New brewery Sand City Brewing Co. opens in Northport
Patrons enjoy the beer at Northport's new Sand City Brewing Co. Credit: Sand City Brewing Co.
Northport’s new brewery takes its name from the town’s industrial past. Sand City Brewing Co. honors the era, around the turn of the 19th century, when Northport was home to a number of sand mines. The sand mined at "Sand City" was brought to Manhattan to construct its streets, bridges and buildings.
Kevin Sihler, a math teacher in the Three Village School District, is the brewmaster and driving force behind the new venture, which opened to the public earlier this month. Sihler has been brewing at home for about 10 years and had long dreamed of opening a craft brewery in his hometown.
Sihler, who owns the brewery with four partners, characterized the Sand City approach to beer as “traditional style, but with a twist.” His Oatmeal IPA is made with oats, which “add a mouthfeel and creaminess, while letting the citrus flavors of the hops shine through.” For Southdown Breakfast Stout, he buys beans from Huntington’s Southdown Coffee and then cold-steeps them in fully fermented stout for a day or two. “It add even more flavor to the already dark, roasty coffee flavors of stout.”
Sand City also makes a traditional IPA, a pale ale brewed with rye, and a light, Belgian-style ale. You can sample 5-ounce tastes of all five beers for $10, or buy a 64-ounce growler for $15.
The tasting room is open Thursday and Friday from 3:30 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Sand City Brewing Co. is at 60 Main St., Northport, 631-651-2766, sandcitybeer.com.
