We here at Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! would like to introduce and welcome the newest addition to Long Island’s gang of local breweries, Port Jefferson Brewing Company (PJBC)!
Don’t be shy now. Give Port Jefferson Brewing Company an affectionate, slightly-erotic hug. Good. Now rub Port Jefferson Brewing Company on the thigh. Yes, that’s it. Now kiss and…
Ahem.
Port Jefferson Brewing Company is the brainchild of Michael Philbrick, a home brewer who has worked to hone his craft over the last decade and is now ready to share his beer baby with the entire universe. I recently talked to Michael and received the skinny on everything PJBC—the brewery’s creation, its philosophy, and even details about its first official tasting event coming this October. Read below:
“Port Jeff Brewing Company was actually a vision that my wife has been fostering for me for some time. She bought me my first brewing kit in 2000 for Christmas. That kit led me down the typical trail a home brewer takes to all grain and trying to amass as many brewing gadgets as one can possibly fit in my brewery. At points my neighbors likely thought I was making meth in our basement apartment-converted-brewery. For the past year or so in preparation for opening PJBC I have been brewing a few times a week to work out pilot recipes and scaling up to larger batches. I also began formal education at Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy in Chicago as well as brewing alongside friends in the industry at places like Iron Hill and other Philadelphia region breweries.
Port Jeff Brewing Company is really focused on two things: 1. producing great beers with the best ingredients 2. promoting the Port Jefferson area by way of our brands. I decided early on in our business planning to operate as a production brewery rather than a brewpub mainly because I am not interested in running a bar but secondly because Port Jefferson has plenty of them already and I would rather cater to them than compete with them. I tend to lean towards a UK influence when I brew and that shows in our malt, hop, and yeast selections. Each of our beers carries a name that has something to do with Port Jefferson history or geography: Pirate’s Cove Pilsner, White’s Beach Whit, Schooner Ale, and Runaway Ferry probably paint a decent picture of what were about.
Long before large commercial breweries and mass distribution people drank what was brewed in their local pubs and taverns. Recently craft brewing has erupted as people realize their tastes have choices and we want to harness that renewed energy and cater to the locals again. With the amount of people who visit Port Jefferson either traveling to and from Connecticut via the ferry or stopping by our restaurants we really feel there is an un-tapped market here for craft beer.
Our current focus is to finalize plans for our location downtown and begin the process of building out for the “nano”-brewery and tasting room. We anticipate the arrival of our 1bbl pilot system in September which will allow us to brew the equivalent of two kegs at a time. Although this is extremely small in comparison to most micro breweries it will allow us to experiment with recipes and hone our craft in preparation for a larger brewing capacity down the line. We realize licensing, distribution, and brand building take a considerable amount of time so we’re not looking to be on every tap in America anytime soon. However, we have already forged some great relationships in the industry and look to initially offer our beers locally via draft, growler, and 22 oz bottle. We’re also very excited to participate in upcoming area beer festivals and events. Our first tasting event is: “A Taste of Port Jefferson” from 12:00 – 4:00 on October 16th.”
PJBC’s official debut is part of “A Taste of Port Jefferson,” an event organized by The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and designed to showcase the town’s restaurants, wineries and bakeries. It will take place at the Port Jefferson Village Center on Saturday, 10/16, from 12:00PM – 4:00PM. Tickets ($30.00 advance/$35.00 day of event) can be purchased by email (info@nullportjeffersonchamber.com) or by phone (631-473-1414). More information, including a list of participating establishments, can be found at its official website.
Speaking of websites, PJBC’s official online home won’t be accessible for another few weeks. But don’t worry, you can still stalk them on Facebook.