Who said American beer was dull? It's anything but in the fantastic selection of free-spirited microbreweries and brewpubs across Long Island.
By official definition, a microbrewery produces less than 465,000 gallons of beer per year. Around here, we simply think of a microbrewery as one of our local breweries producing delicious beers. Even the largest local microbreweries, produce a minuscule amount of beer compared to the nationally recognized brands. The smallest microbreweries (often referred to as nanobreweries) operate out of studio-size spaces, selling beer one-half gallon at a time. Some microbreweries produce beer exclusively for their own pubs. While they come in all shapes and sizes, microbreweries make the good stuff.
Being able to walk into a bar and order a beer that no one has heard of makes people feel good about their alcohol drinking palate. Some enthusiasts bring a notebook to every bar to keep a record of all the beers they drank and their experience with them. The ‘beer journal’ is a bible of microbreweries.
The Brewers Association provides craft brewers with great resources. Some interesting statistics are 1 barrel of beer is equal to 31 gallons.
Here are some of our favorite local Microbrewries:
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Black Forest Brew Haus
2015 New Highway, Farmingdale (631) 391-9500
Black Forest Brew Haus provides an authentic taste of Germany with each mug of crafted beer. -
Blue Point Brewing Company
161 River Avenue, Patchogue (631) 475-6944
Founded in 1998, Blue Point continues its tradition of providing Long Island with delicious, local artisanal brews. -
Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
234 Carpenter Street, Greenport (631) 477-6681
Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has been brewing beer since 2009 in an old firehouse. -
John Harvard's Brewery and Ale House
2093 Smithhaven Plaza, Lake Grove (631) 979-2739
The Lake Grove Mug Club is the John Harvard’s society of craft beer aficionados and receive the benefits and coveted hardware (mugs) that go along with it. -
Great South Bay Brewery
25 Drexel Drive, Bay Shore (631) 392-8472
All of their beers are craft brewed from scratch with local water and no preservative or additives. -
Port Jeff Brewing Company
22 Mill Creek Road, Port Jefferson (877) 4PJ-BREW
The brewery features a 7 barrel system which is capable of producing 217 gallons (about 86 cases) per brew. -
Oyster Bay Brewing Company
76 South Street, Oyster Bay (516) 802-5546
The Oyster Bay Brewing Company pays tribute to the history of Long Island, mainly the north shore. They are dedicated to producing the highest quality beer while staying true to their nautical history here on the gold coast. -
South Hampton Publick House
40 Bowden Square, Southampton (631) 283-2800
The Southampton Publick House is a landmark for beer and has won many awards. -
Long Ireland Beer Company
817 Pulaski Street, Riverhead (631) 403-4303
Their flagship Celtic Ale is a traditional Irish brew crafted local ingredients readily available on Long Island in much the same fashion as their Irish predecessors. -
Blind Bat Brewery
Centerport
This self-described "nanobrewery" is a one-man operation which currently only brews three barrels of wood-smoked ales and other artisanal beers at a time.