4 FEBRUARY 11, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Photo courtesy of Eagle Pickle Works
Barstool Sports donates to Maspeth-based Eagle Pickle Works
BY SOFIA VALDES
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Dave Portnoy, founder of
Barstool Sports, donated to
Maspeth-based pickle supplier
company Eagle Pickle Works because
he “loved the story and couldn’t lose
this pickle company.”
“I think you are our fi rst pickle
company,” Dave Portnoy said.
“That’s right,” said Rafal Pisarki,
owner of Eagle Pickle Works.
In a video call, Pisarki talks
with Portnoy about the fermenting
process they use that makes their
company unique from other pickle
suppliers.
“The pickle industry, probably
around the 70’s, it took a turn where
what we call ‘Instant Pickles.’ You put
some vinegar, you put some fl avoring,
you got a pickle the next day,” Pisarki
said. “Fermented pickles take a while,
takes a couple weeks. It’s kind of like
making a beer or a wine or something.
Those are the ones you should
be drinking. Those are the brine that
you should be drinking for those
pickleback shots and it’s good for the
gut, it’s good for your immune system.
Really old-world foods and really
what New York used to be about.”
Barstool Sports is a sports and pop
culture blog that broadcasts the latest
news and highlights in the form
of blogs, videos and podcasts. They
place big emphasis on helping small
companies, by making donations
frequently.
On Dec. 17, 2020, Portnoy launched
The Barstool Fund, geared to help
small-business owners who need
help due to impacts of COVID-19.
In a video, also found on the Barstool
fund page, Portnoy criticizes
the government for not providing
the adequate relief needed to keep
small-businesses alive. So, Portnoy
is stepping up to the plate by “going
to do what we can,” to save smallbusinesses
from going under.
Barstool Sports planned to start
off with half a million dollars to
provide aid to small businesses and
asked those who are able to help, to
make tax-deductible contributions
to help support their project. As
of Wednesday morning, Feb. 10,
215,740 supporters helped Barstool
support 243 businesses by raising
$35,084,675.
With this relief fund, Portnoy says
he plans on helping small-businesses
who are in his program by checking
in regularly and providing them with
the amount of money needed each
month to keep their business afl oat
during the pandemic.
Gaining the support of Barstool
Sports was a huge surprise to Pisarki
because he had no idea that his
brother sent in an application to the
Barstool fund page requesting aid for
the company.
Eagle Pickle Works, or as many
customers know them as their brand,
Eddie’s Pickles, was established in
1888 and has stayed in their extended
family since that time. Home of the
original NYC pickle, Eagle Pickle
Works uses barrel fermentation,
making them the best pickles in the
world. They make a variety of pickles
as well as their world-famous
sauerkraut.
Eagle Pickle Works relies heavily
on indoor dining restaurants to carry
out their business. Since the close of
indoor dining, the pandemic hit restaurants
hard, forcing them to drop
business with Eagles Pickle Works in
order to make ends meet.
In turn, Eagle Pickle Works is
suffering and with that, Queens
risks losing the unique quality of
what makes Eagle Pickle Works so
great: their method of barrel
fermentation.
Since being picked up by Barstool
Sports, Pisarki has been really proud
that Queens is fi nally gaining recognition
for something as opposed to
its Brooklyn and Manhattan counterparts.
He is especially proud that
the company gaining recognition in
Queens is his very own.
“Man you have no idea what you
did for us. This is really, really — you
know, we’re the oldest in New York
City. We’re one of the smallest guys
and we really depend on the community
and this what we are dealing
with and you really, you have no idea
what you just did for us. Man, I appreciate
it and you got free pickles for
life man.” Pisarki said
“I’m a huge pickle fan, so I might just
take you up on that,” Portnoy said.
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