Ponies and Jiggers

We’ve got a lot of exciting events and premiers this summer on Long Island. Come visit, if you’re not local. Besides our wonderful beaches, we have great local crafters:

Mike McQuade and Jason Laan of **Sag Harbor Spirits**, courtesy of **Flickr**.

* [**Sag Harbor Spirits**][shr], founded by Mike McQuade and Jason Laan, is Long Island’s newest distiller. Mike and Jason describe their *Old Whalers Style Sag Harbor Hand Crafted Rum* as “aged in old bourbon barrels and lightly infused with a blend of spices, fruits, and other natural flavors. This unique combination is inspired by the practice of old whaling ships storing the rum in barrels that had previously been used for coffee, exotic spices and fruit.” Long Islanders can find the rum at [select bars and liquor stores][shrloc]. We’re eagerly looking to try a sample of this local elixir very soon.

* [Melba makes beer-brined pickles][pic] from her little garden for the past 2 years, but that won’t stop us from picking up a jar from [**Backyard Brine Pickle Co.**][byb] Created by husband and wife team Randy and Cori Kopke, its pickles “…are hand packed in small batches using fresh, all natural, and local ingredients, some right from our own ‘backyard’ garden. No artificial preservatives, chemicals, or any of that weird yellow number 5 stuff…” It recently held a beer and pickle pairing event at [The Lark Pub and Grub][lpg] of East Northport, New York, and there have been rumors of a possible beer collaboration with our friends at [Blind Bat Brewery][bbfb], its [soon to be neighbor in Northport][bba].

* Speaking of friends in craft beer community, [**Barrage Brewing**][barfb] has decided to do a bit more construction at its brewery at in Farmingdale, New York, building a new tasting/growler fill-room, away from the working brewery area. Soon, customers will be able to taste beers, fill growlers, and buy swag in a relaxing area with a bar and tables. Look for an official announcement soon.

* We’re thrilled that [**Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.**][ghb] announced its [5th Anniversary/Grand Opening Peconic Event][ghb5]. Greenport Harbor has been building a secondary, expanded brewery location in Peconic, New York, for quite some time. Its original location, in the heart of Greenport Village, will still remain open. The anniversary event will take place on July 12, from 3:00–8:00 PM.

* So how does one open a craft brewery? Start with homebrewing and make [“The Perfect Keg.”][pkeg] Beer expert Ian Coutts, author of “Brew North,” shares his adventures, misadventures, and missteps as he proves that it is possible to brew the perfect keg of exclusively natural beer in a single year in *The Perfect Keg: Sowing, Scything, Malting and Brewing My Way to the Best-Ever Pint of Beer*. We’ve got our own copy and will share a review as soon as we finish this entertaining, educational book.

* But it can be difficult to find the proper ingredients to brew a great batch of beer. That’s why Julian Healey, self-described “guy from Melbourne, Australia,” created the [*The Hopslist*][hop]. *The Hopslist* is a free resource listing over 260 different hop varieties. These listings include informative descriptions and a combination of tasting notes, analytical data, and retailer information. The [style guide][hopsg] suggests what hops will make what specific type of beer, such as using *Bramling* and *Vanguard* hops for a rye ale. Helpful and extremely easy to navigate, *The Hopslist* is a great resource for both the beginner or seasoned craft brewer.

* An interesting infographic was created by the folks at the *Online Business Degree Guide*, called [The Business of Craft Beers and Microbreweries][craft]. Starting with some stats on the business of microbrewing, the infographic then walks through steps on how to homebrew. It’s a pretty slick infographic from a relatively odd source.

* The burgeoning craft beer industry is the jumping off point for [*Bills and Brews*][bill]. Host Matt Laslo couldn’t help but notice both the growth of craft beer in every state and the rising partisanship in our nation’s government. Finally having enough of the partisanship, Matt said, “Hell, why not pour some local hops on today’s bitter national political discourse?” and created a successful Kickstarter campaign. As the website states: “*Bills and Brews* is a chance to get to know lawmakers, their regions, and craft breweries through Laslo’s chats at pubs and breweries. It’s a place to check the talking points at the door. We want to celebrate what America’s doing right, in spite of our politicians doing so much wrong.” Cheers, Matt!

Right or left, we can all agree that summer is better with tasty beverages. Let’s concentrate on the real pressing matters at the family barbecue: Is there enough ice? We firmly stand on the side of “No, there is never enough ice.” Share your opinion, press release, or event by sending a [link to Fervere][email].

[bba]: http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-News-i-2014-04-24-99262.112114-sub-Blind-Bat-Brewery-to-land-in-Northport-Village.html
[bbfb]: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Bat-Brewery/72284485797
[shr]: http://sagharborrum.com/
[shrloc]: http://sagharborrum.com/locations/
[pic]: http://drunkandunemployed.com/index.php/2012/07/drunken-half-sour-cukes/
[byb]: http://www.backyardbrine.com/
[lpg]: http://www.thelarkpubandgrub.com/
[barfb]: https://www.facebook.com/BarrageBrewing
[ghb]: http://harborbrewing.com/
[ghb5]: https://www.facebook.com/events/898330206859158/”
[gotsaz]: http://gothamist.com/2014/03/04/celebrate_mardi_gras_with_a_perfect.php
[gotbrx]: http://gothamist.com/2014/02/07/cocktails_for_every_borough.php
[pkeg]: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLQ4QPO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLQ4QPO&linkCode=as2&tag=macpdesi-20&linkId=COG45FL2WVHXSKMY
[hop]: http://www.hopslist.com
[bill]: http://billsandbrews.com
[craft]: http://www.online-business-degree.org/craft-beers/
[hopsg]: http://www.hopslist.com/style-guide
[email]: fervere@drunkandunemployed.com