LIFESTYLE | NOFO craft beer bbq & wine festival

Christmas Morning for Beer Enthusiasts everywhere.

The Annual NOFO Beer Fest

Every year this magical day seems to always gleam with sunshine, more beers than one could possibly consume in a day and a chance to meet some great people.

The event has everything from down-homestyle BBQ, hand-rolled cigars, fresh beef jerky, beer paraphernalia, drunken bear hugs and of course great beer. The event is orchestrated by Starfish Junction's team and this year was hosted at Peconic Bay Vineyards in Cutchogue, New York.

It's a great event, I try to never miss it. Though this year was special because I got to interview a few different brew families to get the latest pour.

KEEGAN ALES

| VISIT: 20 Saint James Street - Kingston, NY 12401 | WEBSITE: http://www.keeganales.com/ |

| PHONE: 845.331.BREW (2739) | TASTING ROOM HOURS: tues-thurs: 4-10 \ fri-sat:12-12 \ sun: 1-10

| Speaking with Tommy, from Keegan Ales:

C: What is the best part of making beer for a living?
T: Not having to get a real job. You know a lot of people talk about making beer -and that is what I sell. But I like to tell my staff to kind of keep it close to heart, what we sell is a break from people's life. What we sell is a break from their week.
C: You're selling happiness! A smile in a glass.
T: I see guys that come in, that I know have stressful jobs and they come in on friday and they're like, "arghh" and then you can physically see their shoulders round over after, "like ugh, I've been waiting for this all week. Thank-you Tommy." Thats my pay back.

C: Tell me about your latest variety?

T: The vine climber, we call it. That's our session ipa. Just for the summertime we thought that it would be nice to have a light and refreshing, but still hoppy beer.

C: What is your favorite beer you have ever brewed, and why?

T: Hurricane Kitty, our regular ipa is named after my grandma. She got that nickname from the police here on Long Island because of her speeding, she got so many speeding tickets. You know any chick that is cool enough to get a nickname from the police is cool enough to have a beer named after her. We call her "Hurricane Nana" around the Thanksgiving table.

Q: What's the staple brewery music, you know— what helps the with the brewing process?

A: In the brewery or in while we are brewing? Alright, this is a two part question. As far as people coming into the brewery and enjoying themselves, we do a lot of rhythm and blues, funk, and good old classic rock and rock and stuff you can dance to. But when it comes to actually brewing, its rap. Old school hip-hop. Music that keeps us moving like Run DMC.
C: Like its tricky!
T: Ugh man, love that song. "It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time" People are packing cases... Keeps your ass moving!

C: If you were to drink a beer outside of your own what would be your preference?

T: This is a tough one. Especially these days, there are so many great liquids on the market. My dad owns the Brickhouse Brewery, I used to be the head brewer at the Blue Point Brewery. Lately I've been stuck on light ipas and Founder's has a good one. If I have to go with one beer, I think I have to go old school and go Guinness. You can never go wrong with a good Guinness.

C: So my blog is mainly a fashion blog, so I have to ask what's the "brewery" signature style?
T: Fashion about beer? Mine is more vocal than fashion. A lot of people talk about what beers pairs with and I'm more like, "Shut up and drink it,"

BLUE POINT BREWING COMPANY

| VISIT: 161 River Avenue - Patchogue, New York | WEBSITE: http://bluepointbrewing.com/ |

| PHONE: 631.475.6944 | TASTING ROOM HOURS: thurs-fri: 3-7 \ sat: 12-7 |

| Speaking with Jim from the The Blue Point Family :

C: What is the best part of making beer for a living?

J: Uh, just the variety of work I do, the people I meet, it's one huge family. So its amazing. Living life and enjoying it.

C: Tell me about your latest variety?

J: Its Pumpkin, bringing it out a bit early this year. Everyone wants the fall to come.

C: What is your favorite beer you have ever brewed, and why?

J: Ah, gosh. See I drink very based on my mood. So its kind of like I love everything. But I drink whatever tastes best that day. My favorite brewing wise is probably is the Oatmel Stout. Just because I grain it in, in the morning and you start adding those oats and toasted barley and that smell....

C: What's the staple brewery music, what helps the with the brewing process?

J: I'm an old Punk Rock kid! So I like that 70s 80s punk.

C: Yes! Like a little Social D?

J: Yeah definitely, Social D and a little Misfits. Some of our younger guys like a little more of a hip-hop thing. But we all come together over 80s music, like 80s rock or 80s ballads.

C: If you were to drink a beer outside of your own what would be your preference?

J: Oh gosh. Man see, I dunno. That is so hard, see I'm a sour guy, I like cantillon - I love sour beers.

C: Since, My blog is also a fashion blog , i have to ask What's the "brewery" signature style?

J: Well we just got these Dickie's brown shirts, like this kind of caftan tan shirts. So thats our brewery style. Jeans, rubber boots and these brown Dickie's shirts. A blue collar house.

MOUSTACHE BREWING COMPANY

| VISIT: 400 Hallett Avenue, Suite A - Riverhead, NY | WEBSITE: http://www.moustachebrewing.com/ |

| PHONE: 631.591.3250 | TASTING ROOM HOURS: fri: 3-7 \ sat: 1-6 \ sun: 1-6 |

| Talking to Lori from Moustache Brewing Company.

Q: What is the best part of making beer for a living?

A: Uh, Making beer for a Living! Making something that people get excited to buy. Who doesn't like beer? We wake up every day and make something that makes us happy.

Q: Tell me about your latest variety?

A: Today, we have the August ipa. Every month we do different ipas. It changes month to month. So, today we released the August Ipa. This was just kegged today around 8:30 this morning. Its a ipa that is all amarillo hops, you get a lot of citrusy, grapefruit notes. Its super clean and everyone seems to be freaking out about it today, which is always good!

Q: What is your favorite beer you have ever brewed, and why?

A: Uhmm, oh shit. Its kind of hard to say. You know everyone asks that question. It's like which kid is your favorite?! The mojito beer is one of the first beers we started brewing. We really love cocktails and we obviously really love beer, so we were like this could go really good ot be really bad. Then we just kept brewing it. Its a pale ale with fresh zested lime and fresh mint. It's a sleeper, it's 6 or seven percent and it does not taste like it. I have to be careful when I'm working the tasting room, sometimes that I don't down it like a glass of water because it is so refreshing. It can be an occupational hazard!

Q: What's the staple brewery music, you know— what helps the with the brewing process?

A: Its a toss up, it depends who gets to the ipad first in the morning. If Matt is controlling the music its a lot of reggae, rocksteady, and ska - so like a lot of Slackers, Hep Cat, and the Toasters. I go through different phases like if I'm doing paperwork I'll just listen to a reggae station, or if I'm doing a lot of cleaning and stuff that I hate doing, that I gotta get pumped about I listen to Die Antword or Dropkick Murphys, just something crazy. But then there are some days when, well this is such a guilty pleasure, but it will be like 2 o'clock in the morning and we're tired and just need to power through we'll just put on "Party Rock Anthem" something just totally random that's bad party music.

Q: If you were to drink a beer outside of your own what would be your preference?

A: Its so hard. Actually its funny because, since we've been brewing and up and running, once we go home and have a drink, we 99% of the time are drinking Bourbon or Whiskey. Does Bourbon count? We are super into Hudson Bourbon Baby Bourbon.

Q: Since my blog is half a fashion blog, I asked everyone what's the "brewery" signature style?

A: Oh yikes. It depends. My standard is a Mustache t-shirt, my pink brew boots, and I usually use the retro style bandana to keep my hair back. But if its just an office, paperwork day - I'm probably just sitting at my desk with sweatpants on.

C: Oh, the good 'ol giving up on life sweatpants?

L: Oh totally. Though, I actually have a couple different categories of leggings and sweatpants. I have the giving up on life ones and then the better legging ones that I can go out in public in.

LONG IRELAND BEER COMPANY

| VISIT: 817 Pulaski Street - Riverhead, New York | WEBSITE:http://longirelandbeer.com/|

| PHONE: 631.591.3250 | TASTING ROOM HOURS: thurs-fri : 3-7 \ sat-sun: 1-6 |

| Talking some with my Long Ireland Family, Dan & Greg.

Q: What is the best part of making beer for a living? How many times have you answered this question..

A: You get to drink it - Yeah!

Q: Tell me about your latest variety?

A: Our latest variety is the Trinity ipa. It starts as a light, clean and refreshing ipa that finishes more bold. It is a blend of three hops, magnum, amarillo and citra creating the perfect blend for a smooth late summer beer.

Q: What is your favorite beer you have ever brewed, and why?

A: Really, You are asking me that? Hahaha. Right now it is probably the Trinity. It all depends.

Q: What's the staple brewery music, what helps the with the brewing process?

A: Drop Kick Murphy's, Flogging Molly - Irish folk and Irish Punk Rock all year round.

Q: If you were to drink a beer outside of your own what would be your preference?

A: I always try to just keep it local and support all the local Long Island Breweries.

Q: What's the "brewery" signature style?
A: A beard and any shirt, as long as its black.