New York’s focus on growing its craft beer industry continues to bear fruit. Along with Red Shed’s new tap room opening last week, Moustache Brewing Co. announced on Facebook Live that it will be quadrupling the size of its current space in Riverhead, N.Y.
The founders, Lauri and Matthew Spitz, officially signed a lease on the rest of the industrial building where their current location exists. The space will go from 1,400 square feet to 5,600 square feet, with a projected opening in early 2018. The new Moustache Brewing Co. facility will include a spacious, new 1,200 square foot tasting room — which is nearly the size of the current brewery — with vaulted ceiling, 30-foot bar, three new bathrooms, a cold storage unit, office space and, finally, a parking lot. The current brewery and public tasting room will remain open throughout renovations.
“We’re pretty lucky that we get to work together on building this awesome dream of ours,” said Matt. “I might wear the moustache, but Lauri is the one who really makes sure that the business is running — everything from marketing, social media, sales, bookkeeping — all of it. I, along with Head Brewer, Rob, handle the technical and delicious stuff — the recipe creation, brewing process and quality control. There’s really no escaping work talk when you work and live with your business partner. We have a very unique work-life balance, but we love it.”
The Moustache story
Lauri and Matt Spitz brewed their first homebrew batch of beer in September 2005. After launching a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 to open a brewery, the couple exceeded their goal having raised over $31,000 in one month. The Riverhead doors opened to an excited crowd in April 2014, and the brewery had to quickly increase production to keep up with its growing popularity. By 2016, the brewery went from a single-barrel to a seven-barrel brewhouse. Business has continued to grow and expand at a rapid rate for the local brewery.
The success of the brewery hasn’t come without its struggles. Matt was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves in the brain and spine, just as he and Lauri were in the process of opening their doors. The pair released Dexterity Issues, a double IPA with an 8.4 percent ABV, a special beer to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dexterity Issues was brewed with Green Bullet, Comet, Amarillo and Citra hops in the boil and then dry hopped with Simcoe and Denali. The Denali hops were generously donated to the project by Hopsteiner. Dexterity Issues is released once a year at the end of February.
“We are overwhelmed with the support we’ve received not only as a local brewery, but as people,” Lauri shared. “Our fans have become family and we can’t thank them enough for everything. We’ve been bursting at the seams, and now we’re ready to give them a bigger and better experience when they come to visit.”
As a thank you to loyal drinkers, Moustache Brewing Co. expanded their original Growler-of-the-Month Club and created the Society for Fine Liquid Provisions. Members not only receive monthly growler fills or four-packs of cans and birthday perks, but they also get discounts and have access to exclusive, member-only beers on tap in the tasting room. Memberships can be purchased or gifted online.
The team has stayed true to the brewery’s slogan: “Creating top-notch craft beers brewed with passion and love.” Moustache Brewing Co. has a farm-brewing license, which is a New York state license intended to help small breweries and support New York farmers. Under this license, they use at least 20 percent New York State-grown hops, and at least 20 percent locally grown miscellaneous ingredients (like malt and other flavoring components).
