When was Blue Point Brewing Company founded, and what was its first beer?
On a brisk December afternoon in 1998, the Blue Point Brewing Company tapped their first keg, it was Toasted Lager (the same beer that would quickly become their flagship product) in the parking lot. Folks from local offices curiously came out to see what the balloons and commotion was all about and a chilly, makeshift party began. The jovial scene and the talk of a delicious new local beer flowed back to many neighboring businesses and liquid-lunch set the stage for many good times to come.

Blue Point Brewing Company is sort of an unusual name, what is the origin?
Our company’s name is after the general area and bordering township where the Brewery is located. Although our address is technically Patchogue, the waters that surround our waterfront brewery are one-in-the-same, where world famous crustaceans coined “Blue Point Oysters” were pulled and shipped as far as Europe by request of the Queen of England. Blue Point and Patchogue are sleepy little, Island towns with larger-than-life characters that enjoy good beer. Everyone knew this was the perfect location for a brewery.

Why is there a buoy in your logo?
Pete Cotter, Owner & President of Blue Point Brewing was friends with a fella by the name of Jim McCune. Jim was also a Mr. Fadeley’s Pub regular, so he saw Pete more than occasionally. More importantly Mr. McCune was the creative director of TEAM Services, a marketing & promotions agency here on the Island that caters to high-end entertainment clientele. Jimmy quickly sketched up a logo on a dirty pub napkin that evening. It was inspired by a local Maritime Museum that has an old, green retired Buoy outside as a decoration. The Blue Point Brewing Company logo would eventually represent one of the most recognized and celebrated microbreweries in the country.

When was each Blue Point brand introduced?
Toasted Lager – 1998
Golden Ale – 1998
Pale Ale – 2000
Oatmeal Stout – 2000
Old Howling Bastard – 2000
Oktoberfest – 2001
Extra Special Bitter – 2001
Winter Ale – 2002
Summer Ale – 2002
Hoptical Illusion IPA – 2004
Blueberry Ale – 2004
Double Blond – 2005
Sour Cherry Imperial Stout – 2005
Spring Fling Ale – 2007
No Apologies Double IPA – 2007
Dunkelweizen – 2008
RastafaRye Ale – 2008
Toasted Lager / 22oz – 2008
Craft Variety / 12-Pack – 2009
10th Anniversary IPA – 2009
Pumpkin Ale – 2010
Pale Ale / 22oz – 2010
BP Toxic Sludge / 22oz – 2010
Belgian Ale – 2010
Rye Weiss – 2010

Do you ever hold events at the brewery?
We sure do! Each spring we host the largest cask ales festival in the region. The cask ales festival typically attracts 30 to 40 breweries from all over the country with more than 100 casks of real ale. Since our 10th anniversary bash in 2009 we’ve held an annual “birthday party” in the brewery parking lot in August.

Who creates the Blue Point packaging and artwork?

TEAM Services, Marketing & Promotions, Inc.
Jim McCune, Executive Director
516.496.9191 x105
jmccune@team-services.net
www.team-services.net

THE BREWERY

Who owns The Blue Point Brewing Company?
The Blue Point Brewing Company is independently owned and operated by a small group of private investors, comprised mainly of executive employees, family and friends collectively known as “The Blueminati” a less-than-secret society including co-owners Mark Burford, BPBC Brewmaster and Peter Cotter, BPBC President as well as no Corporate ties.

Are you looking for investors?
As awesome as taking your money sounds, no thank you (but we’re flattered you asked). We want to remain a small, local, independently-owned and operated microbrewery with absolutely no corporate ties and growing as fast as the market will allow. If we do ever decide to take-on investors in the future, you’re sure to be the first to hear about it as we’ll be sure to highly-publicize the news and as always, we would do so at the local level first.

Are you accepting any new members to The Blueminati?
No, this organization does not exist.

How much beer does Blue Point produce annually?
The Blue Point Brewing Company recently installed a brand-new, energy-efficient, custom-designed, 2-tier brewing system that includes a 70 bbl fermenter that will help increase their annual production. We’re ramping up our production capacities to keep up with greater demands. Including our six-pack production, we hope to pass 30,000 bbls in annual production next year. Recently, the Brewers Association (BA), our industry’s not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for all domestic breweries, released its annual list that reports the Top 50 Breweries based on “beer sales volume” and The Blue Point Brewing Company was ranked 34 of all independent craft brewers in the entire country! Not too shabby for a couple of guys from Long Island who just wanted to cut back on their bar bills…

Why does Blue Point use brown bottles for all of their beers?
Contrary to popular belief, there’s only minimal amounts of protection differences between brown, green and even clear glass bottles. The reality is that any color glass lets in light, but at the Blue Point Brewing Company, we chose brown because we felt of the 3 choices available, brown was the darkest and therefore should theoretically provide the most protection from exposure to light. Protecting our beer in this way, is just part of the larger responsibility; our commitment to freshness and flavor. So regardless of bottle color, our “Blue Point Brewing Brown Bottles of Bodacious Brews” [say that 3x] are rarely in the position of hanging out solo and exposed as they’re typically inside six-packs, case boxes and kegs which keep the beer cool and dark, where beer is the safest.

What are the bitter and sweet smells that emanate from Blue Point Brewery?
The aromas you might smell at the Blue Point Brewery and Tasting Room [sometimes even as far as our parking lot] are the result of barley and hops being boiled in natural Spring Water during our brewing process. The barley emits a sweet, grain-like scent, while the distinct bitter smell is attributed to the resinous hops. Contrary to urban legend that yeast smells like bread, that myth is busted, yeast positively has no smell. While these aromas are quite heavenly to a Brewmaster and brewing enthusiast, the smells could be deemed as offensive to some (but smell is also subjective). You can take solace with the fact that the smells are no more toxic than when you make yourself a bowl of oatmeal.

Can I purchase beer at the brewery?
You can purchase beer in the tasting room at the brewery. There are 19 lines of fresh beer on tap in the tasting room where you can purchase growlers, cases of our 12-oz packages and choose from a variety of 22-oz (bombers). Visit the brewery and tasting room Thursday &and Friday from 3-7pm and Saturday 12-7pm.

Can I pick up a keg at the brewery?
Yes, Blue Point Brewing Company is licensed by the state of New York to brew and sell beer to distributors and the public, on premises in any container size. Our beers are available at numerous fine retailers throughout Long Island and the Tri-State area as well as most of the eastern seaboard.

When do you release your seasonal beers?
Look for Blue Point Spring Fling in February, Summer Ale in April, Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ale in early September, Winter Ale toward the end of October and Old Howling Bastard barley wine in December.

How many people work at Blue Point?
Approximately twenty-five, depending on the season.

Can I have a job at the Blue Point Brewing Company?
If you knew how much we pay ourselves you wouldn’t ask, but if you’re serious about beer and not afraid of hard work before the sun rises and you want to call The Blue Point Brewing Company home, then please do not call us, but go ahead and email your resume with references to info@bluepointbrewing.com or occasionally check the BevForce openings here.

THE TASTING ROOM

What is your brewery and tasting room’s location and public hours?
Thursday and Friday 3 – 7pm
Saturdays 12 – 7pm
161 River Avenue • Patchogue, New York 11772-3304
Brewery Tours are only available on Saturdays at 1 and 4pm.
Call us: +1.631.475.6944

Are there any limits to the amount of beer I can purchase?
No limits, as long as you can afford it and drinking responsibly, the Blue Point Brewing Company is licensed by the state of New York to sell beer to distributors and the public in any container size. Our beers are available at numerous fine retailers throughout the Tri-State area and most of the east coast.

What is a growler and why is everyone talking about them?
A Blue Point Brewing “growler” is a glass 63.5 ounce (1/2 gallon) bottle in the form of an old, brown moonshine jug with the small hook-handle and has an air-tight screw top lid. You can buy a plain new one, emblazoned with the BPBC logo or a variety of extra fancy ones with different colored glass and hand-carved Pewter at the BPBC Tasting Room. The reason you probably hear your friends talking about our growlers is, we fill them right from the source, fresh, delicious, ice-cold microbrew directly into your own, portable Growler. The best part about the Growler, you bring it back and we refill it without the cost of the bottle again and again, thus the purest form of recycling, “reusing”. BPBC Growlers make great gifts for friends and family (as long as their 21 and over of course.)

Where did the name “growler” come from?
Well, there’s lot of stories behind this name, but the one most seem to believe dates back to the late 19th century when fresh beer was actually carried from local pubs to one’s home by means of small galvanized pails. It’s claimed that the sound that the CO2 would make as it naturally escaped from the loose-fitting pail lids after the beer began to slosh around a bit sounded like a dog’s growl, hence the name. We can assure you the modern glass “Growlers” we use have a patented fresh seal mechanism that allows nothing to escape once it’s twist-sealed. The only noise we typically hear around Growlers is human quaffing.

Why do they say a perfect pour should have at least two-fingers of a foam head?
We know that Foam (aka Head) brings out the great aromas in a Blue Point Brew, next time you crack open a cold-one, close your eyes and slowly take a sip of just the Foam Head, then slurp it with tremendous force, like a vacuum while slightly pursing your lips, sort of nebulize the Foam into a fine mist across your lips and tongue to intensify the flavor. Try to taste the soft bready flavors from the malt and the grassy essence from the straw notes and that unique aroma from the imported hops. So as a general rule, bartenders aim for the perfect pour by yielding about the width of 2 fingers worth of Head (a little more than an inch). This gives beer enthusiasts just enough Foam to Brew ratio. I rather not have my local bartenders fingers in my beer foam, so I just enjoy whatever Head I receive.

What’s the dillio with all the different kegs?
A keg is also known as a “barrel” which equals 31 gallons and is abbreviated as “BBL”. So the industry lingo for a half keg or “1/2BBL” equals 15.5 gallons and a “1/6BBL” equals 5.1 gallons. A keg (or barrel) of beer is equivalent to almost 14 cases (24 /12-ounce bottles) while a 1/2 keg equals about 7 cases and a 1/4 keg equals just shy of 3 and a half cases. Next time you’re throwing a party, do the math by multiplying the amount of guests by how much beer they consume, add the amount of left overs for yourself and avoid the dreaded “beer run”.

BREWERY TOURS

Can I visit the Blue Point Brewing Company’s brewery and take a tour?
You sure can, we love to show folks where and how we make our award-winning beers. However we’re a pretty small operation, so Blue Point Brewing’s Brewery Tours are only available on Saturday afternoons at 1 and4pm. The brewery and tasting room are all under one roof at: 161 River Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772. We can accommodate large groups, organizations and clubs if you make reservations in advance at: 631.475.6944.

Is there any charge for the tours?
There’s no charge for the tour unless you have a group of (15) or more. In this case please call ahead for special scheduling arrangements: +1.631.475.6944

What does a Brewmaster do?
While it may seem like a dream job to many, the work of a professional Brewmaster requires extensive training and education before you can get down to the exciting part of actually making drinkable beer. Brewmasters must understand and oversee the entire brewing process as well as the brewery itself. It can take many years in the field to advance to the level of an actual Brewmaster. There’s roughly, only 1,500 microbreweries in the entire country today, with California, Texas, Colorado and New York as the country’s top beer-producing states. A Brewmaster is in charge of the entire microbrewery which entails managing a large staff, choosing and ordering fresh, organic ingredients, finding, scaling and using complicated recipes demands a good grasp of math and creative thinking. The cooking and brewing processes demands strong science skills as well as an understanding of the fundamentals of microbiology and agriculture. Then there’s the business side which demands impeccable interpersonal communications skills along with good ethics. Considering experience is critical to finding work as a Brewmaster, a brewer needs to work at least 5 years in the field to become a Head Brewer first, before even thinking about taking the reigns of Brewmaster. In the end, the Brewmaster is ultimately the one responsible for the quality of the beer which directly translates to the microbrewery’s success or failure. One great part, if you don’t have the time to train to become a certified Brewmaster, you can always satisfy the itch by learning how to brew your own beer from home. A quickly-growing segment of home-brewing enthusiasts are popping-up again throughout the world and there’s many organizations and local clubs helping the growth as well as products and kits that can get you brewing instantly.

How do you become a Brewmaster?
The reality is, not everyone has the skills and testicular-fortitude (aka “the balls”) necessary to become a successful Brewmaster. Here’s a few of the essential prerequisites to eventually becoming a Brewmaster; you must successfully complete an intensive 12 weeks of brewing training and then a 5 to 15 year apprenticeship working your way through Intern, Brewer’s Assistant, Brewer, Headbrewer, Senior Headbrewer before becoming a Brewmaster. All Brewmasters must have the ability to organize and plan ahead in order to manage a real brewery and oversee the brewing process, use and maintain complicated brewing equipment as well as manage a large staff and interact with hundreds of vendors. It’s important to be able to effectively communicate with your staff to make sure the brewery runs smoothly, even the smallest mistake or miscommunication can quickly become a costly error. Unfortunately, unlike many other career choices, there’s no universal education requirement for a Brewmaster. Specific education requirements vary by brewery and state. There are schools where you can take brewing classes to learn how to become a Brewmaster such as the American Brewers Guild, Institute and Guild of Brewing, Institute for Brewing Studies, University of California at Davis and University of Wisconsin.

How can I find out the nutritional information on Blue Point Brewing Ales and Lagers?
To find out about the nutritional information and values of Blue Point Brewing Company’s beer products is by taking our Brewery Tour available on Saturday afternoons or upon written request [not email] and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: “BPBC Beer Nutrition Overview” Attn: Lynn at The Blue Point Brewing Company • 161 River Avenue • Patchogue, New York 11772-3304. Requests received without proper postage, handling charges or addresses will not be filled or returned. Please allow 6 to 10 weeks for delivery.

BPBC DISTRIBUTION

Where are Blue Point beers currently available?
Blue Point Brewing is enjoyed where really good beer is served on most of the eastern coast, specifically in the following states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The Blue Point Brewing Company is looking into new territories to expand the reach of our delicious brews. It’s also rumored that select Blue Point beers are available in certain high-end bars in London, Japan and Denmark.

Who distributes Blue Point?
Blue Point beers sold in six-packs are contract-brewed by High Falls Brewery in Rochester, New York and privately owned Clare Rose, Inc, one of the largest beer distributors in the United States, dominating a number of markets including Long Island’s Suffolk and Nassau counties and the New York City borough of Staten Island and Brooklyn-based Union Beer handles distribution to bars and restaurants throughout Long Island, the five boroughs, manhattan and upstate New York.

How many products does Blue Point produce?
The Blue Point Brewing Company brews about (22) different beers, (5) are Seasonal, there’s always (12) Fresh on Tap at the Tasting Room with the top (4-5) main brands distributed to the bars and restaurants and there’s always a few experimental, ultra-specialty or one-off brews on Tap exclusively at our BPBC Tasting Room. We also have our “Brewer’s Tap” which is a special beer that rotates through our Blue Point Brewing Company employees and we put their special, personal Brews, Fresh on Tap. Collectively all (15) of our main, year-round brands are available in Blue Point Brewing’s ever-expanding arsenal of fresh, flavorful, award-winning microbrews.

Are there any plans of a Blue Point distribution expansion?
Yes, we’re perpetually in a state of expansion. Blue Point Brewing’s origin is Long Island, New York and currently distributes its products to the tri-state and most of the east coast. The Blue Point Brewing Company is currently in negotiations to open new markets and territories to distribute their fresh, delicious beers. Stay in touch for further expansion news, hopefully we’ll be coming to your area next so bookmark our website: http://www.bluepointbrewing.com. If you just can’t wait for an ice-cold Blue Point Brew, you can either drive to Long Island, New York and visit our Brewery & tasting Room or call you local beer distributor and ask for us by name, “I want my Blue Point Brewing!” (go ahead and try it in an English accent, add-in words like “cherio!” and “brilliant” to the request for additional charm) it worked for MTV right?

Are there any brewery expansion plans for Blue Point Brewing Company?
Here at Blue Point Brewing, we’re in a state of perpetual expansion, constantly seeking innovative new ways to expand our market share, but never at the cost of loosing focus on our number one commitment of ensuring freshness and flavor for Long Island’s most delicious beer. In the past 10 years since our inception in 1998, the Blue Point Brewing has experienced exponential growth and it takes everything we have each day to satisfy the demands and still enjoy some of the success, but “we never let it get to our Head.” Our future plans for expansion have to be based on our production capabilities and the ability for us to properly introduce and service both retailers and customers in a new market. Such decisions are also based on a market-by-market basis.

Do you ever plan on opening a pub or restaurant?
Nooo way, better and braver people have opened pubs and restaurants. We celebrate their accomplishments by selling them our fresh beer and visit them ourselves as patrons as much as possible. But here at the Blue Point Brewing Company, our sole focus is on producing fresh and flavorful brews, technically we’re a Production Brewery with a Tasting Room.

Why can’t I find Blue Point products nationwide?
The Blue Point Brewery is a regional, independent brewer that has a manufacturing plant in Rochester, New York. Currently we distribute our products to many states along the eastern seaboard and while there’s significant interest in our products and brews nationwide, unfortunately at this time, we don’t have the capabilities to service the volume needed to meet the demands of customers nationwide. As a result, our focus and efforts continue to be highly-focused on our loyal, local customers and to the markets and new territories that are logistically feasible to our production facilities brewing volume.

Do you ship beer to people who live in places where you don’t have distribution?
No. The Blue Point Brewing Company is unfortunately prohibited by a State and Federal “three-tier system of alcohol distribution” that was enacted in 1933 at the end of Prohibition. This legislature prohibits breweries from making shipments of any denomination of beer directly to consumers. You can contact your local beer and beverage distributor in your area, who should be able to direct you to local retailers that carry our products or order Blue Point beer in some states at beerjobber.com. Keep your ears open for microbrew festivals in your local area, this is a great way to taste and purchase many fine beers from across the country. Chances are the Blue Point Brewing Company will be in attendance. A good way to stay current of the multitude of craft brewing and home-brewing festivals is here: www.beerfestivals.org

My favorite bar doesn’t have Blue Point on tap! What do I do?
It’s simple, tell them you want a “real beer”, seriously – it’s the best thing you can do (it’s kinda the only thing you can do). Chances are your favorite bar cares deeply about it’s drinking patrons and therefore your opinion is important to them and considering they want to keep you happy because that means you’re coming back and repeat business is the best business. So ask for us by name, when they respond to your request with any assortment of inferior suggestions, calmly explain that you’re looking for a “real beer brewed by The Blue Point Brewing Company” and hopefully our products are available in your area. Anyone getting caught of shipping beer through the mail, which has been illegal since Prohibition, could be charged with a Class-B Misdemeanor punishable up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail – no thank you.

BEER FRESHNESS & FLAVOR

Where can I find a date-code or freshness stamp on your products?
For many years, the Blue Point Brewing Company had an intricate system of dating their bottles. Consumers could look at notches on the side of our paper labels and see when their bottle of beer was actually brewed. It was great, but over time we noticed our beers weren’t hanging out long enough on the shelves to even justify the added cost and confusion of the freshness notch. So we simply did away with it and now we print our “BPBC Freshness Seal” directly on all our labels. Our glass Growlers have a “best by ______” date that’s filled out by hand, upon purchase. So anytime you pickup a new Blue Point Brewing product, you can be assured of extreme freshness and flavor. The Blue Point Brewing Company also uses an internal, product-dating system by imprinting proprietary codes on all growlers, six-packs, cases and kegs.

What is the best way to store Blue Point beers?
Blue Point Brewing is best stored in it’s original, intended packaging in a cold, dark space until it’s cracked open and enjoyed.

What is the shelf life of an average Blue Point beer?
Most beer is “best consumed fresh”, in our opinion, it’s the only time it should be consumed. Optimal storage conditions for all Blue Point Brews is cool, dark and dry. Blue Point Brewing’s beer are dated on the day it’s packaged and since our microbrews are full-flavored with lots of hops and malted barley, a bottle of Blue Point beer should last up to 90 days when stored under the aforementioned “optimal conditions”. Some styles like our Old Howling Bastard Barley-Wine style Ale are sometimes cellared and aged much like wine and the flavors will continue to evolve and change over time. Our Hoptical Illusion and 10th Anniversary IPAs are still considered fresh at 150 days because when they’re “dry hopped” with freshly-harvested hops when brewed that contributes to natural preservatives and exceptional aroma. These intense aromatics will start to diminish within the first few months after bottling, so it’s important to consume them in their optimal-flavor window. Although some people prefer their brew slightly aged; the hops mellow, the bitterness subsides and the malted sweetness comes forward and the beer’s original balance begins to shift for the worse. That’s why Blue Point Brewing focuses on delivering freshness and flavor rather then worrying about keeping older beer drinkable longer.

Does Blue Point pasteurize their beer?
No. At Blue Point Brewing, we believe in staying true to traditional, old world brewing processes which does not include pasteurization. Pasteurization is a heat process used to extend the shelf life of food and beverages and we do everything in our power to do the opposite and keep it’s lifespan as short as possible, ensuring it’s freshness and flavor. We just don’t like the adverse effects (as you might imagine) that heat has on beer and its flavor. So an alternative to pasteurization (sorry Louie), is a sophisticated 3-step filtration process that ensures the freshness and flavor we demand and the quality and consistency we want in every single batch of hand-crafted beer that we produce. We monitor our internal product-dating system to ensure only the freshest Blue Point Brews are being served to our customers at all times.

What is the “sediment” I discovered at the bottom of my bottle?
The sediment evident at the bottom of the bottle in certain brands of Blue Point Brewing is just a little yeast that we use for “bottle conditioning” which has settled to the bottom of the brew. Typically yeast falls flat to the bottom of the bottle when cold, but sometimes when the bottle is agitated or stored sideways, the yeast flocculates in what looks like drops of pancake batter. As the Blue Point beer is poured, the yeast will re-suspend giving off a slightly cloudy appearance. The yeast will not adversely affect the flavor or texture of the beer.

What is bottle conditioning?
Bottle conditioning is a time-honored method that Blue Point Brewing uses to naturally carbonate our beer (it was originally invented for Champagne). We dose each bottle of beer with a small amount of fermentable sugar and yeast. The natural fermentation that occurs creates the finished carbonation and flavors unique to Blue Point Brewing. Bottle conditioning sometimes leads to a small amount of “sediment” that can be seen floating or suspended in the brew.

Why do beers go “Skunky” over time?
A “skunky beer” refers to a foul smell that is emitted from a beer that has been lightstruck. This occurs when beer is exposed to light for extended periods of time, causing the reaction and breakdown of molecules that originally contributed to the bitterness of the beer and derived from hops. The smell will actually dissipate after being poured into a glass, but only a real beer trooper would get that far to find out that fact. The best way to avoid allowing your precious Blue Point’s to Skunk, keep them stored in a cool, dark place or simply drink your Blue Point Brew right after purchasing it for best results.

QUALITY INGREDIENTS

What type of ingredients does Blue Point use in their beer?
The Blue Point Brewing Company uses only the highest-quality and most natural and organic brewing ingredients available on Earth, always striving to use local ingredients whenever possible. We also utilize strict, traditional brewing practices that are still used in Germany today and integrated it with our new knowledge and modern conveniences. This allows the Blue Point Brewing to brew Award-winning Ales and Lagers with superior flavor, aroma, balance and character. As a small, independent, conventional American microbrewer, the Blue Point Brewing Company currently uses malted two-row barley, whole cone hops, yeast and our perfect Long Island water (that closely resembles the quality and softness of the water you find in Europe) in every hand-crafted brew.

What is “dry hopping?”
This is when our Blue Point Brewing Brewmasters add additional whole hops directly to some of our beers as they’re aging in the tank. This increases the aroma and hop character of the finished beer without affecting its bitterness. Some of the more popular hops used for Blue Point Brewing’s dry hopping process are Cascade and Centennial.

The beer descriptions mention “Bitterness Units,” what are those?
A standard measurement that the brewing industry adopted and the Blue Point Brewing Company uses to rate a beer’s bitterness imparted by hops is measured in Bitterness Units. A higher “bitterness unit” number would indicate a higher overall bitterness and therefore a higher hop usage. To make this even more complicated, a higher “bitterness unit” (or BU) number doesn’t always correspond to a higher “perceived bitterness,” because the malt character in a beer often affects perceived bitterness as well.

Are Blue Point beers made using animal products like isinglass or gelatin?
No. We do not use any animal products in any of our beers

Does Blue Point use preservatives in their brews?
Blue Point Brewing is known for being brewed using the finest ingredients known to man, all natural, organic ingredients for the 4 essential, mystical groups of: barley, hops, natural local water and yeast. Actually, there’s one added ingredient that Blue point Brewing uses, it’s not artificial, it’s definitely organic, it can be spicy at times, but also refreshing, but one thing’s for sure, it’s always contagious and that’s “Passion,” the most important ingredient to making fresh, delicious, full-flavored, full-bodied, award-winning beers, time-after-time.

Have you ever considered brewing a non-alcoholic, Old Fashioned Root Beer?
The Blue Point Brewing Company is actually reviewing some old family recipes for a traditional, old world, naturally-carbonated, non-alcoholic Saspirilla-Root Soda Pop.

What happens with Blue Point’s spent grain?
The Blue Point Brewing Company produces tons of spent mash daily that we offer to composting facilities reducing the waste and emissions associated with the alternative of being augured into trucks and delivered to local landfills. Additionally some of the spent mash occasionally goes to local dairy farmers as an alternative to their high cost feed such as soybean meal or corn which costs ten times the amount. The cows love our BPBC mash and you can’t blame them, it’s tasty and usually arrives to them still warm and it’s high in protein and fiber and contains as much energy as the corn silage.

LAGER, PILSNER OR ALE?

What’s the difference between an ale, lager and pilsner?
The difference between ales and lagers has nothing to do with strength, color or even bitterness. It’s actually all about the yeast and the fermentation time and temperature. Blue Point Brewing’s special Ale yeast strains ferment best at warmer temperatures, like 75° F and a yeasty, off-white Foam rises to the surface of the beer, these are known as “top-fermenting” yeasts. Blue Point Brewing’s special Lager yeast strains on the other hand, prefer cooler temperatures like 50° F and they’re called “bottom-fermenting” yeasts because they sink to the bottom of the beer during its traditional cold-conditioning period known as “Lagering,” German for “to store”. This process removes haze and gives our Blue Point Brewing Lagers their clean, rounded taste. Another clear difference between Ales and Lagers are Blue Point Brewing’s Ales are ready in just 2 weeks, whereas Blue Point Brewing’s Lagers require about a month due to the extra couple weeks for cold-storage. Blue Point Brewing’s Lagers tend to be dry and crisp, while Blue Point Brewing’s Ales can be quite fruity and often sweet. The flavors of Lagers let the hops and malt shine through. Lagers can be light or dark in color and taste, malty or hoppy – but they’re always well-balanced. The rarer Blue Point Brewing Pilsner is just another type of Lager beer. Pilsner is the most popular beer style in the world because of their light color, usually a pale to golden-yellow with a crisp, distinct hop aroma and flavor. Pilsner is named after a city in the Czech Republic named Pilzn where it was first developed in the early 19th century.

CHARITY & FUNDRAISING

Does Blue Point Brewing Company make beer contributions for charity?
Absolutely! The Blue Point Brewing Company loves their village, it’s comprised of their family, friends and customers. Blue Point Brewing believes in charity and is always willing to do whatever they can to help. We value our community and we’re grateful for our loyal fans, so we’re always down to lend a helping hand. In order to limit liability, encourage responsible use and control expenses, the Blue Point Brewing Company adheres to certain guidelines when donating our beer. For instance we’ll only donate a certain amount of product to an organization that already offers beer to consumers for consumption. The donated Blue Point beer must be used for a charity (or private event) with absolutely no-resale. We allocate a certain amount of Blue Point Brewing right-off the top each month for various charitable contributions, so it’s important that you contact us as early as possible, so your event can be reviewed, approved and scheduled, please call Lynn at: 631.475.6944 or email: lynni@bluepointbrewing.com We also donate free, personalized Brewery Tours that can be used as auction items for charity fundraisers, vocational schools: www.biddingforgood.com, NPOs that help adults with disabilities, animal rescue organizations, charity bicycling tours or any 501(c) 3 Foundation. The Blue Point Brewing staff votes on each request and then as a group decide which charitable events best meet our criteria and inevitably gets our beer donation.

Does the Blue Point Brewing Company support local charity organizations?
Yes, the Blue Point Brewing Company in addition to donating their products to charity is also involved in many other charitable initiatives where we donate portions of our beer sales to TOCO for underprivileged & neglected children around the world: http://theyoftencryoutreach.org/news/2009/7/1/blue-point-brewing-company-donates-a-portion-of-the-proceeds.html as well as producing special products that raise money for charity like our recent, BP Toxic Sludge Black IPA where “100% of the proceeds went to rescuing sea-birds” from the devastating BP Oil Spill: http://bptoxicsludge.com/ Blue Point Brewing also teams up with Long Island Cares: http://www.licares.org/ and Island Harvest www.islandharvest.org/ around the holidays and at our annual Bradstock event: www.bradstock.org collecting perishable food to help stomp-out hunger. Blue Point also helped raise awareness for the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Organization during our 10th Anniversary Celebration: http://www.craftbeerfestivals.com/bluepoint10/nonprofit.html. We’re also involved with helping Long Island’s beaches with anti-erosion efforts like our sand nourishment program: http://www.libeerevents.com/bits/about.html The Blue Point Brewing Company also helps enhance the quality of life for US service members and their families who have been adversely affected by the war with our “Hope for the Warriors”: http://beerarmy.com/profile/BrewBernBeerFestival At the annual Brew & Chew Dinner, we collectively raise money for YMCA’s “Strong Kids” Campaign that ensures no child or family is turned away from the life-enhancing YMCA programs, just because of their inability to pay. We also participate in another event that’s near-and-dear to our hearts, you’ve never met people so generous, dedicated and kind in your life, we’ve had the pleasure of helping these guys out a little, for many years: http://www.splashesofhope.org/sponsors.php “Please help us by making a contribution to any, or all of our wonderful, hard working, ever helping organizations because sometimes you don’t realize you need help, to you need the help and it’s always wonderful when your neighbors are their to help you s you’ve helped them before. It’s hard not to be partial to children, so another great one is the Swim Free Angel clinic led by a fantastic woman, Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld help kids deal with fear and anxiety over the water which leads to more importantly, safe and healthy swimming: https://www.swimfree.org/events/ The Blue Point Brewing Company will occasionally have a charity fundraiser on premises at the brewery, as in this recent fundraiser for the mom of a local Ecuadorian man who was slain by teenagers: http://www.patchogue.com/photos2008_23.htm So if you’re a 501(c) 3 Foundation looking for help, please call Lynn at the Blue Point Brewing Company: 631.475.6944 or email: lynni@bluepointbrewing.com

BEER ARTIFACT COLLECTORS

Do you provide labels and crowns of your beers to avid collectors?
Yes, the Blue Point Brewing Company can provide available beer labels and crowns to interested collectors in the United States only and upon written request [not email], include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 for shipping and handling. Please allow 3 months for delivery. Your requests can be mailed to: Attn: Lynn at The Blue Point Brewing Company • 161 River Avenue • Patchogue, New York 11772-3304. Requests received without proper postage, handling charges or return address will not be filled or returned.

Do you sell any of your cool tap handles?
Yes, handles are available in the tasting room and the online store.

The Blue Point Brewing Company • Fresh, Award-Winning Microbrews • Patchogue, Long Island, New York

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