ale, Blind Bat Brewery‘s Spring Folly also debuted at Bay Fest on May 11. Though “not defined to any style,” says Paul Dlugokencky, owner and brewmaster, Spring Folly is brewed with coriander and possesses “strawberry, pomegranate, and citrus flavors, due to the yeast and fermentation.” Dlugokencky will brew another batch, once its recipe and label are government-approved. Reason For Miss People. Conversations. Again. 3) Maine Beer Company//Pilot 1 :: 5.20% ABV The Black Sheep Ale House hosted an event with Maine Beer Company on May 16, featuring six beers and cheese from Westbrook, Maine’s Silvery Moon Creamery. The former included two unreleased, small-batch experiments: Pilot 1 and Pilot 2. “The pilot beers are an avenue for the brewers to experiment with style and technique, and may result in a new addition to the lineup,” says Vincent Minutella, owner of The Black Sheep Ale House. “They don’t normally leave the tasting room.” Pilot 1 is a pale ale brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops, providing a “hoppy, pungent nose of citrus and tropical fruits.” Reason For Miss I was studying for my pilot’s license, which included the creation of several lists. Because I like lists. 4) Port Jeff Brewing Company//Party Boat IPA (Dry-Hopped w/Nugget) :: 7.70% ABV Released on May 11, Party Boat IPA “packs intense citrus flavors, which really balances the bitterness,” says Michael Philbrick, owner and brewmaster. Since Party Boat IPA’s initial batch was Nugget-lacking, Port Jeff Brewing Company dry-hopped with the variety for its first cask appearance at Hoptron Brewtique on May 14. “Nugget is used primarily for bittering, but as an aromatic, it throws some nice herbal tones into the mix,” says Philbrick. “It’s hard to have anything shine over Party Boat IPA’s sinister citrus backbone, but it did add a nice element.” Reason For Miss Two hundred and ten minutes of traffic during my drive from Brooklyn to Patchogue. You are unbearable, Belt Parkway. 5) Long Ireland Beer Company//Whiskey Barrel-Aged ESB :: 6.00% ABV The Riverhead-based brewery acquired 12 whiskey barrels from Baiting Hollow distillery, Long Island Spirits, and filled them with Celtic Ale, Breakfast Stout, and ESB. The latter, which “tasted delicious and had some nice vanilla notes from the barrel,” says Greg Martin, co-owner of Long Ireland Beer Company, poured at T.J. Finley‘s Cask Fest on May 18. Reason For Miss Attended the LICBW Golf Invitational at Blackwell’s at Great Rock Golf Club and golf-carted the course with Long Ireland Beer Company. The vehicle possessed more kegs than seatbelts. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-29T15:59:40+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-bottle-releases-morticia-imperial-stout http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-bottle-releases-morticia-imperial-stout#When:17:21:32Z Morticia Addams, the goth-vamp matriarch of The Addams Family, is noticeably pale. Barrier Brewing Company‘s Morticia Imperial Stout, conversely, is not. The latter, a raven-colored 9.50% ABV imperial stout, was placed in 1,111 bottles and released at the Oceanside-based brewery on May 17 amid cobwebs, coffins, and other humorous macabre paraphernalia. Though Morticia Imperial Stout debuted at Barrier Brewing Company’s first location, 3595 Lawson Boulevard, in 2011 (the brewery moved to 3001 New Street A2 in 2012), the beer has not appeared since. The latest batch possesses an identical recipe, but was also bottle-conditioned with maple syrup. “The beer was a little too hoppy, so we brewed another batch and blended them,” says Evan Klein, co-owner of Barrier Brewing Company. “I was really pleased once it was bottled with the addition of syrup.” Morticia Imperial Stout is Barrier Brewing Company’s third bottled release. Zythossaurus, a 10.00% ABV imperial pale ale brewed with all Zythos hops, was released on March 29. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Barrier Brewing Company Morticia Imperial Stout Rich Syrup-olasses Lil’hoppy Chocolate Bitter Morticia Addams, the goth-vamp matriarch of The Addams Family, is noticeably pale. Barrier Brewing Company‘s Morticia Imperial Stout, conversely, is not. The latter, a raven-colored 9.50% ABV imperial stout, was placed in 1,111 bottles and released at the Oceanside-based brewery on May 17 amid cobwebs, coffins, and other humorous macabre paraphernalia. Though Morticia Imperial Stout debuted at Barrier Brewing Company’s first location, 3595 Lawson Boulevard, in 2011 (the brewery moved to 3001 New Street A2 in 2012), the beer has not appeared since. The latest batch possesses an identical recipe, but was also bottle-conditioned with maple syrup. “The beer was a little too hoppy, so we brewed another batch and blended them,” says Evan Klein, co-owner of Barrier Brewing Company. “I was really pleased once it was bottled with the addition of syrup.” Morticia Imperial Stout is Barrier Brewing Company’s third bottled release. Zythossaurus, a 10.00% ABV imperial pale ale brewed with all Zythos hops, was released on March 29. Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Barrier Brewing Company Morticia Imperial Stout Rich Syrup-olasses Lil’hoppy Chocolate Bitter Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-20T17:21:32+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/bellport-cold-beer-soda-opens-vault-again-releases-partial-beer-list http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/bellport-cold-beer-soda-opens-vault-again-releases-partial-beer-list#When:21:53:15Z I discovered the severed remains of eight A&S mannequins in an abandoned bank vault, individually wrapped in vintage He-Man and the Masters of the Universe twin bed sheets. After three hours of intense Faron Young-themed Zumba, we— Sorry. Bellport Cold Beer & Soda is unlocking its vault during Long Island Craft Beer Week for the third consecutive year. David Schultzer, owner of Bellport Cold Beer & Soda, acquired the store, previously Station Beverage, in 1997. He started cellaring beer in 2003 and has accumulated 100+ kegs and bottles, not including vintages, or different years, of the same liquid. “My day was infinitely better when I started to sell good beer and talked with people who enjoyed learning about it,” says Schultzer. “We could have a 45-minute conversation without discussing sports and women’s undergarments. The next phase was keeping stuff to see how the taste changed over a period of time.” Though aging beer “isn’t the best business model,” says Schultzer, he enjoys preserving items for customers “who don’t constantly hunt for bottles and may have missed out on a lot of cool stuff.” He started the event for Long Island Craft Beer Week’s inaugural year in 2011. “It’s just something different. We can always have a regular tasting or event, but this a special one.” Bellport Cold Beer & Soda’s vault opens on May 18 (11:00AM-9:00AM). Beer List (Partial) Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2007 Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2008 Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2009 Founders Brewing Company Doom Founders Brewing Company Bolt Cutter Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout 2009 Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout 2010 Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Thirteen Anniversary Ale Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Fourteen Anniversary Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2008 Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2009 Thomas Hardy’s Ale 2007 Thomas Hardy’s Ale 2008 I discovered the severed remains of eight A&S mannequins in an abandoned bank vault, individually wrapped in vintage He-Man and the Masters of the Universe twin bed sheets. After three hours of intense Faron Young-themed Zumba, we— Sorry. Bellport Cold Beer & Soda is unlocking its vault during Long Island Craft Beer Week for the third consecutive year. David Schultzer, owner of Bellport Cold Beer & Soda, acquired the store, previously Station Beverage, in 1997. He started cellaring beer in 2003 and has accumulated 100+ kegs and bottles, not including vintages, or different years, of the same liquid. “My day was infinitely better when I started to sell good beer and talked with people who enjoyed learning about it,” says Schultzer. “We could have a 45-minute conversation without discussing sports and women’s undergarments. The next phase was keeping stuff to see how the taste changed over a period of time.” Though aging beer “isn’t the best business model,” says Schultzer, he enjoys preserving items for customers “who don’t constantly hunt for bottles and may have missed out on a lot of cool stuff.” He started the event for Long Island Craft Beer Week’s inaugural year in 2011. “It’s just something different. We can always have a regular tasting or event, but this a special one.” Bellport Cold Beer & Soda’s vault opens on May 18 (11:00AM-9:00AM). Beer List (Partial) Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2007 Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2008 Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2009 Founders Brewing Company Doom Founders Brewing Company Bolt Cutter Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout 2009 Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout 2010 Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Thirteen Anniversary Ale Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Fourteen Anniversary Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2008 Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2009 Thomas Hardy’s Ale 2007 Thomas Hardy’s Ale 2008 Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-17T21:53:15+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/croxleys-pre-game-party-cask-tasting-beer-preview-05-09-blue-point-brews-an http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/croxleys-pre-game-party-cask-tasting-beer-preview-05-09-blue-point-brews-an#When:19:40:45Z The ________ was created in 1992 by ________ and designed to alleviate chronic symptoms of ________ and ________. Chris Werle and Jeff Piciullo also created something in 1992, but to alleviate thirst on Long Island: They opened a 12-draft bar, Croxley’s Ale House, in Franklin Square. Blue Point Brewing Company, a Blue Point-based brewery owned by Mark Burford and Pete Cotter, brewed a liquid gift in 2012 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Croxley’s Ale House. The aptly named beer, Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale, is a 7.00% ABV red ale featuring 20 ingredients—11 malt types and 9 hop varieties—to represent each year of aliveness for Croxley’s, which now possesses locations in Farmingdale, Franklin Square, New York, Rockville Centre, and Smithtown. “They are the legacy for craft beer on Long Island,” says Burford. “I’ve known them from the beginning, when I owned a homebrewing store [New York Homebrew] in Floral Park. It was a natural thing to do.” “Mark [Burford] has always been a regular customer,” says Werle, who currently owns with Piciullo, Ed Davis, Joe Rodriguez, and Joe Mendolia. “We wanted a West Coast-style red ale. They came up with the idea to have 20 ingredients.” A cask of Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale pours at Pre Game Party Cask Tasting at 6:00PM. The event, hosted at Croxley’s Farmingdale location, is the pre-start of Long Island Craft Beer Week. Beer List Ballast Point Brewing Company Sculpin IPA Barrier Brewing Company Money IPA (Dry-Hopped w/Citra, Primed w/Nectarines) Blue Point Brewing Company Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale Great South Bay Brewery Blood Orange Pale Ale Green Flash Brewing Company West Coast IPA Long Ireland Beer Company Celtic Ale (Whiskey Barrel-Aged) Port Jeff Brewing Company Big Boy Birch Stout Port Jeff Brewing Company H³ (Tripel H) $24.95. The ________ was created in 1992 by ________ and designed to alleviate chronic symptoms of ________ and ________. Chris Werle and Jeff Piciullo also created something in 1992, but to alleviate thirst on Long Island: They opened a 12-draft bar, Croxley’s Ale House, in Franklin Square. Blue Point Brewing Company, a Blue Point-based brewery owned by Mark Burford and Pete Cotter, brewed a liquid gift in 2012 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Croxley’s Ale House. The aptly named beer, Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale, is a 7.00% ABV red ale featuring 20 ingredients—11 malt types and 9 hop varieties—to represent each year of aliveness for Croxley’s, which now possesses locations in Farmingdale, Franklin Square, New York, Rockville Centre, and Smithtown. “They are the legacy for craft beer on Long Island,” says Burford. “I’ve known them from the beginning, when I owned a homebrewing store [New York Homebrew] in Floral Park. It was a natural thing to do.” “Mark [Burford] has always been a regular customer,” says Werle, who currently owns with Piciullo, Ed Davis, Joe Rodriguez, and Joe Mendolia. “We wanted a West Coast-style red ale. They came up with the idea to have 20 ingredients.” A cask of Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale pours at Pre Game Party Cask Tasting at 6:00PM. The event, hosted at Croxley’s Farmingdale location, is the pre-start of Long Island Craft Beer Week. Beer List Ballast Point Brewing Company Sculpin IPA Barrier Brewing Company Money IPA (Dry-Hopped w/Citra, Primed w/Nectarines) Blue Point Brewing Company Croxley’s 20th Anniversary Ale Great South Bay Brewery Blood Orange Pale Ale Green Flash Brewing Company West Coast IPA Long Ireland Beer Company Celtic Ale (Whiskey Barrel-Aged) Port Jeff Brewing Company Big Boy Birch Stout Port Jeff Brewing Company H³ (Tripel H) $24.95. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-09T19:40:45+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-sandy-relief-beer-raises-58k-for-barrier-brewing-company-long http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-sandy-relief-beer-raises-58k-for-barrier-brewing-company-long#When:16:03:15Z Sandy Relief Beer raised $58,000 for Barrier Brewing Company and Long Island Cares, Inc. The project, a collaboration between eight Long Island breweries to help local victims of Hurricane Sandy, created Surge Protector IPA, a piney, dry-finishing IPA featuring donated ingredients from every participant. Thirty barrels of Surge Protector IPA were brewed at Blue Point Brewing Company on December 04, and Clare Rose Inc., which funded the project, distributed kegs and bottles across Long Island. Every drop of Surge Protector IPA was sold. Every drop of Surge Protector IPA was consumed. Sandy Relief Beer, however, was never about the beer. Never. Sandy Relief Beer represented community, resiliency, and compassion. Sandy Relief Beer was, and is, love. As the oversized checks were presented to Barrier Brewing Company and Long Island Cares, Inc. at Blue Point Brewing Company on May 08, I witnessed a room of colleagues, not competitors, proudly raising bottles of Surge Protector IPA for cameras and reporters. Everyone was smiling. I smiled, too. Sandy Relief Beer raised $58,000 for Barrier Brewing Company and Long Island Cares, Inc. The project, a collaboration between eight Long Island breweries to help local victims of Hurricane Sandy, created Surge Protector IPA, a piney, dry-finishing IPA featuring donated ingredients from every participant. Thirty barrels of Surge Protector IPA were brewed at Blue Point Brewing Company on December 04, and Clare Rose Inc., which funded the project, distributed kegs and bottles across Long Island. Every drop of Surge Protector IPA was sold. Every drop of Surge Protector IPA was consumed. Sandy Relief Beer, however, was never about the beer. Never. Sandy Relief Beer represented community, resiliency, and compassion. Sandy Relief Beer was, and is, love. As the oversized checks were presented to Barrier Brewing Company and Long Island Cares, Inc. at Blue Point Brewing Company on May 08, I witnessed a room of colleagues, not competitors, proudly raising bottles of Surge Protector IPA for cameras and reporters. Everyone was smiling. I smiled, too. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-09T16:03:15+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-brewery-ready-to-beer-make-releases-new-beers-for-bay-fest http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/great-south-bay-brewery-ready-to-beer-make-releases-new-beers-for-bay-fest#When:19:30:57Z Great South Bay Brewery is ready to beer-make in Bay Shore. The brewery, owned and brewmastered by Rick Sobotka, has primarily contracted with Brooklyn, New York’s Greenpoint Beer Works since opening in 2010. After May 10, however, production shifts solely to Great South Bay Brewery’s 39,000-square-foot building at 25 Drexel Drive, acquired in 2012. The property was previously used for aerospace equipment distribution, but now features a 30-barrel brewhouse. “We’re ordering ingredients and planning for our first brew sometime in May,” says Sobotka, who also plans to launch 12 oz. bottles in July. “Flagships are our main concern right now, but we’ll also be experimenting with various recipes. We’ve been preparing for this day for a long time.” The final batch of Greenpoint Beer Works-brewed liquid arrives one day before Great South Bay Brewery hosts Bay Fest on May 11 and releases two new beers: Tell No Tales IPA, the brewery’s Massive IPA (a bronze medal winner at TAP New York in 2010) aged with rum-soaked oak spirals and dry-hopped with Cascade from Condzella Hops; and Golden IPA, a variation of Field 5 Golden IPA from 2012’s Tasting Room Exclusive Brew Series. The latter, a “citrusy, West Coast-style IPA with all pilsner malt,” says Sobotka, was brewed with Great South Bay Brewery’s one-barrel system, initially used at its first location at 2309 Union Boulevard. Golden IPA features Citra and Horizon hops. “We really like the consistency of Horizon hops for bittering and flavor,” says Sobotka. “This is our third and final test batch. It’s one of the best beers we’ve made.” Great South Bay Brewery is ready to beer-make in Bay Shore. The brewery, owned and brewmastered by Rick Sobotka, has primarily contracted with Brooklyn, New York’s Greenpoint Beer Works since opening in 2010. After May 10, however, production shifts solely to Great South Bay Brewery’s 39,000-square-foot building at 25 Drexel Drive, acquired in 2012. The property was previously used for aerospace equipment distribution, but now features a 30-barrel brewhouse. “We’re ordering ingredients and planning for our first brew sometime in May,” says Sobotka, who also plans to launch 12 oz. bottles in July. “Flagships are our main concern right now, but we’ll also be experimenting with various recipes. We’ve been preparing for this day for a long time.” The final batch of Greenpoint Beer Works-brewed liquid arrives one day before Great South Bay Brewery hosts Bay Fest on May 11 and releases two new beers: Tell No Tales IPA, the brewery’s Massive IPA (a bronze medal winner at TAP New York in 2010) aged with rum-soaked oak spirals and dry-hopped with Cascade from Condzella Hops; and Golden IPA, a variation of Field 5 Golden IPA from 2012’s Tasting Room Exclusive Brew Series. The latter, a “citrusy, West Coast-style IPA with all pilsner malt,” says Sobotka, was brewed with Great South Bay Brewery’s one-barrel system, initially used at its first location at 2309 Union Boulevard. Golden IPA features Citra and Horizon hops. “We really like the consistency of Horizon hops for bittering and flavor,” says Sobotka. “This is our third and final test batch. It’s one of the best beers we’ve made.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-06T19:30:57+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-crackin-coriander http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-crackin-coriander#When:15:58:56Z Jamie Partridge, brewer at Port Jeff Brewing Company, cracks coriander seeds for a double-batch of White’s Beach Wit on May 01. The 5.40% ABV witbier is also brewed with bitter orange peel. Jamie Partridge, brewer at Port Jeff Brewing Company, cracks coriander seeds for a double-batch of White’s Beach Wit on May 01. The 5.40% ABV witbier is also brewed with bitter orange peel. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-05-03T15:58:56+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-mosaic-megaphone http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-mosaic-megaphone#When:16:43:36Z Mark Burford, co-owner and brewmaster of Blue Point Brewing Company, addresses the crowd at Cask Ales Festival on April 13. The megaphoned speech concluded with a countdown for a cask-tap of Mosaic IPA, a 6.50% ABV IPA brewed with all Mosaic hops. “It’s a very dry beer with a strong hop backbone and has very floral, almost pungent-like qualities,” says Jim Richards, senior brewer at Blue Point Brewing Company. “I am very happy with how it came out. It’s very enjoyable for the IPA lover.” Cask Ales Festival was the first appearance of Mosaic IPA. Mark Burford, co-owner and brewmaster of Blue Point Brewing Company, addresses the crowd at Cask Ales Festival on April 13. The megaphoned speech concluded with a countdown for a cask-tap of Mosaic IPA, a 6.50% ABV IPA brewed with all Mosaic hops. “It’s a very dry beer with a strong hop backbone and has very floral, almost pungent-like qualities,” says Jim Richards, senior brewer at Blue Point Brewing Company. “I am very happy with how it came out. It’s very enjoyable for the IPA lover.” Cask Ales Festival was the first appearance of Mosaic IPA. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-25T16:43:36+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/winner-of-wheres-niko-contest http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/winner-of-wheres-niko-contest#When:16:38:08Z Rob and Tobie Ancipink are the winners of our Where’s Niko? contest and two tickets to Great South Bay Brewery‘s Bay Fest on May 11! Congratulations, Rob and Tobie! Rob and Tobie Ancipink are the winners of our Where’s Niko? contest and two tickets to Great South Bay Brewery‘s Bay Fest on May 11! Congratulations, Rob and Tobie! Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-25T16:38:08+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-dry-hopped-with-fruit-gushers http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-dry-hopped-with-fruit-gushers#When:15:51:24Z Port Jeff Brewing Company taps a cask of Zythos-hopped Schooner Ale at Blue Point Brewing Company Cask Ales Festival on April 13. Port Jeff Brewing Company taps a cask of Zythos-hopped Schooner Ale at Blue Point Brewing Company Cask Ales Festival on April 13. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-23T15:51:24+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-umm.-these-owls-look-like-whales-dude http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-umm.-these-owls-look-like-whales-dude#When:20:31:29Z Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Black IPA at The Owl Farm on April 03. The beer, which possessed nice roast and smoke but only subdued hop presence, was the Greenport-based brewery’s first release from Project Hoppiness in 2011. Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Black IPA at The Owl Farm on April 03. The beer, which possessed nice roast and smoke but only subdued hop presence, was the Greenport-based brewery’s first release from Project Hoppiness in 2011. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-22T20:31:29+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/not-long-island-two-roads-brewing-company http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/not-long-island-two-roads-brewing-company#When:20:16:12Z Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-22T20:16:12+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-great-south-bay-brewery-bay-fest-2013-wheres-niko-pt.-ii http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-great-south-bay-brewery-bay-fest-2013-wheres-niko-pt.-ii#When:21:14:47Z Photo: Ken Donahue Find me. Because I haven’t found myself. Photo: Ken Donahue Find me. Because I haven’t found myself. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-19T21:14:47+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-great-south-bay-brewery-bay-fest-2013-wheres-niko http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-great-south-bay-brewery-bay-fest-2013-wheres-niko#When:17:56:34Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! presents Where’s Niko?, a two-ticket contest for Bay Fest on May 11. A photograph of Niko Krommydas, consuming a Great South Bay Brewery beer, will be posted on April 19. The first submission with Niko Krommydas’ correct consumption location will receive two tickets to Bay Fest, a festival featuring 20+ breweries at Great South Bay Brewery on May 11. Submissions: Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! presents Where’s Niko?, a two-ticket contest for Bay Fest on May 11. A photograph of Niko Krommydas, consuming a Great South Bay Brewery beer, will be posted on April 19. The first submission with Niko Krommydas’ correct consumption location will receive two tickets to Bay Fest, a festival featuring 20+ breweries at Great South Bay Brewery on May 11. Submissions: Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-15T17:56:34+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/winner-of-photograph-of-beer-in-field-contest http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/winner-of-photograph-of-beer-in-field-contest#When:17:42:30Z Photo: James Horan James Horan is the winner of our Photograph of Beer in Field contest and two tickets to Beer Fields on June 29! Congratulations, James! Photo: James Horan James Horan is the winner of our Photograph of Beer in Field contest and two tickets to Beer Fields on June 29! Congratulations, James! Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-15T17:42:30+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-bang-the-beer-slowly http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-bang-the-beer-slowly#When:17:36:50Z Northport Pipe & Drum Band at Blue Point Brewing Company Cask Ales Festival 2013 on April 13. Northport Pipe & Drum Band at Blue Point Brewing Company Cask Ales Festival 2013 on April 13. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-15T17:36:50+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-beer-fields-2013-photograph-of-beer-in-field http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/contest-beer-fields-2013-photograph-of-beer-in-field#When:15:58:06Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! presents Photograph of Beer in Field, a two-ticket contest for Beer Fields on June 29. Submit one photograph of beer in a field. Any beer is acceptable. Any field, too. A winner will be randomly selected and receive two tickets to Beer Fields. Deadline is April 12 (12:00PM). Submissions: niko@lipulse.com Beer Fields is an annual festival featuring 50+ breweries and live music at Pennysaver Amphitheater at Bald Hill. The festival launched in 2012. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! presents Photograph of Beer in Field, a two-ticket contest for Beer Fields on June 29. Submit one photograph of beer in a field. Any beer is acceptable. Any field, too. A winner will be randomly selected and receive two tickets to Beer Fields. Deadline is April 12 (12:00PM). Submissions: niko@lipulse.com Beer Fields is an annual festival featuring 50+ breweries and live music at Pennysaver Amphitheater at Bald Hill. The festival launched in 2012. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-10T15:58:06+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-crows-have-not-converted-to-mobile-poles http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-crows-have-not-converted-to-mobile-poles#When:15:56:21Z Port Jeff Brewing Company. Port Jeff Brewing Company. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-10T15:56:21+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-truck-rhymes-with...duck http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-truck-rhymes-with...duck#When:21:09:03Z Barrier Brewing Company. Barrier Brewing Company. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-09T21:09:03+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-blind-bat-brewery-and-ridgewood-pork-store-kielbasa-collabora http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-blind-bat-brewery-and-ridgewood-pork-store-kielbasa-collabora#When:21:54:19Z Ridgewood Pork Store is sausage-collaborating with Blind Bat Brewery. Jonel Picioane, owner of the Ridgewood, New York meat store, befriended Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Centerport’s Blind Bat Brewery, at G&G Long Island Winter Farmers Market in Huntington, where both are vendors. Picioane is using Blind Bat Brewery’s Vlad The Inhaler, a grodziskie (Poland-originated style) brewed with oak-smoked wheat and barley, in a kielbasa. “We grind the pork meat and throw the spices and beer into the mixer,” says Picioane, whose father purchased Ridgewood Pork Store in 1975. “Then we smoke it for two hours.” “Jonel is an old-world artisan, and he created a classic, delicious, smoky kielbasa,” says Dlugokencky. “It was a limited run, but I’m hoping he will make more when I can get him more Vlad the Inhaler.” Picioane sold “about 15-20 pounds” of Vlad The Inhaler-included kielbasa on March 24. He will produce more for G&G Long Island Winter Farmers Market on April 07. Ridgewood Pork Store is sausage-collaborating with Blind Bat Brewery. Jonel Picioane, owner of the Ridgewood, New York meat store, befriended Paul Dlugokencky, owner of Centerport’s Blind Bat Brewery, at G&G Long Island Winter Farmers Market in Huntington, where both are vendors. Picioane is using Blind Bat Brewery’s Vlad The Inhaler, a grodziskie (Poland-originated style) brewed with oak-smoked wheat and barley, in a kielbasa. “We grind the pork meat and throw the spices and beer into the mixer,” says Picioane, whose father purchased Ridgewood Pork Store in 1975. “Then we smoke it for two hours.” “Jonel is an old-world artisan, and he created a classic, delicious, smoky kielbasa,” says Dlugokencky. “It was a limited run, but I’m hoping he will make more when I can get him more Vlad the Inhaler.” Picioane sold “about 15-20 pounds” of Vlad The Inhaler-included kielbasa on March 24. He will produce more for G&G Long Island Winter Farmers Market on April 07. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-05T21:54:19+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/spider-bite-beer-company-releases-white-bite-wheat-ale-cask-ales-festival-e http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/spider-bite-beer-company-releases-white-bite-wheat-ale-cask-ales-festival-e#When:15:55:44Z Spider Bite Beer Company, a Holbrook-based brewery operated by Larry Goldstein and Anthony LiCausi, releases White Bite Wheat Ale on April 05. Described by Goldstein as a “refreshing summer beer,” White Bite Wheat Ale is brewed with wheat malt (50% of the grain bill). The 4.50% ABV beer will start draft-only and bottle-follow in “about two weeks.” Description of White Bite Wheat Ale: I say summer, you say heat. I say white, you say wheat. I also say citrus aroma, refreshing and light. White Bite, enough said. Spider Bite Beer Company will also pour two versions of White Bite Wheat Ale at Blue Point Brewing Company‘s Cask Ales Festival on April 13: White Bite Wheat Ale with oranges, and Black Bite Wheat Ale, a variant brewed with Briess Midnight Wheat Malt and cask-stuffed with blackberries. “Midnight Wheat Malt is very roasted and one of the darkest malts available,” says Goldstein. “It’s the same recipe, but some of the grain bill is changed.” Spider Bite Beer Company, a Holbrook-based brewery operated by Larry Goldstein and Anthony LiCausi, releases White Bite Wheat Ale on April 05. Described by Goldstein as a “refreshing summer beer,” White Bite Wheat Ale is brewed with wheat malt (50% of the grain bill). The 4.50% ABV beer will start draft-only and bottle-follow in “about two weeks.” Description of White Bite Wheat Ale: I say summer, you say heat. I say white, you say wheat. I also say citrus aroma, refreshing and light. White Bite, enough said. Spider Bite Beer Company will also pour two versions of White Bite Wheat Ale at Blue Point Brewing Company‘s Cask Ales Festival on April 13: White Bite Wheat Ale with oranges, and Black Bite Wheat Ale, a variant brewed with Briess Midnight Wheat Malt and cask-stuffed with blackberries. “Midnight Wheat Malt is very roasted and one of the darkest malts available,” says Goldstein. “It’s the same recipe, but some of the grain bill is changed.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-04-05T15:55:44+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-zythossaurus-bottle-release-description-03-29 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/barrier-brewing-company-zythossaurus-bottle-release-description-03-29#When:18:11:18Z Barrier Brewing Company, an Oceanside-based brewery operated by Evan Klein and Craig Frymark, bottle-release Zythossaurus, a 10.0% ABV imperial pale ale brewed with Zythos hops, on March 29 (3:00PM). Fourteen hundred bottles were produced. Description of Zythossaurus: An all Zythos hops Imperial Pale Ale. Big tropical hop character, strawberry, pineapple, grapefruit. Full bodied, fruity malt character, subtle alcohol warmth, honey notes, and a strong balancing bitterness. Bottle conditioned with orange blossom honey. Well-suited for cellaring and aging. Drink with caution, this dino packs a punch! Zythossaurus, which draft-debuted at The Double Windsor on February 26, is Barrier Brewing Company’s second bottle release. Submersion Double IPA was released on January 16. Barrier Brewing Company, an Oceanside-based brewery operated by Evan Klein and Craig Frymark, bottle-release Zythossaurus, a 10.0% ABV imperial pale ale brewed with Zythos hops, on March 29 (3:00PM). Fourteen hundred bottles were produced. Description of Zythossaurus: An all Zythos hops Imperial Pale Ale. Big tropical hop character, strawberry, pineapple, grapefruit. Full bodied, fruity malt character, subtle alcohol warmth, honey notes, and a strong balancing bitterness. Bottle conditioned with orange blossom honey. Well-suited for cellaring and aging. Drink with caution, this dino packs a punch! Zythossaurus, which draft-debuted at The Double Windsor on February 26, is Barrier Brewing Company’s second bottle release. Submersion Double IPA was released on January 16. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-29T18:11:18+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-ireland-beer-company-brews-koelsch-for-plattduetsche-park http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/long-ireland-beer-company-brews-koelsch-for-plattduetsche-park#When:15:38:43Z Long Ireland Beer Company, a Riverhead-based brewery operated by Dan Burke and Greg Martin, brewed a house beer for Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square. The beer, Plattduetsche Kölsch, is a 5.00% ABV kölsch brewed with all German specialty grains (Weyermann‘s Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt was used as the base) and hops. The style was decided during a meeting with Matthew Buck, manager of Plattduetsche Park Restaurant. “We spent about four hours drinking German beers and agreed that a kölsch would fit in their beer lineup well,” says Martin. “We brewed a few 10-gallon test batches in December, kegged them, and went to the restaurant with a few invited drinkers. We unanimously decided on one version.” Plattduetsche Park Restaurant will release Plattduetsche Kölsch on April 04 (7:30PM). Long Ireland Beer Company, a Riverhead-based brewery operated by Dan Burke and Greg Martin, brewed a house beer for Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square. The beer, Plattduetsche Kölsch, is a 5.00% ABV kölsch brewed with all German specialty grains (Weyermann‘s Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt was used as the base) and hops. The style was decided during a meeting with Matthew Buck, manager of Plattduetsche Park Restaurant. “We spent about four hours drinking German beers and agreed that a kölsch would fit in their beer lineup well,” says Martin. “We brewed a few 10-gallon test batches in December, kegged them, and went to the restaurant with a few invited drinkers. We unanimously decided on one version.” Plattduetsche Park Restaurant will release Plattduetsche Kölsch on April 04 (7:30PM). Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-28T15:38:43+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-moustache-brewing-company-brews-with-sixpoint-for-b http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-moustache-brewing-company-brews-with-sixpoint-for-b#When:16:36:38Z Moustache Brewing Company, a soon-coming brewery in Riverhead operated by Lauri and Matt Spitz, brewed I can haz chocolate orange milk stout? with Sixpoint Craft Ales on March 09. The collaboration was arranged by Heather McReynolds, brewer at Sixpoint Craft Ales. “Heather and I met through Pink Boots Society when she moved to New York,” says Lauri Spitz. “The beer was inspired by Terry’s Chocolate Orange. You can expect a silky mouthfeel with chocolate and fresh orange flavors.” The 20-gallon batch of I can haz chocolate orange milk stout? will pour at Beer for Beasts, an event benefitting The Humane Society of New York, on April 06. Moustache Brewing Company, a soon-coming brewery in Riverhead operated by Lauri and Matt Spitz, brewed I can haz chocolate orange milk stout? with Sixpoint Craft Ales on March 09. The collaboration was arranged by Heather McReynolds, brewer at Sixpoint Craft Ales. “Heather and I met through Pink Boots Society when she moved to New York,” says Lauri Spitz. “The beer was inspired by Terry’s Chocolate Orange. You can expect a silky mouthfeel with chocolate and fresh orange flavors.” The 20-gallon batch of I can haz chocolate orange milk stout? will pour at Beer for Beasts, an event benefitting The Humane Society of New York, on April 06. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-27T16:36:38+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-bathroom-for-stormtroopers-only http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-bathroom-for-stormtroopers-only#When:16:58:06Z Hoptron Brewtique. Hoptron Brewtique. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-26T16:58:06+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/horace-sylvias-lagunitas-brewing-company-beer-dinner-preview-03-27 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/horace-sylvias-lagunitas-brewing-company-beer-dinner-preview-03-27#When:16:52:51Z Horace & Sylvia’s Publick House 100 Deer Park Avenue Babylon, NY 11702 (631) 587-5081 horaceandsylvia.com Horace & Sylvia’s Publick House hosts four courses with Lagunitas Brewing Company, a Petaluma, California-based brewery, on March 27 (7:00PM). First Course Warm Wheatberry & Grilled Zucchini Salad w/Radicchio, Portabella Mushrooms, Dill Vinaigrette :: A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale :: Second Course Grilled Miso-Glazed Salmon Skewer w/Bibb Lettuce, Ginger Orange Relish, Crisp Rice Noodles :: Wilco Tango Foxtrot :: Third Course Cowboy Chili w/Steak, Black Beans, Roasted Corn, Ancho Chilies, Wild Rice :: Maximus :: Fourth Course Warm Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Brownies w/Caramel Sauce, Raspberry Jelly Whipped Cream :: Cappuccino Stout :: $49.95. Horace & Sylvia’s Publick House 100 Deer Park Avenue Babylon, NY 11702 (631) 587-5081 horaceandsylvia.com Horace & Sylvia’s Publick House hosts four courses with Lagunitas Brewing Company, a Petaluma, California-based brewery, on March 27 (7:00PM). First Course Warm Wheatberry & Grilled Zucchini Salad w/Radicchio, Portabella Mushrooms, Dill Vinaigrette :: A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale :: Second Course Grilled Miso-Glazed Salmon Skewer w/Bibb Lettuce, Ginger Orange Relish, Crisp Rice Noodles :: Wilco Tango Foxtrot :: Third Course Cowboy Chili w/Steak, Black Beans, Roasted Corn, Ancho Chilies, Wild Rice :: Maximus :: Fourth Course Warm Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Brownies w/Caramel Sauce, Raspberry Jelly Whipped Cream :: Cappuccino Stout :: $49.95. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-26T16:52:51+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/t.j.-finleys-founders-brewing-company-tap-takeover-beer-preview-03-27 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/t.j.-finleys-founders-brewing-company-tap-takeover-beer-preview-03-27#When:16:46:12Z T.J. Finley’s 42 East Main Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 647-4856 tjfinleys.com T.J. Finley’s hosts Founders Brewing Company Tap Takeover with Founders Brewing Company, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based brewery, on March 27 (7:00PM). The 10-beer event features All Day IPA, a 4.7% ABV IPA with grapefruity vibrance and a super-dry finish, and Backwoods Bastard, a bourbon barrel-aged scotch ale. Beer List All Day IPA Backwoods Bastard Breakfast Stout Centennial IPA Curmudgeon Old Ale Dirty Bastard Imperial Stout Pale Ale Porter Red’s Rye PA T.J. Finley’s 42 East Main Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 647-4856 tjfinleys.com T.J. Finley’s hosts Founders Brewing Company Tap Takeover with Founders Brewing Company, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based brewery, on March 27 (7:00PM). The 10-beer event features All Day IPA, a 4.7% ABV IPA with grapefruity vibrance and a super-dry finish, and Backwoods Bastard, a bourbon barrel-aged scotch ale. Beer List All Day IPA Backwoods Bastard Breakfast Stout Centennial IPA Curmudgeon Old Ale Dirty Bastard Imperial Stout Pale Ale Porter Red’s Rye PA Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-26T16:46:12+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-lauri-spitz-of-moustache-brewing-company http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-lauri-spitz-of-moustache-brewing-company#When:16:43:39Z Lauri Spitz, co-owner of Moustache Brewing Company. Spitz, with husband, Matt, recently secured a location in Riverhead after raising $31,413 on Kickstarter. The duo expects to open Moustache Brewing Company in 2013. Lauri Spitz, co-owner of Moustache Brewing Company. Spitz, with husband, Matt, recently secured a location in Riverhead after raising $31,413 on Kickstarter. The duo expects to open Moustache Brewing Company in 2013. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-26T16:43:39+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-torante http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-torante#When:16:55:19Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-20T16:55:19+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-leprechauns-hate-green-beer http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-leprechauns-hate-green-beer#When:20:16:35Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-18T20:16:35+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-ale-house-ommegang-bang-beer-preview-03-21 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-ale-house-ommegang-bang-beer-preview-03-21#When:18:39:22Z The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Ommegang Bang with Brewery Ommegang, a Cooperstown, New York-based brewery, on March 21 (8:00PM). The eight-beer event features several vintages, including Gnommegang 2012, a collaboration with Brasserie d ‘Achouffe, and Duvel Rustica, a collaboration with Duvel. The latter was released in October 2012. Beer List Abbey Ale Adoration 2011 Art of Darkness 2012 Chocolate Indulgence 2012 Duvel Rustica Gnomegang 2012 Hennepin Rare Vos The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Ommegang Bang with Brewery Ommegang, a Cooperstown, New York-based brewery, on March 21 (8:00PM). The eight-beer event features several vintages, including Gnommegang 2012, a collaboration with Brasserie d ‘Achouffe, and Duvel Rustica, a collaboration with Duvel. The latter was released in October 2012. Beer List Abbey Ale Adoration 2011 Art of Darkness 2012 Chocolate Indulgence 2012 Duvel Rustica Gnomegang 2012 Hennepin Rare Vos Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-18T18:39:22+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-portrait-of-bottle-on-table http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-portrait-of-bottle-on-table#When:15:46:22Z Bottle of Port Jeff Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Porter. The Port Jefferson-based brewery blends three versions of Port Jeff Porter (virgin, one-fill, and two-fill), after three months in whiskey barrels. This batch used Jack Daniel’s. Bottle of Port Jeff Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Porter. The Port Jefferson-based brewery blends three versions of Port Jeff Porter (virgin, one-fill, and two-fill), after three months in whiskey barrels. This batch used Jack Daniel’s. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-15T15:46:22+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/t.j.-finleys-dogfish-head-ipa-night-beer-preview-03-15 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/t.j.-finleys-dogfish-head-ipa-night-beer-preview-03-15#When:15:43:51Z T.J. Finley’s 42 East Main Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 647-4856 tjfinleys.com T.J. Finley’s hosts Dogfish Head IPA Night with Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, a Milton, Delaware-based brewery, on March 15 (6:00PM). The five-beer event features Rhizing Bines, an imperial IPA brewed with Bravo and #644 hops, and the fourth collaboration between Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales and Sierra Nevada ((Life & Limb, Life & Limb 2, and Limb & Life are previous releases). Beer List 75 Minute IPA 120 Minute IPA Burton Baton Rhizing Bines Robert Johnson’s Hellhound On My Ale T.J. Finley’s 42 East Main Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 647-4856 tjfinleys.com T.J. Finley’s hosts Dogfish Head IPA Night with Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, a Milton, Delaware-based brewery, on March 15 (6:00PM). The five-beer event features Rhizing Bines, an imperial IPA brewed with Bravo and #644 hops, and the fourth collaboration between Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales and Sierra Nevada ((Life & Limb, Life & Limb 2, and Limb & Life are previous releases). Beer List 75 Minute IPA 120 Minute IPA Burton Baton Rhizing Bines Robert Johnson’s Hellhound On My Ale Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-15T15:43:51+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-sunlight-bathed-the-golden-glow http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-sunlight-bathed-the-golden-glow#When:17:20:03Z Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Ardennes Tripel. Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Ardennes Tripel. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-11T17:20:03+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/la-nouvelle-biere-barrier-brewing-company-submersion-double-ipa http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/la-nouvelle-biere-barrier-brewing-company-submersion-double-ipa#When:17:02:40Z Creation: Submersion Double IPA Creator: Barrier Brewing Company Date of Birth: 01/16/13 Description/Brewery Notes: Submersion Double IPA was brewed and sent to the tanks two days before Sandy reared her ugly head. It remained trapped for four-and-a-half weeks. We didn’t originally plan on bottling the beer, or calling it Submersion Double IPA, but due to the circumstances and our inability to clean kegs and transfer beer for the foreseeable future, we decided it was time to release our first bottled beer. It’s an east coast-leaning double IPA with a nice chewy body and smooth caramel malt finish. It’s balanced by a deep herbal hop bitterness with heavy notes of pine and gentle citrus. More of a sipper than a slammer with nice underlying alcohol warmth. Enjoy! Consumption Location: Barrier Brewing Company Super Neat Three-Word Feelings: Orangeyjuice. Litebite. Resilience. Creation: Submersion Double IPA Creator: Barrier Brewing Company Date of Birth: 01/16/13 Description/Brewery Notes: Submersion Double IPA was brewed and sent to the tanks two days before Sandy reared her ugly head. It remained trapped for four-and-a-half weeks. We didn’t originally plan on bottling the beer, or calling it Submersion Double IPA, but due to the circumstances and our inability to clean kegs and transfer beer for the foreseeable future, we decided it was time to release our first bottled beer. It’s an east coast-leaning double IPA with a nice chewy body and smooth caramel malt finish. It’s balanced by a deep herbal hop bitterness with heavy notes of pine and gentle citrus. More of a sipper than a slammer with nice underlying alcohol warmth. Enjoy! Consumption Location: Barrier Brewing Company Super Neat Three-Word Feelings: Orangeyjuice. Litebite. Resilience. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-06T17:02:40+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-a-stain-of-excellence http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-a-stain-of-excellence#When:16:44:43Z A Southampton Publick House napkin stained with Imperial Russian Stout. The 2013 batch of draft was released on March 01, during a four-course dinner which also featured the year’s first appearance of Biere de Mars. Four hundred fifty bottles of Imperial Russian Stout were released on March 02. A Southampton Publick House napkin stained with Imperial Russian Stout. The 2013 batch of draft was released on March 01, during a four-course dinner which also featured the year’s first appearance of Biere de Mars. Four hundred fifty bottles of Imperial Russian Stout were released on March 02. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-04T16:44:43+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blind-bat-brewery-launches-club-for-full-time-expansion http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blind-bat-brewery-launches-club-for-full-time-expansion#When:20:15:49Z Blind Bat Brewery, a Centerport-based brewery operated by Paul Dlugokencky, has launched The Blind Bat Brewery Club, a subscription-based organization designed to cover transition costs during expansion. The club, which features five levels, will distribute membership benefits when Blind Bat Brewery opens a new facility and, subsequently, switches to full-time operation. Dlugokencky, who currently brews in a shed behind his residence, is currently scouting buildings in Farmingdale and expects to announce a location “sometime in March.” The new brewery will open “by the fourth quarter of 2013.” “I had considered a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, but neither would allow me to offer contributors what I think they would be most interested in, which is beer,” says Dlugokencky, who has decided on a semi-custom 10-barrel brewhouse. “I was inspired by both the CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, model and what a number of Long Island wineries are doing with wine clubs.” Blind Bat Brewery, a Centerport-based brewery operated by Paul Dlugokencky, has launched The Blind Bat Brewery Club, a subscription-based organization designed to cover transition costs during expansion. The club, which features five levels, will distribute membership benefits when Blind Bat Brewery opens a new facility and, subsequently, switches to full-time operation. Dlugokencky, who currently brews in a shed behind his residence, is currently scouting buildings in Farmingdale and expects to announce a location “sometime in March.” The new brewery will open “by the fourth quarter of 2013.” “I had considered a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, but neither would allow me to offer contributors what I think they would be most interested in, which is beer,” says Dlugokencky, who has decided on a semi-custom 10-barrel brewhouse. “I was inspired by both the CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, model and what a number of Long Island wineries are doing with wine clubs.” Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-03-01T20:15:49+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-empty-heart http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/wednesday-beer-dopeness-empty-heart#When:19:36:32Z Cliff’s Elbow Room in Jamesport. Cliff’s Elbow Room in Jamesport. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-27T19:36:32+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-greenport-harbor-triton-vertical http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-greenport-harbor-triton-vertical#When:18:00:50Z Bierkraft hosted Tuesday Night Tasting with Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, a Greenport-based brewery owned by John Liegey and Richard Vanderburgh, on February 27. The New York City Beer Week event featured three years (2011, 2012, and 2013) of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company’s barleywine, Triton, and an unreleased version containing Brettanomyces bruxellensis. DJ Swanson and Greg Doroski, brewmaster and brewer, discussed flavors, age-related transformations, and brewing notes (the 2013 version, for example, was fermented longer than 2011 and 2012). Both selected 2013 as their favorite. Super Neat Beer Likey Best: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Triton 2013 Plz Tell Me Why: The newest installment of Triton possessed richer flavors and more complexity. Nice fruitiness. Bierkraft hosted Tuesday Night Tasting with Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, a Greenport-based brewery owned by John Liegey and Richard Vanderburgh, on February 27. The New York City Beer Week event featured three years (2011, 2012, and 2013) of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company’s barleywine, Triton, and an unreleased version containing Brettanomyces bruxellensis. DJ Swanson and Greg Doroski, brewmaster and brewer, discussed flavors, age-related transformations, and brewing notes (the 2013 version, for example, was fermented longer than 2011 and 2012). Both selected 2013 as their favorite. Super Neat Beer Likey Best: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Triton 2013 Plz Tell Me Why: The newest installment of Triton possessed richer flavors and more complexity. Nice fruitiness. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-27T18:00:50+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-perle-hops http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-perle-hops#When:17:06:23Z Perle hops for Port Jeff Brewing Company‘s first 2013 batch of Ryes-N-Bok, a weizenbock brewed with rye. Perle hops for Port Jeff Brewing Company‘s first 2013 batch of Ryes-N-Bok, a weizenbock brewed with rye. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-25T17:06:23+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-spider-bite-craft-beer-wrestling-beer-preview-02-21 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-spider-bite-craft-beer-wrestling-beer-preview-02-21#When:23:00:41Z The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Craft Beer Wrestling with Spider Bite Beer Company, a Holbrook-based brewery, on February 21 (8:00PM). The four-beer event features Uncommon, a 7.50% ABV porter with the WLP810 San Francisco Lager yeast strain. “It’s got a fair amount of smoked malts, including home-smoked, and the yeast used in Anchor Steam Beer,” said Larry Goldstein, co-owner and brewmaster of Spider Bite Beer Company. Beer List Eye Be Use First Bite Pale Ale Boris The Spider Uncommon The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Craft Beer Wrestling with Spider Bite Beer Company, a Holbrook-based brewery, on February 21 (8:00PM). The four-beer event features Uncommon, a 7.50% ABV porter with the WLP810 San Francisco Lager yeast strain. “It’s got a fair amount of smoked malts, including home-smoked, and the yeast used in Anchor Steam Beer,” said Larry Goldstein, co-owner and brewmaster of Spider Bite Beer Company. Beer List Eye Be Use First Bite Pale Ale Boris The Spider Uncommon Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-21T23:00:41+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-warp-brew-mr.-richards http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-warp-brew-mr.-richards#When:16:35:43Z #bluepointbrewing #warpbrew #klingons #bluepointbrewing #warpbrew #klingons Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-19T16:35:43+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-forklift http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-forklift#When:17:12:47Z Long Ireland Beer Company. Long Ireland Beer Company. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-15T17:12:47+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/jacksons-restaurant-goose-island-beer-dinner-preview-02-28 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/jacksons-restaurant-goose-island-beer-dinner-preview-02-28#When:17:02:23Z Jackson’s Restaurant 6005 Jericho Turnpike Commack, NY 11725 (631) 462-0822 jacksonsrestaurant.com Jackson’s Restaurant hosts five courses with Goose Island Beer Company, a Chicago, Illinois-based brewery, on February 28 (7:00PM). Passed Matilda-Battered Onion Rings w/Chipotle Dipping Sauce First Course Chicago-Style Hot Dog w/Kettle Fries :: Pere Jacques :: Second Course Frisee Salad w/Pan-Seared Scallop, Apple-Orange Glazed Pecans, Citrus Herb Vinaigrette :: Sofie :: Third Course Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Wings w/Roquefort Ranch :: IPA :: Fourth Course BBQ-Glazed Bone-In Short Rib w/Sweet Potato & Roasted Corn Hash :: Pepe Nero :: Fifth Course Carrot Cake French Toast w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese Fondue, Bourbon County Brand Stout Whipped Cream :: Bourbon County Brand Stout :: $55. Jackson’s Restaurant 6005 Jericho Turnpike Commack, NY 11725 (631) 462-0822 jacksonsrestaurant.com Jackson’s Restaurant hosts five courses with Goose Island Beer Company, a Chicago, Illinois-based brewery, on February 28 (7:00PM). Passed Matilda-Battered Onion Rings w/Chipotle Dipping Sauce First Course Chicago-Style Hot Dog w/Kettle Fries :: Pere Jacques :: Second Course Frisee Salad w/Pan-Seared Scallop, Apple-Orange Glazed Pecans, Citrus Herb Vinaigrette :: Sofie :: Third Course Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Wings w/Roquefort Ranch :: IPA :: Fourth Course BBQ-Glazed Bone-In Short Rib w/Sweet Potato & Roasted Corn Hash :: Pepe Nero :: Fifth Course Carrot Cake French Toast w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese Fondue, Bourbon County Brand Stout Whipped Cream :: Bourbon County Brand Stout :: $55. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-15T17:02:23+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-schneider-smiles-pt.-2 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-schneider-smiles-pt.-2#When:16:29:55Z #zumschneider #moresmiles #morebeer #zumschneider #moresmiles #morebeer Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-12T16:29:55+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-no-kitty-this-is-my-barrier-brewing-company-bottle http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-no-kitty-this-is-my-barrier-brewing-company-bottle#When:17:13:33Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-11T17:13:33+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-brewhouse-shadows http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-brewhouse-shadows#When:17:11:29Z Port Jeff Brewing Company. Port Jeff Brewing Company. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-11T17:11:29+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-three-cheers-for-surge http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-three-cheers-for-surge#When:17:07:16Z #surgeprotectoripa #sandyreliefbeer #cheers #surgeprotectoripa #sandyreliefbeer #cheers Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-11T17:07:16+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/condzella-hops-launches-kickstarter-project-announces-new-varieties-for-201 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/condzella-hops-launches-kickstarter-project-announces-new-varieties-for-201#When:21:33:41Z Condzella Hops, a hop-cultivating sector of Wading River’s Condzella’s Farm, launched a Kickstarter project on February 05 to raise money for a German harvesting machine. The apparatus, a Wolf WHE 140 Hopfen Pflückmaschine, will replace Condzella Hops’ current handpicking method and be available for use by other Long Island farms. John Condzella, a third-generation farmer on his family’s land, hopes the machine will resurrect New York hop production. “A lot of local farmers are thinking about growing hops, but harvesting is the biggest issue,” says Condzella. “This machine will kick everything into gear and get farms to start growing. We’ll probably have a renting schedule, so farmers can just pick it up and use it.” Condzella harvested his initial batch of hops, “around 800-900 pounds” of Cascade and Mt. Hood, in August 2012. He projects 1200-1500 pounds in 2013, and will plant four new varieties, including Fuggle, Perle, and Williamette. The Kickstarter project ends on March 10. Condzella Hops, a hop-cultivating sector of Wading River’s Condzella’s Farm, launched a Kickstarter project on February 05 to raise money for a German harvesting machine. The apparatus, a Wolf WHE 140 Hopfen Pflückmaschine, will replace Condzella Hops’ current handpicking method and be available for use by other Long Island farms. John Condzella, a third-generation farmer on his family’s land, hopes the machine will resurrect New York hop production. “A lot of local farmers are thinking about growing hops, but harvesting is the biggest issue,” says Condzella. “This machine will kick everything into gear and get farms to start growing. We’ll probably have a renting schedule, so farmers can just pick it up and use it.” Condzella harvested his initial batch of hops, “around 800-900 pounds” of Cascade and Mt. Hood, in August 2012. He projects 1200-1500 pounds in 2013, and will plant four new varieties, including Fuggle, Perle, and Williamette. The Kickstarter project ends on March 10. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-08T21:33:41+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-girl-at-bobbique http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-girl-at-bobbique#When:16:40:12Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-07T16:40:12+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-chill-waves-of-sun-upon-my-completed-growler-card http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-chill-waves-of-sun-upon-my-completed-growler-card#When:16:48:55Z Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-06T16:48:55+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-blue-point-brewing-company-is-not-garbage http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-blue-point-brewing-company-is-not-garbage#When:16:45:02Z #bluepointbrewing #wind #beer #bluepointbrewing #wind #beer Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-06T16:45:02+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-schneider-smiles http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/tuesday-beer-dopeness-schneider-smiles#When:18:26:00Z #zumschneider #montauk #smiles #beer #zumschneider #montauk #smiles #beer Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-05T18:26:00+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-deck-the-hall-with-pilsner http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-deck-the-hall-with-pilsner#When:19:03:35Z Donavan Hall, co-owner of Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, pours a growler of Fresh Hop Pils at Rocky Point Farmers’ Market on November 11, 2012. Donavan Hall, co-owner of Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, pours a growler of Fresh Hop Pils at Rocky Point Farmers’ Market on November 11, 2012. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-02-01T19:03:35+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-beer-gun-control http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-beer-gun-control#When:16:58:43Z Jeffrey Noakes, brewer at Port Jeff Brewing Company, hand-bottles Cold North Wind on January 30. Jeffrey Noakes, brewer at Port Jeff Brewing Company, hand-bottles Cold North Wind on January 30. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-31T16:58:43+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-great-south-bay-three-tiers-of-pale-ale-beer-preview-01-31 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-black-sheep-great-south-bay-three-tiers-of-pale-ale-beer-preview-01-31#When:16:40:48Z The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Three Tiers of Pale Ale with Great South Bay Brewery, a Bay Shore-based brewery, on January 31 (8:00PM). The three-beer event features a cask of Hoppocratic Oath, a 9.00% ABV IIPA, with Cascade hops from Wading River’s Condzella Hops. “You can’t get any fresher than with hops farmed in your backyard, and that’s why we use Condzella Hops,” said Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery. “The hops used in our cask of Hoppocratic Oath provide a serious citrus hop aroma with piney floral notes. The smell has a fragrant grapefruit air to it with mild tropical esters. The taste is full of grapefruity hopness, mild tangerine and grassy pine notes, with plenty of other tropical elements to compliment the citrus.” Great South Bay Brewery released the 2012 batch of Hoppocratic Oath on January 17. The beer debuted in 2010. Description of Hoppocratic Oath: Hoppocratic Oath is our salute to hops. The blending of six different varieties of hops over many separate additions throughout the brewing process imparts an immense aroma and flavor with just the right amount of bitterness. While this brew checks in at about 9% alcohol, the huge malt backbone and body comes in to smooth things over into an astonishingly drinkable beer. After one sip you’ll be lining up to take the oath! Style: Imperial IPA Color: 20° SRM Alcohol by Volume: 9% Bitterness: 70 IBU Grains: North American 2-Row Malt, Crystal Malt Hops: Simcoe, Summit, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra Availability: Limited Availability - January/February Recommended Glassware: Tulip We’d drink this with: Brown Sugar Glazed Chorizo with Sriacha Aioli Beer List Blood Orange Pale Ale Hoppocratic Oath w/Condzella Hops Cascade (Cask) Massive IPA The Black Sheep Ale House 78 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 307-128 blacksheepalehouse.com The Black Sheep Ale House hosts Three Tiers of Pale Ale with Great South Bay Brewery, a Bay Shore-based brewery, on January 31 (8:00PM). The three-beer event features a cask of Hoppocratic Oath, a 9.00% ABV IIPA, with Cascade hops from Wading River’s Condzella Hops. “You can’t get any fresher than with hops farmed in your backyard, and that’s why we use Condzella Hops,” said Rick Sobotka, owner and brewmaster of Great South Bay Brewery. “The hops used in our cask of Hoppocratic Oath provide a serious citrus hop aroma with piney floral notes. The smell has a fragrant grapefruit air to it with mild tropical esters. The taste is full of grapefruity hopness, mild tangerine and grassy pine notes, with plenty of other tropical elements to compliment the citrus.” Great South Bay Brewery released the 2012 batch of Hoppocratic Oath on January 17. The beer debuted in 2010. Description of Hoppocratic Oath: Hoppocratic Oath is our salute to hops. The blending of six different varieties of hops over many separate additions throughout the brewing process imparts an immense aroma and flavor with just the right amount of bitterness. While this brew checks in at about 9% alcohol, the huge malt backbone and body comes in to smooth things over into an astonishingly drinkable beer. After one sip you’ll be lining up to take the oath! Style: Imperial IPA Color: 20° SRM Alcohol by Volume: 9% Bitterness: 70 IBU Grains: North American 2-Row Malt, Crystal Malt Hops: Simcoe, Summit, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra Availability: Limited Availability - January/February Recommended Glassware: Tulip We’d drink this with: Brown Sugar Glazed Chorizo with Sriacha Aioli Beer List Blood Orange Pale Ale Hoppocratic Oath w/Condzella Hops Cascade (Cask) Massive IPA Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-30T16:40:48+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-homebrew-sun http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-homebrew-sun#When:17:22:32Z #karps #homebrewsupplies #sun #karps #homebrewsupplies #sun Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-28T17:22:32+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/2013-long-island-nano-cask-ale-festival-preview-01-26 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/2013-long-island-nano-cask-ale-festival-preview-01-26#When:22:59:43Z 2013 Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival North Shore Beach Property Owners Association Clubhouse 55 Clubhouse Drive Rocky Point, NY 11778 (631) 744-2830 facebook.com/linanocaskalefestival Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, a Rocky Point-based brewery owned by Donavan Hall, Yuri Janssen, and Mike Voigt, hosts 2013 Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival on January 26 (3:00PM). “Our aim is to communicate an appreciation for and respect of the brewer’s art,” said Hall. “We’re all one big happy family of brewthusiasts on Long Island.” The festival, in its fourth year, will feature Montauk Brewing Company EastBound Brown Ale fermented with Hampton Coffee Company beans, the first appearance of Blind Bat Brewery Sweet Potato Saison, and more. Beer List Barrage Brewing Company Blind Bat Brewery Ghost Cat Brewing Great South Bay Brewery Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME) Montauk Brewing Company Port Jeff Brewing Company Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Spider Bite Beer Company Purchase Tickets 2013 Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival North Shore Beach Property Owners Association Clubhouse 55 Clubhouse Drive Rocky Point, NY 11778 (631) 744-2830 facebook.com/linanocaskalefestival Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, a Rocky Point-based brewery owned by Donavan Hall, Yuri Janssen, and Mike Voigt, hosts 2013 Long Island Nano Cask Ale Festival on January 26 (3:00PM). “Our aim is to communicate an appreciation for and respect of the brewer’s art,” said Hall. “We’re all one big happy family of brewthusiasts on Long Island.” The festival, in its fourth year, will feature Montauk Brewing Company EastBound Brown Ale fermented with Hampton Coffee Company beans, the first appearance of Blind Bat Brewery Sweet Potato Saison, and more. Beer List Barrage Brewing Company Blind Bat Brewery Ghost Cat Brewing Great South Bay Brewery Greenport Harbor Brewing Company Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts (LIBME) Montauk Brewing Company Port Jeff Brewing Company Rocky Point Artisan Brewers Spider Bite Beer Company Purchase Tickets Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:59:43+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-patio-54-main-long-ireland-beer-dinner-preview-01-24 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/the-patio-54-main-long-ireland-beer-dinner-preview-01-24#When:22:54:54Z The Patio @ 54 Main 54 Main Street Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 (631) 288-0100 thepatiowhb.com The Patio @ 54 Main hosts four courses with Long Ireland Beer Company, a Riverhead-based brewery, on January 24 (7:00PM). First Course Chicken Yakitori w/Celtic Ale Tare :: Celtic Ale :: Second Course Butternut Squash Ravioli w/Brown Butter, Sage :: Winter Ale :: Third Course Braised Boneless Short Ribs w/Hand-Whipped Potatoes, Breakfast Stout Reduction :: Breakfast Stout :: Fourth Course Lemon Tart w/Raspberry Espuma :: IPA :: $45. The Patio @ 54 Main 54 Main Street Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 (631) 288-0100 thepatiowhb.com The Patio @ 54 Main hosts four courses with Long Ireland Beer Company, a Riverhead-based brewery, on January 24 (7:00PM). First Course Chicken Yakitori w/Celtic Ale Tare :: Celtic Ale :: Second Course Butternut Squash Ravioli w/Brown Butter, Sage :: Winter Ale :: Third Course Braised Boneless Short Ribs w/Hand-Whipped Potatoes, Breakfast Stout Reduction :: Breakfast Stout :: Fourth Course Lemon Tart w/Raspberry Espuma :: IPA :: $45. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:54:54+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-richards-grain-examination http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/blackwhite-richards-grain-examination#When:22:52:40Z Jim Richards, brewer at Blue Point Brewing Company, examines grain during milling. Jim Richards, brewer at Blue Point Brewing Company, examines grain during milling. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:52:40+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-bottling-the-surge http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/monday-beer-dopeness-bottling-the-surge#When:22:50:42Z #surgeprotector #bottling #sandyreliefbeer #surgeprotector #bottling #sandyreliefbeer Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:50:42+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-made-by-us-delivered-by-us http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/instagram-man-made-by-us-delivered-by-us#When:22:45:35Z Michael Philbrick, owner of Port Jeff Brewing Company, delivers a keg of Schooner Ale to Long Island Ale House. Michael Philbrick, owner of Port Jeff Brewing Company, delivers a keg of Schooner Ale to Long Island Ale House. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:45:35+00:00 http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/la-nouvelle-biere-sandy-relief-beer-surge-protector-ipa http://www.lipulse.com/blog/article/la-nouvelle-biere-sandy-relief-beer-surge-protector-ipa#When:22:40:37Z Creation: Surge Protector IPA Creator: Sandy Relief Beer Date of Birth: 01/22/13 Description/Brewery Notes: Sandy Relief Beer is a collaborative relief effort by eight local breweries after Hurricane Sandy devastated Long Island and destroyed Barrier Brewing Company in Oceanside. The participants gathered at Blue Point Brewing Company on December 4, 2012 and brewed Surge Protector IPA to raise proceeds for victims of Hurricane Sandy and the recovering brewery. Each brewery donated an ingredient for Surge Protector IPA, exhibiting the solidarity of Long Island’s beer community. Thanks for helping us rebuild Long Island…with beer. Consumption Location: Blue Point Brewing Company Super Neat Three-Word Feelings: Citrus-piney. Clean. Brotherhood. Creation: Surge Protector IPA Creator: Sandy Relief Beer Date of Birth: 01/22/13 Description/Brewery Notes: Sandy Relief Beer is a collaborative relief effort by eight local breweries after Hurricane Sandy devastated Long Island and destroyed Barrier Brewing Company in Oceanside. The participants gathered at Blue Point Brewing Company on December 4, 2012 and brewed Surge Protector IPA to raise proceeds for victims of Hurricane Sandy and the recovering brewery. Each brewery donated an ingredient for Surge Protector IPA, exhibiting the solidarity of Long Island’s beer community. Thanks for helping us rebuild Long Island…with beer. Consumption Location: Blue Point Brewing Company Super Neat Three-Word Feelings: Citrus-piney. Clean. Brotherhood. Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!, 2013-01-21T22:40:37+00:00