Jamesport Farm Brewery is serving up a pumpkin and yam beer. (Credit: David Benthal)
The seasons are changing and craft beer, ever versatile, is shifting gears to match.
As the warm, hazy days of summer cool and shorten, the light, bright brews of backyard cookouts and ballgames yield to more malt-forward libations that showcase the flavors of fall.
Luckily, the North Fork is home to several craft breweries that offer autumn flavors by the pint. Here’s a fall beer pick for five of them. (more…)
Credit: Farm Country Kitchen
As the seasons change and we begin to enter the cooler months there’s just one thing we’re not ready to give up: dining and imbibing al fresco.
Borrowed from Italians, the phrase “al fresco” means “in the cool air,” and while cool air can be refreshing, having a fire pit or outdoor fireplace nearby makes the outdoor experience all the cozier.
Here are our five picks for venues across the North Fork offering outdoor warmth. (more…)
The cellar crew processes the grapes from harvest at Bedell. (Credit: Krysten Massa)
I am compelled to write harvest reports every vintage — it is the biggest news in the region right now, after all — but it’s not something I particularly enjoy doing. Given how our weather varies from year to year and the fact that winemakers need people to buy the wines they make regardless of what that weather is like, it can be hard to get accurate assessments of how the grapes are coming in. (more…)
The dry white wine spritzer and dry rosé wine spritzer. (Credit: Alie Shaper)
Forget any unfair pretense of the wine spritzer. For many, the beverage conjures thoughts of watered-down chardonnay or sugary concoctions suited for college parties. (more…)
Will Loughlin worked a series of odd jobs before a chance encounter led him to making cider. (Credit: David Benthal)
Several twists of fate led Will Loughlin to his job as cidermaster at Riverhead Ciderhouse.
The 33-year-old was working as an electrician when one day, before the Calverton tasting room had opened, he was sent there to work on the electricity. (more…)
As summer turns to fall, the focus at local wineries is on the harvest. For some larger operations, that means maybe a dozen workers manning the vineyards, gathering the bounty of the current vintage.
But for smaller producers, it might mean only a handful of people functioning together like a well-oiled machine to make for the best season. (more…)
Scenes from the 4th Annual Long Island Fresh Hop Festival at Jamesport Farm Brewery. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)
Back for its fourth year on the North Fork, the Long Island Fresh Hop Festival drew hundreds to Jamesport Farm Brewery for a showcase of all things craft beer Saturday.