5 new Long Island breweries for IPAs and pumpkin beer

Long Island's craft beer scene continues to evolve, with new microbreweries and nanobreweries still coming as other established brewers expand to second locations. And while we've lost a few local spots along the way (RIP Long Beach Brewing Company), there are now more breweries than ever before in Nassau and Suffolk counties. A recent Newsday list counted a staggering 43 breweries in total. And over the past few months, several new concepts have entered the fray. 

Long Beach is becoming more of a beer town, now that the award-winning Barrier Brewing Co. has opened a taproom just down the street from Bright Eye Beer Co. And over in Point Lookout, a familiar brand has opened its first taproom in the cute A-frame house on the main street. The biggest and buzziest new concept may be Lunchbox, which is doing creative lagers in Bellmore. And on the East End, a gorgeous farmhouse brewery is making an incredible pumpkin ale. Frohe Oktoberfest!

Barrier Brewing Co. (for IPA lovers)

135 E. Park Ave. Retail 1C, Long Beach

From its earliest days named the best brewery in New York State in 2011, Barrier Brewing Co has been tucked into an Oceanside warehouse district. In August, owner Evan Klein added a more premium second location on Long Beach's main drag, Park Avenue. The bottom floor of the new apartment building has been packed ever since, with bicycles piling up out front on the weekends.

Inside, staffers pour 20 different beers and hard ciders on tap. Assertively hazy, New England-style IPAs are the name of the game here, served in tall-stemmed Teku beer glasses that enhance their complexities. The Core IPA ($9) is a premium specimen, with tropical notes and very smooth drinking for an 8.3 percenter. Park the bike for awhile after that one. More info: 516-699-3737, barrierbrewing.com

Jamesport Farm Brewery (the farmhouse brewery)

5873 Sound Ave., Riverhead

This could be the most picturesque brewhouse on the Island. Jamesport Farm Brewery is not technically new, although it does have new owners. The sprawling North Fork property was originally a potato barn, and got a second life as a brewery in 2017. Earlier this season, it was taken over by the people from Long Island Farm Brewery at Waterdrinker Farm, which remarkably, is also based in an old potato barn. It's currently running 11 beers on tap as well as a couple of hard ciders. Most are under the 7% mark, meaning they're patio drinkers that feature fruits like blueberries, strawberry rhubarb and watermelon. The Basic Witch pumpkin ale ($9) is a highlight, tasting much more natural than your average pumpkin brew. But it's also fun to get a flight of four tasters with an entire pint, glass included, for $25. Then, roam the compound. More info: 631-779-2133, jamesportfarmbrewery.com

Jones Beach Brewing Co. (the nanobrewery) 

101 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout

The enthusiasm is infectious inside this A-frame building in the cozy neighborhood of Point Lookout. Just steps from the beach, the place is run by a group of nature-loving homebrewers who now brew out of Lithology Brewing Co. in Farmingdale. This May, they moved into the former Crab & Bull pasta shop, turning it into a neighborhood gathering spot with an airy patio and fun bar games.

It also sells some great merch featuring its mascot, a horseshoe crab. It's a tiny place and there are only a few taps, so most of the beer is poured out of cans into plastic cups. It's casual like that, but some of the beers really impressed, especially the super crushable Pencil Pilsner ($8), which is made from New York grains. More info: 516-779-0478, jonesbeachbrewing.com

Lunchbox Brewing Company (for beer geeks) 

308 Bedford Ave., Bellmore

Serious beer drinkers are always in search of the holy grail, the small operation run by passionate enthusiasts who brew everything on-site. (Extra points for being dog-friendly.) That's been hard to find on the South Shore in Nassau, which is more of an Irish tavern kinda place. So last October when a group of homebrewers opened a sleek subway-tiled operation on Bellmore's main drag, it attracted a lot of buzz in the human (and dog) community. 

The Instagrammable idea of serving beer flights in metal lunch boxes didn't hurt, either. Everything about this place hits: The tap list is smart and kitschy, with cheeky T.V. and movie puns like a lager named Saved by the Bellmore. There's a saison on tap, which shows they mean business. And the New England IPA's definitely ranked, although my favorite is the Japanese rice lager Sunrise High ($10), crisp and breathlessly light. More info: linktr.ee/lunchboxbrewery 

Westhampton Beach Brew and Grille (full brewpub with food) 

496 County Rd. 111, Suite 2, Manorville

The kind breweries host a food truck, but Westhampton Beach is the only spot on this list with a full kitchen and restaurant menu. This strip mall brewpub is a second location for Westhampton Beach Brewing Co., which opened at the Francis S. Gabreski Airport industrial park in 2018. Formerly a chicken wings spot, it's now got a surfing theme and a steady beat of country and classic rock music. Most of the energy during happy hour is at the bar, where there are 16 beers and a cider on tap. A server recommends the Jetty 4 Lager because it's like a Corona, and you can "stick a lime in it." But the Irish Eyes Cream Stout ($8) is truly a standout beer, intensely malty and chocolatey, it puts Guinness to shame. The menu has burgers, flatbreads, wraps, wings and all the usual suspects. The Bavarian pretzel ($14) totally hits the spot. More info: 631-281-9464, whbbrewandgrille.com