Few people understand the local craft beer scene quite like Duffy Griffiths of Jamesport.
He’s had stints working as a brewer at both Greenport Harbor and the former Crooked Ladder breweries. His eponymous deli on Main Road in Jamesport is also a sweet spot to fill a growler for a weekend on the North Fork.
And in 2020, Griffith and partners launched the new Tradewinds Brewing on Main Street in downtown Riverhead.
The brewery launched in the community because its owners believe in the area’s potential to become a true craft beer destination for years to come.
“When [customers] come in, we want them to have a couple beers and maybe go to our friends in the area and be part of the community,” Griffiths said.
That list of Riverhead breweries continues to grow. Peconic County Brewing is close to opening on the other side of Main Street in the coming weeks. Twin Forks Brewing, which has long been made in Riverhead, also made some progress in 2020 on plans to open a tasting room. Those three breweries will join Long Ireland, Moustache and North Fork Brewing Co. to give downtown Riverhead one of the more robust lineups of breweries on Long Island. (It should also be noted that Montauk Distilling Co. also launched next door to North Fork Brewing, which also added a food truck to the property, in 2020!)
If the North Fork is the place to go for wine on Long Island, downtown Riverhead is the spot for a cold brew.
