Bridge And Tunnel Brewery

[link to podcast page]
WFMU's Beer Hear! with Bob W. and B.R. from 3/22/2013

Rich Castagna says that his Bridge and Tunnel nano-brewery in Maspeth, Queens is the smallest functioning brewery in New York. Operating a 1.5 barrel (45 gallon) brewing system in a space that's 150 sq. ft., there's possibly a few homebrewers out there with greater capacity! Though Rich is not so interested in making quantities of beer, but rather uses his operation's limited overhead costs to allow him to brew whatever inspires him, without being held hostage by the pressures to produce and sell.

 

As the guest speaker at a Malted Barley Appreciation Society club meeting recently, he explained his start in brewing, described his brewhouse, talked about the beers he's made so far, and shared his plans for the future. Hear all about it in the podcast.

Rich and his wife Lisa. Photo: Warren Becker.

Rich sampled out growlers of his Angry Amel Dunkelweizen, which has a very funny backstory to its name, explained in the podcast, and his Hazelnut Brown Ale called Tiger Eyes.

Bridge and Tunnel Brewery has a production target of 18 sixtels a month (a sixtel is 1/6 of a barrel, or about 5 gallons), and has released some beers on cask. His beers were featured on cask at D.B.A. Brooklyn recently. Having gotten licensed to brew in September 2012, he's made a lot of headway and gotten some good press in a short time, being featured in Time Out NY and written up on the Brewyork beer blog.

Club members in the back room of Mugs. Photo: W. Becker.

The famous Bill Coleman MBAS shirt! Photo: W. Becker.