Long Ireland is about to enter their busiest season for beer sales, with the Saint Patrick's Day madness cutting a wide swath into anything Irish. As always, they're prepared. And on top of that, they opened up a release today of their brand new beer, the Long Ireland Chocolate Porter.
Greg Martin and Dan Burke met years before they sold their first keg in March of 2009. "I was a manager for a heating and Air conditioning company and Dan was a supervisor for the same company. That's where we met and worked together for 10 years before we started the brewery," said Martin. Both men were dissatisfied with their day jobs, and looking for something new. "We were home brewers that hated our day jobs."
Martin got his first taste of the craft beer scene from a Long Island favorite.
"I started drinking Bluepoint and going to the tasting room in 2000," said Martin. Then, he found the gateway drug that leads most craft beer fanatics to the home brewing scene. "My mother bought me a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas in 2003."
As of now, the brewers have plans for the future months, even with a beer release today. "We are brewing a Saison today that we haven't done for two years," said Martin, referencing the Long Ireland/ Blind Bat Collaboration Saison they brewed in 2012. Both brewers agreed to keep the recipe they had created, and brew it independently of each other.
"There is always something new going on, whether it is a new beer we are brewing or a new territory that we are opening," said Martin. With the busy March season approaching, and an ever growing beer list, look to expect great things from the two Riverhead brewers.
Expect to see their Long Ireland Saison out in the near future.
