Beer has a special place in the history of Lindenhurst, where one of Long Island’s first breweries opened in 1871, and where Linden Brewery, previously the region’s largest brewery, closed in 1949.
Breaking the 70-year dry spell to ensure locally brewed beer is part of the village’s future is 27A Brewing Company, which Lindenhurst High School sweethearts Ryan Cooke and Melissa Bates-Cooke founded in 2019 in a 120-year-old building on North Wellwood Avenue that formerly housed a longtime butcher shop.
“The fact that Lindenhurst was a brewing town is important to us,” says Cooke. “We’re happy to keep that tradition alive.”
During the renovation of the space they restored the original tin ceiling and an old marble butcher block, which is now the bar top in their taproom. The taproom is decorated with Lindenhurst memorabilia, including a display of Linden Brewery bottles.
The company has a three-barrel brewing system and regularly has six beers on tap. Cooke, a former assistant brewer at Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. in Brooklyn, uses a Norwegian yeast, kviek, that allows for faster fermentation, and loves to experiment with different styles and hops, brewing 130 different beers since 2019, according to Untappd.
“I want to have beers at 27A that are approachable for newer craft beer drinkers,” says Cooke. “So I focus on softening the water profile and offering some beers that are lower in [alcohol by volume].”
Recent offerings included refreshing Benkert’s Blonde Ale, crisp Paint My Memory Pilsner dry hopped with Galaxy hops, and rich Oath of the Abyss Dark Double IPA. Other seasonal favorites include Rainbow Cookie Stout and Jekyll and Hyde, Ryan’s version of a Black and Tan made with Jekyll Pale Ale and Hyde Imperial Double Black IPA.
They’re well on their way to Lindenhurst’s status as a local beer mecca. Soon after the opening of 27A Brewing, Lindenhurst became home to LI’s only craft meadery, W A Meadwerks, and will soon have the second outpost of Northport’s Sand City Brewery.
27A Brewing Company is located at 173 N. Wellwood Ave. in Lindenhurst. For more info visit 27abrewing.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
For more food and drink coverage, visit longislandpress.com/category/food-drink
