MAY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 73
WHAT’S BREWING:
SUMMER BEERFEST PREVIEW
BY BERNIE KILKELLY
With Long Island now home to more
than 40 craft breweries, a great way
to sample the diversity of locally
produced beer without driving all
over is to attend a beer festival, which
there are plenty of this summer.
A new beerfest called The Whales,
Ales & Salty Tales festival will be held
June 8 at the Whaling Museum and
Education Center on Main Street in
Cold Spring Harbor. It features craft
beers from 10 local breweries along
with homebrewed beers from Long
Island’s three homebrew clubs: Brewer’s
East End Revival, Handgrenades
Homebrew Club, and Long Island
Beer & Malt Enthusiasts. There will
also be locally made mead from W.A.
Meadwerks in Lindenhurst. Festivalgoers
can tour the museum’s exhibits
and enjoy live music including sea
shanties from the band Sampawam’s
Creek. All proceeds from the festival
will benefit the museum’s education
programs including summer camp
scholarships for families in need.
Great South Bay Brewery will hold
its 7th annual Bay Fest on June 1 at
the brewery in Bay Shore. Along
with tastings of the award-winning
beers of GSB, fest-goers will enjoy
beers from dozens of other craft
breweries from across the Island
and the tristate area. Local bands will
be rocking out and a variety of food
trucks will be on site. VIP tickets are
available that provide early access to
the festival to meet the brewers.
LI’s largest summer beer festival,
the Long Island Craft Classic, will be
held on August 10 at Heckscher State
Park in East Islip. The new location
has allowed festival producer Starfish
Junction to expand the offerings
beyond craft beer to include a larger
selection of wine and hard cider.
The festival also features a variety
of food from one of the Island’s best
barbecue restaurants, Bobbique in
Patchogue.
The Craft Classic will again feature
the Brew’d Competition, a unique
brewing competition for Long
Island’s craft breweries. All of the
competitors must use a special ingredient
in their beer, which is preselected
through an online vote. The
winning beer is then picked through
a popular vote of festivalgoers. The
winning breweries get bragging
rights and a Golden Keg that can
be displayed at their brewery for a
year.
Just before the official end of summer,
the 4th annual Fresh Hop Festival
will be held on Sept. 21 at Jamesport
Farm Brewery on the North Fork.
Jamesport Farm Brewery is located
on a 43-acre farm, L.I. Hops, which
grows hops and barley for its own
craft beers. Fest-goers are able to
sample beers made with fresh, or
wet, hops, which are picked in the
peak season of September and used
immediately. The festival will feature
live music from local musician
Andy Putnam and food from Christopher
Michael Catering.
The Fresh Hop Festival will also
feature selections of pumpkin beers,
signaling the end of summer beer
season and the coming of the fall
beer season, including the start of
Oktoberfest.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and
publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
MAIN DISH
2018 Golden Keg winner of the Brew'd Competition, Long Ireland Beer Co.
CRAFT BEER AT SUMMER
STREET FESTS
Bay Shore Alive by the Bay
Third annual event will be held on
Main Street in Bay Shore on July
2, 16, and 30, and Aug. 13, with a
rain date of Aug. 20 if one festival
gets cancelled due to weather.
The street fair, organized by the
restaurant committee of the Bay
Shore Chamber of Commerce, will
feature live music, arts and crafts
vendors, activities for children
and more. Sponsors include Destination
Unknown Beer Co. and
Blue Point Brewing.
Farmingdale Music on Main
July 11 and 25, and Aug. 8 and 22,
with rain date of Aug. 29. There
will be live music on Main Street in
Farmingdale Village with food and
craft beer from sponsors including
Croxley Ales, Lithology Brewing,
Dark Horse Tavern, Library Café,
That Meetball Place, Nutty Irishman
and more.
Patchogue Alive After Five
18th annual event on June 27, July
11, July 25 and Aug. 8 with a rain
date of Aug. 22. The street fair
features six stages of live music,
food trucks, craft vendors, activities
for children and more. Sponsors
include Blue Point Brewing,
BrickHouse Brewery, Patchogue
Beer Project, Bobbique and others.
Riverhead Alive on 25
July 3 and 18, and Aug.1 and 15 with
a rain date of Aug. 22. There will
be live music on eight stages, food
trucks, local wine and craft beer
from local breweries including
Moustache Brewing, Long Ireland,
North Fork, Greenport Harbor and
more.
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