With the recent debut of HopWin’s Brewery next to The Brewers Collective Beer Co., a brewer’s row is booming in Bay Shore, which is also home to Great South Bay Brewery, Ghost Brewing, and Destination Unknown Beer Company.
HopWin’s was founded in 2015 by brothers-in-law Bill Hoppe and Steve Winn, who started out as homebrewers a decade ago and turned their hobby into a business aft er some prodding from their wives, who are sisters. Unable to host their planned grand opening due to coronavirus, they instead opened with takeout and delivery.
“Steve and I were spending so much time brewing late at night and on the weekends that our wives suggested we start making money doing it,” says Hoppe.
HopWin’s leased a 2,350-square-foot space in 2017 and Hoppe, a sheet metal worker, and Steve, who works in telecommunications, built a 5-barrel brewing system while perfecting recipes and pouring beers at local beer festivals.
“We’re excited to be part of making Bay Shore the premier craft beer destination on Long Island,” says Hoppe, a Bay Shore native. “Main Street is bustling with craft beer bars and gastropubs, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received from the other breweries in town.”
Hoppe and Winn won the Golden Keg last year in the annual Brew’d Competition at the Long Island Craft Classic beer fest in which nine local craft breweries competed by brewing a beer incorporating a mystery ingredient, which in 2019 was mango. HopWin’s used the ingredient in a milkshake New England-style IPA called Dat Mango Tho’.
HopWin’s brewers like to experiment by using one recipe but splitting the batch and adding different ingredients in the fermenting tanks. HopWin’s has canned several of its beers, including split batch beers such as Pretty in Peach, a peach version of its Hefe Handed Hefeweizen.
The taproom at HopWin’s has 12 taps, and will feature beers such as Strong Island IPA, Marshmallow Milk Stout, Golden Ale, and its split version of One Hella Vanilla! Golden Ale. HopWin’s tasting room, highlighted by a 50-foot-long bar, will be family friendly and dog friendly, with plenty of space for party games like Jenga and darts. In warm weather a roll up door will open to let in the sunshine.
As the name of the brewery suggests, these hops are a win!
HopWin’s Brewery is located at 1460 N. Clinton Avenue in Bay Shore. For more info visit hopwinsstore.com
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