The Queens Craft Brewing Stampede

While Brooklyn is known for artisanal everything, Queens is increasingly being recognized for the range and high quality of its nano breweries–tiny operations usually run out of a garage or basement or back yard that produce anywhere form a few dozen kegs of beer a month to a few hundred a month. Most of these brewers started out as hobbyists and have progressed to a step or two above that. Many have full time jobs and pursue this on the side. Yet a surprising number here in the borough have found their brews have developed a serious following and they are finding themselves struggling to keep up with demand. According to an article in Crain’s, five of these breweries have opened in Queens in the last year out of a total of 14 in the entire city. The newest addition to the borough’s rapidly expanding brew of entrepreneurs is Queens Brewery which launched at the NYC Craft Beer Festival last month and had its first beer available in Queens bars this past weekend. SingleCut Beersmiths in Astoria (pictured above) has been in business for eight months and has seen sales rise from 175 kegs a month at the start of the year to 375. Bridge and Tunnel Brewery which operates out of owner Rich Castagna’s Maspeth garage, is a much smaller operation. He produces about 18 five gallon kegs a month yet his beer is in such demand he can’t keep up. Long Island City’s Big Alice Brewing specializes in small batches. And Rockaway Brewing Co., now a year old, is looking to expand its operation. Contrary to what one might think, it’s not in Rockaway. Instead, like so many other craft brewers, its based in Long Island City. The neighborhood is so popular for these small brewers that there is even a craft brewery tour of the neighborhood. With so much hand crafted beer here, we think Brooklyn is welcome to keep its artisanal mayonnaise.

Competition Bubbles up for Craft Brewers in NYC [Crain’s]
Closing Bell: Queens Home Brewing Tour Coming Soon [Brownstoner Queens]

Photo: SingleCut Beersmiths