Riverhead Town’s first farm brewery to grow its own hops and barley is in the works for a farm on Sound Avenue in Jamesport.
Jamesport Farm Brewery would operate a brewery and tasting room on part of a 43-acre agricultural parcel.
Melissa Daniels and Anthony Caggiano run a nursery business there called Plant Connection. They also own L.I. Hops and have been growing about two acres of hops on site. They are planning to add eight acres of barley.
They are planning to convert a potato barn on the farm into a brewery and tasting room, Daniels said yesterday. She and her business partner appeared with their architect before the Riverhead Architectural Review Board to discuss the building’s design.
“It will be neat because people in the tasting room will be able to see the brewery operation,” Daniels said.
“We’re working with a couple of brewers” on the operation of the brewery, she said.
Jamesport Farm Brewery is “close” to getting its federal license and will next apply to the State Liquor Authority for a farm brewery permit. Meanwhile, they’ve filed a site plan application with the Riverhead Planning Board. The application is being reviewed by the planning department.
They will continue to operate Plant Connection and, of course, grow their hops and barley on site.
“We started growing hops to serve the local breweries, because the state law requires them to source locally grown hops,” Daniels said.
“Then we realized that all the breweries in Riverhead are in town,” Caggiano added. “We thought a brewery on a farm would be great.” Riverhead has two farm distilleries and a number of farm wineries.
“We’re hoping to be open by summer,” Caggiano said.
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