Peconic County Brewing Opening in Riverhead

Drawing its name from a long-stalled proposal for the East End to secede from Suffolk County, Peconic County Brewing is the sixth craft brewery to open in Riverhead.

Peconic County Brewing is coming to East Main Street in an 8,500-square-foot space on the ground floor of the new Riverview Lofts building, which opened in the fall with 116 rental units. The brewery was founded by Jeff Schaeffer, a Patchogue resident who grew up in Southampton and has deep roots in the hospitality business. The tasting room is slated to open in January.

“Riverhead is becoming a destination town like Patchogue, with people coming to visit the breweries, enjoy the walkable downtown and dine at a variety of great restaurants,” says Schaeffer, who hosts a blog and podcast called Long Island Beer Authority. “After visiting many breweries, I realized there’s a lot of terrific beer being made on Long Island. But what makes the experience special goes beyond the beer — which has to be really good, of course — but it also means having a great space, great food and a great vibe.”

The Riverview Lofts building offered the opportunity to design and build his brewery and restaurant from scratch. Schaeffer set aside 2,000 square feet for a deck overlooking the Peconic River, which will feature fire pits and space for cornhole and other games. The brewery will have a full kitchen and a 15-barrel brewhouse with 30 barrel fermenters.