10 Places to Get Seasonal Beer & Cider on the East End
Fall is a beloved season, particularly on the East End, for a variety of reasons. Apple picking, pumpkin picking, apple cider doughnuts, pumpkin spice coffee, and, of course, beer and hard cider.
It’s the season for specialty ciders, and with Oktoberfest officially in full swing, plenty of local breweries are offering seasonally-flavored beer. Is there a better way to celebrate Oktoberfest on Long Island than with locally crafted specialty beers?
Here are just a few of those breweries and cideries.
Spots for Seasonal Beer & Cider
They’re a hit over the summer, but don’t think the year is over for this beloved local brewery. In addition to all of their usual offerings – such as their Light Work Lager, Black Duck Porter, Haus Pils, and more – try their Leaf Pile Ale and Leaf Pile Pie beer. Their Leaf Pile Ale is crafted with a blend of light and medium crystal malts and just a touch of hops to provide a foundation for fresh crushed cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. The Leaf Pile Pie is flavored with Madagascar vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, Vietnamese cinnamon, lactose, and brown sugar, with notes of creamy vanilla frosting, smooth cinnamon, graham cracker crust, subtle cocoa, and caramel-toffee to give it that distinctive autumn flavor.
Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday noon to 9 p.m., 42155 Main Road, Peconic, 631-477-1100, greenportharborbrewing.com
Riverhead Ciderhouse
Good food, often live music, trivia nights, and a wide array of hard ciders. What’s not to love about the Riverhead Ciderhouse? A visit to their website will tell you what kinds of seasonal ciders they have to offer. A few that stand out include their cinnamon toast cider, blended with brown sugar and other spices, their PB&J cider, topped with – you guessed it – peanut butter and jelly, and their pumpkin pie cider, topped with cream, cinnamon, and more.
Open Monday and Wednesday noon to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 2711 Sound Avenue, Calverton, 631-591-0217, riverheadcider.com
Founded in 1982, Woodside Orchards was a pioneer in creating the East End culture around breweries and cideries that we have today. One of their fall-flavored ciders was such a hit, it’s available year round – their cinnamon apple hard cider was nicknamed “fall in a glass,” and it’s complete with the cinnamon sticks and all. Other fall offerings include their pumpkin apple cider and their cranberry apple cider.
Open Thursday through Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 729 Main Road, Aquebogue, woodsideorchards.com
Kidd Squid Brewing Co. is hosting Sagtoberfest from Oct. 11 through 14, featuring food, live music, and, appropriately, some of their fall favorites. These include a pumpkin spice IPA called Pump Daddy, Dreamy Coffee Milk Stout, Harvest Moon, a blood orange IPA called Squid Vicious, and a lager simply named Sagtoberfest.
Open Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., 11 Spring Street, Sag Harbor, 631-500-0533, kiddsquid.com
Westhampton Beach Brewing Co.
They’re hosting an Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 5 at 1 p.m., which will also feature some of their autumn beers. If you miss it, don’t worry – their Hampton Pumpkin beer is on tap for the season. Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. is also dog and kid friendly, so it’s a good spot to bring the whole family. They also feature monthly events including live music, trivia night, Irish session night, and blues jam night.
Open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., 220 Rogers Way suite i, Westhampton Beach, 631-998-0800, whbbrewing.com
Jamesport Farm Brewery
Quite literally from farm to pint, Jamesport Farm Brewery offers both beer and cider, so you can get a seasonal taste of both here. What stands out among their fall offerings is their Sugar Skull Pumpkin ale, and fortunately, it’s on tap year round if you can’t make it this autumn. They also have a variety of ciders, hard seltzers, and cocktails if you aren’t a beer lover.
Open Thursday through Monday from noon to 6 p.m., 5873 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, 844-532-2337, jfbrewery.com
Long Island Farm Brewery
It’s a great place to try a variety of beers any time of year, but Long Island Farm Brewery has some fall-oriented selections that make it special this time of year. Two that stand out are the Harvest Haze and the Oktoberfest – why not celebrate the tradition with a beer named directly for it?
Open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., Friday from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 663 Wading River Road, Manorville, 631-909-1864, longislandfarmbrewery.com
Eastern Front Brewing Co.
If you enjoyed watching Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts crew in their holiday specials as a kid, it comes full circle here, with their autumn-themed beer being named “It’s the Great Pumpkin/I Got a Rock” pumpkin ale. There’s several other beer options here, and a food menu that includes both appetizers and specialty pizzas.
Open Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., 13100 Main Road, Mattituck, 631-905-1535, easternfrontbrewing.com
Long Ireland Beer Company & Brewery
There’s no offseason here, as Long Ireland Beer Company & Brewery in Riverhead also has winter specials – but for now, the focus is fall. Autumn-themed beer offerings here include their pumpkin ale – complete with both pumpkin and other spices to give it that fall flavor – and their Oktoberfest lager.
Open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., 817 Pulaski Street, Riverhead, 631-403-4303, longirelandbeer.com
Riverhead Brewhouse
They’re brand new, filling the space formerly occupied by Peconic County Brewing. It didn’t take long for Riverhead Brewhouse to join in on the fall fun, as they will be hosting a Pumpkin Fest on Oct. 12 from noon to 4 p.m., complete with autumn beer, pumpkin painting, food, and more. They’ve also got giant soft pretzels, so it’s a good place to celebrate Oktoberfest.
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 221 E. Main St Suite 5, Riverhead, 631-212-1265, riverheadbrewhouse.com
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