Nearly a dozen years after its inception and five years after signing a lease in Oceanside, Long Beach Brewing Company has received permission to fully open its tasting room on Lawson Boulevard. Finishes are nearing completion and the brewery plans to hold its grand opening in early summer.
“It’s been a long journey,” said co-owner Dan Scandiffio, “and we’re thrilled to finally be able to have our taproom up and running for our loyal customers to enjoy.”
LBBC was founded in 2010 and co-owners Scandiffio and Brett Blau have been brewing beers in the 5,000 square foot space on Lawson Boulevard since setting up their 10-barrel brewhouse in 2018. They have raised over $29,000 on Kickstarter to help launch the brewery. and always planned to have a bar on site, but the permitting process and then the pandemic caused longer than expected delays.
“The support we’ve received from the craft beer community has been tremendous,” Blau said, “including an overwhelming response on our behalf during public hearings. We couldn’t have done it without them and we look forward to welcoming everyone to enjoy a good beer and fun times.
Fanatics who follow love LBBC’s varied blend of hoppy IPAs and inventive interpretations of German and Belgian beer styles. The New York State-licensed farm brewery uses local ingredients, and its flagship beer, Ghost Wave IPA, is made primarily from ingredients grown in New York State.
Other IPAs include Oceansized, a hazy New England-style IPA with super fruity El Dorado hops and Idaho #7 hops, and Make A Left At Mars Imperial Hazy NEIPA, brewed with Galaxy, Aurora and Comet hops. for a tropical fruit aroma.
One of the brewery’s bestsellers is 3350 A Pilsner, a classic German-style pilsner brewed with Perle and Crystal hops for a crisp, refreshing taste. “We struggle to keep this in stock over the summer months,” Scandiffio said. Another warm-weather favorite is A Hui Hou (meaning “until we meet again” in Hawaiian), a wheat beer fermented with papaya, tangerine and guava, similar to the Hawaiian drink POG.
German and Belgian styles make up the bulk of the seasonal lineup, including Pleasant Anxiety, a German-style Maibock, and West Penn Wheat, a refreshing hefeweizen. Autumn Seasons include Feuilles Mortes, a powerfully smooth Belgian-style double ale (8% ABV) brewed with New York State-grown winter butternut squash and muscovado sugar and hopped with Tahoma hops from New York State. One of the most popular cold-weather seasonals is Al Blau Stout, a rich oatmeal stout named after Blau’s stout-loving father.
In addition to its own beers, LBBC’s dining room will feature beers from its two tenant brewers, 18th Ward Brewing and Stay Green Brewing. Scandiffio and Blau have brewed beers in conjunction with the Brooklyn-based 18th Ward, including Sink or Swim Double IPA brewed with Barbe Rouge, Comet and Amarillo hops.
While waiting for its bar approval, LBBC built its clientele by self-distributing to local beer shops, bars and restaurants. While continuing to self-distribute, the brewery now also distributes its beers throughout New York State through Uptown Beverage.
In addition to beer, LBBC’s dining room will offer wines from Insieme Wines, located across the street on Lawson Boulevard, and kombucha from neighboring Coastal Craft Kombucha. Rotating food trucks and pop-up chefs include local favorites like The Smokin’ Sandy Pineapple, No Good Burger Truck and Taco Tuesdays Truck.
Blau says LBBC is looking forward to hosting events at the bar and on June 24 will host a Stand Up comedy night hosted by Chris Griggs with performances by local comedians including Matt Vita. “We’ve been an active member of the Long Beach and Oceanside communities, supporting local fundraisers and artists,” Blau said, “and look forward to welcoming the community for years to come.”
Long Beach Brewing Company is located at 3350A Lawson Blvd. in Oceanside. For more information, visit longbeachbrew.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
For more food and drink coverage, visit longislandpress.com/category/food-drink.
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