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Long Island’s Golden Tap Awards recognize a gentle giant beer geek

Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for 2013 goes to collaborators behind Surge Protector IPA

Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for 2013 goes to collaborators behind Surge Protector IPA

A gentle giant of a man who helped establish Long Island’s largest club of beer enthusiasts and a collection of brewers who banded together to help a small brewery decimated by Superstorm Sandy were recognized separately for their endeavors at the Golden Tap Awards, the Oscars of Long Island’s craft brewing industry.goldentaplogo

Richard Thatcher Jr., who six years ago banded together with two other beer geeks to start the club called Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts, received the Golden Tap Recognition Award on May 14 before a crowd of brewers, beer marketers and beer aficionados at 89 North, a music venue in Patchogue.

Thatcher, a former banker who would go on to become president of the club better known as LIBME, helped build the group’s membership to almost 600 members. He also worked part-time at various beer retailers before pursing studies in hospitality management. His co-founders, Donavan Hall and Mike Voigt, went on to found Rocky Point Artisan Brewers.

Rich Thatcher awaits his Golden Tap Recognition Award

Rich Thatcher awaits his Golden Tap Recognition Award

Now, with his award in hand, Thatcher is moving to Jacksonville, Fla., where he has taken a management position at a hotel.

Meanwhile, Barrier Brewing Co., 
Blind Bat Brewery, 
Blue Point Brewing Co.,
 Great South Bay Brewery,
 Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.,Long Ireland Beer Co., 
Port Jeff Brewing Co., 
Spider Bite Beer Co. and photographers Matt Furman and Niko Krommydas shared the Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for their collaborative brewing effort that provided financial assistance to Barrier, which was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, and to residents of Long Island’s South Shore.

The participants gathered at Blue Point on Dec. 4 and brewed Surge Protector IPA to raise proceeds for victims of the storm and the recovering brewery. Each brewery donated an ingredient for Surge Protector IPA, exhibiting the solidarity of Long Island’s beer community. Proceeds, which totaled $58,000, recently were presented to Barrier and Long Island Cares, a charity.

There were other awards.

The Golden Tap Pioneer Award was presented to Chris Werle and Jeff Piciullo, who more than 20 years ago founded the first Croxley’s Ale House in Franklin Square, one of the region’s first craft beer specialty bars. Today, the duo and their partners own five Croxley’s from Smithtown to Manhattan and a pair of restaurants in Garden City.

Blind Bat Brewery owner Paul Dlugokencky accepts Golden TapBeer of the Year Award

Blind Bat Brewery owner Paul Dlugokencky accepts Golden Tap Beer of the Year Award

One of the most-coveted awards, Beer of the Year, went to Blind Bat for its Long Island Potato Stout.  Great South Bay won honors for best new beer, its Blood Orange Pale Ale. The former award was based on a decision by a panel of judges, the latter was a people’s choice vote tallied online.

Best Long Island Beer Bar Awards, also the result of online voting, were presented to The Good Life, Massapequa, for Nassau County, and to T.J. Finley’s, Bay Shore, for Suffolk County.

Karp’s Homebrew Shop in East Northport took the award for best homebrew shop, while Blue Point won for best tap handle for its Hoptical Illusion. Both awards were voted on online.

An award, selected by industry members, recognizing the top brewery sales rep, was presented to Liam Huddock of Riverhead-based Long Ireland.

The awards are an integral part of Long Island Craft Beer Week, which continues through May 19.

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Picks for Long Island Craft Beer Week

LI CBW logLong Island’s beer community celebrates itself during Long Island Craft Beer Week (LICBW) May 10-19 with a dizzying collection of festivals, special tastings, tap takeovers and more.

LICBW, which actually runs 10 days, is a collaborative venture created by brewers, bar owners and beer event promoter Starfish Junction Productions to raise awareness of the thriving local craft beer scene and promote patronage at local establishments.

This third annual event appears to be bigger than in the past. And with good cause.

The craft beer scene on Long Island has exploded with the opening of new breweries and new places to imbibe.

In the past 12 months brewers Spider Bite Beer Co., Rocky Point Artisan Brewers and Montauk Brewing swelled the industry ranks in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to 15, for now. At least four more are planning to open their doors in the months ahead.

Among new taverns specializing in craft beers include the Black Sheep Ale House in Mineola, the Tap Room in Patchogue and Croxley’s in Smithtown.

What’s more beer distributors and retailers are adding new brands to their portfolios and shelves, respectively, and on the retail level, an increasing number of growler filling stations. Moreover, many dining spots, such as Jackson’s in Commack and Roots Bistro Gourmand in West Islip have embraced craft beer, providing additional locations for beer aficionados to please their palates.

Homebrewers, too, will be participating with a competition sponsored by the Brewers East End Revival home brew club on May 18 in St. James. And, Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts is sponsoring the Golden Tap Awards.

The week’s organizers are dispensing free pint classes across Long Island on May 9 and Untappd, the mobile beer-logging app, will offer badges for those who make it to at least two of the venues participating in Long Island Craft Beer Week.

All told, there will some 80-plus events taking place over the 10 days—11 if you count the kickoff events of May 9. While many of these events will feature fine beers, not all will be Long Island focused.  Troublesome for some Long Island purists, perhaps. But for enthusiasts who want to sample interesting beers, these days ahead offer nothing but excitement.

With so many events on the calendar, what do you do?  Here are my top 10 plus 1 recommendations.

May 9, 6-11 p.m. Croxley’s, Farmingdale, hosts an Official Pre-Party Cask tasting that features a mix of local and domestic cask-conditioned crafts and food, too.  Get there early as these casks often are drained quite quickly. $24.95.

May 10, 6 p.m. TJ Finley’s Public Housewww.tjfinleys.com, Bay Shore. Long Island Craft Beer Week Kickoff Party featuring a PAYG Blue Point Brewery tap takeover as well as a special offering from the Patchogue brewery.

May 11, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.  Bay Fest at Great South Bay Brewery in Bay Shore. A tented beer fest featuring 20-plus mostly local breweries. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the gate.

May 12,  7 p.m. to 4 a.m. If you can leave mom for a while—or take her with you—get over to the Black Sheep in Mineola for special tapping of Keegan Ales Super Kitty, an American strong ale with honey and plenty of hops conditioned for six months with oak chips

May 13, 6 p.m-2 a.m.  The Tap Room in Patchogue is offering a Dogfish Head tap takeover with 12 lines devoted to such rare brews as 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout. PAYG.

May 14, 6 p.m. Golden Tap Awards Gala
 at
 89 North, Patchogue. Long Island’s beer Oscars, Emmys and People’s Choice Awards rolled into one to honor Long Island’s beer innovators and pioneers. Awards will be presented to winners in all aspects of the craft beer industry including bars and breweries, based on online polling and an official panel judging. Tickets include the awards show as well as a cocktail hour before the show with light fare. $55.

May 15, 7:15pm – Midnight. Barrier Brewingwww.barrierbrewing.com beer dinner at Press 195www.press195.comin Rockville Centre, featuring five Jewish-Latin inspired dishes paired with five electric brews from Barrier. Tickets are limited and purchase in advance at bar. $70 including tax and tip.

May 16,  8 p.m.-11 p.m. Black Sheep Ale House, Mineola, veers north with a Maine Beer Co. ‎ tap takeover and Organic Cheese Pairing. Maine Beer’s entire line up of beers paired with small batch organic cheeses from Silvery Moon Creamery in Portland, Maine. Mo, Titus, Mean Old Tom, and Peeper will be available on draught. There also will be beer flight/cheese pairings with 5-oz. pours of each draft and pours from Lunch and Zoe bottles. PAYG

May 17, 7 p.m.-4 a.m. Back to the Black Sheep in Mineola for a special cask. This time it’s Port Jeff Brewing’s Wet & Wild Wet-Hopped
Sour Ale, a wet-hopped brett-laced sour ale. PAYG.

May 18, 3-7 p.m.TJ Finley’s Public House, Bay Shore, puts on 10-plus casks of local and regional beers and BBQ. $40 in advance; $55 at the door.

May 19.  2-4:30 p.m. It’s an all-grain home brew tutorial at The Lark in East Northport, NY 11731
with Alan Talman of Karp’s Hardware and Homebrew. $10 donation to benefit a local animal shelter. Reservations required.

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