The beach-bum brewers: Rockaway Brewing Company
After three-and-a-half years of home-brewing in their Rockaway Beach bungalows, Ethan Long and Marcus Burnett—a set designer and an Emmy-nominated cinematographer, respectively— decided to go pro, naming their new business after their summmer-home locale. Their first beer, the mellow English ale ESB got a bump from the community last June when Rockaway Taco and Caracas Arepa started pouring the easy-drinking sipper to shaggy-haired day-trippers at their boardwalk stands. Since moving their workplace off the sandy shoreline, Long and Burnett have gotten plenty of love from their new ’hood: Their creations are in the tap rotation at Long Island City’s Alobar and Astoria’s Sunswick 35/35, as well as other locations throughout the city. With the September opening of their commercial brewery, the duo now pumps out 24 barrels each month; and they added a chocolaty Black Gold stout and a light, coffee-accented Fool’s Gold porter in December. Swing by their facility to scope the fermenting equipment and a vintage-can collection, and nab a handle (64oz $15) in the growler room. rockawaybrewco.com