One great thing about being a craft beer maker is that you get to play in a sandbox of flavor limited only by your imagination.
Your favorite candy from childhood? Why not drink it? Pine needles? Yes please. Coffee grounds? Of course.
Here are some concoctions — all on tap now — that local brewers have created for your holiday celebrations and theirs.
Übergeek
The brewers at übergeek are always up to something and their new seasonal, I never asked to be here is the latest brew to make you drink and think. A winter warmer ale with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and sour orange zest, a 7% ABV and a dark orange/brown color, it was brewed for a collaboration with NY Marine Rescue. One dollar of every pint sold raises funds to rescue cold-stunned turtles who inspired the name of the beer as they wash up on our beaches; where they never asked to be.
400 Hallett Avenue, Riverhead, ubergeekbrewing.com
Long Ireland Beer Company
The latest from Long Ireland is a blast of flavor from the American past, Jelly Ring Chocolate Raspberry Porter on tap and in cans. It conjures the flavors of the retro candy with a dark chocolate base and notes of raspberry. At 5.25% ABV it’s also lighter than most porters.
817 Pulaski St., Riverhead, longirelandbeer.com
Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.
Over at Greenport Harbor Brewing, Pat Alfred is excited about their newest seasonal called Off Season. It’s a West Coast style IPA, which means a bold citrus/piney aroma and flavor. In the case of this brew, Alfred is using varieties of hops that contribute light herbaceous notes of Christmas tree, pine needles, and pine resin. Off Season is a golden color and 6.8% ABV.
42155 Main Rd., Peconic and 234 Carpenter St., Greenport, greenportharborbrewing.com
Eastern Front Brewing
Eastern Front Brewing is all about traditional European-style beers and the ingredients in their saison, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale, reflect that. The cloudy golden color, intensely aromatic fruity and spicy notes and dry finish are thanks to Belgian yeast with expressive aromatic characteristics, a German hops variety called Perle and Vienna and Pilsner malts, says brewer Adam Slater. It all adds up to a saison that will make you think you’re sitting in a barn in the European countryside. It’s extremely fragrant and full of fall flavors at 5.5%ABV.
13100 Main Rd., Mattituck, [email protected]
Twin Fork Beer Company
Twin Fork Brewery made its name with Chromatic Ale back in 2014 and it’s proven to be a brew that never gets old. At 6.6% ABV, it’s a malt forward, traditional American Pale Ale, using hops similar to those used in 19th century English Pale ales. As the chromatic scale in music includes the full range of tones, Chromatic Ale is made using a fuller range of grains and hops than most beers, to create a balanced and harmonious ale as traditional as Thanksgiving.
807 Raynor Ave., Riverhead, twinforkbeer.com
