“Food and Flavors are my liFe. i see beer as a canvas For ThaT.” —james hull
the purchase—September 15, 2008—also happened to coincide with the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Perhaps not the best time to launch a business, but within a year, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company opened its doors. Entering the market with a couple of styles that were solid, well balanced, and representative of the category, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company continues to experiment and is rolling out an additional line of limitededition beers, barrel-aged products, sours, and Project Hoppines—an initiative to showcase hop-forward ales. It also opened a second brewery in Peconic in 2014 to keep up with the demand and improve functionality and efficiency. A new addition will include a brewpub, beer garden, and outdoor fireplace. But with growth comes responsibility. Vandenburgh sits on the board of the New York State Brewers Association and is keenly aware of how challenging it is to stay relevant in a booming market, especially when the definition of “craft beer” can mean the production of up to 6 million barrels per year. “As an industry, how many options can we put into the marketplace without overwhelming the consumer?” he wonders, noting that it’s increasingly important for independently owned craft brewers to be precise and smart in their objectives.
right: Donald Sullivan owns Southampton Publick House, Long Island’s oldest brewery. above: James Hull rotates upwards of 25 beers at his Shelter Island Craft Brewery, sourcing ingredients grown on the island.
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photography by Doug young; opposite page: Doug young
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hree minds are better than one in the case of Montauk Brewing Company. Partners Eric Moss, Vaughan Cutillo, and Joe Sullivan grew up together on the East End and spent about a decade as ocean lifeguards. They began experimenting with home brews in Cutillo’s basement with Moss at the helm, and after tapping the result with a home kegerator, discovered they had a knack for it. It took three years to secure building permits, and although the town was supportive, there was local, county, and state red tape to cut through. The trio eventually converted an old woodworking shop into a full-scale brewery, and by the summer of 2012 they were delivering around town out of a jerry-rigged trailer attached to a beach cruiser bicycle. “It’s all in the timing,” says Cutillo, who leads the company’s marketing efforts. “We all had regular day jobs and took the plunge. There was no other way but to go all in.” This meant investing in top-of-the-line, stainless-steel equipment to produce beers to complement Montauk’s seafood-driven cuisine. It is also a celebration of what makes the Hamptons so unique. Says Cutillo, “You won’t find televisions in our tasting room. It’s a place to meet each other, communicate, and celebrate—a casual beach vibe where our motto is ‘Come as you are.’” But don’t mistake those sun-kissed faces for beach bums. Like the East End’s other craft breweries, Montauk Brewing Company is dedicated to the “craft” part of brewing beers. “There’s a lot of momentum in the industry out here,” says Cutillo, “but you don’t have a business without a quality product.”