The space in Bay Shore formerly occupied by a brewery that loved to experiment with ancient ingredients is now the home of a new brewery that wants to take ancient brewing methods to the next level.
Rites Brewing opened in September at the former location of TBC Beer Company, which was founded by members of The Brewers Collective homebrew club. Rites was launched by brewer Chris Dougherty and his uncle, Tim Irwin, a retired Wall Street trader who was looking for a new challenge.
“I’ve always enjoyed good beer and I know how talented Chris is from tasting his beers for many years,” said Irwin. “When the opportunity came up to get this space, I was all in, and we’re excited about what Rites can become.”
Dougherty grew up in Rockville Centre and started homebrewing in college, buying ingredients and getting advice from Peter Tripp, who at the time owned the Homebrews & Handgrenades shop in Baldwin and is now head brewer at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside.
“Right from the start I loved the challenge of trying to make every batch of beer better,” said Dougherty, who decided to make brewing his career and joined Barrier Brewing in 2016. He spent four years at Barrier and then moved on to senior brewing positions at several of Long Island’s top breweries.
TBC Beer Company opened its brewery and taproom in 2018 in a Bay Shore industrial park and gained a loyal following for its experimental beers. They included some made with herbs and flowers known as gruit, which were used instead of hops in ancient times. Rites is not using gruit, but Dougherty instead is focused on using ancient brewing methods of open-top fermentation, including a centuries-old German technique known as krausening.
To fit his vision, Dougherty purchased a vintage British brewing system that was being sold by Ivory Bill Brewing Co. in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, which closed last year. The 7-barrel system has 4 wood-clad open-fermentation vessels where yeast interacts with the wort (unfermented beer) in open air instead of being sealed inside a stainless steel tank.
The brewing system was originally built in 1983 for a London brewery by the late legendary British brewer Peter Austin, who built systems for 140 breweries in 17 countries around the world, including over 70 in the U.S.
“When I heard that a Peter Austin system was available, I knew we had to get it,” said Dougherty. He flew to Arkansas and drove the system back to Bay Shore in a rented truck.
“The traditional brewing methods we’re using will showcase the high quality of our ingredients,” said Dougherty. Rites is a New York State-licensed farm brewery and sources its malts from Hudson Valley Malts in Germantown.
Rites is starting off with a limited number of beers while Dougherty gets to know the new brewing system. The five beers on tap during our recent visit were right on style, including a delicious malty German-style kellerbier, crisp Belgian saison and a rich British-style dark mild served on a nitro tap for extra creaminess. Canned beers are available to take out in four-packs.
After taking over the space in June, Irwin and Dougherty renovated the taproom to give it an upscale but funky look, with the long bar now topped by antique chandeliers and featuring wrought iron bar stools and an attractive faux brick front. As a New York State farm brewery, Rites is also welcoming nonbeer drinkers with wines from Jamesport Vineyards and a full menu of cocktails made with spirits from The Better Man Distilling in Patchogue.
Rites has rotating food trucks onsite and is holding regular events including trivia and live music, but the main attraction will likely be the unique beers brewed by Dougherty.
“The name Rites comes from a combination of the words ‘ritual’ and ‘intention,’” said Dougherty. “Brewing is the process of following specific steps that result in a meaningful outcome, and that’s what we’re doing here to produce exceptional beers.”
Rites Brewing is located at 1460 N. Clinton Ave. in Bay Shore. For more info, visit Instagram.com/ritesbrewing.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
