APRIL 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 57
MAIN DISH
SECATOGUE BREWING CO.NEW WEST ISLIP BREWS
BY BERNIE KILKELLY
When Secatogue Brewing Co. opened
last year, crowds packed the taproom as
West Islip residents celebrated their first
hometown brewery. The crowds dried
up during the coronavirus pandemic,
but Secatogue is among the local brewers
selling beers to go and for delivery.
West Islip native Ken Srubinski started
homebrewing seriously in his mid-20s,
quickly decided to start a brewery, and,
with the support of his family, purchased
a 4,300-square-foot building for $1.6
million that was previously home to a
construction company.
“The building was perfect for our needs,”
Srubinski says. “It was nearly new and
expandable, and was connected to sewers.
It was also located on a main road
with good visibility and parking for our
taproom.”
In a nod to his hometown,
Srubinski named the
brewery Secatogue, after
the Native American tribe
that originally inhabited
what is now West Islip.
He installed a five-barrel
brewhouse with four
fermenters and two brite
tanks. With help from
his wife Katie, his
younger brother Tom,
his father and other
family members, Srubinski
transformed half of
the building into a beautifully
appointed taproom with capacity
for 100 guests.
Srubinski typically brews at double
capacity, producing 10 barrels of
beer a week, to meet demand
in the taproom and outside
accounts. He plans to add a
10-barrel unitank,
which will provide
capacity for
canning.
Secatogue’s beer
lineup runs the
gamut from light
to dark, with
S r ubin sk i
u s u a l l y
featuring
several IPAs.
One of his first successful
recipes, Pink
Hibiscus IPA, using real
hibiscus flowers, is still
regularly featured along
with several hazy New
England Style IPAs.
The lineup also includes
stouts and porters, such
as Lei’d Up, made with
Hawaiian cold brew coffee from Cyrus
Chai & Coffee in Bay Shore, finished with
hints of toasted coconut. Srubinski also
loves to experiment with unusual flavors
to create beers like All We Have Left is
PB&J, a cream ale made with honey, peanut
butter, and Concord grapes.
Srubinski is grateful for the support the
brewery has received during the crisis.
“People have definitely not forgotten
about us,” he says. “And we’re glad that
Secatogue can continue to provide locally
made beer to help raise the spirits of our
community in these challenging times.”
Secatogue Brewing Co. is located at
375 Union Blvd. in West Islip. For more
information call 631-228-8914 or visit
secatoguebrewing.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher
of LIBeerGuide.com.
Ken Srubinski, founder of
Secatogue Brewing Co.
Parker Jewish Institute’s New Concierge Call-Line Helps Families Stay in Touch
NEW HYDE PARK, NEW
YORK, MARCH 30, 2020 – Parker
Jewish Institute for Health Care and
Rehabilitation has implemented a new
Family Call Center Call-Line Service
to help family members connect with
loved ones who are residents or patients
of the skilled nursing facility.
The new Family Call Center service
enables families to stay in touch and
informed at a time when visitation is
largely prohibited, based on state and
federal guidelines, to protect against
the spread of COVID-19.
Members of Parker’s Admissions
Department, as well as employees
from the Institute’s Social Adult Day
Health Program, were redeployed to
staff the new center. They speak with
callers about non-emergent matters,
and direct family members to
the correct resource. The Concierge
Call-Line Service had already been
in the planning stages, but Parker’s
Administration moved the service
forward as an immediate way to help
the Institute’s community navigate
coronavirus.
The Family Call Center Call-Line
Team can be reached at 718-289-2888,
seven-days-a-week.
The Parker team spoke with families
of the Institute’s patients and residents
prior to the service’s launch to inform
them about the new Call Center. Staff
also told families about the ability
to spend time with loved ones on
FaceTime through Parker’s iPads.
Staff members walk family members
through the process of accessing
the technology so that they can visit
virtually with loved ones.
And through the help of Parker’s
Therapeutic Recreation leaders and
other team members, patients and
residents are ensuring the virtual
visits and conversations take place. For
example, one hospice patient was able
to speak with her daughter, thanks to
the assistance of a Parker Therapeutic
Recreation employee who brought the
phone to the bedside of the patient, who
otherwise would have had difficulty
lifting the phone.
“During this time of social
distancing to ward against the spread
of coronavirus, it is more important
than ever for families to see and speak
with each other to stay in touch and
overcome feelings of isolation,” said
Michael N. Rosenblut, Parker’s President
and CEO. “Parker’s new Family Call
Center Call-Line Service extends our
ability to further help families get the
information they need, quickly. And
the ability to connect family members
through virtual technology fosters
family connections, which are so vital
during this stressful time.”
Parker’s administration continues
to evaluate and refine policies and
services to meet the needs of patients,
residents and their families. Visit
parkerinstitute.org and click on the
COVID-19 tab for updates.
Contact: Lina Scacco, (718) 289-2212
or lscacco@parkerinstitute.org
About Parker Jewish Institute
for Health Care and Rehabilitation
Parker Jewish Institute for Health
Care and Rehabilitation, which is
headquartered in New Hyde Park, New
York, is a leading provider of Short
Term Rehabilitation and Long Term
Care. At the forefront of innovation
in patient-centered health care and
technology, the Institute is a leader in
teaching and geriatric research. Parker
Jewish Institute features its own medical
department, and is nationally renowned
as a skilled nursing facility, as well as a
provider of community-based health care,
encompassing Social Adult Day Care,
Home Health Care, Medical House Calls,
Palliative Care and Hospice.
Parker Jewish Institute is helping families visit with loved ones, through virtual technology.
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