We’re counting down the top coolest stories of 2014 on northforker.com. We will publish one story on our list per day, every day, until Jan. 1.
Coming in at number 2 is the opening of Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.’s Peconic location.
It was more than five years ago that home beer brewers Rich Vandenburgh and John Liegey opened Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. on Carpenter Street in Greenport Village.
In terms of alcoholic beverages, the North Fork was known at that time almost exclusively as a wine region. There were no breweries when Greenport Harbor’s tasting room doors opened in summer 2009 — but once they did, an emerging market for Long Island craft beermakers quickly developed. There are now four breweries from Riverhead to Greenport and the industry continues to grow.
Evidence of that expansion comes in the form of another first from Greenport Harbor, which opened the North Fork’s largest brewing facility — its second — in July. That location will also one day include a 150-seat restaurant.
Today, Greenport Harbor’s 13,000-square-foot facility on Main Road in Peconic houses the operation’s largest tasting room and a separate brewing operation capable of producing 18 times more beer than was possible at its original location. It also recently installed the East End’s first bottling line exclusively for beer.
Cheers to more North Fork-brewed beer!
Previously:
10. North Fork Designer Show House
9. Southold Farm + Cellar Opens
7. Orange is the New Black films in Riverhead
6. Riverhead Farmers Market opens
5. Rolling in Dough owner is on a roll
4. New businesses on Love Lane
