68 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2019
HARBOR HEAD BREWING COMPANY
BREWING UP A STORM
BY BERNIE KILKELLY
At the southernmost head of Northport
Harbor, the aptly named Harbor
Head Brewing Company is producing
craft beers that are popular with both
boaters and landlubbers.
Located in the Brittania Yachting
Center, the brewery was founded
by Sosh Andriano, the owner of the
Whale’s Tale restaurant situated just
steps away in the same marina. He
recognized the growing popularity
of local craft beers and thought a
brewery would be complementary
to his restaurant. He recruited a few
partners and in 2016 started building
a five-barrel brewhouse and tasting
room in a 1,100-square-foot former
bait and tackle shop.
“We wanted our customers to get
an overall experience where they
can enjoy a sunset by the water
and have a delicious fish taco with
a blonde ale that’s made next door,”
says Andriano. “We also thought
customers could enjoy a beer at the
brewery either before or after a meal
at the restaurant.”
Harbor Head was licensed as a
New York State farm brewery and
began producing beer to be sold on
tap at the Whale’s Tale in summer
2017. As a next step, the brewery
opened its tasting room in January
2018 and sold growlers and crowlers
for takeaway. In July, Harbor Head
received approval from the Village
of Northport to sell flights and
pints in its tasting room, and
opened a small beer garden
that was a popular hangout in
tsummer and fall.
The brewery quickly developed
a loyal following for its
wide range of delicious lagers and
ales. William Melvin, who took
over as head brewer in June 2018, describes
Harbor Head’s approach as
wanting to produce “drinkable beers
that match the classic beer styles.” A
native of the Hudson Valley, Melvin
got his start in brewing at several
brewpubs in the Adirondacks before
studying brewing at the Siebel Institute
of Technology in Chicago.
Harbor Head typically has eight
beers on tap, which
vary according to the
s e a s on.
According
to
Melvin, he tries to always have a
pale ale and an IPA in the rotation,
along with a lighter-tasting beer
and a dark beer style. Among the
IPAs is NoPoCo, named after the
Northport Coast, which is a double
hopped New England style hazy IPA
brewed with Citra and dry hopped El
Dorado hops. Other pale ales include
moderately hopped Top Sail Pale Ale
and the crisp Whaleback West Coast
IPA brewed with Columbus and dry
hopped with Mosaic.
All the more reason to drop anchor
and belly up for a pint.
Harbor Head Brewing Company
is located at 81 Fort Salonga Rd. in
Northport. For more info visit www.
harborheadbrew.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and
publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
MAIN DISH
Bartender Dave Martin and
co-owner Candi Schade in Harbor
Head's tasting room.
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